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1-0 to Benfield at half time.

North Shields have been the better team, but lack that quality in the final 3rd. There was also an attack by North Shields with the striker left with only the keeper to beat, but a dubious offside flag went up.

An absolute goalkeeping howler gave Benfield an early lead, and they haven’t offered much in attacking threat since, a couple of high and wide snap shots is about it.

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2-1 to Benfield at full time.

They got a 2nd after early 2nd half pressure by North Shields and a penalty denied. It was their only meaningful attack of the game and they went 2-0 up.

North Shields got 1 back, but I never saw it as I left 10 minutes early because it was freezing.

So anyway, I paid my ticket, some food (which was fucking shit) and beverages, and got myself the black & white away syrup, so paid my money towards the club to help them out.

 

In other news, they wanted 1,000 people from the 2 games this week, and they got 999. It was good to see fans of other non-league clubs come as well. There was plenty of people buying food & drinks, apparently they sold out on Wednesday. The club house had quite a few people getting drinks, so hopefully they have hit a target they need, even if they did miss out on how many people they needed.

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Off to watch Berwick Rangers v Civil Service Strollers today. Went to their last game and got a voucher for half price admission for today so thought we might as well since I've fucked the NUFC ballot off. Probably watch our game in a pub up there before heading home.

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Bwrwick won 1-0. Canny game. They played the last 20 mins with 10 men after the right back was sent off for 2 bookings.

 

Paid £7.50 to get in. For that I got entry into the ground, a pint of Estrella Galacia and a Scotch Pie. Can't grumble.

 

Crowd 407

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31 minutes ago, Wallsendmag said:

Bwrwick won 1-0. Canny game. They played the last 20 mins with 10 men after the right back was sent off for 2 bookings.

 

Paid £7.50 to get in. For that I got entry into the ground, a pint of Estrella Galacia and a Scotch Pie. Can't grumble.

 

Crowd 407

Wait til you get the shits off the pie tomorrow 

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The Northern Premier League East makes for good reading for the 6 former recent Northern League sides, with teams currently sitting in 1st, 2nd, 6th, 7th, 8th and 10th, and many of them with decent chances of promotion / playoffs.

 

It is kind of bittersweet wanting these local sides to do well - if 2 came up every year, and there's a net gain of 2 NE teams each year, then the league will soon look like a newer Northern League and would be really good for travel, derbies, and increasing attendances, but we've seen so many teams struggle massively readjusting to the new higher level. Back in the day you had the likes of Newcastle Blue Star and Durham City compete in the higher league before suffering financially, leaving the league, and the latter are still on a massive downward spiral, then you see North Shields last year, and obviously Marske this year and it kind of all feels a bit pointless. You want a team to compete at a higher level as possible and a path to a higher level at least there, but for some it's like 1 or 2 steps forward, then 3 or 4 steps back.

 

Interesting that the Northern League has a playoff system this year for the 2nd promotion spot (and there's no inter-region playoff this year), so I guess teams could look to finish as high as they can in the league, and then potentially ease off in the playoffs and let the team best placed for a higher level come through the playoffs.

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Yeah, strange how it all works. Alnwick play in the leagues below again (Northern Alliance Premier) but have already applied for promotion this year as the teams around them just don't have the facilities they need to play at a higher level. If they finish top five (and they should, at a canter) they'll go up but the Northern Leagues are semi-pro so there's every chance they'll go straight back down again after spending the season as whipping boys. Then again we've seen this season how disastrous paying players at that level can be if you don't get it right.

 

I'm not sure what the answer is and I guess to some extent it works itself through but what happened to Marske and Shields recently is a real shame

 

 

Edited by OpenC

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North Shields could afford playing at the higher level though. At the meeting the other week they were saying that their budget was 40% more than what it is now, but they were getting the crowds for it and even having supporter busses for away games.

The trouble was the management never wanted to go up, they never have and they neglected to make improvements to their ground.

Aside from a new changing room, and the bar/clubhouse at North Shields, nothing has changed since they moved to their current ground. It still has the smallest seated/covered area, 2/3rds of which is reserved for home, and away team officials. It has no official turnstile etc. For as long as I have known about them, they have always had the ‘Woe us’ story going on. Meanwhile other teams nearby thrive. Whitley Bay have never really just managed to get it right to go up, despite their cup success, but no doubt they would love it if they did. Hebburn over the Tyne do fantastic. South Shields, yeah I know with a backer, has came from below where North Shields were and flown.

You then look at other clubs doing well, Morpeth, Ashington coming from going out of existence to having ambition etc. Heaton, and Newcastle Benfield being run decently. 

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Don't think North Shields have invested a penny of their own cash into the ground. Even the new clubhouse when it was build was funded though grants. Honestly the amount of money that's disappeared out of that club is criminal.

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16 hours ago, OpenC said:

Yeah, strange how it all works. Alnwick play in the leagues below again (Northern Alliance Premier) but have already applied for promotion this year as the teams around them just don't have the facilities they need to play at a higher level. If they finish top five (and they should, at a canter) they'll go up but the Northern Leagues are semi-pro so there's every chance they'll go straight back down again after spending the season as whipping boys. Then again we've seen this season how disastrous paying players at that level can be if you don't get it right.

 

I'm not sure what the answer is and I guess to some extent it works itself through but what happened to Marske and Shields recently is a real shame

 

 

 


No expert on the town but surely with a bit of decent marketing and offering Alnwick could get some fair numbers through the gate. 
 

Unrelated to that but Heaton Stan got announced as receiving a grant from the PL so the Grounsell clubhouse is going to get done up a bit which is probably needed as it gets a bit hectic when there’s more than 300-400 in. Hopefully a (second) proper stand of sorts will be further down the line.  3 to 7 games behind every one in the league at the moment which will probably fuck over any feint top 4 hopes they might have.

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Had a drive down to Chester or Street Utd for the Blue Star game this afternoon. Club had said it would be on but arrived at 2.25 to see glum faced Blue Star players leaving. Tgeyvreckon the ref stuck his key in the pitch then called it off. If anything conditions had improved by the ridiculous late timing of his decision. Not the other end of the earth but still 30 miles worth of petrol wasted for me, not to mention my time.

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Alex Bruce's Macclesfield (phoenix club of the old Macclesfield Town), currently in the 7th tier, have attracted impressive attendances of 3,103, 4201, 3,245 and 4,002 in their last 4 leagues games - they've taken only one point [emoji38]

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10 hours ago, Paullow said:

Alex Bruce's Macclesfield (phoenix club of the old Macclesfield Town), currently in the 7th tier, have attracted impressive attendances of 3,103, 4201, 3,245 and 4,002 in their last 4 leagues games - they've taken only one point [emoji38]

I wonder never have thought that Steve Bruce’s son who was a shit version of his father as a foootballer, would be a shit version of his father as a manager as well.

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