What Harrogate Town’s Ownership Change Means for the Club

Simon Weaver will remain manager while becoming co-owner, alongside local businessman Jonathan Blezard, as Irving Weaver ends his 15-year tenure.

SportsOctober 16, 20263 min readHow Sureno writes this

The short version

Simon Weaver and Jonathan Blezard have completed their takeover of Harrogate Town, ending Irving Weaver’s 15-year tenure as chairman and majority shareholder. ¹
Simon Weaver will continue as first-team manager while taking on co-ownership; he says his managerial role will not change. ¹²
Blezard, a local businessman and founder of Angstrom Sports, intends to take an active role in the club’s development. ¹²
The club says both new owners have committed material financial support, but the available reports do not give figures or detailed plans. ¹

Who owns Harrogate Town now?

Harrogate Town is now co-owned by first-team manager Simon Weaver and businessman Jonathan Blezard. The takeover was announced on Friday, October 16, 2026, after the Independent Football Regulator signed off on the change of ownership. ¹

The change ends Irving Weaver’s 15-year tenure as chairman and majority shareholder. He had selected the two new owners after considering the club’s long-term future and other possible avenues for its ownership. ¹²

Will Simon Weaver still manage Harrogate Town?

Yes. Simon Weaver will continue as the club’s first-team manager as well as becoming a co-owner. He has managed Harrogate since 2009, and has said his position and role as manager will not change. ¹²⁴

That means ownership and responsibility for the team’s results now sit, in part, with the same person. Weaver has said he expects to be judged on results as any other manager would be. The reports do not describe any change to his day-to-day managerial responsibilities. ⁴

What will Jonathan Blezard do at the club?

Blezard is a local businessman with experience in sports analytics and trading, and he founded Angstrom Sports. He has said he intends to play an active part in Harrogate Town’s development. ¹²

The sources do not set out a detailed division of duties between Blezard and Weaver. They do establish that both are co-owners and that Weaver remains responsible for matters on the pitch. ¹

Why did Irving Weaver step down?

Irving Weaver said he had spent two years considering what the club’s long-term ownership should look like and had spoken with people interested in becoming involved. He described the selection as a question of finding people with suitable intentions and commitment, rather than simply finding someone willing to buy or invest. ²

He also said the deal should not be viewed as family succession. Simon is his son, but Irving stressed that Simon and Blezard were taking on the commitment together. ¹²

What could the ownership change mean for the club?

The clearest immediate change is who owns and leads the club: Irving Weaver has stepped down, and Simon Weaver and Blezard have taken over. The club says both new owners have committed material financial support, but has not published an amount in the reporting provided. ¹

Harrogate Town are competing in the National League after relegation from the Football League. The BBC reported that the club had spent six seasons in League Two after its first promotion to the Football League in 2020. ⁴

For supporters, the available information points to continuity in the dugout alongside a change in ownership. It does not yet explain what the new owners will invest in, what their longer-term aims are, or whether they plan other changes to club operations. ¹²

What we don't know yet

The amount and timing of the financial support committed by the new owners have not been specified in the reports. ¹
The sources do not provide a detailed breakdown of Blezard’s and Weaver’s ownership stakes or responsibilities.
No specific longer-term sporting, staffing, or facility plans are described in the available reporting.

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Questions people ask

Who are the new owners of Harrogate Town?

Simon Weaver and Jonathan Blezard have become co-owners of Harrogate Town. Their takeover ends Irving Weaver’s tenure as chairman and majority shareholder. ¹

Is Simon Weaver still Harrogate Town’s manager?

Yes. Weaver will remain first-team manager alongside his new ownership role. He has said that his managerial position and role will not change. ¹²

Who is Jonathan Blezard?

Blezard is a local businessman and the founder of Angstrom Sports, with a background in sports analytics and trading. He intends to take an active role in the club’s development. ¹

Why did Irving Weaver leave Harrogate Town?

Irving Weaver said he had spent two years considering the club’s long-term ownership and had spoken with interested parties. He said Simon Weaver and Blezard were chosen for their intentions and commitment, and described their partnership as more than family succession. ¹²

Have Harrogate Town’s new owners announced investment plans?

The club’s announcement said both new owners had committed material financial support. The reports provided do not state an amount or give a detailed account of how that support will be used. ¹

Sources

Jonathan Blezard and Simon Weaver complete takeover of Harrogate Town — Harrogate Advertiser, 2026-10-16
Dual role for Harrogate Town boss following ownership change — Yorkshire Post, 2026-10-16
Simon Weaver: Harrogate Town boss becomes co-owner of National League club — BBC Sport