So what’s it actually like to visit Harrogate Town as a family? Can a visit to a football ground be family friendly?
As a co-parenting girl Mum, I’m pretty new to the football scene. I’ll admit that I had a pretty narrow view to what goes on at football matches. I saw visiting a football ground as something that men did after a few pints and occasionally took their kids to. I stand corrected!
Three Generations at Harrogate Town
With Izzy being 100 million percent into her football she soon expressed an interest in attending a match so I bit the bullet and booked us tickets to watch Harrogate Town for the first time about 18 months ago. When I say ‘us’ I mean I took my Dad too as he knew more about it than me. He played in goal for Harrogate Town a ‘few’ years ago. He was like my safety blanket!
We had such a good time and looking back now I shouldn’t have been worried about taking her by myself. It’s such a family friendly atmosphere with plenty on for the kids as well as the grown ups.
How family friendly is it?
Yes ok, you might here a few choice words every now and again but that’s about the only downside and I’m a great believer that in this day and age they will probably have already heard worse from their mates, in song lyrics or on the TV.
There’s a dedicated family stand which is all seated but we’ve stood/sat in all the stands and they are pretty much all the same, apart from maybe the cop where it’s a bit noisier and you’re more likely to have a stray ball flying towards you – honestly that’s my worst nightmare!
We’re well into our second season of watching Town play and have been to countless matches just the two of us. Izzy has even been lucky enough to be a flag bearer a couple of times and managed to get plenty of autographs from the players.
What not to miss
Some of the highlights have to be meeting their resident mascot Harry Gator. He’s around at every match and welcomes anyone who wants a high five or selfies. Recently we also met Bluey, Darth Vader and Obi Wan Kenobi. A bit of a random mix I though but al least they were covering all ages.
And don’t disappear after the match! Make your way to the side-lines and you might be lucky enough to meet the players, get a photo and even an autograph if you’re prepared. Bring a pen and something to sign, programmes work well (£3).
There is plenty of food and drink on site which isn’t too over priced but you can take your own in too. You can get a Harry Gator meal which is a burger, hot dog or wrap with a drink, Haribo and an apple for £5.
They’ll probably check your bags when you enter but that’s pretty standard at most large gatherings nowadays. All the staff are super friendly and will always help you if you need it too.
There’s a dedicated junior supporters club now as well which is free to join. You get a goody bag and a newsletter every month with club updates and competitions in.
I think a trip to support Harrogate Town is a fantastic afternoon out for all the family and a great way to introduce kids to football. I’ve added it to my Boredom Busting Ideas for Teens & Tweens blog too.
How much are Harrogate Town tickets?
Seated ticket prices for league games are £23 for adults and £9 for kids under 12. Standing tickets will save you a couple of pounds a ticket but I’d always recommend getting seats if you can. We recently went for a cup match which was only £10 for me and £3 for her.. bargain! And just to keep it real because I’m still a bit clueless, I have no idea what ‘cup’ we played in but it was against Accrington Stanley…who are they?!
If you visit after reading this I’d love to know how you get on. Put a comment down below or message me. What were your favourite bits? Did the kids enjoy themselves?
Great