Unpublished 4: Around the Grounds 29/12/12

We had another scheduled game this week, home to Ashington Colliers; it was, of course, rained off. I did another programme article, recycling most of last week's unused stuff in a Michael Nyman type way. It didn't get used again, so here it is....

It’s been seven weeks since our last programme, which came out for the Whitley Bay A game in mid-November, but little has happened on the pitch since then. Indeed, our home loss to Walker Central on the first of the month has been the only Northern Alliance Premier Division game played in December. Consequently, there has been very little movement in the league table, with Amble United leading the way, six points clear of Heaton Stannington, who have shown their ambition by applying for promotion to the Northern League. To be successful, the Stann will need to finish in the top two and bring Grounsell Park up to the required standard, involving the erection of floodlights, as well as the installation of covered seating; we wish them well. At the bottom of the table, Shankhouse, Rutherford and Reyrolle are all in danger of the drop, but there are still many, many games to play. Today’s visitors Ashington Colliers lie in secenth place.

Table topping Bedlington Terriers Reserves’ 2-1 win at third bottom Willington Quay Saints on December 1^st was one of only two First Division fixture played so far this month, the other being Newcastle University’s 5-0 trouncing of Cullercoats on the 4G pitch at Coach Lane on December 20^th. However a few clubs have been in cup action; Hexham progressed in the Northumberland FA Minor Cup, cuffing Tyneside Amateur League outfit FOWS Diggers 7-2, while Red House Farm and Chemfica were both too strong for Division 2 Alliance outfits, overcoming Blyth Isabella 5-2 at home and Seaton Burn 3-2 away, respectively. Redheugh were less impressive in the Durham FA Trophy, going down 4-2 at home to Coundon and Leeholme of the Durham Alliance.

Looking for somewhere sunny to spend the winter? Try Birtley, as they’ve not lost a home game this month and moved to the top of Division 2 with three successive home wins: 2-0 over Alston, 14-0 over luckless Swalwell and 3-0 against Longbenton, who were involved in the only other Division 2 fixture to beat the weather this month, when they lost a real Christmas cracker (sorry) 5-4 at home to Wideopen. As well as the games already mentioned, on December 15th in the Northumberland FA Minor Cup, Alnwick Town Reserves went down 4-1 to North Sunderland, who have reformed after spending a period in abeyance when we drew them in the same competition three seasons ago, and New Fordley overcame Belford of the North Northumberland League 4-2 and on the 22^nd, Grainger Park boys club had a scarcely believable 8-5 victory over Christian Fellowship League members Heddon St. Andrew’s after extra time, while Wooler fell 3-2 to North Shields Athletic Reserves of the Tyneside Amateur 3-2 on a plastic pitch at Valley Gardens school .

In the Northern League, Boxing Day was a washout, with Benfield v Whitley Bay and North Shields v West Allotment both falling victim to waterlogged pitches. Whitley Bay are fourth in Division 1, as well as still being in the FA Vase, while Team Northumbria lie in 13^th place and Benfield are 19^th. Down in Division 2, North Shields lie in 6^th position and West Allotment Celtic sit in 11^th spot.

Blyth Spartans came back from 2-0 down at home to Whitby Town to draw 2-2 on Boxing Day and sit 15^th in the Evo Stik League. Gateshead having dismissed Ian Bogie, their most successful boss since the late Ray Wilkie, won 2-0 away to Barrow on Boxing Day and are now in 11^th place.