I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome you all to
Grounsell Park this evening for the second Tyneside Amateur League cup final to
be held at The Stan in successive weeks. If you were here last week for
Hazlerigg’s 2-0 triumph over Newcastle Medics; I trust you enjoyed yourself, so
welcome back. Last week I saw less than 30 seconds of the game as I was called
into service behind the bar. Tonight I’m hoping to catch a bit more of the
action, as putting all pretence of neutrality to one side, I’d like to see my
former student Tony Fawcett’s Lindisfarne Custom Planet side in action.
This evening is the penultimate competitive game to be
played on our pitch, with the final one being tomorrow’s visit of Washington;
it’s a 3pm kick off and £3 in. Please come along if you enjoy yourself tonight.
Regardless of the result tomorrow, Heaton Stannington will finish the season in
5th place in Northern League Division 2. Three teams will be
promoted, with North Shields deservedly claiming the title. The Robins have
easily been the best team on the pitch, as well as boasting the highest crowds;
on Good Friday they beat the almost as impressive runners-up West Allotment
Celtic in front of an unbelievable 1312. While a considerable number were part
of the Northern League groundhop, an awful lot more were lads
from NE29. The third promotion spot will be filled by either Seaham Red Star,
who ended their programme last week, cursing a 3 point deduction for fielding
an ineligible player, or Jarrow Roofing who, as well as having the Division 2
Ernest Armstrong cup final against Washington to prepare for, require 3 points
from their final 2 games to pip Seaham. At the foot of Division 2, either Esh Winning or Ryton & Crawcrook Albion will finish bottom and be replaced by
Ryhope CW from the Wearside League, who have finally brought their ground up to
the required standard.
The promoted sides will be replaced by Billingham Town, who
conceded a scarcely credible 207 league goals, Hebburn Town, who didn’t fare
much better and Team Northumbria, who will provide The Stan with a local derby
I suppose. At the top of the table things were simplified considerably by the
events of Easter Monday; following their 1-1 draw with Benfield, West Auckland
Town, who still have 6 league games to play, can’t win the title or finish in
the top 2 and will no doubt be focussing their attention on winning the FA Vase
at Wembley on May 10th, two years after disappointingly losing out
to Dunston also at the final stage. Third placed Shildon can still finish
second, but won’t win the title and will have to make do with the Durham
Challenge Cup that they won on Good Friday by beating favourites Spennymoor
2-1. Consequently, the league is now a two horse race between leaders
Spennymoor, who have 94 points from 41 games and Celtic Nation, who have 92
points from 43 games. These two sides are the only ones who have applied for
promotion and the winner will take it all; with a superior goal difference of
+78 to +63, Spenny surely only need a draw to claim the silverware and leave
the Northern League after 4 titles in the last 5 seasons.
The final piece of silverware to be decided, after Northern
League teams missed out on the final of the Northumberland Senior Cup with that
competition being a tussle between Newcastle United Reserves and Blyth
Spartans, is the Northern League Cup. On Tuesday May 6th Whitley
Bay, who overcame a brave resistance by second division Whitehaven, will take
on Marske United who upset the form book by demolishing Ashington 4-1 in the
other semi-final. The final will take place at St James’ Park, which will be a
fitting end to the 125th anniversary celebrations of the world’s
second oldest league.
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