Non-league football

[54]

2 hours ago, Big Geordie said:

Congrats to Gateshead on their win yesterday. How much do they get for winning?

£60k

[TheBrownBottle]

7 hours ago, TomYam said:

Berwick's an odd place. It's been horribly underfunded for several decades and has become one if the poorest towns in the country when once it was among the richest - an unpolished gem of a town.

It’s the story of the NE generally.  So many genuinely beautiful places which are undiscovered by everyone else, yet neglected and underfunded by central govt

[Scoreboard82]

Stumbled across a film on prime called "Bromley Boys" about a young lad who against his fathers (Alan Davies) wishes is into football in 1969. Sits at the family meal table saying why can't I be a West Ham fan, or Tottenham's only an hour away on the train. His mother (Martine McCutcheon) says what about that little team down the road? Bromley. Only watched about 20 mins so far but looks ok. Fanatical about Bromley who were bottom of the Isthmuan league at the time.

[OpenC]

At Morpeth tonight for Northern Alliance League Cup final, Alnwick Ponteland. Ponteland two for two in meetings so far this season. Nice setup at Morpeth, they've really come on recently.

[Boo Boy]

Looks like Newcastle Blue Star have been promoted to division one even though they lost the play offs.

 

 

Edited May 17 by Boo Boy

[Disco]

 

Confirmed leagues for next season. Kendal are appealing though as they wan to go into a NW league.

[Disco]

Northern Premier (East)

[Yorkie]

Step 5; Step 1 being the National League (which York are in)?

[Disco]

9 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

Step 5; Step 1 being the National League (which York are in)?

Aye. 

[Scoreboard82]

4 hours ago, Boo Boy said:

Looks like Newcastle Blue Star have been promoted to division one even though they lost the play offs.

 

 

 

Even a chance of FA cup ties being played in Scotswood.

[frankpingel]

Going to try and catch a couple of Blue Stars matches next season. Everything about them is great, the name, where they play even the strip. Definitely interested in there development as a club. 

[Scoreboard82]

Seems like the re-match with Easington, after the heated play off is one most are looking forward to. As well as trips to far flung and exotic places like Guisborough, Penrith, Kendal, even Carlisle.

 

 

[OpenC]

Any other Northern League Division 2 fans? I'll be trying to get to a few aways with Alnwick next season although I'm sure it's going to be a bruising campaign

[Boo Boy]

On 17/05/2024 at 20:12, OpenC said:

Any other Northern League Division 2 fans? I'll be trying to get to a few aways with Alnwick next season although I'm sure it's going to be a bruising campaign

Yes i follow Ryton & Crawcrook Albion when toon are not playing

[BUJ]

North Shields FC have been taken over by North Shields Juniors FC. That's those who run the u6 to u18s from John Spence. 

 

Good riddance to bad shite. Good luck to NSJFC

[Guest]

Thinking of starting an over 35s team. 

 

 

Edited May 24 by OCK

[Stifler]

44 minutes ago, BUJ said:

North Shields FC have been taken over by North Shields Juniors FC. That's those who run the u6 to u18s from John Spence. 

 

Good riddance to bad shite. Good luck to NSJFC

North Shields Juniors are also the same as North Shields Athletic.

[Disco]

Good to hear (provisionally)

[Big Geordie]

Have the 'old guard' gone in a clean sweep? Might be interested in heading back next season, if so. Would be great to see a well ran club with some ambition.

[Stifler]

I spoke to my stepdad who is the kitman for North Shields Athletic, which is basically the senior team of North Shields Juniors.

Apparently they have been wanting to do a takeover for a while, and want to use North Shields’ ground as their home, as the juniors, and John Spence basically use the John Spence facilities too often, even though a large amount of funding for the facilities was gained from North Shields Athletic. I think it’s something to do with the lease where John Spence still has more than their fair share of access.

 

Anyway the feeling is that North Shields Athletic will l use the Darren Pearson stadium for home games, going to assume they will ask for fixtures to be alternative to North Shields.

My theory is that North Shields Athletic will end being a reserve side, or a North Shields 2 team in the long run.

 

I guess a good thing is that North Shields Athletic open up their 3 sails club house outside of match days, so I could see them trying to do similar the club house for North Shields.

 

I have a feeling that Malcolm McDonald has been player in bringing this together, as he is involved with both clubs.

 

I’ll try to get more information, but at the minute I’m down south at the in-laws for the weekend, and my stepdad hasn’t been to any games for the majority of this season as he is recovering from a leg amputation, but I’ll try to find out more information, and yes, pass the message on to let us buy tickets via card payments.

[Stifler]

On 25/05/2024 at 07:52, Big Geordie said:

Have the 'old guard' gone in a clean sweep? Might be interested in heading back next season, if so. Would be great to see a well ran club with some ambition.

I believe they are gone.

You can go back now.

I honestly think if they manage this right, get the trust back, then there is no reason why North Shields can’t get 500 people through the gate for big games.

[Stifler]

I’m not sure if this is public knowledge yet or not, it must be because the news has found its way to me. One of the councillors for Chirton (Rebecca O’Keefe) has channeled the entire ward discretionary budget, believed to be £15,000 into North Shields to keep them going.

 

As much as she is part of the Labour Party who my team of independents stood against (although none of us actually stood against her in the Chirton ward), Rebecca is actually a fan of North Shields FC, and what she has done is pretty much unprecedented.

 

@Big Geordie @Disco @OpenC @BUJ

 

 

Edited May 31 by Stifler

[Disco]

Is this normal practice? If it’s funnelled into youth football then seems fine but given what you lads have posted about NS it seems a wee bit off.

[Stifler]

37 minutes ago, Disco said:

Is this normal practice? If it’s funnelled into youth football then seems fine but given what you lads have posted about NS it seems a wee bit off.

They have just been taken over by North Shields Athletic/North Shields Juniors.

 

Rebecca O’Keefe was at the meeting at New Year and pulled the committee up at the time, both offered to help them, and also tried to hold them accountable.

I don’t think she would have given these funds to the committee from that time, and will only be doing so to get North Shields up and going again under the new ownership structure.

 

It’s not really common to happen, in theory you can give the funding to anything that could be classed as community related, or anything to help that particular ward. Councils and government in general never seem to have any will to help football clubs though. The people running the councils generally are not interested in football, dismissive of the community/economy benefits, and don’t want to risk it being used by the opposition to beat them with, or even constituents who support other clubs etc.

[Stifler]

I’ve just been reliably told that it’s not true, she has donated some of her own money, but has not used any council funding.