Hazlerigg Victory 3 Gosforth Bohemians Reserves 1:
Tyneside Amateur Shield final, 6th May 2015
I’d like to take this opportunity
to welcome you all to the final of the 2014/ 2015 Tyneside Amateur Challenge
Shield, sponsored by Bill Upsall Trophies, between Hazlerigg Victory and
Gosforth Bohemians Reserves. I would like to extend that welcome not only to
all the players, officials and spectators of the two participating clubs, but
to each and every one of you who has made the effort to attend the game this
evening. I hope you all enjoy the game, that the best team wins and that
everyone has a safe journey home, after enjoying post match hospitality and
refreshments in the adjoining cricket club. With a bit of luck, you will feel
motivated to return for our second Tyneside Amateur League final, for the
Neville Cowey Cup, between Hazlerigg Victory and Ponteland United Reserves here
at Purvis Park, on Thursday 14th May, also with a 6.45pm kick off.
At the very outset I must give
great thanks to the committee of Percy Main Amateurs FC who have been so kind
as to accommodate us here at Purvis Park, which is looking even more
picturesque than in previous seasons. I extend my gratitude to my dear friend
Norman de Bruin, as well as the other committee members, including Bob Rodgerson,
Jon Laws, Geoff Suniga and Pete Bainbridge. In addition I heartily congratulate
them on Percy Main’s promotion back to the Northern Alliance Premier Division
after a highly successful campaign, in which they secured the First Division
Championship. I had four very enjoyable and highly rewarding seasons as part of
the committee at Percy Main, winning promotion and the Combination Cup in
2009/2010 and the Northumberland FA Senior Benevolent Bowl in 2011/2012, and it
is always not just a pleasure but a joy to come back here. My last visit was on
Monday for the Northern Alliance Bill Gardner Cup final, which saw Lindisfarne
Custom Planet prevail on penalties after a 1-1 draw with Ponteland United. This
result gave me great satisfaction as Lindisfarne were the champions of the
Tyneside Amateur League in 2013/2014 and have acquitted themselves admirably at
a higher level in the season just ending. Enormous congratulations to them and
their manager Tony Fawcett, a former student of mine; hopefully they will act
as an inspiration to other ambitious teams in our league.
It is fitting that this evening’s
final is being contested by the teams finishing first and second in the
Tyneside Amateur League this season, so I extend my congratulations to both
clubs for all they’ve achieved this year. In their second season in the
Tyneside Amateur League, Hazlerigg Victory have built on last season’s debut
campaign that saw them secure both the Second Division title and the John
Hampson Memorial Trophy, by becoming reaching both of our cup finals, as well
as the Northumberland FA Minor Cup final. Sadly they came up short in that one,
losing 2-1 after extra time to a Newcastle University side that plies their
trade two divisions higher. However I saw them secure the league on Saturday
just gone, with a comprehensive 11-0 victory over Newcastle Medicals, who
deserve sincere congratulations for their spirt and sporting behaviour in the
face of such a result. Hazlerigg Victory were playing Sunday afternoon football
only 3 years ago and the club has made enormous strides to reach where they are
today, which is a great credit to manager Mark Bullock.
In 2013/2014, Gosforth Bohemians
Reserves finished second bottom of our First Division, winning only 3 league
games. However this season, with the league reverting to one division, they
have seen a great improvement in their fortunes, only losing 3 league games and
securing runners up spot with 3 games still to go. Not only that, but they have
pushed Hazlerigg Victory hard for the title. While they lost out in the race
for the title, they did win 5-0 away to Hazlerigg at the start of the season
and have the chance of the double over them, with the return to come at Benson
Park, a ground as scenic as Purvis Park,
this Saturday. Hazlerigg did have the upper hand in the Neville Cowey
Cup semi-final, securing a 2-1 victory. Equally praiseworthy for Bohemians
Reserves was the fact they reached the quarter finals of the Northumberland FA
Minor Cup, losing to eventual winners Newcastle University.
All the signs are we can expect a
competitive, high quality game. Let’s hope that is the reality. May the best
team win.
Hazlerigg Victory 7 Ponteland United Reserves 2
Neville Cowey Cup final, 14th May 2015
I’d like to take this opportunity
to welcome you all to the final of the 2014/ 2015 Neville Cowey Cup between
Hazlerigg Victory and Ponteland United Reserves. I would like to extend that
welcome not only to all the players, officials and spectators of the two
participating clubs, but to each and every one of you who has made the effort
to attend the game this evening. I hope you all enjoy the game, that the best
team wins and that everyone has a safe journey home, after enjoying post match
hospitality and refreshments in the adjoining cricket club. If your appetite is
whetted to watch further Tyneside Amateur League football, we do have a pair of
games this Saturday May 16th: Gosforth Bohemians Reserves v
Newcastle Medicals and Hazlerigg Victory v Lindisfarne Custom Planet Reserves,
both kicking off at 2pm.
At the very outset I must give
great thanks to the committee of Percy Main Amateurs FC who have been so kind
as to accommodate us here at Purvis Park, which is looking even more
picturesque than in previous seasons. I extend my gratitude to my dear friend
Norman de Bruin, as well as the other committee members, including Bob
Rodgerson, Jon Laws, Geoff Suniga and Pete Bainbridge. I hope their post
Wembley hangovers have cleared and that they can provide a buffet as sumptuous
as last week’s. In addition I heartily
congratulate them on Percy Main’s promotion back to the Northern Alliance
Premier Division after a highly successful campaign, in which they secured the
First Division Championship. I had four very enjoyable and highly rewarding
seasons as part of the committee at Percy Main, winning promotion and the
Combination Cup in 2009/2010 and the Northumberland FA Senior Benevolent Bowl
in 2011/2012, and it is always not just a pleasure but a joy to come back here.
My last visit to Purvis Park was
on Wednesday 6th May for our Tyneside Amateur Shield final, where
Hazlerigg prevailed over Gosforth Bohemians Reserves, who were also runners up
to the victorious Vics in the league, by a score of 3-1, but only after
rebuffing a spirited second half onslaught by a valiant Benson Park outfit. Enormous
congratulations to both sides, but especially Hazlerigg, as word has come down
that they have been accepted into the Northern Alliance, subject to
ratification at the AGM, for 2015/2016. In their second season in the Tyneside
Amateur League, Hazlerigg Victory have built on last season’s debut campaign
that saw them secure both the Second Division title and the John Hampson
Memorial Trophy, by becoming champions and reaching both of our cup finals, as
well as the Northumberland FA Minor Cup final. Hazlerigg Victory were playing
Sunday afternoon football only 3 years ago and the club has made enormous
strides to reach where they are today, which is a great credit to manager Mark
Bullock.
In saying all this, it should be
recognised that another team has reached this final. Ponteland United Reserves
will finish 2014/2015 in twelfth or thirteenth place in the table, which
suggests they have had a comparable campaign to last season, when they finished
5th in the second division before we moved to a single league. That
said, Ponteland United Reserves have acquitted themselves well in cup
competitions this season, reaching the fourth round of the Northumberland FA
Minor Cup. Let’s hope for a competitive, high quality game and may the best
team win.
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