For the second Saturday running, things got off to a bloody awful start. Heaton Winstons’ season of struggle careered dismally onwards, as we put in our worst showing this year, with a 4-0 thrashing away to bottom side Hartlepool Camerons. It was one of those games where everything was wrong from the outset; we travelled with 13, including 2 keepers and the changing rooms were out of commission, so we had to get changed in a pub, meaning there were no showers afterwards. The whole lot of us had turned up expecting to win and our complacency was ruthlessly exposed from the outset. Personally, I had a nightmare; from kick off, my feet were always in the wrong place, I struggled with angles and collecting the ball, then let in a soft one at the near post for the second, made a hideous rick for the third when coming for a ball I had no chance of getting, before capping it all by standing still waiting in vain for a whistle, as they waltzed in a blatantly offside third. Horrible.
The post-match bait was late and lousy in the pub, while I got in to a row with one of their lads about the nonsensical idea that promotion for Burragh would be “good for the region.” He was a Hartlepool fan who obviously didn’t relish a local derby in 2013/2014 with the Foam Handed Face Painters. Undoubtedly the highlight of my day was hearing about Cardiff’s win and the Smogs’ loss. In all seriousness, it appears that 1986 is here again for Bearny’s Burragh; it seems certain Mowbray will be back to West Brom to replace Hodgson before the month is out and Gibson is clearly fed up of bankrolling a club that has no significant support. In all seriousness, with the Huns a heartbeat from liquidation, what are the chances of my two least favourite teams in the entire world reforming under the joint flag of convenience of Teesside Rangers, then battling to avoid the drop in to League 1 next season? I’d like to think so.
Anyway, once we’d made it back up the A19 and I’d set my kit away to wash, it was time to see some real football. I biked it up to Heaton Stannington to see them pulverise Killingworth 5-0, meaning they only need 6 points for the northern alliance Premier Division title and I sincerely hope they win it. The young strike pairing for The Stann (good enough to keep Gary Yates out of the 16) tortured a toothless Killi, who were without the always dangerous Michael Bowman. Obviously Grounsell Park wouldn’t be good enough to get in the Northern League, but it is great to see the local sides doing well.
With Alliance games kicking off at 2.30, I still had the chance of another thirty minutes of quality football once this one came to a conclusion. Eschewing the long hike up to Blue Flames, where West Allotment helped Easington CW back down in to the Wearside League with an 8-4 trouncing, I headed for Coach Lane and Team Northumbria’s final league fixture of the season, versus Whitehaven. I’ve kept a keen eye on Team Northumbria since they arrived in the Northern League, taking in their first home game with Guisborough (lost 1-0 and I missed the goal accompanying Ben to the netty) back in August 2006. Geographically, they are my closest NL side and their preference for Monday night games means I can wander down there and take in the second half on those occasions, after my regular 6 a side game. It’s always a pleasure to watch them pass the ball around on a good surface; so unlike much of the thud and blunder that characterises the Northern League’s second flight.
Team North were winning 2-0 when I arrived on Saturday and that was the final score. Unlike on a Monday, when the curious and the lonely head for Coach Lane in their almost droves and swell the gate to three figures, the crowd was pitiful. You can forgive the visitors, a bunch of decent young lads looking forward to a night on the lash down the Quayside to end their season with a touch of glamour, for not bringing many over from the west coast, but it seemed the football fans of High Heaton and Benton had opted either for The Stann (where the crowd nudged 200) or to take in Newcastle’s thumping at Wigan on satellite TV in The Newton or Black Bull. The Northern League Chairman Mike Amos was there, to present the Division 2 trophy to the victorious home team. They deserved it as well; every time I’ve seen Team North they’ve played excellent, pacey, one touch football on the deck; it’s not quite tiki taka with A levels, but it’ll be enough to get them top 6 in division 1 next year I’ll warrant.
I must confess that I spurned a golden opportunity to throw a monumental spanner in the works of the Northern League. At full time, as Mike Amos readied himself to present the trophy, his mobile went off. He handed it to me, announcing I had to speak to League committee member Brian Mulligan who was calling from Ashington, where the Colliers had beaten West Auckland 3-1. West would have been champions if they’d won and would still have been if Spennymoor and Dunston had lost. A quick check on Twitter had already told me they’d both won; but rather than passing on duff information, as I was tempted to, which would have resulted in a false presentation at Woodhorn Lane, I told the truth. On Monday night, Spennymoor beat Dunston 1-0 to take the League title for the third consecutive year.
It isn’t the end of the line for Dunston, who have finished third, as they’ve the FA Vase final against West Auckland at Wembley on May 13th. West Auckland also have the Northern League Cup in their sights, having reached the final by defeating Bedlington Terriers in the first semi-final. The other semi-final features Spennymoor, who are looking for the double, though first they have to negotiate a tricky tie away to Team Northumbria this Saturday.
Unquestionably, the Northern League team of the season is Team Northumbria. In addition to the Northern League Division 2 title and the possibility of lifting the League Cup, they also reached the final of the Northumberland Senior Cup at St. James’ on Monday gone.
The two most prevalent themes involving Team Northumbria are great football and appalling attendances. Presumably because of the competing attraction on Monday night (I mean the Manc derby not Spenny v Dunston), a disgustingly meagre 739 managed to bother their arses to see a thoroughly entertaining 4-4 draw between a collection of financially secure young men with no discernible prospects in the professional game and a squad of keen, talented and Level 3 qualified amateurs, that Newcastle ended up winning 4-2 on penalties. I’m glad I saw it and I’m sorry Team North didn’t win. There may be no atmosphere at their games, but they are a side well worth watching. Sadly it seems their backlog of games may be catching up on them, as they lost the Ernest Armstrong Cup final 3-2 to Northallerton Town on Wednesday.
Best of luck against Spennymoor lads!!
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