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Simon Weaver

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Simon Weaver
Weaver playing for Tamworth in 2007
Personal information
Full name Simon Daniel Weaver
Date of birth (1977-12-20) 20 December 1977 (age 46)
Place of birth Doncaster, England
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Harrogate Town (manager)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1996–1998 Sheffield Wednesday 0 (0)
1997 → Doncaster Rovers (loan) 2 (0)
1998–2000 Ilkeston Town
2000–2002 Nuneaton Borough 63 (0)
2002–2004 Lincoln City[1] 88 (4)
2004 → Macclesfield Town (loan) 7 (0)
2004–2005 Kidderminster Harriers 23 (0)
2005–2006 Scarborough 22 (1)
2006 York City 0 (0)
2006–2007 Tamworth 38 (1)
2007–2008 Boston United
2008–2009 King's Lynn
2008–2009 Redditch United
2008–2009 Ilkeston Town
2009–2012 Harrogate Town
Total 243 (6)
Managerial career
2009– Harrogate Town
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Simon Daniel Weaver (born 20 December 1977) is an English football manager and former player who is manager of League Two side Harrogate Town.

As a player he was a defender from 1996 until 2012 and notably played in the Football League for Lincoln City between 2002 and 2004, he also briefly played in the league for Doncaster Rovers, Macclesfield Town and Kidderminster Harriers. He also played at non-league level for Ilkeston Town, Nuneaton Borough, Scarborough, York City, Tamworth, Boston United, King's Lynn and Redditch United. In May 2009, he was appointed player/manager of Harrogate Town and led the team to first-ever promotions to the National League in 2018 and League Two in 2020, and is currently the longest-serving manager in the top four divisions.

Playing career

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Born in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, Weaver played as a central defender and began his career as an apprentice with Sheffield Wednesday and made his professional debut during a loan spell with Doncaster Rovers in February 1997. Released by Wednesday, he moved into the non-league circuit with first Ilkeston Town and then Nuneaton Borough.

In the summer of 2002, he made a return to the Football League, signing for Lincoln City,[2] who were managed by Keith Alexander, his former boss at Ilkeston. He signed a new one-year contract in July 2004,[3] but lost his place in the Lincoln team at the start of the 2004–05 season, and was transfer listed at his request.[4] Following a loan period at Macclesfield Town,[5] he joined Kidderminster Harriers,[6] and was one of ten players released at the end of the season after Kidderminster were relegated to the Conference National.[7] He signed a 12-month contract with Scarborough in June 2005,[8] but despite initial optimism,[9] the spell was not successful and with Scarborough in disarray, Weaver was in need of a new club for the 2006–07 season.

Weaver signed a short-term contract with Conference National side York City at the beginning of the 2006–07 season but having been an unused substitute for the first two games of the season, he was released by York so that he could take up the offer of a 12-month contract at Tamworth.[10] Although Weaver played in many of Tamworths games in the 2006–07 season, he was not offered a new contract following the club's relegation.

In the summer of 2007, he briefly trialled with Conference Premier newcomers Salisbury City and had discussions with Droylsden. He was injured playing in a pre-season friendly in Scotland: an injury that required the bones in his foot to be pinned. The injury caused him to miss the first four months of the season but, returning to fitness, he signed for Boston United on 11 December 2007.[11]

On 29 May 2008, Weaver joined Conference North newcomers King's Lynn, after failing to agree a new deal with Boston.[12][13] He scored three goals in 22 appearances but left King's Lynn in January after failing to get a regular start in recent weeks.[14] He joined Redditch United, debuting in their 2–1 victory at Hyde United on 31 January 2009.[15] After one further appearance for the club in the away defeat to Fleetwood Town a fortnight later, Weaver rejoined his former club Ilkeston Town. He made a successful debut for the club, netting twice in a 4–3 Northern Premier League Challenge Cup victory at Boston United on 18 February 2009.[16]

Managerial career

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Weaver was appointed as the new player-manager of Harrogate Town of the Conference North on 20 May 2009.[17] After becoming manager his father Irving became chairman and "the Weavers have transformed Harrogate from sixth-tier strugglers to National League high-flyers challenging for an English Football League place".[18] In May 2018, the team won 3–0 in the play-off final against Brackley Town to reach the National League for the first time in their history.[19]

On 2 August 2020, Weaver led Harrogate to the English Football League for the first time in their history as they beat Notts County 3–1 in the National League play-off final at Wembley Stadium.[20] On 12 September, he won 4–0 at Southend United in the club's first-ever Football League match.[21]

Managerial statistics

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As of match played 9 November 2024[22]
Team From To Record
G W D L Win %
Harrogate Town 20 May 2009 Present 794 306 196 292 038.54
Total 794 306 196 292 038.54

Honours

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Harrogate Town

Individual

References

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  1. ^ Many sources, such as Soccerbase, credit Richard Logan with scoring Lincoln's goal in the 1–1 draw with Kidderminster Harriers on 10 August 2002. However, the club officially credited the goal to Weaver, see ""The Goal Was Mine" Says Weaver". Lincoln City F.C. 10 August 2002. Retrieved 19 June 2008.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ "Simpson joins Lincoln". BBC Sport. 5 July 2002. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
  3. ^ "Imps swoop for Blackwood". BBC Sport. 14 July 2004. Retrieved 12 February 2009.
  4. ^ "Imps accept Weaver request". BBC Sport. 15 September 2004. Retrieved 12 February 2009.
  5. ^ "Weaver joins Macclesfield on loan". BBC Sport. 15 October 2004. Retrieved 12 February 2009.
  6. ^ "Harriers get Weaver and Beardsley". BBC Sport. 9 December 2004. Retrieved 12 February 2009.
  7. ^ "Player clear-out at Kidderminster". BBC Sport. 9 May 2005. Retrieved 12 February 2009.
  8. ^ "Weaver makes Scarborough switch". BBC Sport. 21 June 2005. Retrieved 12 February 2009.
  9. ^ "Scarborough star Weaver positive". BBC Sport. 11 August 2005. Retrieved 12 February 2009.
  10. ^ "Tamworth close in on Weaver deal". BBC Sport. 17 August 2006. Retrieved 12 February 2009.
  11. ^ "Pilgrims recruit defender Weaver". Boston United F.C. 11 December 2007. Retrieved 26 January 2009.
  12. ^ "Weaver and Ellender leave Boston". BBC Sport. 2 June 2008. Retrieved 2 June 2008.
  13. ^ "Weaver spill blood for the cause". Non League Daily. 15 August 2008. Archived from the original on 16 June 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2008.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  14. ^ "Lynn release Weaver". Non-League Daily. 22 January 2009. Archived from the original on 3 September 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2009.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  15. ^ Lawrence, David (1 February 2009). "Beswick secures vital victory". Redditch Advertiser. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
  16. ^ "Pilgrims beaten after extra time". Boston United F.C. 18 February 2009. Retrieved 19 February 2009.
  17. ^ "Weaver named new Harrogate boss". BBC Sport. 21 May 2009. Retrieved 21 May 2009.
  18. ^ "FA Cup first round: Harrogate Town looking to shock 2008 winners Portsmouth". BBC Sport. 9 November 2019.
  19. ^ "Irving and Simon Weaver reflect on Harrogate Town's historic promotion". Harrogate Advertiser. 24 May 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  20. ^ Carayol, Tumaini (2 August 2020). "Harrogate see off Notts County on ascension day for manager Weaver". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  21. ^ Phillips, Chris (13 September 2020). "Opposition reaction: Harrogate Town boss Simon Weaver thrilled with history making win at Southend United". The Echo. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  22. ^ "Managers: Simon Weaver". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  23. ^ Tumaini Carayol (2 August 2020). "Harrogate see off Notts County on ascension day for manager Weaver". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  24. ^ "New season, new team: Harrogate Town". Exeter City FC. 20 August 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  25. ^ James Law (3 May 2021). "Harrogate beat Concord to win FA Trophy". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  26. ^ "See the January Sky Bet League Two Manager & Player of the Month winners". www.efl.com. 9 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
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