Simon Weaver becomes Harrogate Town co-owner alongside Jonathan Bleazard

Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver has become a co-owner of the National League club alongside local businessman Jonathan Bleazard, bringing his father Irving's ownership to an end. BBC Sport reported the takeover on Friday, with Weaver making clear that his new ownership responsibilities would not change his position as the team's manager.

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The deal adds a new role to Weaver's long association with the North Yorkshire club. He took charge of the team in May 2009, two years before Irving became owner in 2011. Father and son subsequently oversaw Harrogate's first promotion to the Football League in 2020, followed by six seasons competing in League Two.

Irving Weaver said the change should not be regarded simply as a transfer of the club within the family. In comments to the club website carried by the BBC, he emphasised the joint commitment being made by Simon and Bleazard. He also said the two new owners brought complementary experience and strengths to their partnership.

For Simon Weaver, becoming an owner does not remove the scrutiny attached to managing the team. He said results would continue to determine how his work was judged, just as they would for any other football manager. His ambition remained to improve as a coach and move the team forward, with the same responsibility and personal standards as before the takeover.

The ownership change follows Harrogate's relegation from League Two last season, which ended their six-season stay in that division and returned them to the National League. They are currently second in the table after 13 matches. Those results form the immediate league backdrop to the takeover, with Weaver continuing in the managerial post he has held since 2009.

Harrogate described the agreement as the start of a significant new phase for the club. The next match for the team under its new ownership is an FA Cup trip to Bury on Saturday, in the fourth qualifying round. Weaver heads into that fixture as both manager and co-owner, having said that the additional status will not change his responsibilities for performances and results.