As Norman mentioned earlier on in this issue, the home game against Hebburn Town Reserves was actually an away game, meaning our last proper home fixture was the 2-0 win over Burradon & New Fordley on September 2nd. Indeed, from a personal perspective, that was the last time I got to see the Main in action, for a variety of reasons, which I’ll attempt to explain as follows…
September
9th: Tynemouth 3s (235/7) beat Lintz 2s (170/8) by 65 runs.
Perhaps not the most high-profile of fixtures, but an important one, as this victory kept Tynemouth 3s safe from relegation, meaning we’ll again be plying our trade at the exalted level of Northumberland and Tyneside Cricket League Division 5 (South) again in 2024. For this particular fixture my telling contribution involved not being required to bat and not taking a wicket in either of the overs I bowled. Just call me Liam Livingstone II.
September
16th: Whitley Bay 3 Newcastle Benfield 1
One of those instances when the difference in rainfall between the north and south banks of the Tyne can be strangely significant. A few years ago, this would have been one of the top fixtures in the local non-league calendar and, to be fair, both teams are still reasonably big names, but the standard of Northern League Division 1 is dropping alarmingly, as a result of so many teams being promoted to the Northern Premier League East. Whitley, still managed by Nicky Gray, are up in the top part of the table, but don’t appear to have the strength in depth to remain there, never mind push on. Meanwhile, Benfield are now managed by Paul Brayson (who named himself on the bench on his 46th birthday), but other than the eternally excellent Andrew Grainger and the returning Lewis Scorgie, are a side too young for this level, though it was good to see ex-Villager Jay Errington getting his game up top. Should have scored too!
September
23rd: Walkergate 1 Wallsend Boys’ Club Under 23s 2
As we always going to be without a game on this day, I had decided to continue the football equivalent of painting the Forth Bridge, by making steps towards recompleting the Northern Alliance. Having been thwarted at the end of August when the ref failed to show up, I got to see a decent contest on a difficult surface, with heaps of cut grass over ankle deep in places, that saw the one-touch football of the Boyza youths, who we saw lose unluckily to Morpeth A in the Neville Cowey Cup final back in May at Purvis Park, hold of the more robust and direct style of the home team. This ground is on the Fossway, across from the former pub of the same name and the residence of a famous East Ender, John Henry Sayers. You’d want to be careful about putting the ball over his fence, eh?
Saturday
30th September: West Allotment Celtic 4 West Auckland Town 0
Having cried off from attending both the previous evening’s 1-0 loss up at Alnwick town and Newcastle v Burnley, on account of the bus strike, I took my bike up the A191 to East Palmersville Sports Pavilion. While this is a brilliant facility for Forest Hall (Celtic!) in the division below us of The Alliance, I have my reservations as to whether a very handy Northern League side, with more than an outside chance of promotion, should really be playing at a ground where you can wach the game for nothing from the road beside the ground. Although I have to say, the current WAC are well worth paying your £6 to see, especially their French schemer, Cyril Giroud, once of Benfield, who took a lumbering West Auckland defence to pieces on his own, setting up all four goals. A decent afternoon out, which unfortunately ended in a teeming downpour that made the 4 mile return bike ride seem considerably longer.
Saturday
7th October: York City 2 Bromley 2
Shelley’s daughter Chloe is a student at York University. Having spent her first year in the safety of the halls of residence, she is now attempting to recreate the set of Withnail and I with 5 pals in a house share. Clearly Mother wanted to check on how the first born is coping, so I organised cheap train tickets on a Saturday that just happened to coincide with a home game for the Minstermen. Strange that, eh? Well, Chloe’s chap Max is a York fan (and former academy keeper no less), so it was a good opportunity to get acquainted. Their old ground Bootham Crescent was a lovely old spot, in walking distance of the Minster, but the LNER Stadium is a new build on a retail park, past Heworth (no; not that one!). I tell you what though, it’s a great ground; superb legroom, great sightlines and a passionate 4,500 crowd who were dancing in their seats, until Bromley’s 94th minute equaliser silenced the place. I’d definitely come here again.
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