By Martin Walker
Aycliffe boss Allan Oliver is looking forward to welcoming Blue Square North side Harrogate Town to Moore Lane Park on Friday night.
The North Yorkshire club, whose squad includes ex-Boro and Darlington defender Alan White, last season finished 15th in the Conference North, which is three leagues above Aycliffe’s Northern League first division and one below the Conference Premier.
Town, a semi-professional outfit managed by former York City and Scarborough defender Simon Weaver, average crowds of close to 400 at their 3,800-capacity Wetherby Road ground.
Oliver said: “It’s a fantastic fixture for us and one we’re looking forward to immensely.
“They’ll offer us a difficult test, that’s for sure, and I’m looking forward to seeing how we cope with them, both technically and fitness-wise.
“It will also be their first visit to our ground, so we look forward to giving them a warm welcome and it will hopefully be a good, entertaining game for both sets of fans.”
● Admission to the game, which kicks off at 7.30pm, is £5 adults and £3 concessions (Over-65s and U-16s).