Harrogate Veterans targeting more international glory at Seniors World Cup

Paul Bell’s team were crowned Harrogate & District Veterans League and West Riding County FA Leeds Division One champions at the end of 2023/24 and will be looking to carry that success into the Seniors World Cup, where they represent England.

Football Association approval is hardly surprising given their past success, which has seen them win the competition on six occasions, including regaining the trophy last year in Patumthani.

Harrogate’s coaching staff and several of their key players form the core of the group, but their enhancement by several other ex-professionals from around the country has enabled them to compete with other nations who have similar squad profiles.

The age of veteran players is a major factor in the Seniors World Cup. The unique rules can be a manager’s nightmare, both in deciding the make up of the squad or the in-game management.

Rules state that three players over the age of 50 must participate, four aged between 45-49, whilst only three 40-44 years old can participate at one time.

The usual Harrogate management team are in charge for the competition but are joined this year by local physio Liam Chapman, now of the Duchy Hospital, but previously at Harrogate Railway and Middlesborough FC’s academy.

“The role of the physio is so crucial in this competition," said boss Bell. “He has to manage the players’ condition to enable them to get through five games in six days in the humidity and heat over there which is currently touching 40 degrees Celsius.”

Taking Harrogate’s daily match preparation to another level, Bell is including Matty Wain, who has played regularly with the Vets over the years, in his close-knit back-room team.

Wain brings over the equipment to do instant video analysis of both our games and of the pending opposition.

"It’s going to be some task to pull that round within the 24 hours between games – but those learnings could make the difference,” Bell added.

Whilst the core of the squad are from the local champions, Harrogate have the additional resources in the form of ex-premier league players such as Deon Burton, Barry Hayles and Sean Davis.

Bell has also recruited players who have not only had lengthy careers at professional or semi-pro level, but are still playing at step 3 or 4 in their early forties. These players include David Norris (at Lancaster), Jon Challinor (Stamford) and Matt Bodkin (Chatham).

“I have to mention Jon” said Bell. “He got married on Saturday and four days later he’s flying out to Thailand to participate in the Seniors World Cup. That’s passion for representing your country.”

Harrogate’s manager is hoping they will have the same impact as local boy Colin Hunter did in the 2014 campaign when the former Town and Railway winger went straight from completing a North Counties East League season to being named as the player of the tournament.

Hunter is also back in the squad this year aiming for his third Seniors World Cup winner’s medal.

The squad arrived in Thailand last Thursday and have been at Jontiem Beach for three days of acclimatisation and training which concluded with a friendly game yesterday evening against a Pattaya All Stars Veterans team.

It was a comfortable 7-0 victory and the team subsequently travelled to Bangkok to their tournament hotel and to await the draw to discover their group opponents.

As the number one seeded team this year, the England Veterans know they will be plating all their group games at the Custom United Stadium in the Lat Krabang district of Bangkok, with many local school children likely to be in attendance.

Back at home Harrogate have won the local Veterans League First Division title every year, bar the Covid-affected seasons, since 2008. For the past 10 years they have extended that dominance by winning in tandem the county’s Regional League.

Bell has however been quick to point out that they have not had it all their own way this season, as other teams start to catch up on his ageing side, with both league titles only sealed in the final matches.

“Our average age is over 45 now and we are facing teams with players in their late thirties, often fresh out of open-age football, so we are having to work harder for our success,” he explained.

"The Leeds League in particular was very competitive this season with four teams still in the running for the Division One title up until the last couple of rounds of games. It's healthy for the leagues though, and it is inevitable that our astonishing runs will at some point come to an end.”