There's no place like Banbury for goalkeeper Jack Harding

​Having been associated with the club for over 16 years, Harding recently made his 300th league appearance for the Puritans, although his total number in all competitions is now edging closer to the 400 mark as the 32-year-old continues to be the man entrusted between the sticks and remain a firm favourite with the club’s fans.

That’s perhaps made all the more remarkable by the fact that he’s one of only two players kept at the club by new boss Simon Hollyhead following relegation from National League North last season, but as Harding explains, he had no desire to be anywhere else.

He said: “Being on contract I was offered re-engagement terms in the summer. I didn’t want to leave the club but at the time, I didn’t know who the new manager would be and didn’t want to put pressure on the new boss by signing a new deal and then being expected to play as a result.

"So I promised the board that as soon as they appointed a new manager, I’d speak to them and if they wanted me to stay then I would. Within about 24 hours of being appointed, Simon rang me said he was desperate for me to be part of what he put forward.

"It was an easy decision anyway, but he’d researched my background, knew who I was and my ability, and he made it clear I was his number one, which is all you want to hear.”

Moving clubs is usually part and parcel of a footballer’s career. But having initially played for the club’s youth team and then reserves before making a handful of first-team appearances as a teenager, a brief spell away from the club at Ardley United was followed by a return to Banbury in 2015 and Harding has been there ever since.

And given it’s where his heart truly lies, he can’t imagine being anywhere else.

He said: “Enjoying my football is the most important thing and ever since I’ve been here, I’ve been part of a successful club, with the exception of last year which was obviously really disappointing.

"I grew up in Banbury so have always felt a connection with the fans. Would I enjoy playing for somebody else as much as Banbury? I’m not so sure. Winning a game wouldn’t mean as much if it was for someone else in this league or a rival. Losses hurt more, of course, but that makes the wins even sweeter.

"I love football and have a great relationship with the fans. If I went somewhere else I wouldn’t be as excited as I am here. I’ve had more lucrative offers to play elsewhere but the feelings I have here, I wouldn’t be able to replicate somewhere else. It would be hard for me to decide not to be here.

"If I’m not wanted due to being too old or not in form, I could live with that. But it would always be a regret if it was my decision to leave.”

Harding can look back at plenty of highlights from his Banbury career, all of which have helped him cement his place in the club’s folklore.

He said: “Winning the Southern Premier League Central by a record margin [23 points in 2022] was incredible. The atmosphere amongst the crowds when winning was phenomenal – the whole town came together to be part of something that doesn’t happen very often.

"We’ve reached the FA Cup first round a couple of times although I missed the game when we were live on TV against Barrow which was really frustrating, more mentally than physically because I’d played every round up to it and yet couldn’t play a part on the day.

"But we’ve almost always been up there challenging most years in whichever league we’ve been in so it’s been a great place to be.”

The exception to that record is last season, as Banbury were relegated back to the Southern Premier League after a tough campaign that ended with a dreadful run of results under interim boss Kevin Wilson, Harding also unable to play a part due to injury.

He said: “We started OK then had a bad run. We were just looking for something to change and it never happened and we got dragged into the scrap.

"When Kev came in it was hard because we were never played off the park and lost most games by just a single, sometimes sloppy goal, but when you’re in a run like that it’s hard and it felt like everything that could go wrong, did go wrong.

"I was injured too so again couldn’t influence things which was hard. Kev found it really tough and did all he could trying to get us over the line but it wasn’t to be.”

Then followed the rebuild that would see Harding remain at the club, with new boss Hollyhead impressing him from the off and continuing to do so as he oversees the challenge of trying to return to step two.

Harding said: “Simon’s approach to the game is very refreshing and how he sees football is great.

"He’s made it so enjoyable and it’s the fact that the person is the most important thing when it comes to recruitment. Great players can make a great team but he’s employed great people to gel together quickly – like-minded, good characters who want to work hard for him.

"It was similar under Andy Whing too in terms of characters and the group. It makes winning points much easier when you’re doing it with friends and not just colleagues. It doesn’t feel like a new group – we are still learning every game but the positive start shows how well we’ve worked.”

And on a personal level, Harding feels he has lots more to give as he aims to bring success back to Banbury.

"I’m at the age where goalkeepers are said to be in their prime and in the last couple of years I’ve felt like I’m playing the best I’ve ever played,” he said.

"The new manager pushes me to be a better player and knowing this group and what we are capable of, if we keep improving the way we are I’m quietly confident we can taste success again.”