YATE Town have said a huge ‘thank you’ to a pair of loyal supporters who were central to them landing a great new signing last week.

The Evo-Stik Southern Division One South and West outfit wanted to beef up the frontline during the transfer window and manager Rob Cousins had his eyes on 24-year-old striker Jake Harris.

The frontman, who had previously been on the books of League Two side Newport County, was also keen to switch to Lodge Road.

However, financial restrictions due to a tight budget got in the way – until Tracey Peters and Jackie Robinson, who have been stalwart fans of the club for many years, stepped in to help.

Peters and Robinson took the plunge and decided to sponsor Harris so that the deal to bring him to Yate could be done.

And it was with Harris arriving for his first training session with the club last Thursday.

He was on the bench for last Saturday’s league match at home to Sholing, which Yate won 4-1 to enhance their play-off hopes, but slightly tweaked a muscle during the half-time stretching exercises and was not risked.

Nevertheless, Cousins said he, assistant player-manager Michael Meaker and the rest of the club cannot thank the two ladies enough for their investment to bring Harris to Lodge Road.

Cousins said: “Jake is friends with Josh Ford (defence) who he spoke to about the club.

“The opportunity was then there to speak to him but because of the tight budget here, it was proving difficult to get him in. Thankfully, Tracey and Jackie, who are long-time, loyal supporters of the club, helped us by offering to sponsor him.

“We are very grateful to them as we needed some help and assistance to get someone in these two incredible people have done that.”

Harris joined Newport County from Conference South side Weston-super-Mare FC in June 2011 and spent two years there in which time County achieved promotion from the Conference to the Football League.

He played 15 times for the Welsh club, starting one game and coming off the bench for the rest and scored two goals during those appearances. He moved to Hereford United in August 2013 and was at Edgar Street for just over 14 months before switching back to Weston.

When back at Weston, he came off the bench as a 71st minute sub for Ryan Bath in the 4-1 FA Cup first round defeat to League One side Doncaster Rovers in November last year before being released and signing for Frome Town, of the Evo-Stik Southern Premier Division, at the turn of the year.

Harris has also played for Chippenham Town and Paulton Rovers during his career but Cousins said that his influence has already rubbed off on the rest of the squad since his arrival.

“We would liked to have had him playing some minutes on Saturday against Sholing but he tweaked himself at half-time. He trained with us for the first time last Thursday and it has had a knock-on effect with the other players up front with competition for places.

“This signing is testament to what we are trying to do at the club. The performance last Saturday was one of the best of the season.”