Harrogate Town are working to register a free agent ahead of their match at Notts County as the club face a mounting injury and suspension list.
Harrogate are preparing to boost their squad by signing a free agent after being hit by a series of injuries, suspensions and international absences ahead of their weekend trip to meet Notts County.
Head coach Simon Weaver revealed that 8 players are unavailable through injury, 2 are away on international duty and 1 is suspended, leaving him able to list just 2 outfield substitutes.
The urgency of the situation has forced the Sulphurites to recall academy centre-back Marcus Etherington from his loan at non-league Ossett United, though he has yet to make a first-team appearance, as part of the short-term damage limitation plan.
Retention Options Thin As Weaver Admits Need For Reinforcement
With the fixture at Meadow Lane looming, Weaver confirmed the club have already brought Etherington back and are working to finalise the signing of a free agent who has trained with the squad this week. Weaver said:
“We’re able to bring in one free agent, so we are working hard on that … A free agent has come and trained with us today.”
He stressed that smaller clubs face a tougher challenge at this stage because free agents will often have been without competitive football and the transfer window having closed in August limits options.
He added that while the new arrival may not cover every position, the club are determined not to use the injury crisis as an excuse, emphasising the need for hard work and grit.
Weekend Showdown Looms With Team Under-strength Against In-form Magpies
🗣️ “Tuesday night was a reminder that if we fight for everything, we will create chances, and we’ve got good enough players to execute finishes.”
We’ve been catching up with Simon Weaver ahead of this weekend’s trip to Notts County 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/kO0LrlRDuc
— Harrogate Town AFC (@HarrogateTown) November 13, 2025
Defensively, Weaver expects to rely on recognised professionals Anthony O’Connor, Warren Burrell and Zico Asare as the only senior defenders available. In midfield, options including Bryn Morris, Ben Fox and Levi Sutton remain in contention, while in attack the club have a handful of starters vying for the opportunity, such as Reece Smith, Ellis Taylor, Jack Muldoon, Shawn McCoulsky and Tom Cursons.
The stakes are high: Harrogate currently sit just 2 places and 1 point above the League Two relegation zone, whereas Notts County are in third spot having won 4 and drawn 1 of their last 5 matches.
The window for registering a free agent under the exceptional circumstances remains tight, and the incoming player will need to hit the ground running. For Weaver’s side it is not just about covering injuries, but sustaining competitiveness in what promises to be a defining phase of their season.
