Playing away.

How many grounds have you seen Blyth Spartans play at?
Well known fan, Mark Wilkinson has just clocked up the milestone of watching Blyth play at 100 different grounds.

It’s taken him 26 years to achieve his feat and reckons in doing so has clocked up enough miles to have traveled around the world 30 times!
He is actually a ‘homeless’ Blyth Spartans fan, Mark lives a 440 mile round trip away from the clubs Northumberland home.
Every time he watches the Spartans play it is literally an away game for him. He regularly clocks up more miles to watch his team play at home than most fans do traveling to watch an away game!
There has not been many Blyth games played in the last 26 years that has not seen his distinctive flag draped somewhere within that ground, his ‘Coventry Spartans’ flag has toured the country.

You may wonder what brought someone from Coventry to support a team so far away from his home, it was a family relative from Blyth and his trips to visit them that give the opportunity to watch the famous Non League team play.

Mark’s first Spartans game came while visiting to family in August 1993 when he took in a Northern League game against Dunston Federation at Croft Park.
Thereafter, he was hooked attending games whenever up north visiting family. He relayed his experiences his work mates at the Coventry Planning Office. With them all playing for the same works football team they decided the next logical step was to form themselves into an unofficial supporters group.

Saturday 11th November 1995 saw the ‘Coventry Spartans’ make their first group away day. Blyth were playing Bury at Gigg Lane in an FA Cup 1st Round tie.
Along with 500 traveling from the North East they joyously watched Spartans add another chapter to they along and proud FA Cup history with a superb 0-2 victory.
The magic of the cup certainly worked on the Coventry Spartans, every chance they got to attend games they took. Any time the Spartans played remotely close to their area they would make arrangements for an away day. At start of every season they would study the fixtures when they were released planning their games, marking certain home games as special days out. They would all travel up to Croft Park to attend games having clubbed together their funds to sponsor home games and rightly enjoy a home game in the club sponsors lounge.

To this very day Mark still takes every opportunity to take in a Blyth game. He wouldn’t think twice about driving up to Croft Park for important midweek home league game. While being Midlands based has helped for games at places like Tamworth and Nuneaton which are to him as close to a home game as it gets for him, he regularly takes half days from work to attend midweek away games in and around the Manchester and South Yorkshire areas.

His dedication shown when taking time off work to attend a midweek county cup game because it’s being played at a ground he hasn’t seen the Spartans play at before.
He often clocks up around 4 to 5,000 miles a season watching his club, and of course there is the cost involved. Admission and petrol aside its the must have match programme, the pies the deserved pint and the occasional deserved reward of an overnight stay.

In the early years of the Coventry Spartans Mark soon released just how many miles they were clocking up each season so in the build up to the clubs 1999/2000 season he came up with a plan to record their travels.
He wrote and published a book; My Mother in Law loves Football which documented the Coventry Spartans travels during the Centenary season in which they clocked up a total of 6,810 miles to watch 21 games played.

Travelling to away games is never a simple affair, more often than not it involves careful planning.
Everything is planned down to the smallest detail. He has to work out his timings for the day, he needs to know what time to get into work early enough to put in his required hours that allows him to get away in time to make the drive to games.
He’s always organising pick up points for mates on they way to games and even goes out his way to drop then back off at various railway stations after matches allow them to complete their journey’s home.
When his daughter started University in Swansea, he’d forgotten that he had agreed to drop her off.
So, with Blyth playing away at Stourbridge it was a very early start. He drove all the way to Swansea dropped her off and then dashed back up to Stourbridge to ensure he made it in time for kick off.

Mark has seen 15 different managers come and go during his 26 year quest, seen the Spartans play in three different leagues; Northern League, Northern Premier League, and National League North.
he’s watched games in five cup competitions; FA Cup, FA Trophy, Setanta Shield and Northumberland Senior Cup & NPL Presidents Cup.
Such is Mark’s dedication to the club, in March 2018 he made a 5 hour midweek round trip to Barry in Wales to support the clubs striker Dan Maguire when he was capped by the England C team against the Wales C side.

His target was delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic and eventually came on Saturday 4th December 2021 when Spartans made their first ever visit to AFC Fylde’s Mill Farm Ground.
However, it wasn’t one of his better away days. He’s not a fan of the new out of town modern grounds:
The 100^th ground was a trip to AFC Fylde and a 4-1 loss, a ground which typifies the direction in which non-league football is going. The quirky grounds in the middle of housing estates are being replaced with out of town Lego grounds on retail parks. The food and toilets may be better, but the atmosphere in these new grounds often leaves a lot to be desired.

Mark has listed the grounds he’s visited over the years along with his memory of that ground –

Alfreton Town – my first visit was just after we had won the President’s Cup
Altrincham – the loss in the 2018/19 Play Offs was hard to take
Ashton United – nothing to shout about
Bamber Bridge – Once missed 3 Blyth goals with “Delhi belly”, I was in the loo
Barrow – Horrible fans, got the finger off a 4-year-old as we walked out
Barwell – Great burgers apparently
Bedlington Terriers – A rare Blyth away game in the North East
Belper Town – The home goalkeeper went on a stag doo with a load of Blyth fans after the game
Bishop Auckland – Heritage Park – Lovely old-style ground with a cricket pitch at the side
Blackpool – FA Cup, so close to a replay
Blyth Spartans – How it’s changed over the years
Boston United – Pretty poor view from the away end
Bournemouth – FA Cup, 2 fantastic saves from Mark Bell to earn a replay
Brackley Town – Pretty friendly lot
Bradford PA – Hate running track pitches, the bus shelter stand behind the goals is something else
Burscough – Who could forget the Spartans Choir after the match
Burton Albion – Remember going the week after the FA Trophy game we nearly had a steward each
Bury – Famous 1^st Round FA Cup win
Buxton – Always liked going here
Chasetown – That FA Cup replay defeat was just horrible
Cheltenham Town – Gloucester City – Segregation, urgh
Chester City – Deva Stadium FA Trophy, home fans gave Blyth a standing ovation after the match
Chorley – One of the first Coventry Spartans away trips
Cirencester – to see us play Gloucester City
Coalville Town – not much to report
Colwyn Bay – how could I forget the game where 3 Blyth players ended up in hospital
Corby Town – old ground
Corby Town – new ground a stone’s throw away from the old one
Curzon Ashton – the Mexican fancy dress was something else
Darlington – One word awful
Drolysden – All I recall was dog dirt behind the goal, pitch is probably the only grass for miles
Eastwood Town – Just shows what happens when someone tries to take a club beyond its means
Emley – Travelled from Blyth for an away game. Great mushy peas
Frickley Athletic – I hate Frickley end of
Farsley Celtic – old style ground
FCUM – That 3-1 win away with a Nipa scorcher will live long in the memory
Fylde – another soulless new ground in the middle of nowhere
Gainsborough Trinity – One of my favourite grounds, great raised terrace behind one of the goals
Gateshead – Soulless
Grantham Town – Home of the Gingerbread men
Guiseley – My son was only 10 months old on my first visit, he’s now 20
Halesowen Town – FA Trophy replay
Harrogate Town – Things have changed here over the years
Hartlepool United – FA Cup, will never forget that Stephen Turnbull free kick
Hednesford – Not much to say really
Hereford United – What a crap start to the 2018/19 season
Hinckley – new ground
Hucknall Town – Always loved the Club Shed
Hyde United – not had a lot of luck here over the years
Ilkeston Town – 3 nil up and they fcuk’d it up, what a comeback that was
Kettering Town (Old ground) – Great terrace alongside the pitch
Kettering Town (New ground – Burton Latimer) – Nothing to shout about
Kidderminster Harriers – Great pies, but segregation
Lancaster City – Went when I was on holiday in the Lakes
Leamington Spa – More sand than Blackpool beach
Leek Town – Who could forget that FA Cup comeback
Leigh RMI – Great old ground, petty we lost in an FA Cup qualifier
Leyton Orient – FA Trophy 3^rd Round, unlucky not to get a draw
Marine – Perhaps my favourite ground
Matlock Town – Great view and a nice little ground
Mickleover Sports – who could forget Pinkie and the 7-1 drubbing?
Nantwich – Great food
Newcastle Benfield – NSC Final v Bedlington Terriers – we lost & I got soaked
Newcastle United – NSC Finals v Bedlington Terriers & Morpeth
North Ferriby United – Another example of money spoiling football
Northwich Victoria – can’t remember which stadium I went to
Nuneaton – great old-style ground in the heart of the town
Nuneaton – new ground – The away game dressed as nuns was pure class
Prescott Cables – (for a Runcorn game against Blyth) – Lovely ground
Redditch – visited in my motorhome on the way to Wales
Runcorn – The fact that you could go to the loo and still see the game will never be forgotten
Rushall Olympic – What non-League football is all about
Salford – Scene of the vicious attack by a wheelie bin on a Blyth supporter
Shaw Lane AFC – Plastic team and ground
Skelmersdale – A long midweek trip, but worth it in our promotion season
Solihull Borough – An FA Trophy win
Solihull Moors – can’t really remember it
Southport – A 3-0 away win what more could you as for
Spennymoor United – The hat trick by Graham Fenton in a 5-0 drubbing was superb
Stafford Rangers – Great covered terrace alongside the pitch
Stalybridge Celtic – nice ground on a bit of a slope
Stamford – Old – Lovely ground in a great setting
Stamford – New – Typical new soulless ground
Stocksbridge Park Steels – A quirky non-league ground
Stockport County – for the FA Cup 2^nd Round loss and a fine NLN away win
Stourbridge – classic with a cricket pitch to one side
Sutton Coldfield – Plastic pitch
Tamworth – now looks like a giant snooker table
Telford United – not the friendliest of grounds
Trafford – neat and tidy ground
Vauxhall Motors – 5-1 loss FA Cup loss was the only time I haven’t applauded the team off
Wakefield & Emley – Strange playing at a Rugby League ground
Warrington Town – Midweek trip, great chip shop nearby
Whitby Town – Not the nicest fans in the world
Whitley Bay– pre season friendly
Winsford Town – A piano outside the clubhouse and a Wayne Edgecumbe hat trick what a memory
Witton Albion – Chris Addison dressed as a cock will live long in the memory
Worcester City – had a massive terrace alongside the pitch
York City (Bootham Crescent) – Terrible away facilities, would have been good in its day
York City (new Ground) truly awful new ground £20 admission

Mark has compiled his top three’s
All time top 3 favourite grounds are –
1 – Canal Street: Runcorn – great old ground with real character
2 – Matlock Town – great view of Riber Castle
3 – Kettering Town – loved the terrace along the length of the pitch opposite the main stand

His top 3 worst grounds are –
1 – Frickley Athletic – just grim
2 – York City – the new ground is awful, soulless and expensive
3 – Spennymoor – need I say more

His Top 3 best away memories are –
1 – FA Cup win at Bury – the first Coventry Spartans away trip
2 – Winning the FA Cup game at Leek – after being 2-0 down at half-time.
3 – Mexican day – last away game at Curzon Ashton. What a day to celebrate winning the League.

Top 3 worst memories of away games –
1 – Losing 5-1 at Vauxhall Motors in FA Cup the only time I haven’t applauded the team off the pitch
2 – Losing away at Chasetown in the FA Cup replay – never felt that threatened at an away game
3 – Losing to Barrow and getting the finger off a young lad who was with his mum at the match!

Biggest wins witnessed at games –
7-1 away at Mickleover Sports – 21/1/17 (Reid hat trick)
5-0 away at Winsford United – 2/10/99 (Edgecumbe hat-trick)
5-0 away at Spennymoor United – 19/8/03 (Fenton hat-trick)

Biggest defeats witnessed at games –
5-1 at Vauxhall Motors 25/9/10 and at Chester 25/9/21
5-2 away at Hyde United – 16/10/99
4-3 Blackpool in the FA Cup – 15/11/97

Most goals seen in a game –
8 – 7-1 win at Mickleover Sports 21/1/17
8 – 4-4 away at Kettering Town 16/11/19

Other memorable moments in Mark’s 26 year achievement –

At one sponsored match we got one of The Coventry Spartans, on his first trip to Croft Park, to ask this tall chap in a flat cap to move away from the TV in The Director’s Lounge as we couldn’t see the football results on Final Score. It was none other than Jack Charlton!
His son John was the manager at the time.

On the way back from the 4-3 defeat to Chester City in the FA Trophy on 24^th February 2001, I was interviewed by Richard Littlejohn live on BBC Radio 5 Live promoting my book
“My Mother-In-Law Loves Football” I had to get out of the car in the snow as my mobile was interfering with the radio, much to the delight of the lads in the car.

A couple of us met Bobby Robson at half-time when we popped into the Director’s Lounge at a mid-week game – I managed to get him to sign a programme which I auctioned off to raise funds for my book “My Mother-In-Law Loves Football”.

Helicopter landing on the pitch at Croft Park to pick up an injured player

3 players getting taken to hospital away at Colwyn Bay

Trouble getting my pushchair through the turnstile at Guiseley when my son was 10 months old
Bamber Bridge – missed 3 goals in the toilet as a result of deli belly. I was that bad I couldn’t even drive home.

Acknowledgements & Thank you’s –

The original Coventry Spartans members; Martin Gibbins, Ian Lacey, David Pritchard.
Graham Usher.
Blyth Spartans officials who have helped over the years and the club website for archived results.
Special mentions to my wife Wendy, children Aran and Ella for endulging my obsession.
Peter and Rosie Ellis, Mark Powell, Phil Johnson, John Hague, Mark Hall, David Gray and Colin Green, plus all the other people who have joined me under the Coventry Spartans umbrella over the years.