Dead on Arriva....

 How public transport nearly ruined my trip to Burradon & New Fordley v Seaton Delaval Amateurs....

With Percy Main somewhat inactive, having unaccountably been left with a blank weekend, despite the fact that Whitley Bay A were similarly free and have still to come to Purvis Park, I decided to make another tick in my ongoing attempts to recomplete my Northern Alliance set, on a sunny day that perhaps offered me my last chance to wear shorts to a game in 2022. As has regularly been alluded to, the rapid turnover of clubs and moving of grounds by others means completing the Alliance is a task somewhat akin to a sporting version of painting the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling with a toothbrush. On Saturday morning I was left with 3 grounds still to visit; Blyth Rangers at the Isabella Pavilion, Burradon and New Fordley at Burradon Welfare and, according to information only recently communicated to me, Hexham at Queen Elizabeth High School in the town. Predictably, the first and last of those mentioned were away and so Burradon versus Seaton Delaval Amateurs in the Challenge Cup was to be my destination. No doubt I’ll make the trip up to Burradon again with Percy Main later in the season for a league game, which will then be the third ground I’ve seen that fixture on, after Fordley Welfare and Action Park, as recently as last Easter Monday evening.

One benefit of visiting Fordley was the supposed ease of travel, when contrasted with both Blyth and Hexham; Arriva’s 52 could pick me from Four Lane Ends if I was coming from mine, or the 53 would collect me opposite New York Club if I decided to travel from Shelley’s, which is what I opted for in the end. Arriving at the designated stop in plenty of time for the 12.50 bus that would drop me directly opposite the ground at 13.30, I began a wait that predictably turned into a vigil. I realise that national politics are in vogue right now, but at a local level Newcastle Central MP Chi Onwurah is currently engaged in a series of fact-finding meetings with the top brass at Arriva, Go North East and Stagecoach to discover quite why bus services on North Tyneside are so dismally incompetent. This may be a fond task, as the services have been shocking throughout my adult life. Stood seething on Brookland Terrace, I composed many an email in my head before finally boarding the late running 13.20 service at 13.31. The 12.50 service did not operate. There was no explanation for this on social media or recognition of the fact on the Arriva website. Inquiring for a reason from the driver, I was given an insolent shrug by way of response.

Once the large knot of pensioners that comprised the vast majority of passengers on board had disembarked at Boundary Mills, the bus steadily made-up time, presumably on account of the fact that only Northern Alliance addicts or those with a strong love for Killingworth, Cramlington and environs would be likely to use this service, explaining why there were only 3 of us, excluding the driver, on board after Great Lime Road. The ground, beside Burradon Primary School, was adjacent to the bus stop, and game noises told me I’d missed kick off. Not to worry, the sounds guided me home, and I took up my place, arms resting on the permanent pitch barrier, just in time to see Delaval take the lead when a loose ball from a corner kick was swept home from inside the six-yard box. There seems to be a theme, unlike in previous years when North Shields Athletic and Cullercoats perennially struggled to avoid the drop, that whichever side falls to the bottom of the table then engages in a Lazarus-style renaissance, pulling steadily away to safety. We’ve already seen Winlaton hold us to a thrilling draw at Purvis Park, and now the other Amateurs are seemingly reinvigorated, coming into this one on the back of a 6-1 victory over Newcastle Independent.

Their opponents Burradon are a feisty set of battlers, and they came back strongly from this setback, though their equaliser on the half hour did have something of the unexpected about it. Again, a corner was not cleared properly, only this time it was a home player who swept the loose ball home. However, parity was not restored for long, as Delaval retook the lead with what turned out to be the winning goal and a fine strike it was too. A central free kick from pushing 30 yards was clipped serenely into the top corner with the Burradon keeper left vainly grasping at thin air. In all honesty, it was a fair score line at the break and a lovely piece of skill to bring us to that point.

Surprisingly, the second half produced no further goals, though not for a want of trying. In fact, a brace of well marshalled defences at either end of the pitch were profoundly on top in the contest and actually chances were thin on the ground, though the game remained compelling throughout. Despite oath-edged talk in the heat of battle, the final whistle saw good natured handshakes exchanged, just as it should be. It’s a basic facility at Burradon in terms of playing facilities, but the developments off the pitch look to be paying dividends. Sadly, I was unable to locate coffee anywhere and so took the amazingly punctual bus home with my thirst unslaked. For those who are interested in such things, the return journey took as long as Burnley did to score 4 unanswered goals on Wearside, which kept me happy and amused until I arrived home.

So, that’s another one ticked off, leaving only 2 grounds to go…