Harrogate Town announce executive shake-up with new managing director
Harrogate Town have appointed a new managing director after the departure of chief executive Sarah Barry.
The Sulphurites have overhauled their squad after relegation from the Football League in May, and now the changes are extending to the boardroom as well.
Karen Tyson joins after a year as chief commercial officer at York RLFC, and had 18 years working in senior leadership positions with responsibility across commercial strategy, sales, marketing, revenue management, pricing, membership and operations at Rudding Park in Harrogate.
Chairman Irving Weaver said that Tyson "brings a wealth of experience, a strong connection to Harrogate and, most importantly, shares our belief in the importance of people, community and building the club in the right way."
For her part, the new managing director described Harrogate as "a club with real ambition and potential, both on and off the pitch. There is a lot to
build on, and I am really looking forward to getting started, meeting as many people as possible and working together to make the connection between the club, our supporters and the wider community even stronger.”
Barry oversaw a great deal of off-field progress in her time at Wetherby Road, with the club setting new records for average crowds, which topped 3,000 for the first time in 2025-26, despite relegation.
She will remain as a trustee on the Harrogate Town Community Foundation board.
“Representing Harrogate Town AFC as CEO has been an absolute honour and a privilege," she said. "“It takes a lot of dedicated people to run a football club. My heartfelt thanks and appreciation go to each and every one of our fabulous team of staff, suppliers, commercial partners and volunteers for everything you do and for making my time here so special.
“And to our fantastically loyal supporters. Your positivity throughout the last year in particular has been outstanding. It cannot be underestimated how much this has helped the team on and off the pitch as we adapt and get ready to go again.
“The last five years have been incredible. There is too much to list, but I’m immensely proud of how far we have come in that time.
“The journey continues and we’ve had a brilliant start to the season. There’s still a long way to go but it’s a great position to be in and whatever happens, I hope we can deliver an exciting and enjoyable season for everyone involved."