Amateur Hours

The Tyneside Amateur League booked Percy Main's Purvis Park for two finals that marked the end of the English football season me; the Neville Cowey Cup (West Jesmond 4 Kenton Bar Community 1) and the John Hampson Memorial Trophy (Gosforth Bohemians Reserves 4 Winlaton Queen's Head 0). I penned an article for each programme about Percy Main's 2012/2013 season and the Northern Alliance in general, so here they are -:

The 2012/2013 season for Percy Main Amateurs ended last Saturday, when a late Scott Pocklington brace gave us a share of the spoils at home to Killingworth in a game where we’d seemed dead and buried at 2-0 down with less than 15 minutes remaining. However manager Shaun Galbraith, who has only been in position since late November, has instilled a commendable never-say-die attitude in to his team; it was clearly evident and warmly welcomed last weekend. As a result, the Main finished the season in 11^th place in the Pin Point Recruitment Northern Alliance premier division, a drop of one spot on the year before.

The season just ending kicked off on August 11^th with a 3-3 home draw against Stocksfield, before a midweek mauling 5-1 away to Amble United on a night so filthy that the notebook our secretary Norman de Bruin was compiling his match report in, was turned in to pulp by the incessant rain. It was dry and sunny the following Saturday, but we lost again, 3-1 away to Walker Central. Things improved with three successive victories to end the month. Firstly we beat Wallsend Town 5-3 at home, with a Chris Bell debut hat trick, before seeing off Rutherford 4-0 here, despite it being goalless at the break. Most impressively, we went to Hillheads and defeated Whitley Bay A by the single goal in the final night fixture of the first part of the season.

September saw us lose 2 league games, away to Ashington Colliers (4-2) and eventual champions Heaton Stannington (5-1), though we gained a point from a home draw with Hebburn Reyrolle. We bowed out of the divisional Challenge Cup with a 3-0 loss in Cumbria at Harraby, but defeated Morpeth Town A in the George Dobbins League Cup by 3-1. October consisted of only 2 cup ties; firstly Blyth Town checked our progress in the League Cup, by dismissing us 5-1.

However, the highlight of the season was a Northumberland FA Senior Benevolent Bowl tie at home to Heddon on the first Saturday of the month. The game was won by a single goal by club captain James Leggett, but what really made the occasion was that it marked the 80^th birthday of Percy Main legend Ronnie Robinson, who was guest of honour for the day.

November saw us lose 3-0 at Blyth Town, before winning a thrilling game 4-3 away to Wallsend Town, when manager Gareth “Beanie” Allen dropped a bombshell by announcing his resignation. Despite a subsequent short-lived stint as Jarrow Roofing assistant manager, Allen’s departure was a bolt from the blue. The next week, a shocked side lost 6-1 at home to Whitley Bay A, before Shaun Galbraith arrived; despite losing his opening pair of game to Rutherford and at home to Walker Central, when we found ourselves without a keeper, things improved after the enforced winter break. Our first fixture of 2013 saw us win 4-3 at Stocksfield, followed by successive 3-0 home wins over Ashington Colliers and Seaton Delaval in the Benevolent Bowl.

In early March, we won away to Harraby for the first time ever, before the biggest disappointment of the season; a 3-2 home loss to Ponteland in the semi-final of the Benevolent Bowl, when we’d taken the lead after 15 seconds. Despite a superb 3-3 draw at Killingworth in the next game, this loss caused heartache; we lost to relegated Hebburn Reyrolle and runners-up Blyth Town, before rallying with a point at Delaval and good win over Shankhouse.

After safety was assured, a pair of home drubbings to Heaton Stannington and Carlisle City in early May were followed by a 3 match unbeaten streak; we defeated Delaval (again) 3-1 at home, won 2-1 away to Shankhouse (our third season in the row when we’ve done the double over them), before the closing day draw with Killingworth.

I feel I can safely say that here at Percy Main, you’re always assured of a warm welcome and plenty of goals; please do visit us again.

Today’s game at Purvis Park marks the final piece of silverware to be won in the Tyneside Amateur League this season. On Wednesday gone, Wallsend Town retained the Bill Gardner Trophy by defeating Walker Central 3-2 here at Purvis Park, in the final Northern Alliance final of the campaign just ending. The competition, named after the late and eternally popular former Northern Alliance press secretary is a kind of repechage for teams who fall at the first hurdle in the George Dobbins League Cup. This year, that latter trophy was one of three competitions won by the impressive Heaton Stannington, who brushed aside Division 1 champions Wallington by the flattering margin of 6-2. In addition, the Stann, who discovered on Wednesday night that they have been accepted in to the Northern League for 2013/2014, claimed the Northumberland FA Senior Benevolent Bowl, seeing off Ponteland United 3-1 in the final and mostly importantly for their future plans, they retained the Premier Division title, after overcoming the determined challenge of Blyth Town, who ring down the curtain on the Alliance season by travelling to Harraby United in Carlisle today. The other trophy on offer for top flight teams was the divisional Challenge Cup, which was also won at Purvis Park by Amble United, who defeated Carlisle City 3-2. Sadly, Amble United have resigned from the league and are disbanding. Their departure and that, for more pleasant reasons, of Heaton Stannington, may have an effect on the fortunes of bottom two sides Hebburn Reyrolle and Gateshead Rutherford, not to mention Prudhoe Town of the Wearside League.

Coming up from Division 1 are Wallington, who won their league by a point from a Red House Farm side that completed their season with a crazy 6-4 away win at Ponteland United, which may have extracted a modicum of revenge for their loss on penalties in the divisional Combination Cup final to the Leisure Centre outfit. In addition, Red House Farm also claimed the Northumberland FA Minor Cup, beating Hexham on penalties after a 1-1 draw. At the foot of the table, Morpeth Town were considerably out of their depth and have resigned, meaning only second bottom Willington Quay Saints will be demoted, though the future of Bedlington Terriers Reserves is a matter of speculation also. Until the very end of the season, the sole supposed relegation place was in doubt; for a start Newcastle University sailed close to the wind, having been deducted 11 points for administrative transgressions, while Cullercoats needed a 6-3 win over Chemfica on the 4G pitch at Coach Lane to secure their status last weekend. Forest Hall were deducted 3 points for failing to attend an away fixture at Wallington, but went to the rearranged game and beat the Champions 3-2 at scenic Oakford Park. Fair play to them; let’s hope they make it to third top Northbank in Carlisle today to complete their season though!!

Division 2 champions by a considerable margin are North Shields Athletic, who will be joined in Division 1 next term by newcomers Birtley St. Joseph’s who capped a memorable debut campaign with a 2-0 victory in the divisional Amateur Cup over another new team, Blyth Isabella, who stepped up from the Tyneside Amateur League and finished sixth. Other former Tyneside Amateur outfits Longbenton and High Howdon Social Club finished in adjacent places in mid-table, showing the gap between the leagues may not be as wide as some have suggested, though Grainger Park faced more of a struggle, finishing 4 off the bottom. Alston, who ended the campaign a place below them, have tendered their resignation, which means the Alliance is looking to accept 3 new teams at its AGM on Thursday 6^th June, by which time the 2012/2013 season will be history, providing the weather allows today’s remaining 8 fixtures to take place.