Harrogate Town include five of their non-league veterans in summer clearout
Harrogate Town have released five players who have come up through non-league with them and transfer-listed another in a big clear-out after a disappointing second half of the season.
In all eight players have been released at the end of their contracts and three more made available for transfers.
Lloyd Kerry had already announced he was retiring to become the club's head of player recruitment, and he faces a busy summer with Ryan Fallowfield, Lewis Page, Mark Beck, Joe Cracknell, Simon Power, Connor Kirby and Joe Leesley also leaving Wetherby Road.
Leon Legge, Nathan Sheron and Aaron Martin have been told they can find new clubs The club is in negotiations to extend Rory McArdle's contract.
Manager Simon Weaver has been fairly loyal to the players who brought the club into the Football League for the first time in its history and given most of them the chance to show what they can do. Fallowfield, Beck, Cracknell and Leesley were all part of that group, as was Martin, although his only non-league appearances for Harrogate were in the 2020 Conference play-offs because almost as soon as he signed the regular season was abandoned because of Covid-19.
When they beat Scunthorpe United 6-1 on October 6, the Sulphurites were second in League Two, a point behind eventual champions Forest Green Rovers. But when McArdle picked up a serious injury their season fell away badly and they finished 19th, two places below their debut season at this level.
Legge, a 36-year-old central defender, was signed in January to try to address their defensive problems but made just five starts.
Left-back Page joined from Exeter City last summer, and made 27 League Two starts last season. Midfielder Power's loan from Norwich City was made permanent at the same time. Most of his appearances this season have come from the bench.
Kirby had two loan spells at Altrincham last year, whilst Leesley had been on loan at Boston United.