Guiseley are the visitors to the Towbar Express Stadium, with Whitby looking to secure a win that could see them jump into the Northern Premier League Premier Division play-off places.

Previous History

Whitby and Guiseley first met in December 1998 at Nethermoor, with the Seasiders running out 3-0 winners in the Unibond Premier Division clash. Goals that afternoon came from David Logan (2) and Nick Peverell.

Of the 27 meetings between the two, the Seasiders have come out with ten wins (one on penalties), with the Lions running out victors on 14 occasions. Three have ended in a draw.

The last eight games have seen thirty goals shared out between the sides – an average 3.75 goals per game. Whitby have only come out on the winning side on one of those occasions.

Record Leveller

Shane Bland will be looking to have a quieter afternoon on what will be his 484th appearance for the club, levelling Paul Pitman’s all-time club appearance record.

Bland first joined Whitby at the start of the 2013/14 campaign. The club recorded 14 clean sheets across that campaign, with Bland initially fighting it out with Mark Cook for the number one spot, before establishing himself as Darren Williams’ first-choice goalkeeper.

After spells at Spennymoor Town and West Auckland Town, then-manager Chris Hardy moved to bring Bland back to the club in 2019, with the goalkeeper earning a testimonial in July 2024 for his service to Whitby Town.

Manager’s Report

Gary Liddle was pleased with the performance of his defence at Lancaster City, praising a resolute showing from his team.

“We defended really well on the day,” the Blues’ boss reflected.

"To get a point and to see out the clean sheet – coming up against a team that has been in really good form throughout the season – I'm really happy.”

It’s been all change in the opposition dugout, but Liddle is no stranger to the new man in position at Guiseley.

The Seasiders have come up against the Lions’ new manager Ian Richards twice this season – with a 0-0 draw and a 4-1 defeat against his Stocksbridge Park Steels side.

Looking ahead to this weekend's game, Liddle knows what to expect from his opposite number on Saturday.

“Ian [Richards] will get them going,” he added.

“Guiseley are a really good club at this level. They’ve been in and around the play-offs over the last couple of years and I’m sure it’ll have been the expectancy going into this season.

“As it is it hasn’t worked out but I’m sure that Ian will get them working hard.

"It’ll be a good test, but we’ll be happy to be back at the Towbar in front of our own fans and have a good go at getting another three points."

The Opposition

Last week Guiseley appointed new manager Ian Richards, who has said that he needs to “think about how we get the best out of these players – and the identity of the team to pick up points”.

The Lions currently sit 19th in the league on goal difference, with nine losses from 15 games.

Richards went on to emphasise that “the club should not be in a relegation battle, but we do understand the position that the club is in – we can only affect the here and now – let's see if we can climb up the table as quickly as possible.”

The new Guiseley boss was quick to bolster his squad after taking the reigns, signing midfielder Sam Aston on a month’s loan from Sheffield United.

Leo Farrell is expected to miss out for the visitors, however, with a hamstring tear.

Match Day Events

Saturday's game will be the closest home fixture to Remembrance Sunday. Ahead of kick-off, there will be a minute's silence, while Flight Sergeant Andy Hinds – from RAF Fylingdales - will lay a wreath on behalf of Whitby Town.

We ask that supporters to enter the Turnbull Ground in a timely manner to allow everyone to pay their respects.

For tickets to this Saturday's match click here.