Ossett Town boss Craig Elliott had fond memories of his time at Harrogate Town
It was a great time. That is Craig Elliott’s verdict on his spell as a player at Harrogate Town at the beginning of the Bill Fotherby glory years, writes James Grayson (Twitter: @jamesAgrayson).
The current Ossett Town manager was playing elsewhere when former Leeds United chairman Fotherby swept into the club and promised to take them up the Non-League Football pyramid.
Elliott had broken into Steve Kittrick’s Glasshoughton team at just 17 and would play for Farsley Celtic before joining Harrogate in December 2000.
Fotherby had arrived ten months earlier and later bankrolled Harrogate’s 2002 NPL Division One title-winning side.
Elliott struck 17 times, which earned him the top-goalscorer award, in his first four months at Harrogate and his goals were vital as they kept Town in the Division.
Manager John Reed then led Harrogate to the title and the West Riding County Cup in a record-breaking year. Elliott scored 10 goals that season and the 34-year-old is proud of what was achieved that year.
“I have very fond memories and it was the best period of my playing career,” he said.
“I won the league I’m in now with Harrogate and it was a great season. Ossett Town finished second that year bizarrely.
“I look back on the team they had and you now realise how good it was because of the players we had.
“I was lucky because I think I got 10 goals that season and I enjoyed it. We got to play Doncaster Rovers away in the FA Trophy which was a good game.
“We had a fantastic manager in John Reed. He drove the team on every week. I’ve learnt a lot off him.
“We had a fantastic player at the back in Neil Aspin who was without a doubt the best player in the league.
“Robbie Whellans was also a great captain and I learnt a lot off him as a player and a person off-the-pitch.”
Craig Elliott says Neil Aspin was the best player in the league during the 2001-02 NPL Division One season
Elliott is best remembered at Harrogate for his equalising goal towards the end of the 2001 NPL Chairman’s Cup final with Barrow. The strike took the game, which Town lost on penalties, to extra-time.
Striker Elliott was also in the starting line-up on the night that promotion was won at Belper Town in April 2002 with seven league games to spare. In a see-saw match, the scores were tied at 3-3 until captain Whellans struck the winner.
Looking back on the famous night, Elliott said: “To win the league and in the manner that we did was great because it was so comfortable in the end.
“I remember when we secured the title we were away at Belper and it was a great night.
“We had a comfortable margin at the top and we had a few games to win the league, but we wanted to do it that night.
“I had a hamstring strain going into it and I didn’t want to let on. I managed to get through the game and it was a great feeling. We didn’t play well and was probably one of our worst displays, but it was about getting the result.”
Chairman Bill Fotherby promised to take Harrogate Town up the Non League Football League pyramid and he delivered on that promise
Whilst with Harrogate, Elliott had an unsuccessful trial at Doncaster Rovers. Unfortunately injury curtailed his playing career. Elliott went onto play for North Ferriby and a few other NPL clubs before finishing his time on-the-pitch at Glasshoughton at the age of 27.
Elliott went into management with West Yorkshire League side Kellingley Welfare where he enjoyed success and he was also the Pontefract Collieries reserve team manager. Glasshoughton came calling in August 2010 and he guided the Leeds Road club back to the Toolstation NCEL Premier Division.
He then left to become Ossett boss in May 2012 and remains in charge at Ingfield today.
Harrogate have also enjoyed success since Elliott departed in 2002. Fotherby delivered on his promise and led them to unprecedented heights. Fotherby sold his shares in the Conference North club to Irving Weaver in 2011 and Elliott has some good memories of his former chairman.
“Bill was a character and he obviously put a lot of his own money that year and invested his time in it,” he said.
“That was the start of it at Harrogate Town to where it has gone now. I remember the season before we just stayed up. I signed at Christmas and we managed to stay up.
“I remember in pre-season training in his back garden. It was massive, a big lawn in Harrogate. I remember turning up and he would come out watching us in his dressing gown and slippers.
“He always used to be on my back saying I should score more goals and stuff. He was a bit eccentric and made the lads laugh and it made a good atmosphere.
“He knew his football as well. I knew of him because I’m a Leeds United fan. It was a big thing for me to play in the same team as Neil Aspin and under the chairman.”
Elliott will now be hoping his experiences will serve him well as bids to bring success to Ossett.