2026-27 Recruitment Plan for Harrogate Town

Player Decisions

Retain

Mark Oxley, Warren Burrell, Tom Bradbury, Ellis Taylor, Chanse Headman, Bryn Morris, Shawn McCoulsky, Mason Bennett, Jack Muldoon, Lucas Barnes, Ben Fox, Grant Horton, Lewis Cass, Cathal Hefernan

Release

Liam Gibson, Marcus Etherington, Zico Asare, Aiden Marsh, Levi Sutton, Conor McAleny, Stephen Duke-McKenna, Sam Waller, Tom Hill, George Thomson

Loan End

Jacob Slater, Emile Acquah, Emmerson Sutton, Tobias Brennan, Bobby Faulker, Henry Gray

Let Go

Anthony O’Connor, Lucas Barnes

Lose / Sell

Jack Evans, Reece Smith

Sign

Ciaran McGuckin, Morgan Williams, Will McGowan, Bailey Hobson

Retained Squad

New Signings

Ammar Dyer (AFC Telford United- free)

Even in spite of their relegation out of the Football League, I think that The Sulphurites look strong. Yet, one area in which I do feel Simon Weaver will be looking to strengthen this summer is at right-back. The Sulphurites do not currently have a right-back on the books, and so they will sign an option in that department, if not two. One option that I have liked the look of when I have seen him is Amar Dyer. 

While AFC Telford have managed to retain the services of a player in Oliver Cawthorne that many expected would sign for a club either in the National League or Football League this summer, Dyer is one that I think they may find it tough to keep off the back of a particularly impressive campaign with The Bucks. Dyer is only 22 years of age, yet he comes off the back of a good season with Kevin Wilkin’s men in which they just missed out on the National League North play-offs. 

As a player, I think Dyer represents a really nice all-round profile for a modern-day full-back. The Sulphurites have let a player leave the club in the form of Zico Asare that was a powerful operator that could provide an energy and ball-carrier from deep in the wide areas, and I feel that Dyer is a good alternative to Asare. Amar Dyer may only be a diminutive customer, but he has got a lovely intensity against the ball in harrying defenders. When they turn the ball over, he has got the running power and speed to attack space and provide an option on the overlap, and is suitably technical in possession such that he can carry. 

In particular, I like the fact that Amar Dyer is so well-rounded in his profile that he can contribute to both phases of play. Sometimes, you get a full-back who is overly ‘one or the other. However, Dyer’s attributes allow him to be a strong defender first and foremost with good recovery pace, can track runners, but on the flip side can then operate almost as a winger with his ability to get good delivery in from wide, and play forward.

The key reasons as to why I feel Dyer represents good value is that a) he is a good age, and with a lot of room to develop and b) he can play on either side of the pitch. I think that his best work with The Bucks has come from right-back and so can play on that side for The Sulphurites, yet he can also provide cover for Weaver on the left if required. Having a player that is as versatile as Dyer is very rare, and so for this reason I think he provides real value for money. I am not expecting Town to have the biggest squad, and so Dyer should be high on the priority list as a prospective signing in terms of providing squad depth. 

The Sulphurites have already signed players from lower in the pyramid that have got the ability to step up into the National League, and Dyer is another that I think fits into that mould. Weaver has talked about how he wants to put together a side that is full of energy, pacy, powerful and capable of playing a high-intensity, attacking style of football. The Bucks full-back is one that I feel has got a bright future and is more than capable of playing a league higher, and so if I were in Simon Weaver’s shoes then I would be all over Dyer.

Jonathan Ustabasi (AFC Fylde – free)

One area that The Sulphurites will be looking to strengthen is the right-hand side of their attack. George Thomson ended the campaign on the books and is 34 years of age, while they’ve seen Stephen Duke-McKenna leave the club to sign for League Two Crawley Town. One player that I did not expect to be on the move this summer yet one that I feel they should make a move for now that he has become available is the former AFC Fylde winger Jonathan Usatabasi. 

That right-hand side is definitely in need of re-work this summer. The addition of an attacking profile that can give pace, power, ball-carrying and athleticism to attack space, commit players and play a high-tempo, attacking game. When The Sulphurites were last at the level, they had George Thomson at the top of his form that was direct and penetrative in his running, while they also had Brendan Kiernan thrived in Simon Weaver’s possession-based system. If they are to gravitate back towards that, I think they definitely need that right winger that has got that underlying physical proficiency to offer that outlet. 

Ustabasi is a player that certainly buys into that philosophy of playing on the front-foot, committing players and looking to drive the ball to goal. I feel he is particularly effective when you are able to navigate the ball into his feet in space whereby he is able to isolate the opposition full-back. Yet, I think that Jonathan Ustabasi provides real versatility as a winger in how you can use him. He relishes 1v1 situations. He has the speed to create separation out of tight spaces. He can adapt his game accordingly. 

Indeed, I feel that signing a player like Jonathan Ustabasi would be most welcomed on the right-hand side of that attack given the loss of Stephen Duke-McKenna. The former Hoop had a lovely ability to carry the ball, and Ustabasi is capable of this given the quality of his technical competence. Quick feet. Good close control. The composure to receive the ball under pressure and the low centre of gravity to change direction and drive the ball into space. He is 32 years of age, and so while he’s got the ability as a ‘straight line runner’ to goal he has equally got the delicacy in his final pass and the intelligence in knowing when to release the ball. 

I don’t expect that Ustabasi will be short of offers from National League sides given the season that he has had for The Coasters in winning the National League North, but given that The Sulphurites have recruited fairly well so far this season then I don’t he is out of the question as a realistic signing for them to make. If The Sulphurites were able to land him then I think that it would be a major coup for Simon Weaver.

Jude Soonsup-Bell (Grimsby Town – free)

The next player on this list that I think The Sulphurites should look at is a youngster that was let go by Grimsby Town in the form of Jude Soonsup-Bell. Signed last summer off the back of being billed the ‘next big thing’ out of Spurs’ academy, the 22-year-old didn’t quite hit the heights. And yet, I would be incredibly excited to see what is capable of when being used correctly in the right system and under a top coach like Simon Weaver.

Town are likely to opt for the use of a 4-2-3-1 formation, and so I see Soonsup-Bell being at his most effective when playing in that #10 role. Personally, I don’t feel that he has got the explosive pace and power to play wide, and playing centrally through the middle as an out-and-out striker I don’t think he uses his body well, nor physically strong. Instead, I believe that you will see a far better Soonsup-Bell when you play him in a slightly deeper role off the front where he is able to get on the turn. 

Playing as a #10, I think is where you are able to play to his strengths. When I have seen Soonsup-Bell played through the middle as a #9 for The Mariners, I feel that he gets too involved in the physical battle with centre-halves when he is high and on the last line. He is out of a good academy, he is technically strong, is a confident and clean ball-striker and has delicate close control of the ball under pressure. Playing him between the lines, I think you can get him on the turn, facing the goal and in better positions to get shots off.

One of the benefits you do get in signing a player like Soonsup-Bell is the fact that he can play anywhere across the front four attacking positions. I am not expecting The Sulphurites to have the biggest squad in 2026-27, and so Soonsup-Bell represents a clever composite option. He has played as a #9 for The Mariners, can play wide where he has got the space to isolate players and have more time on the ball to pick his moments, or he can play as a #10 off the front. 

One of the main reasons as to why I would look at signing a player of Soonsup-Bell’s profile is the fact that he is that tricky technician. They will likely lose Reece Smith this summer, and so they need that player who can play a little more off the cuff, take risks in the final third and be that slightly more technical operator that can create that bit of magic out of nothing. 

Simon Weaver has already developed a clear philosophy this summer for signing young players that they can develop, and so the 22-year-old represents a strong fit in-keeping with that approach. Weaver wants to assemble a squad full of pace and energy, and ideally young prospects that they can develop as long-term assets in selling onwards. While the youngster perhaps failed to hit his heights at Grimsby Town, Soonsup-Bell can still – I feel – be more than good enough in the National League.

Anthony Scully (Shrewsbury Town – free)

With George Thomson’s future at Harrogate Town in the balance, I think that the wide areas are going to be one in which The Sulphrites target a fair bit of their efforts in strengthening. One player that is a free agent by way of having been released at the end of the 2025-26 campaign by Shrewsbury Town and that I think would be a good addition given the level they’re at and his experience is Anthony Scully. 

I feel that Scully’s career has stagnated over the course of the past few years, and so I believe that he could do with a new opportunity to ‘reignite the fire’ in his play and get him playing regular minutes again. I am not expecting The Sulphurites to be too far away from the reckoning for promotion next year and in making an immediate return to the Football League, and so signing for Simon Weaver’s side as one of the more ‘recognised’ figures could well be a proposition that attracts his interest. If I was advising Scully, I certainly feel that at 27 years of age this could be the type of move that could rejuvenate his game. 

Having been let go by The Shrews at the bottom-end of League Two, I don’t foresee signing for a National League side as being too low a level not to intrigue the former Lincoln City man. I think that Anthony Scully will sign for a team in the National League this summer with a view to proving his fitness. I think that is a good level at which to pitch him for his next move, and he is the type of player that could be seen as a bit of a coup. He has experience of playing higher. He has played in a promotion-winning side. He is at a good age, and versatile across a number of positions. I feel he ticks a number of boxes. 

In terms of his profile, Scully is a quick and direct winger that looks to carry the ball, work a yard of space and get a shot off. His low centre of gravity and strong close control in the carry enables him to create good separation from his marker in transition, and he attacks space well. The Sulphurites are likely to lose Reece Smith during the summer given that he will definitely have his suitors in the Football League, and so they need to try and replace Smith’s quality in being able to commit players and drive to goal. I think Scully is a good fit for that. 

One of the things that I particularly like about Scully as an attacking profile is his work-rate off the ball, and the physicality to ride challenges. He’s perhaps not got the delicacy in his final pass and in the intricacy of his running, yet the 27-year-old is capable of riding contact in the carry. He can play as a #10 given his small stature to pick up clever pockets, can play wide in isolating full-backs and has played more centrally in the last line with a willingness to run in behind. As such, he offers good options. 

One of the question marks over Anthony Scully will be the fact that he hasn’t played the volume of minutes that he perhaps could have done in recent years due to his injury record, but if the money can be right then I’d take a chance if I were Simon Weaver. There is no doubt that if they can keep him fit then he can be a good player for the level, and so I think that he is worth taking a chance on.

Frank Tattum (Birmingham City – free)

The last player that I have picked out as a potential target for The Sulphurites going into 2026-27 is young forward Frank Tattum. Released at the end of the campaign by his club, he is on the look out for a new opportunity. Given that The Sulphurites have signed young so far this summer, I feel that the 20-year-could could well be one that provides value for Simon Weaver as a bit of a project. 

When I heard that the youngster was being let go by Birmingham City, I certainly raised an eyebrow. Out of all the strikers that I watched during 2025-26, Tattum is one that particularly stood out after a fruitful spell in the National League North at Leamington. While it was a fairly small sample size, Tattum demonstrated a really nice all-round profile in leading the line, played with real maturity despite his inexperience for the level and a good finisher. 

The one thing that particularly impressed me was how well Tattum did in a Leamington side that struggled as badly as they did last year. Any striker can be prolific in a side creating a lot of chances, yet I feel that a healthy return in a Brakes side that played for much of the campaign as underdogs in every game they played and with a low volume of chances from open-play is indicative of his qualities as a complete striker. The ability to be self-sufficient is a quality that I always look for in a striker, and in a Town side who themselves didn’t create a ‘lorry load’ of chances nor that inventive from open play I think that ability to fashion opportunities for himself through a strong work-rate, intelligent running and physicality. 

As a profile, I think that Tattum represents an all-rounder. When he played for Leamington, Tattum showed up as having the physicality and athleticism to lead the line as a platform #9, yet has got the agility and turn of pace to play high on the last line and attack space in behind. Given that The Sulphurites play in a largely 4-2-3-1 system, I feel that it requires your starting #9 to have the stature to provide that outlet in going long and all the while the mobility to run into the channels. 

I feel that the raw skillsets are there for him to be a very capable striker, and in a full-time environment and with more targeted coaching he could thrive. He is quick. Strong. Good in the air. Physically competent. An incredible work ethic. He can drop short, or stretch teams. He can do a bit of everything. 

The Sulphurites have demonstrated so far this summer that they are going to sign younger players and create a team that is full of energy and running, and so I feel that 20-year-old Tattum is a good fit for that. I was surprised that the youngster was let go by Birmingham City at the end of the campaign, and is someone that I thought they may well extend the deal of and then send out on loan into the National League. Given that the youngster is now available on a free transfer, I think that he would be a good pickup.