Classic Team Photo’s – April 1975…The 1974/75 Invincibles !.

Back Row LtoR:
Alan Cruddace (Assistant Manager), Ronnie Phillipson, Tony Smith, Gordon Smith, Mick Morgan, Eddie Alder, Ronnie Scott, Tommy Dixon. Alan O’Neill (Manager).

Front Row LtoR:
Pat Smith (trainer/physio), Mickey Lister, Gerry Donoghue, Brian Slane, Mick Dagless, Micky Pink.

The extremely rare photograph shows the Spartans in their Umbro away kit of all yellow with green trim, it’s actually the 2^nd of 3 team photo’s that exist from that truly remarkable 1974/1975 season.

This team photograph only ever appeared in the Rothmans Football News magazine.
It was taken at Willington’s Hall Lane ground before the kick off on Easter Saturday, it was taken by County Durham based Galdon Photographers who supplied many images to the magazine.

Back Row (LtoR): Dave Burowski, Alan Cruddace, John Lang, Ronnie Phillipson, Micky Pink, Mick Third, Ronnie Scott, Alan O’Neill.
Front Row (Lto R): Mickey Pink, Gordon Smith, Eddie Alder, Brian Slane, Mick Dagless, Ian Nixon. Inset Gerry Donoghue.

This well know team photo from earlier in the season featured in the Preston North End FA Cup replay programme, another extremely rare colour photo has recently resurfaced courtesy of the old 70’s Non League magazine, Rothmans Football News.

The magazine was produced in  conjunction with Rothmans, the new Northern League sponsors. Rothmans were pioneers in Non League football sponsorship putting their name to the Isthmian, Western, Northern, Hellenic Leagues (as well as Guernsey and Jersey), and in 1974/75 these were the first leagues to award 3 points for a win and not 2!.

• The excellent magazines were edited by the oracle of Non League football Tony Williams, the magazine ran from 1974 until 1977.
  1974/75 season 5 bi monthly issues were produced.
  1975/76 season 7 monthly issues plus an end of season annual were produced.
  1976/77 season only 1 mid-season annual was produced.

• Rothmans also ran a national Challenge Cup competition for 3 seasons (1975/76, 1976/77 & 1977/78) clubs from each division were entered into a series of straight knock out ties, in 3 years it ran a Northern League club won it every time, Whitby Town 75/76, Tow Law 76/77 & Whitby again in 77/78.
  Rothmans would meet any losses incurred and any profits made by clubs would go in to the “pool” to offset the losses, however the competition was besieged with problems by the 3^rd season due to the sheer distances involved, several ties never got played as teams struggled to arrange suitable dates and many games were awarded as walkovers as teams just pulled out of the tie and in the last season the Isthmian league didn’t enter any clubs. Blyth only played in the competition once in the inaugural 1975/76 season, when the Northern League entered all 20 clubs and in that one season the competition’s problems were clear to see as Blyth were drawn against teams from Oxfordshire, Somerset, Gloucestershire & Greater London!.
  The Spartans only involvement was certainly eventful to say the least, they played out a 5-5 draw in Gloucestershire winning the tie on penalties!, needed extra time to beat a team from Oxfordshire at Croft Park and when drawn away in Great London despite offering available dates to play the tie the London club couldn’t agree to the arrangements.
  Being drawn away to Ilford in the Semi Final, Blyth were eventually awarded the tie, as a ‘walkover’ when Ilford couldn’t agree to any suitable dates that Blyth were able to offer.
  And to sum it all up when the club reached the Final thanks to that ‘walkover’ it ended up having to be played in the following season!.
  Blyth’s 1975/76 Rothmans Challenge Cup record:
  1^st Round – 11/10/1975 Forest Green Rovers away, drew 5-5 won 3-1 on penalties. (Alder Pink, Donoghue 2, G. Smith – penalties Donoghue, Waterson & Dixon)
  *Blyth were 4-1 with 15 minutes left
  2^nd Round – 13/12/1975 Clanfield away, won 5-3 AET
  (Slane 2, Elliot, Donoghue, Tones)
  3^rd Round – 28/02/1976 Ashington away won 3-2 AET
  (Slane 2, Scott)
  4^th Round – 27/03/1976 Frome home won 2-1
  (Slane & Pink)
  Semi Final – Ilford Away Blyth awarded tie (no date could be arranged by Ilford)
  Final – 25/09/1976 Whitby Town at Brewery Field, Spennymoor lost 2-3
  (Slane 2)

The 1974/75 Rothmans Northern League season needed to be very special to go one better than the club managed the previous campaign, having won the title in 1972/73 by scoring 102 goals to pip Bishop Auckland to the title by 2 points, the club looked on course for retaining the league until the 11 game unbeaten run ended with two surprise midweek results that derailed the title charge.

A 0-1 defeat at Shildon on Wednesday 24^th April 1974 handed the initiative to rivals Spennymoor United and despite a 6-1 hammering of fellow title chasers Willington at Croft Park 3 days later the 1-1 home draw with Penrith on Wednesday 1^st May ended Blyth’s hopes of retaining the title, Spennymoor made up ground and both team finished level on 64 points after 38 games.

The Championship was decided on a Play Off game staged at Portland Park, Ashington on Tuesday 7^th May, Des Jardine got Blyth’s goal in a disappointing 1-2 defeat.

Manager Billy Bell ended his 2-year reign at the helm and returned to manage Bishop Auckland, Chairman Jim Turney acted quickly appointing the experienced former South Shields manager Alan O’Neill in June 1974.

Leadgate born O’Neill had lost his job as South Shields manager when history repeated itself in the summer of 74’ when they became Gateshead United, he had been manager of the founder members of the Northern Premier League club since returning to England in December 1972.
Alan had made full Sunderland debut in November 1956 at the age of 18 as an inside forward having played for Sunderland Boys & the Durham County side.

He made 74 appearances for the Black Cats scoring 27 goals before moving onto Aston Villa, Plymouth Argyle & Bournemouth amassing 174 Football League appearances, after his playing career ended he took up coaching appointments in South Africa, Dublin and the USA before coaching the Canadian National team until his return to the North East in the December 72’.

South Shields 1973/74 Northern Premier League squad.
O’Neill, pictured back row far left along with Cruddace (back row 5th from left). Burowski sat next to Pat Smith far right of front row.

His 2 years at Shields had been quite successful steering them to 6^th in a NPL that contained Wigan Athletic and taking them to the Semi Finals of the FA Trophy in 1973/74.
With him in June 1974 came his trusty trainer Pat Smith, Pat was to stay on at Croft Park for many years serving as trainer & physio.

With him from The Mariners playing staff came right back Alan Cruddace & central defender/midfielder Dave Bukowski, however most of Billy Bell’s 73/74 side stayed on with only a few exceptions.

Out went 3 long servants to the club in Bobby Varvill, Gordon Atkinson & Des Jardine all 3 making well over 150 appearances for the club, right back Atkinson joined 1969 while striker Jardine had been at Croft Park since 1968. Goalkeeper Bobby Varvill who had been at the club for the past 3 seasons had shared the goalkeeping duties with Peter Ewart in 1973/74.

O’Neill showed his credentials as a manager with some astute signings he brought in 2 goalkeepers, one highly experienced and one promising youngster.
Mick Morgan was signed from North Shields having been a FA Amateur Cup winners in 1969 and ever-present the Robins side and 18-year-old John Lang was signed from Hylton Colliery Welfare Juniors !.

It was tall wiry Lang that caught the eye and got the nod as first choice over the experienced Mick Morgan, Lang impressed so much that he instantly attracted League scouts including Newcastle United manager Joe Harvey. Lang played 18 games before joining Newcastle United on a month-long trial on 15^th January, his spell at St James wasn’t successful and he returned to Croft Park, however Morgan was established first choice and Lang couldn’t dislodge him and was released signed for West Auckland.

It was O’Neill’s ability to bring in key players during the season that really cemented his pedigree as a manager; all 3 arrivals in particular caught the eye.
Former South Shields midfielder Gerry Donoghue had joined Scarborough in 1972 and gone on to become one of their most important players, captaining the side to a Northern Premier League Runners Up the spot in 1972/73 and winning the winning the FA Trophy at Wembley in the same season, so it was a major coup when O’Neill brought him to Croft Park.
Donoghue made an instant impact scoring on his debut in a 6-1 win at West Auckland on 9^th November 1974, he would go on to score 9 times playing in all 28 games following his arrival and Gerry showed his versatility as a footballer by covering as a right back & left back in several occasions.

The 2 other key arrivals came as a result of losing the services of 2 players who came with him for South Shields, Allan Cruddace had been an ever-present at right back until an injury in January 1975 ended his playing career (he officially became O’Neill’s assistant in July 75′), his replacement was another player from NPL club Scarborough Tony Smith, who went on to make 22 appearances at right back.

The 3^rd arrival was young 24-year-old from local rivals Ashington by the name of Tommy Dixon! he was brought to Croft Park to replace Dave Bukowski who emigrated.
Tommy had joined the Colliers from Gateshead in 1972 and become a key player in Jackie Marks Ashington side that reached the FA Amateur Cup Semi Final.
Tommy signed in January and made his debut on 18^th January in a 3-2 victory over Penrith, Tom initially played as a defensive midfielder as long serving Ronnie Phillipson partnered Ronnie Scott at the centre of the defence.

• Dave Bukowski was an interesting character, born in Newcastle in 1954 to Ukranian descendants he began playing for Wallsend Boys Club and was offered an apprentice with Fourth Division strugglers Northampton in 1971, he went on to make 12 appearances before his release at end of 1972/73 season. He returned home and played for The Mariners in the NPL before following O’Neill to Croft Park.
  Dave made 29 appearances playing either in centre of defence or as a holding midfielder, however in February 1975 Dave immigrated to Pretoria South Africa and had a rather eventful time playing there. He signed for Pretoria Callies, 2 years later he was an established player with ‘The Romans’ when their English manager Trevor McMillan caused up roar one November weekend by signing 5 white players.  This was the first time that a black-owned South African club had significantly ventured into the white market and Callies’ handed starting debuts to Dave Evans, Derick Klugkist, Harold Teague, Kim Sinovich and Rory Jones it made front page headlines in the conservative city of Pretoria. Pik Botha, the then Minister of Foreign Affairs rang McMillan personally to ask him ‘if he knew what he was doing’, but McMillan was fully aware as he ready for the new multi-racial league season that started in 1978. However, sadly there was a faction of Callies’ supporters who didn’t want white players and in 1980, one player was threatened by a knife-wielding man while showering in the change rooms. The club was relegated from the top flight that year and although they returned in 1985, again fell from grace and eventually went out of business.
  Bukowski then moved on to Arcadia Shepherd’s in Pretoria, where he played alongside several famous names such as Republic Ireland manager Eion Hand and Welsh players Ron Davies & Wyn Davies. In 1986, He gained some fame by scoring a spectacular diving header own goal in the Arc’s 3-1 BT Top Eight Cup Final victory over Bidvest Wits, the competition is South Africa’s oldest cup competition.

The pre season that saw all 5 friendlies played at Croft Park with comprehensive victories over Wearside League Wallsend Town & Northern Alliance sides Wallsend Athletic & Belford Blyth lost 1-2 to Fourth Division Hartlepool and then 2-5 to a Sunderland XI.

The Rothmans Northern League season started on 17^th August but the league had been thrown into turmoil 3 days before the kick off when Stanley United who had finished bottom of the league in 1973/74) resigned leaving the league with only 19 clubs.

It was in at the deep end with arguably the toughest game possible, away to arch rivals & League Champions Spennymoor United, however in a sign of things to come the steely determination instilled by the new manager saw 2 Blyth born players, Micky Pink & Ian Nixon, score in a superb 2-1 victory at Brewery Field
(Blyth side: John Lang, Alan Cruddace, Gordon Smith, Eddie Alder, Ronnie Scott, Ronnie Phillipson, Micky Lister, Ian Nixon, Brian Slane, Mick Dagless, Micky Pink).

August ended with 2 more victories and a 1-1 draw at local rivals Ashington (Mickey Pink scoring), the 2 victories were consecutive wins over South Bank a 8-1 hammering at Croft Park that saw the Spartans 6-0 at half time, the goals came from Alder, Cruddace, Dagless, Nixon and star striker Brian Slane opened his account for the season with 4. The away victory was a much tighter affair due to Mick Dagless missing a penalty in a 4-3 victory.

September saw Blyth pull clear at the top of the table with 6 victories in the 7 games played scoring 21 goals and only conceding 3 goals with Mick Morgan between the sticks for the September games.

Mick Pink & Ian Nixon both scored braces in the 4-0 win at Consett, Nixon Slane & Dagless scored in the narrow 3-2 victory at home to Bishop Auckland. A week later Blyth travelled to West Auckland and hammered them 5-0 (Slane, Dagless, Lister & Pink 2) that was followed by a narrow 1-0 victory at Billingham Synthonia thanks to a Eddie Alder goal. The local derby against Ashington on 21^st showed Blyth qualities as Colliers were brushed aside in a 4-1 victory thanks to braces from Mickey Pink & Phil Baines. The 7 game winning run came to an end on Wednesday 25^th September when North Shields held Blyth to a 2-2 at Croft Park with former Robins midfielder Mick Dagless & Brian Slane scoring. 3 days later Blyth travelled to North Yorkshire and beat Whitby Town 2-0 with Slane scoring his 10^th goal in 11 games so far, Mickey Lister got the other. October saw Blyth play 6 games and all of them were home games, Alan O’Neill’s side sweeping to 5 straight league victories, beating Durham City 3-1 (Slane 2, own goal), Whitley Bay 2-1 (Slane, Pink), Consett 3-2 (Scott, Dagless, Alder), Billingham Syntonia 4-1 (Slane, Alder, Dagless 2) & Evenwood 3-0 (Lister, Slane, Pink) the month ended with a League Cup Preliminary Round tie with Bishop Auckland Mickey Lister got Blyth goal in a 1-1 draw that brought to an end a 14 game winning run.

November was big month for the club on and off the field, O’Neill pulled off the major coup of signing the experienced Gerry Donoghue from Scarborough, only for the FA Cup 4^th Qualifying Round draw bring the high-flying Northern Premier League side Croft Park on Saturday 2^nd November. Gerry didn’t play against his former club as a crowd of 1,478 saw Brian Slane, Ian Nixon & Micky Pink score in a superb 3-1 victory to put the club into the First Round for the 2^nd season running. (Side that day: John Lang, Alan Cruddace, Gordon Smith, Eddie Alder, Ronnie Phillipson, Dave Bukowski, Micky Lister, Ian Nixon, Brian Slane, Mick Dagless, Micky Pink).

In the league the Spartans continued their relentless march thrashing West Auckland at home 6-1 with Mick Dagless scoring the clubs 1^st hat trick of the season, Micky Pink got his 10^th & 11^th of the season and there was a debut goal for Gerry Donoghue. Blyth then beat Penrith 2-1 away (Pink, Dagless) before once again North Shields held the Spartans to a score draw, this time Gerry Donoghue scored his 2^nd goal in 3 games & Ian Nixon bagged a brace in an entertaining 3-3 at Appleby Park.

Saturday 23^rd November saw a famous day in the history of Blyth Spartans AFC and Croft park itself when FA Cup 1^st Round opponents Preston North End came to Croft Park, a sell out 8,500 crowd crammed into the ground to see the Player Manager Bobby Charlton and fellow 1966 World Cup winner Nobby Stiles.

Dagless & Smith hold off Nobby Stiles

Charlton (2nd left) lets fly with one of his trademark thunderbolt shots.

Blyth stunned their illustrious opponents when Mick Dagless spectacularly fired the Spartans into a 3^rd minute lead, however Mike Elwiss levelled for the recently relegated Third Division side as the tie ended 1-1.
(Blyth side: John Lang, Alan Cruddace, Gordon Smith, Eddie Alder, Ronnie Scott, Dave Bukowski, Micky Lister, Gerry Donoghue, Brian Slane, Mick Dagless, Micky Pink. Sub:Ian Nixon).

The replay, 3 days later in front of a 10,101 crowd at Deepdale proved one game too far for Alan O’Neill’s side when despite Ronnie Scott scoring the league side ran out comfortable 5-1 winners to seal a 2^nd Round away tie at fellow Northern League side Bishop Auckland.(Blyth side: John Lang, Alan Cruddace, Gordon Smith, Eddie Alder, Ronnie Scott, Ronnie Phillipson, Dave Bukowski, Micky Lister, Brian Slane, Mick Dagless, Micky Pink. Sub: Ian Nixon)

Blyth’s next 2 games were also cup ties, on 30^th November a solitary Brian Slane strike won an FA Trophy 3^rd Qualifying Round tie against Ashington at Portland Park, having played in all 23 games so far it was the Alan Cruddace missed the game through injury (an injury that was to eventually end his playing career!).
On the 7^th December Blyth finally managed to fit in the League Cup Preliminary Round replay at Bishop Auckland.  The game once again ended all square as Mick Dagless missed a penalty leaving Blyth needing extra time to find a winner, with another brace from the prolific Brian Slane and a winner from Gerry Donoghue finally sealed a 3-2 victory.
Bad weather meant it was another fortnight before Blyth played again giving the team a much-needed break, Blyth were back in action on 21^st December, and game provided Blyth’s 20^th unbeaten league game proved to be a defining one when Blyth travelled to Dean Street to play struggling Shildon and it turned out to be a far tougher game that expected Gerry Donoghue took over the penalty duties following Mick Dagless’s recent missed and not surprisingly scored with his 1^st penalty for the club but Dago got on the score sheet himself with a brace while Ian Nixon scored his 8^th of the season however Blyth’s 4 goals were matched by 4 from the Railwaymen and it was certainly a tale of a penalty scored and one crucially missed that made the headlines as Shildon dramatically missed a last-minute penalty to win the game!.

Boxing Day saw Blyth playing Ashington for a 4^th time when they meet in a Northumberland Senior Cup 1^st Round game winning 2-1 thanks for goals from Gerry Donoghue (his 5^th goal in 9 appearances) and Micky Pink, the saw defender Tony Smith make his debut following his recent signing from Scarborough.

January’s 4 games included 3-2 league victories over Whitby Town & Penrith with the strike force of Mickey Pink scoring 1 in both games & Brian Slane getting a brace in both games, the Penrith game on 18^th January saw Tommy Dixon make his club debut having joined from local rivals Ashington and keeper John Lang made his final appearance for the Spartans before signing for Newcastle United on trial.

In-between the league games Blyth crashed out of the FA Trophy losing 1-2 at South Bank with Mickey Lister getting the Blyth goal, it was the Spartans 3^rd cup defeat of the season.

Next up was a double-header with Ferryhill Athletic, Gerry Donoghue earned a point in a 1-1 draw before a comfortable 3-0 victory at Croft Park the following Saturday with Brian Slane scoring his 2^nd hat-trick of the season taking his tally to 25.
It was a fortnight before Blyth were in action again on 15^th February and the goals continued with a superb 4-0 victory at Whitley Bay with goals from Alder, Lister, Dagless & Donoghue.

Mick Morgan is unable to stop Alan Shoulder putting Bishops infront.

Blyth them won a crunch game at title rivals Bishop Auckland on 22^nd March and showed their determination coming from behind after Alan Shoulder has giving Bishops a lead Mick Dagless scored an equaliser and Micky Pink scored the winner as Blyth came from behind to seal 3 impressive points making it 68 points from 26 league game and leaving Bishops 19 points behind Blyth at the top of the table.

Dagless fires Blyth level.

Bishops pile on the pressure for an equaliser, Phillipson, Scott & Dixon look on as Morgan’s save deflects the ball goal ward for Alder to head clear.

While Blyth were winning at Kingsway, Spennymoor won 3-1 at Whitby leaving them 2 points behind the Spartans having played 2 games more. Coming on as a 2^nd half sub at Bishops was 21-year-old Dave Bukowski’s final game for the club before his move.

Both Blyth & Spennymoor secretaries were philosophical when asked about another epic title race between the 2 great rivals in the February Rothmans News:
“We are on top and we intend to stay there. We are not worrying about the other clubs, let them worry about us!” stated Blyth secretary George Watson.

While Stan Bradley was aware of the tough task facing his team:
“The task of catching Blyth will be much harder this season.
They will not be able to relax until they have the title in their grasp.
Despite the fact we have not played well recently we have continued to pick up point.
We showed at Whitby that when we know we have to do well the team can turn it on.
We still have to go to Blyth and this game could well be the decider”.

While it was coming down to a 2 horse race it hadn’t been that way until recently with Blyth in a 4 way battle with teams from County Durham Spennymoor, Bishop & Willington, however Willington’s challenging had fallen off the pace having lost only 1 game before February but recent draws had proved costly as the 3 points for a win & 1 for a draw had an effect on their challenge with 11 draws in there 25 games so far.

Spennymoor United came to Croft Park on Saturday 1^st March for a game the reigning Champions had to win if they were to attempt to halt Blyth storming to the title, Mick Dagless scored for the 3^rd consecutive game but future Spartans striker Geoff Hart equalised for United and the game ended in a 1-1 stalemate the point was no good for United as they failed to close the gap.

Fog then caused the abandonment of a Northumberland Senior Cup Semi Final against Wearside League Wallsend Town, Blyth were 1-0 up on the night through a Gerry Donoghue penalty before the ref called a halt to proceedings 5 minutes into the second half due to heavy fog.
Blyth saw off struggling Crook Town 2-1 with goals from Lister & Dagless on Saturday 8^th to move onto 72 points putting the club effectively 9 points away from the title.
Former Spartan Peter Flaherty brought his Wallsend Town side back to Croft Park on the Wednesday night for the rearranged cup tie and 2 goals from Brian Slane in a 2-0 victory put Blyth into their second successive Senior Cup Final.

Lister watches on as Slane crashed home the winning goal.

A 2-0 home victory over Shildon on 22^nd March, Lister & Pink scoring, then set up Alan O’Neil’s side for the crucial Easter period that was to ultimately decide the title, on Easter Saturday Blyth travelled to play 3^rd place Willington.
Brian Slane’s 30^th goal of the campaign sealed a tight 1-0 win at Hall Lane that ended Willington’s challenge.
The Easter Monday game was also away at Durham City and goals from Micky Pink & Mickey Lister sealed at 2-1 victory at Ferens Park.

Spennymoor’s run of poor form since their point at Croft Park meant that Blyth would seal the title on Saturday 5^th April if they beat Willington at Croft Park, a large crowd saw Blyth run out comfortable 4-1 winners with goal machine Slane opening the scoring and a Mick Dagless brace took his tally to 20 and Gerry Donoghue continued his 100% record from the spot to claim Blyth’s 2^nd Northern League title.
(Blyth side: Mick Morgan, Tony Smith, Gordon Smith, Tommy Dixon, Ronnie Scott, Ronnie Phillipson, Micky Lister, Gerry Donoghue, Brian Slane, Mick Dagless, Micky Pink.)

The manager & players then set themselves the aim in the remaining 4 league games to keep up the unbeaten run and go the entire League season unbeaten, 4 days after sealing the title Blyth traveled to Crook midweek and scored another 4 goals closing in on the magical 100 goal tally, winning 4-2 at Millfield with a Micky Pink hat-trick and another from Brian Slane.

An away game at Evenwood was won 2-0 with the defenders getting in on the scoring act when Gordon Smith scored his only goal of the season and Ronnie Scott got his 2^nd of the campaign and the clubs 100^th league goal, it was rather ironic that a defender should score the landmark goal with the free scoring forwards in the side it was the 1^st time in 6 games that either striker, Pink or Slane failed to score.

Wednesday 16^th April then brought Blyth their 2^nd piece of silverware when Mickey Lister & Micky Pink scored in a 2-1 Northumberland Senior Cup Final victory over Wearside League Blue Star under the floodlights at St James Park to keep the cup, Blyth team that night: Mick Morgan, Tony Smith, Gordon Smith, Eddie Alder Gerry Donoghue, Ronnie Scott, Ronnie Phillipson, Mick Dagless, Micky Lister, Brian Slane, Micky Pink. Sub: Ian Nixon.

This rare colour team photo was taken before the final home game and shows both trophies won that season. It only ever appeared on the cover of the 1st 1975/76 Rothmans magazine.
Back Row (LtoR): Alan O’Neill, Billy Fenwick, Alan Cruddace, Ronnie Phillipson, Tommy Dixon, Mick Morgan, Ronnie Scott, Micky Pink, Ian Nixon, Tony Smith. Path Smith.
Front Row (LtoR): Mickey Pink, Gerry Donoghue, Brian Slane, Eddie Alder, Mick Dagless, Gordon Smith.

Blyth then ended what was to become a truly historic season with a double-header against Tow Law, wining 2-0 at the Ironworks Ground in 19^th March with Eddie Alder & Micky Pink scoring and the curtain was brought down on the season with an easy 3-0 home victory on Wednesday 23^rd April thanks to goal from Gerry Donoghue, Mick Dagless and the clubs 121^st and final goal of the season coming from Ronnie Scott the victory give the Spartans a final points total of 96, ten points clear of runners-up Spennymoor.

It was an impressive haul as Blyth put last season’s disappointment behind them with real style, not surprisingly it was the club’s highest points haul in their 11 seasons since joining the Northern League in 1964/65 and an impressive 37 more points than the achieved to win the title for the 1^st time in 1972/74 and that season 38 games were played in a 20 team league.

It was a remarkable achievement and Blyth became the 1^st club since Shildon in 1936/37 to win the Northern League without losing a single league game, it was the 4^th time in the League’s long history (founded in 1890 the Northern League is the oldest football league in the world) it had been achieved with Middleborough Ironopolis in 1892/93 being the first to do it then in 1898/99 Bishop Auckland achieved it, however they were with significantly smaller leagues the previous times it had happened.

There was only 6 teams in the league in 1892/93 and Ironopolis only played 10 games to win the title (winning 9 & drawing 1) and in 1898/99 the league only had 9 teams when Bishops achieved it by playing only 16 games (winning only 9 & drawing 7) in 1936/37 there was only 14 teams in the league when Shildon played 26 games to win the title (winning 20 & drawing 6) so Blyth’s unbeaten title season is a far greater achievement.
And still to this day some 38 years later it hasn’t been done since, the closest being in 2004/2005 when Dunston Federation Brewery won the title losing only 1 game in a 21 team league.

And what made the achievement even greater was that the unbeaten league campaign was also completed without a single booking or red card in all 36 games a feat that most certainly won’t be repeated these days, earning the club as share of the Sportsmanship Pool of £175.84p, ironically only 1 other team managed to go the season without a booking or red card, also earning £175.84p, and that team was -
the last unbeaten champions Shildon !.

Rothmans had introduced a series of sponsorship incentives when they started their revolutionary sponsorship deal back in August 1974, they included the Sportsmanship Pool where teams lost 4 points if a player was sent off, and 1 point if a player is cautioned if a team lost 8 points or more in the course of a season it would not qualify for a share of the £2,000 ‘Sportsmanship Pool’.

As well as the prize money for winning the league of £1,000, Blyth also claimed £440 from the ‘Match by Match Incentive’ scheme were a team winning a game by 3 clear goals earned £40 and Blyth did it 11 times brining the total sponsorship winnings to £1,615.84p, Blyth finished the league top scorers with 105 goals however runners-up Spennymoor, who scored 100 goals, earned the most with their 13 victories brining in £550.

Blyth played 46 games during the season, 36 league games 10 cup games, and only lost 3 times in FA Cup FA Trophy and Northern League Cup 8 games were drawn, 121 goals were scored and 53 conceded, 16 goals were scored in the cup ties and 15 were conceded.

19 players were used in the 46 games:
Micky Pink 46, Gordon Smith 46, Mick Dagless 42, Brian Slane 41, Mickey Lister 39, Eddie Alder 38, Ronnie Scott 37, Ronnie Phillipson 31, Dave Bukowski 29,
Gerry Donoghue 28, Mick Morgan 28, Ina Nixon 28, Allan Cruddace 27, Tony Smith 22,
John Lang 18, Tommy Dixon 15, Phil Bains 9, Mick Third 2, Alan Wallis 1.

Micky Pink & Gordon Smith played in every single game and only 15 substitutes were made in those 46 games.
2 hugely popular players, Micky who lived only 150 yards from Croft Park had joined his hometown club in summer of 1973 after returning home from University in Liverpool, while on Merseyside Micky had played for Marine AFC in the Cheshire League and in 1970/71 had been top scorer with 14 goals, the strong bustling striker had formed a formidable partnership with Brian Slane in the past 2 seasons and had scored 16 goals in his first season.

Gordon Smith had been with the club since 1967 and had become huge crowd favourite, having arrived at Croft Park as flying left winger in 1971 manager Allan Jones converted Gordon to a left back he been tearing down the wing at every opportunity ever since. His cavaliering style of play had made him hugely popular with the fans who had nicknamed him ‘beep beep’ after the Roadrunner cartoon.

The 121 goals was shared between 11 Blyth players and 2 own goals:
Brian Slane 30 (L 25 C 5), Micky Pink 23 (L20 C3), Mick Dagless 22 (L21 C 1), Mickey Lister 10 (L7 C3), Ina Nixon 10 (L9 C1), Gerry Donoghue 9 (L7 C2), Eddie Alder 6 (L6), Ronnie Scott (L3 C1), Phil Baines 2 (L2), Allan Cruddace 2 (L2), Gordon Smith 1 (L1) and 2 own goals.

Club legend Brian Slane top scored with 30 goals (25 league 5 cup) however he only finished 3rd top scorer in the League beaten by Brian Pringle (Ashington) & Alan Shoulder (Bishop Auckland) who shared the league top scorer accolade with 27 goals.

It was a great season for Slane on Sunday 4^th May it ended with a TV appearance, as a school teacher in Consett he was selected to represent ‘Consett, Derwentside’ in the popular TV programme It’s a Knockout.
Filmed at Beamish Park on Sunday 4^th May 1975 the Heat 4 which was aired at 8pm on Friday 13^th June featured team from Berwick-upon-Tweed, Darlington & Consett, Derwentside.
This was one game Brian did lose that season along with teammates Barry Chucsin, Michael Fleck, Barry Fowler, Rachel Harrison, Christine Ross, Colin White, William Witton & Malcolm Young they finished 3^rd with 18 points as Darlington won to qualify for the next stage in Switzerland in July.

PNE keeper Ray Trunks is beaten by Mick’s thunderbolt.

Midfielder Mick Dagless, who scored 20 goals to become the highest scoring midfielder in the league that season and probably the goal of the season with that 3rd minute 30 yard screamer against Preston North End, was rewarded with selection to the Middlesex Wanders squad for the summer tour of Malaysia.

The mercurial talents of Micky Lister won the club’s Player of the Year award, however it was all good news for the player who had won the FA Amateur Cup with North Shields in 1969 when having picked up a knee injury he spent the summer trying to overcome it but in July the club was rocked with the news that Mickey had to call an ended to his playing career !.

It was probably the only downside to an incredible season and a one manager the manager Alan O’Neill was rightly proud of, he went onto prove it wasn’t beginners luck either when he rebuilt the side over the summer to retain the title again in 1975/76 although it was a lot tighter with Blyth making up the ground to pip Willington to the title by 1 point !.

• The unbeaten run continued into 1975/76 season winning the first 3 games before drawing 0-0 at home to Spennymoor then winning next 3 games but the 40 game unbeaten run finally ended on  8th September 1975 , masterminded by former manager Jackie Marks his North Shields side won 3-2 at Appleby Park thanks 2 goals from Billy Yates & 1 from Ian Hopkinson in reply to Micky Pink & Gerry Donoghue strikes for the Spartans.
  It could be argued it was a 42 game unbeaten run with the final league 2 games of 1973/74 added because the Title Play Off game defeat to Spennymoor wasn’t an actual league fixture !.
  *Either way it was and still is the clubs longest unbeaten run in any of the 9 different leagues Blyth Spartans AFC have played in.

The 1970’s was a certainly a golden era for the club, 3 Northern League titles in 4 season’s 2 Runners Up spots and A League Cup win in 1971/72 and Runners Up in 1973/74 add into that endeavours nationally reaching the Semi Finals of the FA Amateur Cup in 1971/72 and the FA Cup runs in 1971/72 beating Crewe Alexandra away then Stcokport County at home before losing a 3^rd Round Replay to Reading, in 1973/74 taking Grimsby to a 2^nd Round Replay and 74/75’s games with the star-studded Preston North End.

Obviously the famous 1977/78 season attracts all the attentions when the 1970’s are mentioned in Blyth’s long & proud history but that great achievement was built on solid foundations in the early 1970’s and should never overshadow a great era in the clubs history that included some great times, great servants and some superb players.

• Credits & Thank you’s:

Kevin Tilmouth, who as ever provided information & once again provided items from his treasure trove of Blyth Spartans memorabilia.

Chris Sanderson,  who provided images from his collection of Rothmans Non League magazines. Chris is now living in Paisley and reports on Scottish football but was born in Ashington and grew upon on Northern League football.

Ken Teasdale, a lifelong Blyth fan who was a 21-year-old during that famous 74/75 season. Ken provided memories & vital info of that great era, he is now the clubs PA announcer.

Ashington AFC website for allowing use of the Tommy Dixon photo taken from the superb collection of old photo’s taken by then club photographer Mel Morpeth.

http://www.ashingtonafc.com/home.html

The following websites provided information and are superb websites for historical Non League football information:

http://www.nonleaguematters.net/

http://www.fchd.info/

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Peter Guthrie – The Spartan who earned his Spurs

Blyth Spartans have a long history of producing players who have gone on to a career as a full-time professional but no one had such a meteoric rise to the full-time game as goalkeeper Peter Guthrie.

Back on October 1986, Blyth manager Jim Pearson was on the lookout for a successor to legendary keeper Dave Clarke, Clarkie was looking to retire and had began coaching the side so both Richard Hartiss & Stephen Gray had been given chances between the sticks but had failed to impress so Pearson was still looking for someone.

To Blyth supporters surprise that person came in the form of an unknown goalkeeper who had been at Middlesbrough. Peter Guthrie had started playing on a Sunday morning for Forest Hall Legion Club, but caught the Boro’s attention while playing for Wearside League Whickham.
Although unknown to Blyth fans his performances had begun to attract attention as he came within 90 minutes of playing at Wembley when Whickham lost an FA Vase Semi Final to Stanstead, Boro signed him but by his own admission that didn’t work out:
“I was too green for League football and needed another couple of years learning”.

Jim Pearson rang him inviting him along to training at Croft Park. Peter impressed in training and signed permanently making his debut in a 2-0 victory at South Bank on 29^th October.

Peter benefited from Dave Clarke’s coaching and quickly impressed everyone as he made the No.1 jersey his own as Blyth went on an FA Trophy run that was to see them eventually play Nuneaton Borough in 3 replays !. However it was his performance in the 2^nd Round victory at Bath City that laid the foundations to an incredible year in his career.

Peter collects the award from Supporters club Chairman Bill Cook.
Steve Baxter (far right) won the Blyth Valley Sports Council Player of the Year award.

Following the FA Trophy exit Blyth went on to win the Dryborough’s Northern League title by a handsome 14 points losing only twice in the process, Peter now established as Dave Clarke’s successor clocked up 36 appearances conceding only 34 goals deservedly winning the Joel Sports Player of the Year award.

Blyth fans were surprised when Peter left the club, even more so that it was to move down to Dorset signing for GM Vauxhall Conference club Weymouth !.
Unknown Blyth fans the Terras had been plotting their move since that FA Trophy replay at Bath back in January, Northampton manager Graham Carr, who had previously managed Weymouth had tipped off Weymouth manager Stuart Morgan about Peter’s performances and advised him to travel up to Bath to ‘see for himself’.
Having been impressed they monitored Peter for rest of the season and once the season had finished Morgan himself rang Peter:
“I received a phone call for Weymouth manager Stuart Morgan saying he had seen me play at Bath in the Trophy and was interested in signing me. I wasn’t on a contract at Blyth so decided to make the move South, plus at the time they were a Conference side and it was another step up for me”.
The move meant Peter giving up his job as an Installation Engineer for a Gaming Company because the Terras were a full-time set up and offered him a £160pw contract:
“We were full-time at Weymouth with the like of Andy Townsend, Steve Claridge, Shaun Teale & Tony Agana going on to become pro’s, so it was a great opportunity”.
Peter had company on the south coast with Blyth’s flying winger Tony Dawson also signing for the ambitious GM Vauxhall Conference club.

Peter in full flight for Weymouth.

Peter instantly made a big impression on the south coast winning rave reviews for his performances and began attracting attention of league clubs, his stock grew even further on the evening of Wednesday 21^st October 1987 when Weymouth played Manchester United in an Official Opening game of their brand new Wessex Stadium.
A very experienced United team containing the likes of Chris Turner, Arthur Albiston, Kevin Moran, Norman Whiteside, Brian McClair, Remi Moses, Jesper Olsen & Bryan Robson were beaten 1-0 in a packed ground with Peter very much the star performer.

Having kept 13 clean sheets in 18 league games Weymouth knew they would struggle to hold on to their star man, the board had drawn up a plan on how to deal with the attention Peter was attracting and it eventually came down to 2 clubs were chasing his signature.
Manager Stuart Morgan used his column in the programme for their Boxing Day clash with Bath City to state:
“It seems certain at the time of going to press that we will be losing the talented Peter Guthrie to one of the First Division giants, and today could very well be his last appearance for us at the Wessex Stadium.”

Rumors of the impending move had circulated among Weymouth supporters with the asking fee being the main talking point, aware of the rumors Morgan tried to put the supporters in the picture:
“It is a great tribute to his undoubted ability that today will be only his 19^th League appearance for us and if the transfer goes through it is going to break all sorts of records”.
“I hope you all have managed to put yourself in my shoes for the past couple of week, and if you have I’m sure you will understand the turmoil I have gone through in trying to come to terms with the fact that I cannot possibly hold on to Peter when taking everything into consideration.
I’ve said all along that the deal would be as waste of time to all our ambitions if we never received that amount of money that I quoted, a figure that was laughed at originally, but a figure we have finally agreed on with the clubs involved, which again is a big tribute to ‘Guthers’ himself”.

The deal was indeed a record breaker as predicted but despite interest from other clubs it came down to a 2 way battle for his signature. Peter’s hometown club Newcastle United making the 1^st serious inquiry they desperate to sign him, manager Willie McFaul traveled to meet the manager & secretary at a local Weymouth hotel and was confident a deal could be done despite not liking the asking price however an inquiry was made by Tottenham Hotspur and they agreed to pay the asking price of £100,000!.

The Weymouth secretary & manager travelled up to London and the deal was agreed at a meeting held at the Spurs training ground with the Spurs secretary and manager Terry Venables.
A move to the capital was Peter preferred choice:
“In the end it was a straight choice between Newcastle and Spurs. It was a difficult choice but in the end I felt I made the right decision.”
The deal was concluded quickly with the fee of £100,000 was indeed being a record paid for a Non League player back in December 1988.

It was a truly phenomenal rise through the ranks by any body’s standards, having only played 36 games for Blyth and 29 for Weymouth suddenly Peter was a full-time professional at Tottenham Hotspur and in doing so became Terry Venables 1^st signing as Spurs manager !.
Naturally the deal caught the media’s attention including interview in 80’s football magazine Shoot, in which Peter spoke of his meteoric rise:
“From Blyth I went to Weymouth and after only five months Spurs came in for me. I thought that playing in the Vauxhall Conference would put me back in the shop window, but I never expected to get a League club so soon – and certainly not one as big as Spurs. My hometown club Newcastle also came in for me but, even though I’m a Geordie through and through, I felt there would be too much pressure on me in the North East”.

With the press picking up on Peter’s meteoric rise to fame it led to a scramble for news on him and one of the most popular stories that did the rounds was that he was originally a striker who only went in-goal when the keeper was injured during a game, doing so well he just continued to play there, while it was true the versions of the tale varied wildly as it was used over the years.

It was initially reported that his first experience as a goalkeeper was with the Spartans while some versions stated he was a striker for Blyth when the injured keeper incident happened !.
However they were all wide of the mark, as Peter had last been a striker when playing for a works team in the early 80’s:
“I started as a centre forward with Sterling Winthrops on a Saturday but ended up in goal after an injury to our keeper half way through the season. My career as a centre forward was now over as I enjoyed playing between the sticks a lot more.”

After joining Spurs Peter was immediately loaned out to Fourth Division Swansea City to gain some league experience, under the guidance of manager Terry Yorath Peter played 14 times as The Swans won promotion to the Third Division through the inaugural play off’s.

Despite returning to Spurs after the loan and training with the first team even featuring in the clubs official 1989/1990 team photo things didn’t work out for Peter at White Hart Lane and legendary Barnet Chairman Stan Flashman coughed up £60,000 for his services. Working under guidance of manager Barry Fry however despite making 18 appearances back in the Vauxhall Conference but his performances weren’t as good as his previous experience of top flight Non League football and after making a couple of howlers at Underhill he came under pressure from the fans:
”The move turned out not so good as I had hoped for, I had a nightmare on the field. Barry Fry was brilliant and he tried everything for me to regain my confidence but eventually I was sold to Bournemouth”.

Playing under Bournemouth manager Harry Redknapp in the 3^rd Division Peter made 10 appearances for the Cherries before Republic of Ireland keeper Gerry Peyton regained his fitness and in doing so ending Peter’s time in the first team.
At the end of the 1990/91 season Peter left Bournemouth and with no offers from other clubs he decided to take up an offer he had received from ‘over seas’, while at Bournemouth Peter had been played with and been coached by Tony Pulis who was back then player/coach at Dean Court.
Pulis had played in Hong Kong in 1981 for Happy Valley AA and still had contacts in the Far East.

Tony Pulis lined up a move to Hong Kong First Division League for Sing Tao Sports Club, Peter initially signed on a 3-month probation period and once again made such an impression he ended up playing for the now defunct club for 2 years.
Despite initially struggling with the heat & humidity playing in China Peter enjoyed his spell with Sing Tao and was selected for the League XI in 1992 for the Marlborough Cup , which they won beating Young Boys Berne & Partizan Belgrade both on penalties.

He even took up his former role as a striker in March 1993 for the Viceroy Cup Quarter Final. Once again the Hong Kong press carried the story about his switch from striker to keeper and unsurprisingly ex-pat Hong Kong journalist Jeremy Walker got the details wrong in his article:

• The last time Guthrie played in the forward line was in 1987 with English non-league side Blyth Spartans. Guthrie played as a striker all of his career in non-league football in the northeast of England and went in-goal during a game for Whickham in 1986 only when the original goalkeeper became injured.
  He was transferred from Blyth to Weymouth as a goalkeeper in the 1987-88 season and became the record transfer for a non-league player going into the professional league when Spurs paid GBP 100,000 for him midway through the 1987-88 season.

Interviewed for the article Peter stated: ”It’s going to be an interesting challenge but very difficult because the last time I played centre-forward, Nelson had two eyes.
”Hopefully, I can add a bit of height and bite to the attack because we are generally quite a small team”.

In the summer of 1993, aged 33, Peter retired from the professional game and returned home to the UK taking up a job as a store supervisor in a local Asda supermarket. GM Vauxhall Conference club Gateshead snapped him up, he made his debut on 21^st August in a 2-2 draw at the International Stadium.
Peter went on to make 9 appearances then moved on to play for Whitley Bay before a phone call from an old friend from Hong Kong tempted him back out to the China again, he signed for Hong Kong Rangers.

Speaking upon his return: “I came to Hong Kong in 1991 and played for Sing Tao for two years but it didn’t really work out” .
“Winning the Marlboro Cup was great but I didn’t really know Hong Kong ways and got into a few problems with my club. “I went back to England and got a job at an Asda supermarket back home near Newcastle. I was playing part-time football for Whitley Bay, just for pocket-money really, and I thought my professional football career was over”.

The friend from his spell at Sing Tao, Lam Tai-fai, was now the owner of Rangers and he invited Peter back for the 1994/95 season, and it proved to be a success as they went on to win 2 cups in his 3 season at Hong Kong Rangers, who were founded in 1958 by Scottish ex-pat Ian Petrie who named the team after his favorite team from Glasgow.

Peter reveled in the confidence Lam showed in him and after 3 good years at Rangers he moved onto fellow First Division side Happy Valley AA when Lam took over the Kowloon Bay club:
“I had three good years at Rangers, when we won two cups, and now I’ve followed Mr Lam to Happy Valley, where have a very good team,”

Peter with the trophy in the local press after Happy Valley won the title.

Winning the League title qualified them for the Asian Cup Winners Cup, they were drawn against the Maldives, and through financial constraints Happy Valley had to play both legs away in the Maldives !.

It was at Happy Valley where Peter really made name for himself and in 1998 he was almost an automatic choice for the Hong Kong League XI squad for the annual Lunar New Year tournament. The Carlsberg Cup (formerly the Marlborough Cup) had been revamped in 1994, the competition now had National teams invited to take part and not club sides or Under 21 teams. 2 of his teammate in the League XI were former team mates from his days playing in the UK, Tim O’Shea played in the same Spurs Reserve side and former Aston Villa defender Shaun Teale who played with Peter at Weymouth.

However the coaches decisions to use only foreigners didn’t go down well with the locals initially: “Our coach has coached at the highest level and he instilled confidence in us. He got together a group of players who can play well if-they do as asked, we stuck by his game plan, and it worked. The coach might come under some fire for using only foreign players but he knew what he wanted. What he got was 11 foreigners who battled for our lives.”

It provided Peter with his career highlight and the ‘game of his life’ when they beat World Cup qualifiers Chile in front of a full house of 72,000 with Peter rightly winning Man of the Match for his outstanding performance as the Hong Kong outfit pulled off the best result ever in the annual tournament, interviewed in the Hong Kong Standard the following day: “I’d say it has to be the highlight of my career.”
“Being signed for Spurs was a big moment and I was in the League XI which won this tournament in 1992, when it was the Marlboro Cup but beating Chile? .
This was the national side which goes to France in five months to compete in the World Cup.”
“We were up against players who are going all out to impress their coach and get into the World Cup squad, but we won 3-1, and deservedly so.”

And after the first reaction to an all-foreign League XI the locals got behind the team:
“What I enjoyed most was that the Hong Kong people got behind us. Even with no Chinese players in the team, they were all for us, and that gets the adrenaline flowing.It pumped us all up and we would have given anything and everything not to concede another goal. The crowd was magnificent.”

Naturally the Hong Kong Standard carried the now obligatory tale of Peter having played as a striker, this time claiming he had played as a striker for the Spartans for ‘several years’!

• Guthrie was a centre-forward for England non-League side Blyth Spartans for several years before acting as stand-in goalkeeper one day when the regular goalkeeper was injured.

Having played in China for over 10 years Peter became a well know figure in the football scene that was awash with foreigners he even made 2 adverts for Malborough Cigarettes (which didn’t go down well with his mother !) and was also invited to audition for their version of Match of the Day which showed English League games but by his own admission failed miserably !.

In 2002 Peter finally returned to the UK for good:
“Playing regular 1st team football and the social life was brilliant in such a vibrant country but I’d had enough.”
“I had the opportunity to stay in China as a coach but having thoroughly enjoyed his life in Hong Kong he decided it was time to come home ”.

Upon returning home he took & passed the PCV driving exam and worked at Newcastle Airport for 10 years.
Peter played at Bedlington Terriers of and on before finally hanging up his gloves in 2006.
Peter moved to Durham in 2011 after getting married and decided to get a job closer to home as a coach driver for Lees of Durham, when time allows still turns out in a local Over 40′s league.

In September 2013 Blyth Spartans AFC were once again back in his safe hands when he became the teams coach driver, with Lees providing the team coach for away games, he was the appointed driver for a midweek away game at Stocksbridge in Sheffield.
With it having been 27 years since he played for the Spartans, Peter was surprised to have been recognised, but admitted it was nice to be remembered after all these years.

Born on 10^th October 1961 in Newcastle, making him 27 when he signed for Spurs Peter was certainly a late comer to the professional game and while his career in this country might not have taken off as he’d hoped, but he certainly made up for it on the other side of the world:
“Seeing all of Asia including Japan, Maylasia, Singapore, Cambodia, Brunei, South Korea and Indonesia and getting paid for it, I was very lucky to do all of that. “.

Peter certainly had an eventful and far-flung career, crossing paths with some of the games biggest names such as Terry Venables, Barry Fry, Paul Gascoigne & Chris Waddle but it all started from humble beginnings owing a massive gratitude of debt to an injured works team goalkeeper !.

• Credits & Thank you’s:

Jeff Young, who back in 1986 was a supporter but in 2013 was the clubs kit man who spotted Peter as the new team coach driver and initiated the interview.

Weymouth FC chairman Chairman Nigel Biddlecombe, who supplied vital information on Peter’s move from Blyth to Weymouth and then onto to Spurs.

The supporters of Weymouth FC who were very helpful with information on one of the favourite former players:

http://terras.proboards.com/

and of course massive thank you Peter himself for being so help with information & images on his career.

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Green & White Cult Heroes – Steve Carney RIP

Saturday 16^th February 2013 marked the 35^th Anniversary of Blyth Spartans playing in the FA Cup 5^th Round, however the memory of that famous day was overshadowed by the news that one of the members of that great 1977/78 side had pancreatic cancer and as a result it was reported he was ‘seriously ill”.

The fact that it was the youngest member of that side made the news even sadder, at only 21 Steve Carney was the baby of the team but he didn’t let his tender age hold him back.

Steve Carney was known as a no-nonsense footballer who worked hard for everything he achieved in the game and in doing so duly got the rewards.

Born on 22^nd September 1957 in Wallsend, Steve was an Electrician by trade and part-time footballer who had been at West Bromwich Albion as a youngster but when nothing came of it he returned home and learned a trade while playing for local Non League giants North Shields.

Steve made his Robins debut in 1975/76 at the tender 18-year-old alongside his elder brother Rob, he went on to make 13 appearances scoring once as Shields finished 8^th in the Northern League (Blyth won the title that season).

Steve (lying down) celebrates another famous victory with his brother Rob and fellow teamates.

The following season Steve established himself as a first team regular clocking up 31 appearances but still only managed the 1 goal as Shields finished 6^th, being piped to 5^th place by a single point by Blyth Spartans.
Steve’s performances had caught the eye of the new Blyth coach Jackie Marks, Steve & his brother Rob were brought to Croft Park at the beginning of 1977/78 season as Brian Slane & Jackie Marks rebuilt the side, little did anyone know what that season was to bring.

Steve celebrates scoring Blyth’s 2nd goal at Stoke

Playing in midfield or defence Steve blossomed as the team gelded instantly, and on 12^th November 1977 he and his brother Rob became the 1^st brother in many years to score in the same game when Blyth hammered local rivals Ashington 5-0 at Portland Park. Steve went on to score 16 goals in a season that involved 63 competitive games including him scoring Blyth’s equaliser at Stoke City in the famous 3-2 victory.
His hard man reputation began early but in the 3rd Round 1-0 victory over Enfield he was certainly the victim, coming on as a second half sub with the game a stalemate at 0-0, Steve was given the task of driving the team forward:
“When I came on I knew I had to put some drive and fight into the attack”, however in the 77th minute Steve was punched by Enfield’s Mick O’Sullivan.
“The ball was nowhere near me and somebody hit me on the back of the head. I did not know who it was and I could see no reason for it. I think they were getting a bit rattled – they missed their chances and we took ours”.
Defender O’Sullivan had already been booked for a dangerous tackle on Terry Johnson so when the official spotted the punch the red card ended his afternoon early.

However his hard man reputation was enhanced when, on a rock hard frozen pitch, he was sent off in the 67^th minute of the FA Cup 5^th Round tie at the Racecourse Ground following 2 quick yellow cards for fouls on Thomas and Lyons, (Lyons was himself sent off for retaliating to Steve challenge).
His final goal of that epic season came on 18^th May 1978 in a 2-1 Northumberland Senior Cup Final victory against over his former club North Shields at St James Park, little did Steve know it was to become his home ground just over a year later !.

The following season 1987/79 Steve made 35 appearances scoring 3 goals as Blyth finished 5^th in the Northern League and weren’t as fortunate in the FA Cup losing 3-5 in a 1^st Round Replay to York City on a snow-covered pitch at Croft Park, his performances hadn’t gone unnoticed Newcastle United manager Bill McGarry had been keeping an eye on the utility player.

In 1979/80 season Steve only managed 7 appearances but still scored twice as he went on trial at Newcastle United before United finally made their move and signed Steve for £1,000 in October 1979. Steve’s last appearance on 26^th September 1979 saw him score in a 5-0 victory at Whitley Bay.

Speaking on Steve’s dream move teammates Eddie Alder believed the United boss had seen something of himself in Steve: “I suppose Steve had a pro mentality and that’s what led to Newcastle United manager, Bill McGarry, spotting something in his personality; McGarry as a player had something of a reputation as a hard man I believe!.”

While his manager at Blyth, Brian Slane give an insight to Steve’s athleticism and how his efforts in training would get to coach Jackie Marks: “It always frustrated Jack, in training, that he only ever got 75% worth of effort from Steve. He would shout instructions and Steve would glower-he did not like training. When it came to the game, Steve never gave less than 100% and because he was so fit, I guess he did not feel the need to bust a gut in the mid-week training sessions”.

Steve made his Newcastle debut on 1^st December 1979 in a 2-0 victory against Fulham at St James Park in the same side as his former Spartans teammate Alan Shoulder who had signed for Newcastle in December 1978, it was a dream come true for the Wallsend lad who supported his local heroes but had seen his hopes of becoming a professional footballer dashed after being rejected by West Bromwich Albion.

Steve’s whirlwind career saw him go on to make 149 appearances for his boyhood club, he played under 4 managers while at Newcastle, McGarry, Joe Harvey, Arthur Cox & Jack Charlton, ironically Arthur Cox had been the manager of the Chesterfield side beaten by Blyth in the 1977/78 FA Cup 2^nd Round victory.

Steve & Kevin Keegan react in disbelief to a ref’s decision at St James Park.

He played an integral part in the 1983/84 promotion season playing alongside Kevin Keegan as Newcastle won promotion back to the First Division making 34 appearances that historic season, however Steve’s no nonsense approach wasn’t confined to games with a well-known rumour of a ‘discussion’ with King Kev ending with Steve landing a punch on the hero of Tyneside.
Steve managed only 1 goal for Newcastle, it came on the opening day of 1984/85 season when he scored the clubs 1st goal of the season in a 3-2 victory against Leicester City at Filbert Street.

His final appearance came on 7^th November 1984 in a Milk Cup 3^rd Round Replay when he was replaced by Paul Ferris in a 1-2 defeat, he was then loaned out to Carlisle United where he made 6 appearances before returning to St James.

In August 1985 he left St James, being given a free transfer by Jackie Charlton, he joined 3^rd Division Darlington.

Fondly remembered for his nonsense style one Newcastle United fans site claims:
”Steve was one of the stars of the Blyth Spartans side that did so well in the FA Cup in 1978, and was consequently snapped up by Newcastle for a mere £1,000.
Going on to give 6 seasons of solid and workmanlike service he has to go down as one of our best bargains.”

Steve made 12 appearances for Darlington before being loaned out to Rochdale where he played 4 times. He later joined Hartlepool making 7 appearances.
After leaving the full-time game he turned out for Tow Law Town to help his brother Rob who was assistant manager, he enjoyed his time there but they had an agreement in place:
“If somebody I fancied came in for me, I would move on. Well I have always thought of Blyth Spartans as a big club”.

In April 1987 Jim Pearson’s Blyth side were closing in on the Dryboroughs Northern League title and club director Jackie Marks had been busy sourcing new players to bolster the squad and having just brought in Steve Pyle he had his eye on his former player.

The Evening Chronicle picked up on the potential deal and sought Steve’s view:
“It looks as if I’ll be going back to the Spartans-and I’m looking forward to it.”

“I have a lot of very fond memories of Croft Park, especially that run to the fifth round of the FA Cup shortly before Newcastle gave me chance in the Football League.
I’m not really worried about getting another chance to go full-time and I think the Blyth deal will go through this week”.

The deal did indeed happen and he made his 2^nd club debut on a ground he was familiar with Victoria Park Hartlepool, in Blyth’s 1-1 with Hartlepool Reserves in 21^st March 1987. Steve went on to make 9 appearances at centre half as Blyth won the title by 14 points.

Manager Jim Pearson, a former teammate of Steve’s at St James Park, knew his importance praising the side and board after 13 wins in the last 15 games sealed the title:
“The whole management side at Croft Park have been a great back up bringing in players like Carney & Pyle at a critical stage”.

Steve won another title medal the following season, 1987/88, a campaign in which Steve played in all but 4 of the 51 games of a season which Jim Pearson’s side lost only 2 games on the way to the title. Pearson was relived of the manager’s job in the summer of 1998 and Steve’s brother Rob was in the frame to replace him until Steve’s former teammate Dave Clarke took over the reins.

Dave Clarke’s reign as manager didn’t last long after things didn’t go well and he resigned in November 1988, this time both Carney brothers were approached.
Again Rob was top of the board’s wanted list but after several meetings with the board and despite a deal looking imminent, Rob announced terms couldn’t be agreed and decided to stay on at Tow Law as Assistant manager. Steve himself was approached by the board to become player/manager.

Steve held talks with the board and at one stage it looked likely to happen with Steve stating in an interview in the Evening Chronicle on 11^th November 1998:
“There are one or two things to be sorted out, but there is a chance that I will be in charge tomorrow in time for our trip to Spennymoor”.
Steve tried to make sure the deal to become manager didn’t effect his work in building & developing the very successful family business specialising in the Baby Clothing, which had grown to have 5 shops across the North East.
Chairman John Hetherington stated:
“I talked to Steve last night and there is still no decision. I have told him to make his mind up by Monday”.

The ‘things’ didn’t get sorted and Steve declined the offer of becoming player/manager and another of Steve’s Cup run team mates Tommy Dixon was appointed days later and Steve continued to play on in central defence.

Despite several approaches from Blue Star, manager Colin Richardson who was desperate to add Steve to his team of experienced players as they challenged for Northern League supremacy with Blyth, Steve only wanted to play for Blyth and even held discussions over a 3 year contract to see out his playing days at Croft Park.

Steve was now the mainstay of the Spartans defence and continued to play until retiring in May 1991 after amassing 167 appearances in his 2^nd spell at the club.

While playing part-time Steve had become very successful business person, especially in the property market and after calling time on his playing career Steve went on become Managing Director of English Homes for nearly 13 years developing a large portfolio of properties across the North East.
In January 2011 Steve set up and new venture in Gosforth using his years of knowledge in sport with the creation of ‘Steve Carney Fitness’, offering his services as a personal trainer.
From the first rejection by West Bromwich Albion as a teenager to playing for the club he supported at Old Trafford and playing alongside Kevin Keegan, Steve’s career was a total whirlwind after that famous 1977/1978 season, and if anything just goes to proves that if you keep trying things do work out.

Being so young the news of Steve’s illness came as a shock to all that knew him and watched him as a player, sadly the news broke on May 6th that Steve had tragically passed away.

RIP Steve Carney, gone but certainly never to be forgotten..

• Credits & Thank you’s:

Alan Matthews, Chariman of North Shields AFC, who supplied vital information.

The following website provided info on Steve’s playing career:

http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/

http://toon1892.co.uk

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Green & White Cult Heroes – Billy Fenwick…. a living legend.

The term legend is bandied about rather too freely when supporters fondly recall their favourite player, but few actually truly deserve the accolade.

William Randolph Fenwick, however is one such person who does.

Born on Friday 13^th August 1920 in Shotley Bridge County Durham, Billy Fenwick was destined to a life truly dedicated to football and especially to a club in a Northumberland town he had no recollection of moving too, the move as a 2-year-old was down to his father being signed by their football club.
The youngest son of Alfred Randolph Fenwick, Billy’s father was a former Hull City, West Ham & Coventry City defender. Alfred had given up full-time professional football and returned to County Durham to work in the thriving local mines and played for Leadgate Park in the North Eastern League.

In 1922 Billy’s father was transferred from Leadgate Park FC to Blyth Spartans and he took up at job at the Isabella Pit, the Fenwick family moved to Blyth after they were given help by the club to find a new house in Tenth Avenue, Blyth.

From the day his father was signed by the Spartans a love affair was born that to this day still draws 92-year-old Billy to Croft Park to watch ‘his’ club.
From an early age Billy became a Spartans supporter being carried into Croft Park on his father’s shoulders or even wheeled in through the players gate in his pram!.
Even after his father’s playing days ended Billy continued to watch his beloved Spartans through his school days at Princess Louise Road Infants, Newsham Junior & New Delaval Senior schools.

Coming from a family very much involved in football, it was always clear that young Billy himself would also play some role in the game, aside from his father Billy’s late brother, Alfred Leslie Fenwick (who also played for the Spartans) signed for Sheffield Wednesday in 1934, before joining Reading in 1938, after his playing career came to an end he carved out a successful coaching career in Holland and Norway.
Billy’s cousin, Austen Fenwick Campbell, played for Blackburn Rovers and Huddersfield Town and was capped 8 games for England, (being on the winning side 7 of these 8 games), whilst another cousin was the famous disciplinarian footballer & Manager Alan Brown, who twice managed Sunderland, along with Sheffield Wednesday and Burnley!.

With the game running through the Fenwick family blood it came as no surprise that a young Billy was recognised as a good footballer in his early teens, playing for his school team and also Blyth Boys and after he left school. While playing in the Miners Welfare League for South Newsham Villa and then Bates Welfare his performances began attracting the attentions of many League scouts however fully aware of him & his pedigree the Spartans took in most games he played watching his development.

Billy’s hometown club thought they had stolen a march on the League clubs in 1937 when newly appointed Secretary/Manager Ernie Hoffman signed the promising 17-year-old.
However, shortly afterwards without Billy having played a game for the Spartans, Sheffield Wednesday used a family connection in his elder brother Alfred Leslie who was already playing for them, to finally sign the promising 17-year-old forward just a week after his birthday.

Sheffield Wednesday had wanted to sign Billy a year earlier, however at the tender age of 16, his father would not let him leave home believing he was too young. The Yorkshire club were determined to get their man and tried again a year later, this time they were successful partly only due to his father insisting he only went part-time and that he continued to learn his trade as a plasterer whilst he was pursuing a football career in Sheffield.

Whilst this was sound parental advice and should be given to many young footballers today, it could be argued that on this occasion it possibly went against Billy having a career in top flight football. Sheffield Wednesday manager Billy Walker agreed to these terms and he signed for the princely sum of less than £3 per week, with the promise of a small win bonus!

However, before joining Wednesday the club had been relegated to the 2nd Division along with Manchester United, the under pressure Walker resigned in November 1937.
Into Hillsborough came former legendary Man City player Jimmy McMullen. The following season 1938/39, the Scot cleared out all players who were not on full-time contracts and young Billy Fenwick was homeward bound!
During Billy’s stay he never made the 1st team, but did win a medal in the Wharncliffe Charity Cup. The Wharncliffe Charity Cup was an invitational cup competition involving the Sheffield FA’s top teams. The competition took its name from the Earl of Wharncliffe who sponsored the event, and was held with the aim of raising money for local good causes

Billy still has fond memories of his time at Wednesday, even though his stay was not as long as he would have wished, one of his fondest memories is a real throw back in time.
In Billy’s era of heavy leather football boots, a world away from the flimsy things worn today, apprentices were famously been given the job of cleaning senior/first team players boots however he was given a slightly different boot related task.
Bill recalls how the boots took hours of wear to ‘break-in’ but once broken in they were actually comfortable to play in. To his surprise March 1938 Billy was given a brand new pair of boots by the club, rather pleased with his new boots he wore them in until they became comfortable.
However unknown to him there was a reason he was given the boots, once the boots had been broken in and were comfy to wear, he was then asked to hand them over to Wednesday’s inside forward George Dury before his £7,000 transfer to Arsenal!.

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Billy was invited to return to Sheffield Wednesday for a VIP Day on the 5^th March 2003, accompanied by his daughter Jacqueline and her partner Colin Brown; they were all given a guided tour of the Hillsborough Stadium and facilities, which had undergone a massive change since Billy was last there in 1938!

Walking around the Hillsborough Ground and into the Players Tunnel after 66 years it brought back fond memories and also tearful memories of his spell at a club, both he and his brother Alfred Leslie had played!. During the visit after they all enjoyed lunch in the Directors Room, Billy was presented with gifts from the club, and needless to say photographs were taking of his VIP Day!.

It was a superb thing for the Sheffield club to do for Billy and one day he’ll never forget.

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Papers report on Billy playing for Reserves.

Billy returned home to Blyth and played several times for the Spartans Reserves in the Northern Alliance during the 1938/39 Season, however, an ankle injury forced him to miss several games!.

In 1939, the outbreak of World War II put a further stop on Billy’s football career and with their being little or no work back in Blyth for a plasterer at that time Billy volunteered.

He joined the Royal Air Force and after completing his training, Leading Aircraftsman Fenwick set sail for India in 1941 spending his 21st Birthday at sea, once in India he was based in Karachi.

Whilst serving so far from home Billy really missed home life, his family and his girlfriend Lil so took he took any & every opportunity to write home to them, however it was his skills developed at home that made him an integral part of the RAF’s activities in India.

Pencil sketch of Billy by one of his colleagues while serving in India.

Because of Billy’s football skills, he was chosen to play captain his RAF station’s team for 3 years!. Billy’s still has fond memories of these games and his teammates such as Manchester United’s Outside Forward Billy Wrigglesworth, there were several other professional footballers so being chosen as captain was an honour for Billy.

Upon demobilisation in 1945, Billy returned home to marry his fiancé Lil, at Horton Church and have now clocked up 68 years of happiness together.

Blyth Spartans like many other teams closed down at the outbreak of the War in 1939 and did begin again until September 1946 playing in the Northern Alliance.

At the start of the 1945/46 Season, Billy joined Blyth Shipyard FC, a team that had been made up of workers from shipyard, they were playing in the Northern Combination Football League.
Another well-known Spartans Legend, Jimmy Turney, (later to become a manager and chairman of Blyth Spartans), also played several games for the Shipyard team, before his move to Blackhall and signing professional for Darlington, before joining Blyth Spartans in 1950/51 season.

The team named Blyth Shipyard, later changed to Blyth FC and then in September 1946 they became Blyth Spartans. Billy won 2 medals with this team, as they finished 2nd in the Northern Combination League, and they won the League Challenge Cup they were also Runner’s Up in the Northumberland Senior Cup losing 0-3 to Newburn at St James Park, Newcastle, but no medals were given to the runners-up!
During 1946, Billy’s skills were once again attracting the attentions of League scouts and he was offered the chance to join Blackburn Rovers. He went to Blackburn for a week and actually represented Blackburn Rovers in a Central League Match against Burnley FC, alongside two ex-Spartans players, goalkeeper Jim Barron and wing-half Eric Bell, Eric had signed for Rovers from the Blyth Shipyard team in 1946 and went on to play 323 times for Rovers before retiring in 1957.
As to be expected Billy impressed Blackburn manager Eddie Hapgood and he offered him a contract, (one of the several Burnley first XI players in that game was Billy’s good friend from his time in India, Fred Taylor).

However, Billy and his wife Lil were expecting the birth of their only child Jacqueline and as Bill had settled into a steady job as a plasterer with Blyth Council, he also knew there was a chance to play for Blyth Spartans when they re-start in September, so they both agreed the time was not right to move away from Blyth.

In 1946/47 Billy’s father, Alfred Fenwick had become a Board Member, after seeking FA approval for ex-professional players to be a Board Member of Non-League Clubs when the Spartans recommenced after the war.

After failing to be elected into the North Eastern League, Blyth Spartans joined the Northern Alliance in the Season 1946/47, they signed 38 players many of them from the former Blyth Shipyard team players, however surprisingly Billy was not among the 38!.

Billy was wasn’t short of offers and signed as a professional for Ashington, they were already in the North Eastern League, where he had a very successful season scoring & creating goals as they finished 9^th.
In December 1947, Blyth Spartans wanted Billy back at Croft Park and contacted Ashington FC with the intention of trying to sign him, Ashington made it known they were ready to do business.
Billy had been left out of the side in recent weeks and felt a ‘change of club would be to his advantage’, especially his hometown club so the Colliers came back with an audacious counter offer for Blyth;
‘they would part with Billy if they could have Harry Mills’!,
needless to say the move didn’t happen.
This was shortly before the legendary goalkeeper left Blyth to sign for Huddersfield Town, where he was to go on a make 157 appearances for the Division One club.

The Colliers placed Billy on the transfer list in January after he became ‘dissatisfied’ after being left out of the team, in February 1948 he was transferred to fellow North Eastern League side North Shields and went on to make 15 appearances scoring 4 goals. North Shields were keen to sign Billy having seen him at first hand in the 3 game FA Cup meeting with Ashington in the previous season’s 4^th Qualifying Round, which the Robins eventually won 3-1 after two 1-1 draws.
Billy enjoyed his 2½ seasons at North Shields, in his 1^st season they finished a rather surprising 15^th place but bounced back to win the North Eastern League title in 1949/50, when Billy was top-scorer with 21 goals, however Billy’s hometown club got Shields home campaign off to a poor start as the Spartans won 4-1 at Appleby Park on 24^th August 1949.

Billy (2nd from left) in action for North Shields at Croft Park.

Revenge was gained on 29^th October when the clubs meet at Croft Park in an FA Cup 3^rd Qualifying Round tie as Billy scored in a convincing 5-1 victory for the Robins.

The Spartans continued to show a keen interest in bringing Billy ‘home’ and halfway through the 1950/51 season North Shields were approached about a possible transfer, initially reluctant to allow him to leave it took until the March 1951 for the Spartans to get their man again.

Blyth News report on Billy’s return to the Spartans.

Having thoroughly enjoyed his time in a successful North Shields team making 122 appearances & scored 33 goals, Billy was delighted to once again return to what he still to this day calls ‘his club’.

The Blyth News rather understated headline about Billy’s debut

His return home debut on 23^rd March 1951 couldn’t have personally gone any better as he scored a hat-trick in a 4-4 draw against Eppleton Colliery Welfare, the Blyth side that day was: Clough, Sowden, Nichol, Thompson, Allison, McLachlan, Harvey, Billy Fenwick, J.A Turney, White, Ross.

His 1^st full season back, 1951/52, was an epic & unique one as Billy entered the Blyth Spartans history books, he scored 17 goals to finish joint top scorer along with his good friend Jim Turney but like many other Spartans it was the FA Cup that sealed his place in history.
Only twice in the history of the club’s history has an FA Cup tie taken 4 games to be decided and remarkably with 26 years apart both ties featured a Fenwick, in father and son Alfred & Billy, both were involved in all 4 games on both occasions and they both scored in the games!

Billy puts the Tranmere keeper under pressure in the 1st replay at Croft Park

The famed cup fighters reached the FA Cup 2^nd Round and were drawn away to Tranmere Rovers. Wing half Norman Penrose scored Blyth’s goal in a 1-1 draw at Prenton Park, the Blyth side that day was Middleton, Sowden, Sharp, Penrose, Allison, McLachlan, Scott, J.A.Turney, Billy Fenwick, F. Turney, Gair. The replay at Croft Park also ended 1-1 and went to extra time but had to be abandoned 15 minutes into it due to bad weather.

The replayed game was staged at Brunton Park, Carlisle and a 3,202 crowd saw Billy get on the score sheet as once again the sides played out a draw, this time 2-2 after extra time. The 4^th game, played at Goodison Park, Everton saw the league team prove too strong winning 5-1 as Blyth suffered several injuries during the game as well as missing influential defender Arthur Sowden, despite the outcome these game are Billy’s greatest & proudest moments as Blyth player, however when recalling that game Billy always mentions that the Blyth team had suffered from stomach upsets earlier and during the game.

Billy’s father Alfred, played in the 1925/26 games when Blyth took Football League 3^rd Division North side Hartlepools United to 4 games. After a 2-2 draw at Croft Park then the replay ended 1-1 after extra time. The 2^nd replay was staged at St James Park and also ended 1-1 after extra time the 3^rd replay this was played at Roker Park and Alfred scored in the 2-1 win for Blyth that sealed an away tie at Football League 3^rd Division North side Accrington Stanley.
Alfred had also starred in Blyth’s 1922/23 Cup run that saw them play Football League 3^rd Division South club Gillingham away in a 6^th Qualifying Round tie. He scored twice in a famous 4-1 victory that set up at 1^st Round tie with Football League 1^st Division side Stoke at Croft Park, a 9,121 crowd saw Blyth hold their own for 45 minutes ended the first half 0-0 but the professionals second half fitness proved too much running out 0-3 winners.

Billy in action during a pre-season trial game, which was a Probable XI playing a Possibles XI.

1952/53 season saw Billy once again scoring 17 goals as Blyth finished 4^th in the North Eastern League, however the following season was a disappointing one as Blyth finished 14^th the lowest placing in the 17 season Blyth played in the single league Northern Eastern League with Billy only scoring twice.
1954/55 season was to prove Billy’s last with the club, in a campaign ravaged by injury he only managed 1 goal in a 7-3 victory over Hartlepools Reserves at Croft Park on 18th September 1954.
Towards the of the season Billy moved to North Eastern League side Cramlington Welfare but he suffered further injuries to his troublesome knees and had to call an end to his illustrious playing career.

Trainer Billy with the 1958/59 Blyth team that played in the Midland League.

Following his retirement through injury, his friend Jim Turney brought Billy back to Croft Park in June 1957.
He took up the role as Trainer, a role Billy held for several years, he also changed jobs and took up employment as a Plasterer with Jim’s own family building firm, Turney-Wilde, this suited the time off he required to travel to away matches!.

While Billy’s actual playing career with the Spartans was interrupted by the War & spells at other local clubs it was his many hours & years of unpaid work behind the scenes that carried on his families love affair with the club.
From his father playing & being a board member to him and his elder brother playing it is a family affiliation with a club that spans an amazing 93 years.

As well as being trainer, Billy also carried out various other roles at the club such as kit man he was a board member for many years and even managed the Spartans for a short period.
Within & around Croft Park he carried out many duties including painting, plastering and was always the person to start clearing the snow from the pitch when required, he even darned socks to save the Spartans money!. One abiding memory Billy has from his playing days of Croft Park was the dressing rooms in the old stand having what he thought was “the coldest water in England”.

Billy and friends (LtoR – George Watson, Johnny Evans, Mickey Lister, Ronnie Phillipson, Eddie Alder, Gordon Atkinson & Jackie Marks).

Too gracious to pick out a favourite player from his many years serving the club, he speaks highly of the likes of Arthur Sowden, Harry Mills, Michael Hind, Eddie Alder, John Evans, Peter Flaherty, Mickey Pink, Ronnie Scott, Jackie Marks, Dave Clarke, Neil Hetherington and Micky Lister!.
As a mark of the man, of the many players Billy played alongside, trained, managed and even darned sock for he classes them all as friends and still enjoys nothing better than when they meet up to take in Blyth games, which they often do and of course are rightly treated as guests of honour by ‘their’ club.

A proud life member and Freeman of Blyth Spartans AFC he has seen many changes over the years the ground has been transformed beyond recognition for the ground he played in. The club fortunes have changed, he’s been ‘involved’ off the field in some epic cup runs including the famous run like reaching the FA Cup 5^th Round Replay in 1977/78, however the recent 2008/09 FA Cup run brought him particular personal pleasure.
Hosting a Premiership side live on TV at Croft Park was a massive achievement for the club, the opposition Blackburn Rovers was to Billy, perfection.
With his cousin Austen having played for them in 1935 and Billy having been offered a professional contract by them in 1946, it was poetic that they should come to ‘his club’ in what was one of ‘his’ club’s most memorable ever nights.
The unassuming person he is, Billy proudly took up his usual seat in the main stand as if it was another game making no fuss of the significance.

William Randolph Fenwick loved his time at Blyth Spartans, its obvious to all who know him.
That at the age of 92 he still sits in the Port of Blyth Stand watching every home game shows what the club has meant to him and his family over the years, he is the oldest surviving Blyth Spartans player, a record we all hope he continues to hold for many more happy and healthy years!

Billy Fenwick…….a genuine living legend.

• Credits & Thank you’s:

To the great man himself, Billy was more than willing to recount his life for this article in his honour.

4 lifelong Blyth fans helped providing memories, information & images and once again without their help this article would not have been possible or as thorough:

• Colin Brown, partner of Bill’s daughter Jacqueline, and lifelong friend of Billy who did a great deal of the research at Blyth Library and most of the ground work with Billy.
• Ritchie Bonass, who provided images of his grandad.
• Ken Sproat, who provided important information on the history of Blyth Spartans AFC.
• Kevin Tilmouth, (who suggested featuring Billy in the Cult Heroes series) provided vital info & images.
• Alan Matthews, Chariman of North Shields AFC, who supplied vital information.

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Classic Team Photo’s – 1935/36

Back Row L to R:  C. Metcalf, J.Knox, T.Carnaby, G. Wolf, W.Dexter, T.Freeman (captain).
Front Row L to R: G.Hickman, E Park, W.Redman, J.Kennedy, E.Sharpless.

This 1935/36 team photo is extremely rare in that it comes from a 1936 cigarette card, the team is the North Eastern League title-winning side.

It is believed that this is the only time a Blyth Spartans team or player featured on a cigarette football card, the cards were hugely popular back in the 1930’s and are now collectible with rare cards fetching hundreds of pounds.

This card (purchased off eBay by life long Blyth supporter Colin Brown) is thought to have only appeared for sale the once despite there having been several thousands being produced back in 1936.

Cigarette manufacturers began inserting pieces of card to protect the contents, quickly realising that these would be useful for advertising their products. Soon these were followed by pictorial sequences, which would build up in to sets.

The object was to encourage repeat purchases and set up brand loyalty, and the subjects chosen were those most likely to appeal to the predominantly male customer base.
Beautiful young women, sportsmen and soldiers dominated the earliest series, followed by ever more diverse topics in the early 20th century as companies competed for trade by offering something new.

Sir Albert Levy

This rare Blyth Spartans card was produced by the Ardath Tobacco Company, established in London by tobacco merchant Sir Albert Levy in 1896 it was almost 20 years later in 1914 when it first started issuing cigarette cards.
The first set was photogravure reproductions of famous paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Raphael and Valasquez.

It was further 20 years before its first set of football cards, in 1934, theses were painted portraits of ‘football stars’, these looked so realistic that they appeared to be painted photographs. The set of famous footballers included portraits of Raich Carter, Hughie Gallacher, Stanley Matthews, & Cliff Bastin.

Ardath only produced the one set of cigarette cards featuring individual players and instead in 1936 began issuing ‘photocards’ of football clubs.
The first series (A) featured 110 clubs in the North West.
This was followed by Series B, which featured 110 North East clubs, 110 Yorkshire clubs, 165 Scotland clubs, 110 Midlands clubs and 110 from London and Southern Counties.
With these numbers there were some unusual teams featured: Metrogas Distributions FC, Dumbarton Harp, Stoic FC, Coltness United, Hayes Wharf, Newton Solney, Huntley Gordon and Arbroath Victoria were clubs that got their place in cigarette card fame.

After the football clubs series A&B Ardath ignored the subject of football completely and concentrated on producing cards on Film, Stage and Radio Stars in the cigarette card market thus making their football card rare.
When they tired of producing cards related to stars of various kinds, Ardath switched to cards illustrating idioms and proverb with an explanation at the back.

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The company was created in the late 19th century in London, England, and was originally called Albert Levy & Thomas.
In 1893, Sir Albert Levy was visiting the United States. While in New York State, Levy was a passenger on the Empiro State Express train, which broke speed records as locomotive #999 sped its way to Buffalo, New York at a peak of 112 1/2 miles an hour (180 km/h).
It was the first train to break the 100 m.p.h. (160 km/h) mark.

When Sir Albert returned to England, he registered the State Express name as a trademark, along with the series of triple numbers from 111 to 999. All of these numbers were used as different brands, each with a different blend or mix of tobacco.
The most popular of these was the Virginia tobacco State Express 555, introduced in 1895.

The name of the company was changed in 1901 to the Ardath Tobacco Company, and was split in 1925 when it was sold; British American Tobacco acquired the overseas rights of Ardath, while the Imperial Tobacco Group retained the rights of sale within the United Kingdom and Ireland. The State Express brand proved to be a boon for B.A.T., where it was a huge success in China until the rise of communism there (though it has since been re-introduced). In the United Kingdom, Ardath’s brands also endured, to the point where they were granted a Royal Warrant by King George VI in 1946.

In 1961, British American Tobacco bought out Imperial Tobacco’s share of Ardath, thus gaining full control of Ardath’s trademarks.
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*The B on the back of the Blyth cards relates to the series it was issued in and the No. 17 is the cards number within the series.
The information about the club on the back of the card is slightly misleading stating the club was formed in 1901 and not 1899, although 1901 was the year the club actually joined it’s first league, the Northumberland League having previously played friendlies.

The card features the North Eastern League winning side of 1935/36, winning the league was an achievement for the part-time Blyth club, being the first ‘none’ Reserve side to win the league in the 17 years since it had returned after the First World War and it was effectively the clubs first season in that league after the league had contracted to a single league that season.

The North Eastern League was founded in 1906 with team defecting from the Northern Football Alliance to join; the league was very strong featuring Middlesbrough Reserves, Sunderland Reserves, Darlington Reserves, Hartlepools Reserves, Carlisle United Reserves, South Shields Reserves & Gateshead Reserves.
There was also established Non League clubs like Gainsborough Trinity, Workington, North Shields, Crook Town, Ashington, Spennymoor United & and also some sides that now longer exist at the level they did back in 1935/36, such as Walker Celtic, Annfield Plain Newburn, Throckley Welfare, Jarrow, Eden Colliery Welfare, West Stanley & City of Durham.

Playing 38 games in total Blyth won 26, drew 4 and lost 8, scoring 104 goals and conceding 60 amassing a total of 56 points to claim the title.
The high scoring campaign got off to a slow start through drawing 2 & losing 2 of the first 4 games, but the season ended with an 11 game winning run. Despite scoring 104 goals the campaign had some high scoring defeats, losing 3-5 v Sunderland Reserves, 3-6 to Middlesbrough Reserves, 2-5 to Gateshead reserves and a 1-7 hammering by Darlington Reserves. These were offset against some big victories beating Jarrow 7-1, City of Durham 5-0, Annfield Plain 6-0 and on 7 other occasions Blyth scored 4 gaols in winning games. The title-winning game saw Blyth romp home with a 6-0 victory at Annfield Plain with Kennedy hat trick, 2 from Park & 1 from Sharpless.
The Northumberland Senior Cup was also added to the trophy cabinet beating North Shields 2-1 in a replay after a 0-0 draw.

http://www.blythspartansafc.co.uk/results/results35-36.html

The following season, 1936/37, Blyth finished 5^th but still managed to score an impressive 103 goals which included a 10-0 home victory over Jarrow and reached the League Cup Final losing to Workington 1-3 in a replay after a 1-1 draw, however Blyth retained the Senior Cup, once again beating North Shields in the Final 3-2.
In 1937/38 a 4^th place was achieved and the goals still flowed scoring 113 ending the campaign with a 9-3 home win over Consett and a 9-0 hammering of Hexham.
In 1938/39 Blyth finished 9^th and only managed to score 82 but conceded 97 which included at 1-10 hammering at Workington on 10^th December.
The 1939/40 season saw Blyth only to play 4 league games before the league was abandoned due to the out break of the War. The final game was a 4-1 home win over Spennymoor United on 2^nd September 1939, played less than 24 hours before Winston Churchill’s immortal words: “consequently this nation is at war with Germany”.

Blyth eventually rejoined the North Eastern league in 1947/48 but never managed to win the title again, so the 1935/36 winning team being immortalised in the only cigarette card the club or it’s players ever appeared on was just reward.

The card is not the only photograph of the 1935/36 title-winning side there are a couple in existence, however they are exactly the same as used on the Adrath Cigarette card, they cropped out the 2 unknown club officials who were probably the manager & trainer.
The image Adrath used was of a much higher quality.

The photo was taken looking towards Plessey Road, the houses on the left that can be seen in the distance are still standing today, however the double roofed building on the right isn’t. The old bus depot built on land the club sold to United Automobile Services 10 years earlier, loomed over the Plessey Road End until it was demolished in the 1970’s.

……. A great & extremely rare piece of Blyth Spartans AFC memorabilia that takes you back to the 1930′s and a great Spartans side who broke the Reserve team dominance to claim a famous title win.

• Credits & Thank you’s:

Colin Brown, a lifelong Blyth Spartans AFC supporter who’s cigarette card inspired this article.
http://www.fchd.info/
A great site, once again provided information.
http://www.blythspartansafc.co.uk/
The clubs excellent website has a thorough ‘Past Results’ section.

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Green & White Cult Heroes – Arthur Sowden RIP

As 2012 drew to a close the sad news broke that one of Blyth Spartans AFC’s true greats had passed away.

To many current Blyth fans the name Arthur Sowden is probably just that of a former player they may have heard of but to an older generation of Blyth fans the name takes them back to the 1950’s and to a player truly deserving of his place in the history of our great club.

A native of Cramlington Arthur, who was a blacksmith in Shankhouse by trade began playing Junior football in Shankhouse before playing for Middlesborough Colts. Arthur was offered the opportunity to sign professional but choose to sign for Blackhall Colliery Welfare in the North Eastern League as a semi professional. His performances earned him caps as an amateur for the Northumberland County side and brought him to the attentions of the Croft Park club.
In the summer of 1950, aged 24 and already an experienced North Eastern League player, he signed for Blyth and went on to amass over 250 appearances for the club between August 1950 and April 1958 and was giving the honour of captaining the side for many years.
Arthur made his debut on 19^th August 1950 in a 4-1 hammering of Gateshead Reserves at Croft Park, the game marked the return debut of Jim Turney having played for the war-time club, Jim bagged all 4 goals that day. The Blyth side that day was: Bean, Reay, Leonard, Penrose, Arthur Sowden, Ramsey, Oakley, Price, J A Turney, White, Gair.

A 25-year-old Arthur (back row 2^nd from right) in a team photo taken in August 1951.
Back row (l-r): N. Penrose, K. Hirst, T. McGarry, T. McLaghlan, A. Sowden, G. Sharpe
Front row (l-r): J.A. Turney, B. Fenwick, N. Middleton, N. West, T.Clough

Arthur’s final appearance for the club came on 12^th April 1958 in a 3-1 win at Spennymoor United, the Blyth team that day was: Orr, Raffo, Ovington, G Bell, Arthur Sowden, Reay, Anderson, Crombie, F. Turney, Kelly, Haley.

The closest Arthur got to league honours was in 1952/53 when Blyth finished 4^th in the North Eastern League. Blyth did win the League Cup in 1954/55 beating Spennymoor United 4-1 in a 2-legged Final but Arthur didn’t play in either of the games.

By November 1956, 30-year-old Arthur (back row 3^rd from the left) was the established captain in a side that contained some very experienced former league players, such as the free scoring former Chesterfield & Hartlepool forward John Langlands and also the vastly experienced right-winger Billy Linarce, who had made 230 Football League appearances for the likes of Chesterfield, Man City, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool & Mansfield.

Back row (l-r): J. Lynn, E. Ramsey, A. Sowden, J. Inglis, D. Ovington, T. Reay
Front Row (l-r) B.Linarce, J. Langlands, M. Emerson, J. McHail, B.Haley

Arthur did win the Northumberland Senior Cup twice, in season 1951/1952 he played in the Final at St James Park against Newburn, the game ended 2-2 after extra time (1-1 at 90 minutes) Blyth’s goals came from a Penrose a penalty & Milner.
*The cup was actually shared because both clubs found it ‘impossible’ to set a date for the replay.
In 1554/55 he lifted the trophy as captain of the Blyth side that beat Whitley Bay Athletic 2-1 in a replay after the 1^st game ended in a 2-2 draw.

He also collected a winner’s medal in his 1^st season, 1950/51, from the Northumberland Aged Miners Homes Cup Final when Blyth beat a Newcastle United side 4-1 on the 28^th August 1951 (the Final was held over from the previous season). Blyth’s goals came from McGarry 2, Fenwick & J. Turney.
Blyth team: Middleton, Arthur Sowden, Sharp, Penrose, Hirst, McLachlan, J A Turney, Fenwick, McGarry, West, Clough.

Being the mainstay of the Spartans defence for 8 years, he only managed to score 2 goals, both coming in the same season.
His 1st was on 3^rd November 1956 in a 3-0 FA Cup 4^th Qualifying Round home win against Annfield Plain.
His only other goal being on 2^nd March 1957 when his goal earned a replay in a 1-1 Northumberland Senior Cup Quarter Final against Newburn at Croft Park (a game that attracted a crowd of 2,710 !).

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Blyth League record during Arthur’s career at Croft Park:
1950-51   NEL        38   15    9   14   67   76   39     10/20
1951-52   NEL        34   11   10   13   53   68   32    10/18
1952-53   NEL        34   20    5    9   93   61   45       4/18
1953-54   NEL        34   11    6   17   48   82   28     14/18
1954-55   NEL        34   13    7   14   64   78   33       9/18
1955-56   NEL        34   17    3   14   68   80   37       7/18
1956-57   NEL        34   17    5   12   90   71   39       8/18
1957-58   NEL        34   14    7   13   65   66   35       9/18
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• However unsurprisingly, as with many well-known & famed Blyth players, it was the FA Cup that saw Arthur lead the way as Blyth grabbed the headlines.

His 1^st FA Cup experience with the club was rather understated compared to what was to come. Having beaten South Shields 2-0 in the 1st Qualifying Round at Croft Park despite having initially been drawn away to South Shields, Blyth were given a local derby being drawn away to Arthur’s hometown club Cramlington Welfare in the 2^nd Qualifying Round, surprisingly the home side pulled off a major upset winning 2-0.

In 1951-52 Blyth did much better, having battled through 4 qualifying rounds and then beat Bishop Auckland 2-1 at Croft Park in front of 7,500, the 2^nd Round draw give Blyth an away tie with Football League Division 3 North club Tranmere Rovers.
Arthur was to captain the side in what was to become a marathon tie that had a draw, an abandoned game, a re-staged game and 2 neutral grounds !.

The tie captured the local media’s attention and they photographed the players on Blyth’s promenade before the game and getting a team talk off manager Charlie Ferguson:

Pictured are (left to right):
N. Penrose, W. Fenwick, F. Turney, .Sharp,
J. Turney, G. Gair, A. Sowden, I McLaughlin,
J. Allison, H. Middleton

Charlie Ferguson talks to the players before the game (Arthur sat with his hands cupped).

The tie, on 15^th December saw Penrose getting Blyth’s goal to earn a replay in a superb 1-1 draw at Prenton Park. Blyth side: Middleton, Arthur Sowden, Sharp, Penrose, Allison, McLachlan, Scott, J A Turney, Fenwick, F. Turney & Gair.

Arthur (right) greets the Tranmere captain prior to the replay kicking off.

The replay on the 19^th December went to extra time when it finished 1-1 at 90 minutes with Scott getting Blyth’s goal. However only 15 minutes of the extra time was managed before the game was abandoned due to the weather conditions. The Blyth team was Middleton, Arthur Sowden, Sharp, Penrose, Allison, McLachlan, Scott, Fenwick, Herman, F Turney, Gair.

The re-staged replay was played at a neutral ground on 3^rd January 1952. Played at Brunton Park home of Carlisle United, a crowd of 3,032 created gate receipts of £240.
With a 3^rd Round away tie at Division One Huddersfield awaiting the winners, Blyth held their own against the Division Three North opponents with Fenwick & Scott scoring Blyth’s goals in a 2-2 draw after extra time, the Blyth team that day was Middleton, Arthur Sowden, Gair, Penrose, Allison, Lloyd, Scott, J A Turney, Fenwick, F Turney, Barras.

Unfortunately the 2^nd Replay on 7^th  January 1952, once again played at a neutral ground, Everton’s Goodison Park, wasn’t as close. Rovers ran out 5-1 winners, Arthur didn’t play in that decisive game so maybe that could have been the reason what had previously been such a closely fought series of games ended so one-sided !.
Blyth team that night: Middleton, Sharp, Gair, Penrose, Allison, Lloyd, Scott, J A Turney, Fenwick, F Turney, Barras.

The following season, 1952/53, Arthur played right back in the Blyth side that crashed out in the 4^th Qualifying Round 1-2 defeat at Horden Colliery Welfare in-game that attracted a crowd of a 4,000 crowd to the Welfare Ground.
Blyth side that day: Middleton, Arthur Sowden, Sharp, Penrose, Hirst, Gair, Scott, Milner, J A Turney,  Fenwick, J Kerr.

In 1953/54 injury denied Arthur another 1^st Round appearance and a game against a League club missing both games as Blyth beat local rivals North Shields 4-2 at home on 4^th Qualifying Round before losing 0-1 to 3^rd Division North club Accrington Stanley at Croft Park, in doing so missing out on a chance of gaining revenge over Tranmere Rovers in the 2^nd Round.

However a year on (1954/55) after beating Annfield Plain away 2-1 in the 4^th Qualifying Round tie, Blyth were drawn at away to Midland League side Boston United.
Arthur was back in his familiar centre half role as Jackie Hogg scored Blyth’s goal in a 1-1 draw at York Street, a crowd of nearly 6,000 just about managed to see the game which was played in thick fog on 20^th November.
Blyth team that day was: Inglis, Ramsey, Sharp, Reay, Arthur Sowden, Ovington, Scott, Feenan, Weatherspoon, E Turney, Hogg.

4 days later the replay, played on a Wednesday afternoon in front of a 5,300 crowd, proved to be one of Croft Park’s all time classic games as Arthur lead his team to an amazing victory.
With 10 minutes remaining Boston lead 4-2, despite Blyth having been 2-0 up before being pegged back to 2-2 at half time. An amazing 3 goal blitz saw Gavin Gair pull it back to 4-4 before Weatherspoon dramatically won it with a 89^th minute header.
Blyth team that night: Inglis, Ramsey, Sharp, Reay, Arthur Sowden, Ovington, Scott, J A Turney, Weatherspoon, Hogg, Gair.

Arthur with the Torquay United captain

The 2^nd Round on 11^th December 1954 brought Torquay United all the way up to Northumberland in what was back then, the FA Cup’s longest journey for an away team since the war.

However, despite the much sought after Jackie Hogg scoring again for Blyth the South Coast side ran out 1-3 winners and Blyth missed out on an away tie at Leeds United !.

*Portsmouth’s Vice Chairman Dr I. McLachlan, who had played alongside Arthur for Blyth, watched forward Jackie Hogg that day.
Pompey were at Newcastle that day and within a matter of days Hogg signed for the First Division club.

*Torquay’s strip that day was their new gold shirts & blue shorts to reflect the resorts ‘sun, sand & sea image’, colours they still wear to this day, which replaced the previous seasons Black & White stripes.

Despite all his heroics performances in the FA Cup, it also brought bad days for Arthur, one such being on 5^th November 1955. Blyth suffered a ‘giant killing’ crashing out in the 4^th Qualifying Round losing 2-4 at home to Northern League side Shildon.
But the day was even worse for Arthur when he suffered broke his collarbone, an injury that was to keep him out until the New Year.
Blyth team that day: Tubman, Ramsey, Ovington, Reay, Arthur Sowden, Wright, Clark, Emmerson, J A Turney, E Turney, Haley.

A year later Arthur’s former team-mate Dougie Wright was now coach and Arthur was back as the team captain as Blyth were drawn away to Central Alliance First Division South club Ilkeston Town in a 1^st Round tie played on 17^th November. A crowd of 6,102 were silenced as Blyth proved too strong for the Derbyshire club trashing the home side 5-1.
Blyth side that day: Inglis, Ramsey, Ovington, Lynn, Arthur Sowden, Reay, Linacre, Langland, F Turney, McHale, Haley.

Arthur, wearing Blyth’s changed kit of white shirts, greets the Hartlepools United captain

The reward was a 2^nd Round home tie was against in form 3^rd Division North side Hartlepools United on 8^thDecember. Arthur once again captained the side in a game that attracted the biggest gate ever to Croft Park, 10,168.
However it was the League side that sealed a narrow 0-1 victory and claim thee plum 3^rd draw of all, a home tie with Manchester United !.
Blyth side that day: Inglis, Ramsey, Ovington, Lynn, Arthur Sowden, Reay, Linacre, Langland, F.Turney, McHale, Haley.

However despite coming so close to what would arguably been his great moment, captaining his side to an FA Cup tie with Manchester United, a year later Arthur’s final Cup game for the club was at the slightly less auspicious surroundings of the Mill Field Ground, the home of Northern League Crook Town.
On 2^nd November 1957 Blyth again suffered a ‘giant killing’ of sorts surprisingly crashing out 0-3.
Blyth side that day: Mills, Ramsey, Ovington, Lynn, Arthur Sowden, Reay, Bell, F.Turney, Langland, Kelly, Haley.
It wasn’t quite the FA Cup swan song Arthur’s deserved.

Within 5 months Arthur had played his last ever game for the club, as the North Eastern League collapsed in summer of 1958, Blyth moved on the try their hand in the Midland League but sadly Arthur never played again.
Having suffered from a cartilage problem in the last few years, cruelly it was to prove the too much and regrettably Arthur was forced to retire due to those cartilage problems he was suffering, it was an untimely end to an illustrious 8 years with the club and undoubtedly had it not been for those injury problems Arthur would have gone on to play for many more years with the club. Arthur went on to scout for the club and serve on the board of directors.

Having played in a Benefit game for his long serving team mate Gavin Gair in September 1952 against local rivals Ashington, Arthur was to be given the honour of a Benefit game.
2 years after retiring, on 25^th April 1960 a Blyth side made up of Mills, Davis, Ovington, Reay, Brown, Stamper, Clark, Turney, Willis, Kelly & Hogg faced a Select XI from the Football League.
(unfortunately the result & gate from the game is unknown)

For a local lad, who captained sides that featured such great Blyth players as the Turney brothers, Harry Mills, Gavin Gair, Billy Linarce, John Langland, Billy Fenwick, Jackie Hogg it just goes to show how good a player Arthur was and it also shows highly regarded he was at the club that to this day there have still only been 3 other benefit/testimonial games awarded by the club (Eddie Alder & Ronnie Scott joint, Tommy Dixon & Dave Clarke).

In August 1957 the Supporters Club started a new feature in the match day programmes they produced for the club, a series of ‘pen sketches’ and not surprisingly Arthur was
honoured with the 1^st feature.
His esteem within the club was clear from the article:
‘Arthur Sowden, who is now to be regarded as an “Old Faithful” by virtue of having already completed seven seasons of grand service’.
‘Besides having made a reputation as a centre-half, he has proved his versatility by also doing well at right back and right half-back. Moreover, in the long period he has served as team captain he has always set an example in team spirit’.

Playing & especially captaining the club was an honour Arthur and his family were rightly proud of.
On the walls of his Cramlington home, he still displayed the pictures of himself shaking hands with the opposition captains prior to those Tranmere, Torquay & Hartlepools FA Cup ties and the acknowledgment of his sad passing in the local papers proudly started with:
“Arthur (former Captain of Blyth Spartans) dearly beloved…..”.

A true Spartan great….

Arthur Sowden 1926-2012 RIP

Gone but certainly not forgotten…..

*As a mark of respect & to honour to their late former captain, Blyth Spartans held an immaculately observed minutes silence prior to their home game on Saturday 5th January 2013.

• Credits & Thank you’s:
  2 lifelong Blyth fans helped providing memories, information & images and once again without their help this article would not have been possible or as thorough:
  Colin Brown, whose childhood memories of Arthur initiated this article and provided important information.
  KT, who provided vital info & images. He was brought up on the name of Arthur Sowden because he was his fathers favorite player.

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Classic Team Photo’s – April 1986

Back Row L to R –
Phil Leaver, Tony Dawson, Ronan Liddane, Dave Clarke, Alan Walker, Kevin Berry, Jimmy Harmison, John Brownlie (pictured wearing tracksuit top).
Front Row L to R –
Steve Baxter, Dave Buchanan, Tony McFadden, Ray Blackhall, Peter Cartwright, Paul Walker.

The team photograph was taken before Blyth’s 3-0 home league win over Crook Town on 8^th April 1986, with 2 goals from Tony McFadden & 1 from Dave Buchanan.

Team lined up with Dave Clarke in-goal, right back Ray Blackhall, left back Alan Walker, Centre half’s Jimmy Harmison & Kevin Berry, midfield of Tony Dawson, Peter Cartwright, Paul Walker & Ronan Liddane with Tony McFadden & Dave Buchanan up front.

The kit back in 1986 was the obligatory green & white shirts, green shorts & white socks and featured the sponsors Universal Building Society in red letters but the silky shiny shirts only had 3 green stripes and 2 broad white stripes and of course in keeping with the 80’s football fashion the shorts were rather small !.

The team photo, especially taken by Malcolm Murray was for a feature that was to appear in the April edition of Coal News, a regional paper for the Coal Industry.

The article by Chris Crouch claimed an ‘exclusive’ about the club snubbing promotion and was heavily based around the officials & players being employed in the Coal Industry both past & present and presented that being the reason for the article itself.

The banner on the top of the page claimed: ‘Spartans snub promotion to Fourth..’ but that was a bit of journalistic license because the Fourth Division was not a realistic option and was a play on the words of the secretary George Watson:
“It’s true we rate ourselves good enough to play in the Fourth, but – candidly- we don’t want to go any higher”.

• Weather the club was even thinking of taking or had being offered a promotion around the time of the article back in April 1986 is unclear, but it was a topic the club had been used to dealing with for the past 7 years.

In 1979 the club decided against accepting the offer of a place in the newly formed Alliance League Premier League (now the Conference Premier) based on the travelling involved and this article used the full-page feature to state the case of staying put in the Northern League in 1986 being the same based on the players jobs in the Coal Industry.

The article on the full-page spread claimed:
‘One important factor discourages Spartans, Northern League title holders five years running, from surging ahead full blast with elaborate ides about Fourth Division entry via the powerful Multipart and Gola league: TRAVEL.’

The ‘one time mining engineer’ secretary Watson was quoted saying:
“We play the game as a part-time hobby, If we start travelling to places like Maidstone we will need a different breed of player. In any case, we are too close to Sunderland and Newcastle. Geographically, we are stuck. That’s why clubs like Gateshead are genuinely considering Scottish Second Division football.
They’ve applied because their travelling would be reduced playing over the border.”

The article then stated the farthest Blyth had to travel is to Whitby, just 2 hours away by coach.
“If we went into a different league we’d be tripping into the Midlands, Cheshire and North Wales. What’s the point ?” claimed Watson.
“The work tied men of Blyth would find it an uphill struggle to get day-release from their jobs”.

Writer Chris Crouch claimed he understood this was why several of the then Blyth side had opted for their ‘less-pressurised present league treadmill which permits them to work a full day and still turn out for the club mid-week and at weekends’.

Stating the case of defender Jimmy Harmison (pictured in action against Crook) as proof stating the former Ashington & North Shields player worked shifts at Ellington Combine.

“One nights he finishes work around midnight on Friday- and he can still go home, get some sleep and turn out for us the next day. We never leave for a league match before 11am.

That would change if we had to take in such clubs as Scarborough and Bangor City. We would have to be away much earlier- or travel the previous night. That would mean lads like Jimmy losing shifts at work” said Watson.

The article goes on to mention the 1972 FA Cup 3^rd Round Replay defeat by Reading being eclipsed 5 years later by the 5^th Round Replay defeat in front of 42,000 but how those ‘dizzy days may have been an isolated case’ as crowds were now averaging less than 200.

However Secretary Watson, in his 18 year with the club, believed “those faithful are getting a better deal with the Spartans staying with the Northern League”.

Writer Crouch went on to state: ’apart from the appeal of fast, flowing football which Spartans are turning in every week, there’s still a special atmosphere at their games’

Watson added “We are not here for the rowdyism- we’re here just for the game”

As part-timers we enjoy the glory of a cup run. That’s football for us. We always go into a Cup tie with a positive approach. It’s pointless feeling inferior the thought of defeat never enters our minds before kick off”.
“Its what part-time sport is all about.”

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• The article was slightly misleading as Blyth had not won the Northern League title since 1984/1985, having finished runners-up the previous season and, despite the ‘fast flowing football finished an even lower 4th in 1985/86.
• The following season, 1986/87, Blyth won the title and retained the title in 1987/88.
• That was to be the last & final time Blyth won the Northern League title.

——————————————————-

The article named Watson’s other boardroom members who had Coal Industry connections as ex colliery clerk John Atkinson, Director Reggie Bell who was a retired Bates Colliery miner and Commercial Manager Mike Turnbull who’s 5 brothers and grandfather had all worked at various pits.

There was also an underlying theme of testimonial games in 2 other smaller articles on the page, in one George Watson was quoted:
“If a player has been with the club a long time and is given a testimonial he has earned the honour. Its rare in Non League football to find someone who has put in that sort of service”

There was also a picture of defender Alan Walker in action against Crook Town that afternoon:
WALKER ON AIR with another piece about testimonials.

‘it’s a workshop takeover. Fitter Alan Walker, centre back* successor to rock-like workmate Ronnie Scott gives the nod in defence. Spartans have granted only 2 testimonials before in a lifetime, one to the great Scott – which he shared with midfield stalwart Eddie Alder and the other to Tommy Dixon.’

(*Alan Walker was actually left back and had played left back that day against Crook Town)

The 2^nd testimonial article on the page ‘Home banker hint’ read:
Optimistic secretary George Watson is the vital Blyth Spartans’ go-between for a dream testimonial match against pride of the First Division Manchester United, provisionally pencilled in for August 9^th, writes Chris Crouch.

His close ties with England semi-professional team manager Kevin Verity could attract a “full-house” with the proceeds going to Spartans’ ex Newcastle United goalkeeper Dave Clarke.

At 35 Clarke is still rated one of the best part-time ‘keepers in the game. He played for Non League England for four seasons after understudying Newcastle boss Willie McFaul when they won the Inter City Fairs Cup 18 years ago.

Secretary Watson mentioned the testimonial match to boss Verity when they met at Bishop Auckland and he promised to speak with United chief Ron Atkinson “to see what he could do”.
Watson’s fear is that even if United are lured to Croft Park it could become an embarrassing one way goal fiasco. “That’s why we would prefer an exhibition match” said George.
‘Around three years ago we were asked to play a David Hamilton Showbiz XI and after 15 minutes we were winning 7-0. It had lost all interest by that time”.

• The game never did materialise, however Dave Clarke did get his testimonial game but it didn’t happen until October the following year.

• On Monday 19th October 1987 when Blyth played against Newcastle United in front of a crowd of 4,650. Blyth won 3-0 with goals from Gary Nicholson, Phil Lever, Steve Carney (who were all ex Newcastle United players).

• Former team-mate Willie McFaul was Newcastle manager and sent a full strength Newcastle United side that featured the likes of John Anderson, Neil McDonald, Glen Roeder, Kenny Wharton, Darren Jackson, Paul Kelly, Brian Tinnion, Ian Bogie and star signing Brazilian Mirandinha., the side also featured a young Paul Gascoigne!.

• Prior to the main game a side made up of Dave’s team mates from the 1977/78 Cup squad beat an All-Star XI 1-0 with Ian Mutrie scoring.

——————————————————-

• The Blyth squad back in 1986 was certainly packed with experienced players plying their trade in the ‘less pressurised league’ and is perfectly displayed in the player who was an 8 unused substitute that day, John Brownlie.

• Brownlie had joined Blyth in the February of 1986 from Berwick Rangers having only played 15 times however it was John’s games for his previous clubs that showed the kind of experience in squad. John had played 211 times for Hibernian, 124 times for Newcastle, 12 times for Middlesborough and 19 times for Hartlepool !.

• 2 other players had also played for Newcastle United, Peter Cartwright played 65 times (4 times for Scunthorpe on loan then 50 times for Darlington). Ray Blackhall played 37 times, then he went on to play 115 times for Sheffield Wednesday (15 for Mansfield & once for Carlisle).
• The 2 strikers who scored against Crook that day Tony McFadden & Dave Buchanan were equally experienced in league football, McFadden had played 47 times for Darlington and Buchanan had played 33 times for Leicester City (keeping a certain young striker by the name of Gary Lineker out of the side) then 5 times for Northampton 16 times for Peterborough before joining Blyth upon his return to the North East.
• But the point of experienced proven players playing at less pressurised level, was shown when Buchanan having made a major impact for Blyth, was targeted by First Division Sunderland and landed a dream move back into full-time football where he went on the play 37 times before being loaned to York City then returning to Blyth.

——————————————————-

……It’s a great old article that makes fascinating reading, especially the clubs attitude to promotion bearing in mind that 8 seasons later Blyth did indeed take up an offer of promotion to the Northern Premier League First Division.

Also looking at some of those players compared to the players Blyth can attract now !.

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Classic Matches – Bury FA Cup 1995/1996

The 2nd in the ‘classic matches’ feature is one of the clubs famed FA Cup giant killings:

Bury 0 Blyth Spartans 2.
Goals: Bond 20th minute, Ditchburn 68th minute

Saturday 11^th November 1995
Littlewoods FA Cup 1^st Round, Gigg Lane, Bury.
Attendance: 3,076

Referee: R.A.Hart – Linesmen: R.M.Pollock & P.I Harris

Bury Team: Gary Kelly, Ryan Cross, Dean West, Shaun Reid, Chris Lucketti, Trevor Matthewson, Ian Hughes, Mark Carter, Phil Stant, Tony Rigby, David Pugh.
Sub: David Johnson for Rigby

Blyth Team: Paul O’Connor, Graham Curry, Warren Teasdale, Stephen Raffell, John Gamble, Mark Telford, John Sokoluk, Tommy Ditchburn, Richie Bond, Gary Hays.
Subs: Darren Palmer, Steve Adams, Graham Craggs.

Blyth Spartans AFC have always had an affinity with the FA Cup the clubs history is packed with great victories and  giant killings, however by the late 80’s and into the 90’s FA Cup 1^st Round appearances had become a bit of distant memory for the club.

Since the epic 2^nd Round Replay against Hull City in 1981/82 and the 1^st Round home defeat by Walsall the following season 1981/82 it had taken another 10 years before the 1^st Round was reached again. In 1992/93 Blyth were disappointingly drawn against another Non League side in the shape of Southport and bowed out just as disappointingly, losing 1-2.

So in 1995/96 having battled through 4 qualifying rounds, (defeating Garforth 6-0, Billingham Synthonia 2-0, Bedlington Terrriers 3-1, Guiseley 2-0) hopes were high of a plum tie but the draw pitched the club against Endsleigh Insurance League Division 3 side Bury, it wasn’t quite the draw the Blyth fans had hoped for, while for mid table Bury an out of form Non League side at home was probably an ideal draw, it was their 1^st home draw against Non League side since beating Spennymoor United 3-0 in the 2^nd Round in 1975.

Blyth’s league form wasn’t good at all going into the game, 3 straight defeats and only 10 wins from 22 games (4 of them in earlier rounds). The squad was stretched thin by injuries and with leading scorer Steve Pyle ruled out and recent signings Steve Boon & Garry McDonald cup tied the signs weren’t good.

Management duo David McGreery & Tony Lowery had to give pre match fitness tests to Stephen Raffell, Warren Teasdale & John Sokoluk, while Bury boss Stan Ternant had lost regular left back Stuart Bimson to a broken elbow 4 days earlier in there midweek Coca Cola defeat by Reading, however he still was able to field a side that cost 290k compared to Blyth’s part time players.
2 of whom had been to work on night shift finishing at 8am on the morning of the tie and grabbing an hour’s sleep in the chairman’s car that drove them straight to Gigg Lane to meet up with the rest of the team.

Back by over 400 noisy fans in the Cemetery End, Blyth took the field wearing a special one-off all red kit produced by Activity Sportswear for what was the clubs 28^th appearance in the 1^st Round.

Spartans had a very early scare when Stephen Raffell fouled Carter 25 yards out on the right. Rigby floated the resulting free kick to the far post where Stant was inches away from getting on the end of the cross.
Spartans were quickly on the counter attack with a neat interchange between Curry & Bond resulted in the right back breaking through on goal to hammer at low drive that forced former Newcastle United keeper Gary Kelly into a good save as Ditchburn closed in.

The 3^rd Division side started to take control with the majority of possession and began to up the pressure with John Gamble doing well to head away a fierce drive from Rigby.
Blyth continued to show they were dangerous on the counter attacking as midfielder Mark Telford cleverly played in John Sokoluk but his drive from 20 yards flew over the cross bar.
Blyth had another scare on 15 minutes after a neat build up lead to Pugh having a close range header that forced Paul O’Connor into a superb reaction save.
However the game changed on 20 minutes when a long ball over the top from Steve Walker was intended for Tommy Ditchburn, but Kelly raced 35 yards out and under pressure from Ditchburn the keeper hesitated allowing Richie Bond to nip in and collect the loose ball. Bond advanced a few yards before curling a superb 25 yard lob over the back pedalling Lucketti into the empty net sending the Blyth fans behind that goal wild with delight.

The goal clearly rattled the home side who piled on the pressure but Raffell & Gamble in the heart of the defence stood firm. In the 29^th minute Teasdale was shown a yellow for delaying a Bury throw in, then Lucketti was booked for very rash challenge on Bond as the home sides frustrations started to show.
Midfielder Shaun Reid (younger brother of then Sunderland boss Peter Reid) – brought groans from the home fans when he miscued a cross field pass back into his own half for a Blyth thrown in, then Hughes fired a 30 yards shot well wide of O’Connor left post and the home fans patience ran out and a slow hand clap rang down from the stands.
Paul O’Connor was forced into action saving bravely at the feet of Bury’s top scorer Phil Stant after the striker out muscled Raffell to create an opening.
Amazingly after all the pressure Blyth almost snatched a 2^nd just before the break when Ditchburn won possession to set Mark Telford away down the right, his cross picked out the in rushing Gary Hays but Kelly just managed to flick the ball off the head.

The second half brought the expected Bury onslaught but the resolute Spartans defence stood there ground, the ever dangerous Stant turned inside the box for fire a shot that deflected off Gamble for a corner which left back Warren Teasdale managed to clear.
Despite having to mount a cautious defensive approach, as Bury pressed forward Blyth knew they could catch Blyth home side on the break, and on 60 minutes it nearly paid dividends.
A mistake by defender Matthewson allowed in Steve Walker but Kelly raced out and despite appearing to handle the ball outside the area referee Hart waved play on. Telford was then adjudged offside after a rare attack and Bond failed to control a clever pass from Gamble as Blyth used their possession effectively to relive the pressure.

Minutes later Stant mis kicked when only 8 yards out and both he & O’Connor needed treatment follwoing the resulting melee for the loose ball.

The game changing moment came on 68 minutes when Blyth took the wind out of the home side sails with a classic sucker punch.
There appeared little danger as Mark Telford knocked a good diagonal ball out to Bond on the left, the hard-working Bond made ground down the left he taunted & teased right back Cross before curling a superb low cross into the box. Tommy Ditchburn anticipating Bond beating his man nipped in completely unchallenged, and calmly side foot the ball past a startled Kelly from 7 yards out. The goal was nothing more than Blyth’s measured approach had deserved, knowing they would come under pressure and had to use what possession they did have wisely Bond & Dithcburn had worked tirelessly all game giving Blyth an outlet. The goal stunned the home fans and when under fire Bury boss Stan Ternant then subbed fans favourite Rigby for Johnson here was howls of derision.

The expected late pressure came as sub Johnson was quickly into action cross for Mark Carter who headed wide at the far post, however the inspired Paul O’Connor (defending the end which housed the Blyth fans) was not to be beaten and produced a string of superb saves. He punched away a Hughes header from under the bar before diving full length to his right to hold onto a 15 yard shot from Stant. O’Connor denied the experienced striker again diving to turn another effort around the post for a corner.
The Shakers misery was completed when Stant finally beat the Blyth keeper with a header only to see it ruled out for offside as be turned to celebrate.
After four & half minutes of injury time Blyth’s famous victory was sealed when Darlington based referee Hart blew for full time and the Blyth players celebrated in front of the travelling green & white army.
However the measure off their achievement was shown in the generous & genuine standing ovation they got from the home fans who stayed behind to show their admiration of the superb display they had just saw from the famed giant killers who had just added their club to the long list of FA Cup victims.

Speaking after the game the stand in manager David McCreery said:
“At half time I told the lads to treat the score as 0-0 and go out and win it” while assistant manager Tony Lowery said:
“ I’m delighted for the players and supporters. I told them to go out and enjoy the moment and they did it in style”.

Richie Bond’s performance caught the eye after he ran Bury a merry dance, former Manchester United manager Tommy Docherty was very impressed with his performance:
“I’ve been so impressed with Richie Bond throughout the match that I’m going to phone my son Michael who is manager at Rochdale”.
Bond had waited 4 years for his revenge after being rejected after a week’s trial at Gigg Lance in 1991:
“I thought I’d done well when I came here, but the then manager (Mike Walsh) shook my hand and wished me well. It was nice to come back here and prove my ability”.

When asked about the game itself Richie said:
“Kelly made a real blunder and I just had to keep my composure. It was just a pleasurable setting up the winner for Tommy. He’d been on a 12 hour shift until 8am and had to have an hour’s kip in the chairman’s car before the game”.
Richie along with a few other players also worked at Wilkinson Sword but had taken that same night shift off in preparation for the game !.

Bury manager Stan Ternant’s post match feelings unjustly fell short of praising the victors and focused on their misery:
“Gary’s blunder was a horrendous mistake and cost us dear. To lose this match is a bog blow, it was one of my worst days in 30-odd years in football. The dressing room is like a funeral parlour. But we have no excuses, we just have to take it on the chin”.

The sheer nature of Blyth’s away victory proved to be the 1^st Round’s biggest giant killing, (it was 1 of only 2 Non League victories against league clubs, Gravesnd & Northfleet had beaten Colchester 2-0 at home) and therefore attracted plenty of media attention the game featured as the lead FA Cup game on Match of the Day.
Chairman Jim Telford was interviewed live on Radio 5 Five by then radio show presenter Gary Lineker about who the club wanted in the 2^nd Round draw:
“Whoever we draw in the second round will be our cup final. I was extremely proud of the lads against Bury – the were magnificent.”

The spirit of the FA Cup was epitomised by the story that captured the nations media attention when 30 minutes after the final whistle Mark Telford & Tommy Ditchburn’s work commitments lead to Chairman Jim Telford having to be drive them straight back to the North East to start another 12 hour shift at Wilkinson Sword’s Cramlington factory, Ditchburn in an interview after the game commented:
“I’m over the moon my night shift will pass very quickly tonight”.

In all the euphoria of the victory there was also the small matter of a managerial change made straight after the game was David McGreery’s final game after a month in charge. The former Newcastle United midfielder (who had won the FA Cup winner with Manchester United as an unused sub in 1977) stated:
“I’m going out on a high. The lads were superb. I agreed to do this job on a temporary basis. I already have other irons in the fire and will be involved with the new soccer league in America”.

Blyth already had the new manager lined up was introduced to the players at Gigg Lane, it was former Barrow & Gateshead player Peter Harrison.
Harrison in fact owned the sportswear company that had provided the special one-off kit the team had worn at Bury.
* The red kit worn that day was exactly the same as the current yellow away kit Blyth wore that season but had ‘FA Cup 1995/96’ embroidered underneath the Activity logo.

So, at the end of another highly eventful day in the history of Blyth Spartans AFC…
another league scalp had been taken,
2 players had just about managed to squeeze in a 300+ mile round trip & 90 minutes of football between two 12 hour night shifts,
….oh and the club had changed managers straight after a famous victory.

Non League football you just have to love it !.

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Rare 1978 team photo

Rare and impromptu team photo, taken in February 1978.

The photograph was taken at an even rarer Sunday training session and shows the undoubted high spirits within the team.

Back Row L to R –
Brian Slane, Greg Herron, Terry Day, Steve ‘Jos’Jones, Keith Houghton.
Middle Row L to R –
John Waterson, Ian ‘Archie’ Mutrie (wearing hat), Tommy Dixon, Ron Guthrie, Steve Carney, Eddie Alder.
Front Row L to R –
Jackie Marks (wearing hat), Terry Johnson, Dave Clarke, Alan Shoulder, Dave Varty.

(Several players were missing from the training session due to it being on a Sunday either through work or family commitments).

February 1978, Blyth Spartans AFC had already captured the nations hearts by reaching the Fifth Round of the FA Cup and in holding Third Division Wrexham to a 1-1 draw at the Racecourse Ground the name of Blyth Spartans had made it into the hat for the Quarter Final draw.

The unjust nature of the last gasp Wrexham equaliser was plain for all to see with the game being the feature game on Match of the Day and the nation were backing the club to right a wrong in the replay, but the Quarter Final draw had cranked up the hype even more with the winners being drawn at home to Arsenal !.

Third Division Wrexham were flying and having already held a struggling Newcastle United to a 2-2 draw in a Fourth Round at St James Park and then easily beating them 4-1 in replay the Newcastle fans wanted revenge and the game had been switched to St James Park such was the interest.

National & local news papers had flocked to Croft Park for any news worthy story they could get from Blyth’s miners, school teachers & painters & decorators.

One the morning of the replay,
Monday 27^th February 1978,
national newspaper the
Daily Mirror ran an
‘FA Cup Replay Special’
in its centre spread (pages 14&15) entitled
‘HOWAY’ THE SPARTANS.

Sports writer Colin Diball & his photographer Jimmy Hunter had attended a training session on the Sunday and the feature read as follows:

(all spelling & hyphenations are as per the original article)

Blyth Spartans £7-a-week part-timers who have shaken the soccer world with their FA Cup successes, were in blithe spirit yesterday on the eve of what they hope will be a record breaking Cup contest.

Tonight the little giants from the North East take on Wrexham in the FA Cup fifth round replay and victory would make them the first non-League club to reach the quarter finals in modern times.

The Blyth bombshells, pictured getting into the right spirit with coach Jack Marks, are expecting a 40,000 plus crowd at St James’s Park. home of Newcastle.

That is likely to be DOUBLE the 22,000 attendance at Newcastle’s League match with Ipswich last Saturday.

To add salt to the wound disgrunt’ed Geordies chanted “Bring on the Spartans” as Newcastle dropped to the foot of the First Division and almost certain relegation.

And Blyth boss Brian Slane rubbed it in after a training session yesterday when he pledged: “We’ll give the fans something to shout about.

“We are playing for North East pride in a depressed soccer area and we won’t let anybody down. Wrexham will find when they turn out against Blyth Spartans-they’ll be taking on the entire North East as well.”

The school teacher Slane, who took his players on to the pitch to a standing ovation before the Ipswich game added:

“They are ready to sweat blood-and I am confident we will get through . . . just as I believe we can beat Arsenal in the next round.”

—————————————————————————————————

•  The paper came to me courtesy of a player pictured in the article,  Greg Herron.

• Friend & work colleague, Greg was a young player who was training with the Blyth squad at the time of the Cup run although he never actually played for Blyth.
• Greg was signed by Southampton FC but unfortunately suffered a badly broken leg that ended his career before it even started.

—————————————————————————————————

Other interesting items on the pages really show how times have changed since February 1978.

Page 13 carriers an advert for Leyland Morris’s Centennial Celebration, marking birth year of William Morris.

The offer was ‘If you placed a firm order for a new Morris Marina before the end of March 1978, you can enter our Centennial Competition.’

The prize was your brand new Marina at the 1931 Morris Bullnose price of just £175, a saving of £2,000 !.

The tag line on the bottom of the advert stated that the Brand new Marina was on sale at prices from £537.73p including car tax, VAT and something that really showed the times …front seat belts !!! but delivery and number plates were extra !.

On page 16 is ‘Mirror TV’ the full page TV & Radio listings, or lack of as the case was back in 1978.

A selection of programmes on offer on BBC 1 included, Pebble Mill, Bod, Play School, Deputy Dawg, Ask the Family & Blake Seven programmes finished at 11.52 with news & weather.

Tyne Tees offered University Challenge, Northern Life, Opportunity Knocks, World in Action & Hazel and finished at 12.40 with the Epilogue.

The radio listings included Radio 1 with shows hosted by Noel Edmonds, Simon Bates, Paul Burnett, Tony Blackburn Dave Lee Travis & John Peel, while Radio 2 had Terry Wogan, Jimmy Young.

Looking back at old newspapers is a fascinating way to see how times have changed both in sporting world and life in general.

• In 1978 Blyth Spartans AFC were paying some of it’s best and arguably its most famous   players £7 per week. One player, Ron Guthrie, had 5 years earlier played in and won the 1973 FA Cup Final with Sunderland.

• Flash forward to 2012 and you now get players, who aren’t even good enough to ‘lace those players boots’ wanting £100′s play and if they don’t get it they will just go play for whom ever pays the most ….

….how times have changed !.

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Green & White Cult Heroes – Scott Bell

Blyth Spartans supporters have always had an affinity with local players, believing they better understand the club and its supporters.

This proved to be the case in December 2004, when they took the club’s new forward to their hearts. That developed into a mutual respect, which continues to show its worth more than five years after the player left the club.

The latest Green & White Cult Hero is Scott Bell.

“My dad started taking me to Blyth games when I was 12. So, for me as a kid, Blyth Spartans was the biggest club you could play for.”

As a youngster on the terraces of Croft Park, Scott Bell often dreamed about pulling on the famous green and white stripes and following in the footsteps of one of Blyth Spartans’ most-loved players.

“I can’t remember much about the games or anything like that, but I do remember that Richie Bond was playing for them at the time,” Scott reveals.

“He’s an absolute legend at this club and ‘Bondie’ was one player that I always wanted to emulate. Because of all that, once I knew Blyth were interested, there was no doubt in my mind about joining. It was a dream come true.”

However, Scott almost didn’t realise his dream – after falling out of love with the game and quitting.
Scott started out playing for Newcastle Blue Star at 16 and – after five years moved on to West Allotment Celtic, before moving on to Newcastle Benfield three seasons late.
However, his striking prowess was still to be discovered – having been deployed on the wing up until this point.

“I always wanted to play up front!” Scott explains.
“But, because of my pace and lack of height, I was always seen as more of a winger.
“After years of asking to play up front, Blue Star manager Rob Atkin told me that I would never be a striker and to get on with being a winger!
“When I was at Benfield, I really started to fall out of love with the game and told the manager I didn’t want to play anymore. Then I quit.

“A week later, I had a call from Kenny Lindoe at Brandon telling me that Benfield had agreed a player swap and had received a Brandon forward, in exchange for me! I told Kenny that this couldn’t be the case, as I no longer played for Benfield.
“After a long discussion, Kenny persuaded me to give it a go – and promised that I would play as a centre-forward. I then went on to help save Brandon from relegation that season and started the next season with new manager Vince Kirkup, where I’d scored 28 goals by December.”

Scott’s dream move to Blyth almost didn’t happen a second time, when Brandon tried to keep hold of their star player. But, there was no way he was going to be denied his move to Croft Park.
“Having scored those goals for Brandon early in the season, I remember Vince calling me into his office to advise that Blyth had put seven days in for me,” Scott remembers.
“He asked how I would feel about staying at Brandon to help them until the end of the season, but there was no way this was ever going to happen.
“I used to watch Blyth play as a kid and spent many a Saturday afternoon on the terraces, freezing my little toes off!

“It had always been a dream of mine – once I realised Manchester United was never a realistic target – to play for Blyth. When I told this to Vince, he had no problem letting me go. Signing for Blyth was a really proud moment for me. My whole family is from Blyth, which made it feel even better.”

Scott signed for Spartans in ­­December 2004 and went straight into the team for an away trip to Marine on 4^th December.
“I knew Blyth needed a forward, because they couldn’t score goals,” Scott explains.
“I’ll always remember that, as I was thinking about it while we were travelling down on the bus.
“Harry had told me that we had been struggling for goals and that was why I was there.”

During the game, he was desperate to impress – but it didn’t take long for him to realise how much of a step up it was playing for Spartans.
“This was the biggest club I’d ever played for and I was desperate to make a great first impression,” Scott remembers.
“I was clean through against the keeper, one-on-one. I tried to chip him and he saved it no bother. I just thought ‘What have I done? I used to score them all the time when I was at Brandon’.”

While he was denied a debut goal at Marine, his home debut on 11^th December against Radcliffle Borough was capped with a very special moment for the then-26-year-old.
“It was quite a good goal, if I remember correctly. It kind of came out to me at the edge of the box and I hit it first time – on the volley – and it went in the top corner,” he explains.

“It was amazing to score my first goal, especially at Croft Park. I just remember the crowd going mental and I think they showed more of an appreciation for that the goal, as it was from someone new.
“The fans here are unbelievable and there was just this feeling of euphoria erupted around the ground. It made me feel even better, knowing that I had caused it.”

Bell would go on to score another 12 goals that season – as Blyth escaped the threat of relegation with relative ease.
However, it was in the following season where he – and the rest of the squad – really excelled.

Scott proudly shows off the Northern Premier League Trophy

The 2005/06 season saw Blyth Spartans complete a famous treble, by winning the Unibond Premier League, the Unibond Chairman’s Cup and the Peter Swailes Memorial Shield.
Not many would have predicted that at the start of the season, but Scott had an inkling that this Spartans side might just go on to achieve greatness.
“It was during the away game at Guiseley, which I think was the sixth or seventh game of the season. We’d made a great start to the season and we had some good players,” Scott recalls.

“We weren’t world beaters by any stretch, but I felt we had a good enough side for that league.
“It was a Tuesday night and I turned to the lads after the game and said ‘We’re going to win the league this season’ and Assistant Manager Graham Fenton said ‘Shut up man, you idiot. Don’t you ever say that again. We’ve still got a full season ahead of us’ etc.

“We’d just won away from home in mid-week and I just knew we were going to do it – as we had an amazing set of lads. We were just unbeatable.”

And every now and then, he likes to remind the rest of the squad of his prediction.
“It’s funny as we still talk about it now, when all of the lads get together. It’s one of those ‘I told you so’ moments,” Scott reveals.
“Even when we got presented with the trophy, I didn’t mention it to Graham. Although, I have reminded him quite a bit about it since then and even send him a cheeky text about it every now and then.”

Scott’s fires home the 1st in his hat trick against Witton

One game that stands out from that season for Scott was the 5-1 win at home to Witton Albion, in January 2006.
Scott scored three on his way to back-to-back hat-tricks, but it isn’t just that Scott remembers from the game.

“I’m a Manchester United fan and there were a couple of their players who had played a couple of first-team games for them. I still tell people now about the time I scored a hat-trick against Man United,” Scott jokes.
“Then in the next game – away at Ashton – I got another one. The third one went in off my bum, which I got some stick for in the dressing room.”

Unbeknown to Scott, he then had the chance to cement his own place in Spartans’ history.
“After the game, I remember the Chairman coming over to me and saying that, if I got another hat-trick in the next game, I’d be the first player to get three in a row in the club’s history,” he explains.
“So Harry said he’d play me against Ossett and I only scored one – which was the only goal of the game, so I wasn’t too upset about missing out on the record.”

As well as the three trophies they collected that season, Blyth also made it through to the Final of the Northumberland Senior Cup, but finished as runners-up. That didn’t spoil the celebrations for the squad though.

“That would have just been a bonus really. It’s a good cup and you get the chance to play at St. James’ Park, but we had already won three trophies,”
Scott explains.
“We played Newcastle United Reserves in the Final, so we went into the game as complete underdogs. In the end, considering the amount of games we had played, we did well to only go down 2-1.”

When asked – from a player’s point of view – how Harry Dunn turned a relegation-threatened side one season into champions the next, Scott said: “I think, now more than ever, we can see how good a job Harry did for Blyth. When you look at the managers since Harry and how they have struggled, it shows just how hard it really is to build a competitive team at this level.

“He was a very shrewd manager. He always focussed on the other team and knew what their weak points were and what we could do to counter them.
“Harry was also lucky that he managed to find the right players at the right time.
We had such a great dressing room and everybody got on really well.

“There really weren’t any rogue groups and whenever there was, Harry got rid of them (I won’t name anyone, but they were brothers).”

Scott also believed it was the spirit in the dressing room that was a major factor in the team’s success.
“The team spirit was by far the best I have ever been involved with, either before or after playing at Blyth.

“We just had the right blend of characters in the group: from the weirdness of Andy Leeson, the humour of Anth Lowther (RIP, absolute legend) and the passion of Pete Snowdon, to the crazy characters like ‘Fozzy’ (Richard Forster) and Michael Hedley.

“I think there were many teams that were better than us, but none that were more togetherness. We had a bond and it was that togetherness and never say die attitude which won us a lot of games.
“We all really wanted to play for Blyth and it meant a lot to us. I’m not sure we see that as much now.”

Three trophies and a Final would be a fantastic season for any team and Scott believes it would not have been possible without his partnership with Robert Dale.
“It was great playing with Robbie, but it was hard – as I had to do all of the running,” Scott jokes.
“He’s one of those players who can do things that no other player can do. Because of that, he’s such a valuable player.
“He set up a lot of my goals, but I also had to run around for him. So, it was a bit of a double-edged sword.”

Robbiedinho & Bellveccio in action at Ashton.

“Robbiedinho” and “Scotty Bellveccio” worked so well together that they scored an impressive 54 goals between them – with Scott grabbing 16 in all competitions – The 33-year-old believes their partnership worked because of basic footballing nous.

“It was the big and small combination, which always works wherever you see it,”
Scott reveals.
“He would hold the ball up well and would look for me to score and I would try to set him up when I could, so we played for each other in that sense.
“We always worked well together as we were two very different players. When you get players that can score, assist and form a solid partnership, you’re always going to be on to a good thing.

And the legacy of that partnership was never made apparent to Scott until after he left Blyth.
“We never really thought we were anything special at the time. I remember Harry Dunn and Graham Fenton saying that – in those years – other teams would phone around saying how worried they were about playing against Robbie and me.
“Managers would phone managers of the team we’d played the week before and ask them how they’d try to deal with us, which is quite a compliment when you hear that.”

After seeing Dale claim the Golden Boot award in 2007/08, Scott etched his own name on the trophy a year later – with 19 goals.
“It was amazing, as it was our first season in the Conference North. As a forward, you just want to score goals,” Scott explains.
“So, if you can become top scorer, it’s fantastic. If you can do it at the biggest club you’ve ever played for in your life – in the highest level they’ve ever been – then that’s even better.”

Scott also had the honour of scoring the goal that sent Blyth to the top of the Conference North after eight games, when he scored the winner in a 2-1 victory at Harrogate.
He then topped off his season by winning the Conference North Player of the Month award in October 2006.

Despite his personal success, Spartans unfortunately missed out on the Conference North Playoffs by one point – in what turned out to be Scott’s last full season with the club.
In September 2007, Manager Harry Dunn told Scott was he was no longer needed.

Scott remembers.“It was really just that Harry was looking for another type of forward to what I was. He was looking for change and he said just go out and play, because you’re not in my plans,”
“Harry had plans to bring in someone else, so you’ve got to respect that. It’s the manager’s team and no one player is bigger than that team.”

“I was absolutely devastated, because I loved playing for Blyth, but – on the flip side – I appreciated his honesty for telling me.
“I remember turning up for a home game against Vauxhall Motors and being left out of the squad.
“Then, during the pre-game warm-up, Harry pulled me aside and said that he wanted me to ‘Go on loan’ to Blue Star to get some match practice.

“I knew what the old ‘Go on loan’ line meant when it came from Harry, he had done it to so many other players that half of the Northern League were probably wondering when Harry was going to cal them back from their loan spells!

“To be honest, I knew it was coming. Harry had been complaining a lot, because I didn’t hold the ball up well enough. That was something that I was always aware of and that was true enough.
“But I came to Blyth with the same qualities that I left with. Nothing had changed, except for Harry’s expectations.

Scott also told of how Harry also helped the forward to make his decision to move to Blue Star. “I didn’t choose Blue Star, Harry did,” Bell recalls.
“He rang and said they’d been on the phone and he thought it would be a good move for me.”

Leaving the club also meant leaving behind the fans who had made such an impression on him.
“The Blyth fans were always amazing, both home and away,” Scott said.
“They are the kind of fans that really appreciate players who work hard for the club and if you can score goals, that’s a bonus.
“The fans were really loud and, even during away games, we would have such huge support. Many of them dressed as Vikings (or Spartans) and they were definitely worth a few points in our promotion season.
“It was also great to see so many kids at the games and, hopefully, we inspired a few of them to play for Blyth in the future.”

Looking back at his time with the club, Scott commented: “I can honestly say that I enjoyed my time at Blyth more than I have enjoyed any other period in my life I played with so many great characters and now have some real friends as a result.

“It was also great to be part of a club with such strong values, which is run by some of the most genuinely kind people you are likely to meet – like Ian Evans for example.
He has green and white blood (with a hint of red) and is the backbone of the club and an all-round great guy.
“I could probably tell you loads of stories from my time at Blyth. Like the time we bought some mouse traps on an away trip to Workington or the time Pete “Snowman” (Snowdon) reacted badly to a carefully placed Prawn sandwich.

“However, most people would probably be most interested in the “Famous” player/manager “Bust up.” Lot’s of people have since asked what happened between me and Harry, and why we fell out.

“The truth is that we didn’t really fall out, but we did have a huge disagreement in the dressing room – in front of the whole team and other members of the club – after a mid-week game in the Senior Cup.

“Harry was angry because he felt that I wasn’t playing well enough or scoring and he let me know it. So, I told him to replace me with somebody better, who will score more, if I was so bad.

“He then said that he couldn’t find anyone or he would.
“Once it had all died down and everything was calm, Harry pulled me aside in the car park and we made up but without the kiss.
“Not long after, Harry took my advice and replaced me with somebody better who would score more goals. So, be careful what you ask for.”

Following the loan spell at Blue Star, Scott made the permanent move to Bedlington Terriers.

However, he was already starting to show signs of the disease which would effectively end his footballing career.
“As soon as I started playing, that’s when the problems started, Scott reveals.
“I knew there was something wrong, even then.”

Scott retired from football in April 2009 – after feeling increasingly sore and tired after games.
He was in and out of hospital for more than two years, being passed from one doctor to another before he finally got an answer in May 2011.

What followed were numerous hospital and doctors’ appointments, culminating in a visit to a Motor Neurone Disease (MND) specialist in May 2011, who confirmed the diagnosis.

Scott and his wife Louise, who were married in 2008, were left in shock.
“It was a relief to know what it was, but – at the same time – it was not nice to know that was what it was,” Scott explains.

“I was not as surprised as some people might be, as I knew something was not right. I think it was more of a shock to my wife and family.
But Scott and his family were determined to keep going and they have pledged to work to bring more attention to MND, through a special fund set up in Scott’s honour –
The Scott Bell Fund http://www.scottbellfund.com/

The Scott Bell Fund has been active in fundraising through various streams: with donations such as £5,000 from the local Orange Call Centre in North Tyneside and £10,000 from Scott’s colleagues at Pearson publishing company.

There have been many varied events – from local concerts to golf competitions – and nine of Scott’s family and friends, including his wife Louise, completed the 2011 Great North Run for the MND Association.

One of the bravest even saw Scott himself take part in a fund-raising skydive.
“The parachute was the best thing I’ve ever done. When my mate asked me what it was like, I compared it to scoring a goal for Blyth” Scott reveals.

“I thought that thrill that you get every time you score was irreplaceable, but it wasn’t. I just had to jump out of a plane to rediscover it again.
“The adrenaline rush I got at the end was amazing.”
Parachute jumping wouldn’t be top of the list for most people, but Scott revealed that it helped him to forget about his illness while he was doing it.

He said: “I thought that if I was going to do something, then I had to challenge myself. There’s no point doing it otherwise.
“Because I can’t use my legs, I was quite limited as to what I could do. So I had to work out what I could do without using my legs and that was the natural decision, as scary as it was.”

And, as he sailed through the air, it was just Scott himself that was soaring.
He added: “I can’t remember exactly how much it raised, but I think it was about £3,000. I think people dug that little bit deeper because it was actually me doing it and not someone else.
“That’s what it’s about at the end of the day and, as I say, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’d definitely do it again.”

Not to be outdone, Spartans supporters stepped up to be counted when the Scott Bell Benefit Game was held at Croft Park in May 2012.
Blyth Spartans XI v Bedlington Terriers XI featured many of Scott’s former teammates and was attended by hundreds of fans, who saw Scott take to the field to kick the game off.

And Scott was keen to acknowledge to efforts of everyone who contributed to the success of that game.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved with Blyth Spartans, for their support since my Motor Neurone Disease diagnosis in May 2010,”
Scott said. “The club and the fans have been great and have helped us raise a large amount of money, which really does help everyone involved in fighting the disease.”

Despite the support for the benefit game, it was the events prior and after the game itself that really showed the bond between the supporters and Scott.

A group Irish Spartans fans set off cycling from Dublin a week before the game. Upon arriving at Stranraer – via a ferry – they were met another group of Spartans fans and a couple of Scott’s former teammates. They set off on a two-wheeled tour of various football grounds – including those of Celtic, Rangers, Newcastle United and Sunderland – before a scheduled arrival at Croft Park just before kick-off.

“What they did was phenomenal, especially for someone that the majority of them didn’t even know,” Scott said.
“There was no way for me to show my appreciation for what they did other than say thank you to all of them.

“I don’t think they actually appreciated what they did for us. They spread the word across four different countries and that’s the most important thing for myself, my family and – most importantly – my fund.

“I also have to give a special mention to Fergus Dowd and Tony Parker for organising the Dublin2Blyth cycle event.”

Fergus did not just stop there though. His sterling work meant that there was also an auction of sporting memorabilia – as he had spent months working tirelessly contacting sportsmen and sports clubs, asking for donations.

Regarding Fergus’ outstanding efforts, Scott commented: “Fergus, in my eyes, is an absolute legend. I’d never known him before he approached me, but I now know he’s a Blyth fan from Dublin.
“He got in touch and told me he wanted to do this to help me and if I was happy for him to do it. I told him, without question, I was delighted and was behind him all the way.

“He did an incredible amount of work to get 59 items into an auction, many of which you would never get anywhere and it will probably never be seen again.

“It was unbelievable what he did. When you look at the list of items, it was just crazy.

“He’s a legend really and a lot of this couldn’t have happened without him, so massive credit to Fergus for all of his work.”

Looking back fondly on his time with the Spartans, Scott was hard-pressed to pick out a highlight.

“There were so many. The two hat-tricks in a row are definitely up there but, if you were to ask me tomorrow, I’d probably give a completely different answer,” Scott explains.
“I could pick my debut, my first goal or even scoring against Gateshead. I loved anything like that really.”
“Although, I think the one single highlight for me, personally, would have to be the Witton hat-trick.”

And despite the aforementioned miss – and all of the things he and the club achieved during his time there – when asked for his best memory as a Blyth player, Scott came back to that game.

He recalls: “There were honestly so many of these that it would be hard to pick one.
My biggest memory is my first ever game away to Marine.”

When asked if he had a favourite of the 50 goals he scored for Blyth, Scott picked the equaliser at AFC Telford United in December 2005:
“One of my favourite goals came when we played Telford away, on a Saturday afternoon.

“It had been quite a physical game and I came into it on a bit of a goal drought – I think I hadn’t scored for about five or six games. I had been getting a load of abuse from the crowd, for putting myself about and getting stuck in.

“We were 1-0 down with about two minutes left and the ball fell to me in a crowded box, about eight yards out. The keeper came straight off his line to close the angle.

“So, I pretended to slide the ball past him but – instead – moved it with my right foot to his right and then tapped it in with my left foot.

“I always felt it was a pretty calm finish given how tense I was about my lack of goals!”.

It also took Scott no time at all to name Chris McCabe as the most influential player he played with, in his 127 appearances.

“Tadge could drag the team on his own for 90 minutes at times and he always played well,” Scott explains. “He scored some really valuable goals and gave 100% every game.”

Despite only having three seasons at Blyth Spartans AFC, Scott more than made his mark on the club and it was enough to build a long-lasting & special bond with its supporters.

And, for that, you have to say that the boy’s done good.

Scott’s Blyth playing career:
Debut:
v Marine away 4 December 2004, Unibond Premier League drew 0-0
Final game:
v Ashington home, 2 October 2007, Northumberland Senior Cup won 3-1
First Goal:
v Radcliffe Borough home 11 December 2004, Unibond Premier League won 2-0 (home debut)
Last Goal:
v Ashington home, 2 October 2007, Northumberland Senior Cup won 3-1
Appearances:
127 Appearances – 17 as sub – (Northern Premier League: 60, Northern Premier League Cup: 5, Peter Swailes Cup: 1, Conference North: 40, FA Cup: 9, FA Trophy: 5, Northumberland Senior Cup:7).
Goals:
50 Goals – 3 penalties – (Northern Premier League: 25, Conference North: 17, Cups: 8).
Team Honours:
Unibond Premier League Winner (2006)
Unibond Chairman’s Cup Winner (2006)
Peter Swailes Memorial Shield Winner (2006)
Northumberland Senior Cup Runner Up (2006 and 2007)
Individual Honours:
Conference North Player of the Month (Oct 2006)
Port of Blyth Player of the Month (Sept 2006 and Feb 2007)
Blyth Spartans’ Leading Scorer (2007)
Member of Blyth Spartans’ 100 Club

;

• This article is a collaboration and once again a big thank you goes out to Glen Maxwell for invaluable help. Check out his blog: http://glenmaxwell.wordpress.com/

…..and of course a special thanks to the main man himself, Scott for his time and help in producing this blog.

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