Bay Plastics Northern Alliance

The Bay Plastics Northern Alliance: a round-up, of sorts Usually a football season promises so much, even more so at grassroots level. That promise of friends, wellbeing, banter, booze, the fans, oh the fans, and of course, that of the beautiful game itself and, who knows, you might even win the league, a cup, get promoted, do the double, or even the treble, it’s what it’s all about. Then there are the external factors, those that, in all honesty, you’d never even think about and, who’d have thought that, over the past two seasons, they would be as chaotic as they have been. Last season never really finished, in fact only Hebburn Town U23s claimed any silverware, eventually, and that was after the current campaign had begun, lifting that of the Durham FA Minor Cup back in September with a 3-0 win over Middlestone Moor Masons Arms, Innocent Chirinda with a brace; now, they are still on course to defend that having once again gone through every round and are now one away from retaining the trophy – they face Shotton Colliery on 11 June at Seaham Red Star’s Seaham Town Park. The Bay Plastics Northern Alliance 2020-21 season began, in earnest, back on 2 September with games across all four of its divisions – The Bay Plastics Premier Division, Reeves Independent First Division, Team Valley Carpets Second Division, and Bluefin Sports Insurance Third Division, all serving up plenty of action after a summer of constant uncertainty. Due to situations ongoing elsewhere, the league’s cup competitions were initially put on hold in the ‘slim hope’ that they could be played early in the New Year, whilst that of the Northumberland FA Benevolent Bowl, Northumberland Minor, and Durham Minor competitions, all started – there’s a lot of games in them Minor Cup competitions, just ask that of Blyth Rangers (Combination League) and North Shields Community Christians (Christian Fellowship League), and more after the last restart. As the Minor Cup’s were both in full-swing early on, the Benevolent Bowl began its route to the final on 3 October last year with

Alnwick Town, Blyth Town, Burradon & New Fordley, Newcastle Chemfica, Seaton Delaval, Wallington, and Cullercoats; AFC Killingworth seeing off Newcastle Blue Star the following weekend. The league would continue, unopposed really, throughout September and October, before a complete shutdown in November and some of December; an all-too brief restart was had around the festive period, the league having planned its first festive fixtures in a long-time, before being curtailed again, the season eventually stopping in early 2021. A chink of light was however opened in February/March time and, come April, the beautiful game became beautiful again, albeit without the proper presence of fans. Divisional cup competitions were put together around the country in fact, with that of the Northern Alliance doing similar for all four divisions, they seeing a roundrobin group stage; as for the Bowl, and the Minor Cup competitions, they also burst back into life. Thus ensued a couple of months of madness and mayhem. The Bowl would see an immediate return to action, with the quarter-finals, as Killingworth saw off Alnwick 3-0 (Sam Walton 3), New Fordley defeated Ponteland 3-0 (captain Joe Besford netting), Chemfica overcame a tough challenge in Blyth Town (Thomas Ions brace) and Cullercoats their tie with Seaton Delaval, the latter also progressing. Those divisional cup group matches yielded some cracking matches, and some decent-looking results, Newcastle Blue Star registering a

100% record in the Challenge Cup Group B, and Prudhoe Youth Club unbeaten in the Combination Cup Group D, both sides racking up the wins; there were also success stories from Alnwick Town and Rothbury, among others. Meanwhile, late April would see the Northumberland Minor Cup reach its fourth round stage, the afore mentioned duo of Blyth Rangers and North Shields Community Christians continuing to shock their Northern Alliance counterparts, Rangers edging a nine-goal thriller away to Willington Quay Saints as both Carling and Bushby bagged braces, and the Community Christians hit Ellington for five without reply, Parker bagging a double of his own. May kicked off with the semifinals of the Bowl taking place, as did the divisional cups, the former seeing that of Killingworth edge visitors Chemfica 4-3, Sado Djalo’s treble in vain for the ‘Fica as Sam Walton (2), Scott Bamborough and Daniel Stephenson all netted for the hosts, as for the other semi-final, New Fordley overcame their visitors Seaton Delaval 3-1 on penalties following a 1-1 draw. There’s also be a shoot-out victory in the first of the Challenge Cup semis, Whitley Bay Reserves beating Newcastle Blue Star whilst in the Combination Cup Prudhoe’s fine form continued as they won 4-0 at Rothbury, and Cramlington United took care of Hebburn’s U23s 2-1. The Amateur Cup semis went in favour of Newcastle Independent and Cramlington Town, whilst in the Neville Cowey Cup it would be Heaton Stannington A and Cullercoats Reserves who progressed to the final; the remaining Challenge Cup tie, that went to New Fordley who won 2-1 at Blyth Town, the latter ending their tenure in the Alliance with defeat (they were elevated to the Northern League Second Division shortly after). And so to those cup finals, they would be as exciting as they were interesting, in many ways. First up was the Third Division’s Neville Cowey Cup, it being settled by a lone effort seventeen minutes from time from Heaton Stannington A’s Kevin Carr against Cullercoats Reserves. Wilson Kneeshaw would then be the match-winner as Newcastle Independent (who also contested the NFA Minor Cup final) edged Cramlington Town by the odd-goal-in-five for the Second Division’s Amateur Cup, before a controversial ending occurred in the final of the Combination Cup between Cramlington United and Prudhoe Youth Club, the former winning 2-1 in extra-time amidst a furore of floodlight failure, a decision to carry on, and a goal in the 199th minute from United’s danger man, Andrew Anderson. (The Minor Cup finals will focus next issue) that of the Challenge Cup final, and Benevolent Bowl showpiece, the latter taking place at NFA Headquarters, Whitley Park, were contested. In the Challenge Cup final, Whitley Bay Reserves put on a strong performance to claim an impressive, 4-1 victory, over New Fordley, 17-year-old striker Evan Howard impressing with a hat-trick,

whilst a young Gazza, Cameron Gascoigne, also scored for the victors, he wrapping up proceedings with an impressive fourth nine minutes from time. New Fordley meanwhile, they finished the season empty-handed for, when contesting the final of the Bowl, not only finished the game with ten men, but were beaten 7-6 on penalties against arch-rivals Killingworth following a hard-fought, 1-1 draw; Sean McRoberts opened the scoring for New Fordley with seventeen remaining, Daniel Stephenson equalising with a trademark freekick, from 25 yards out, eight minutes later, to send the game to penalties. With the last two finals being that of the Minor Cup competitions, the Northumberland FA, and Durham FA Minor Cup to be precise, both of whom will be looked at in the next issue, and both of which featured an Alliance outfit, Newcastle Independent in the former, and Hebburn Town U23s the latter. As the new season is due to begin on the second Saturday in August (not long now) you can keep upto-date via their Facebook https:// www.facebook.com/northernalliance2019 Twitter https://twitter.com/nfalliance1890 Website http://www.northernfootballalliance.org.uk/ and via their Press Officer’s site https://insidemannmedia.wordpress.com/category/ northern-alliance/ All images with express permission of David Mellstrom Photography, check out his Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ davidmellstromphotography and Twitter https://twitter.com/dm_ photo_ and his website at https:// www.davidmellstromphotography. co.uk/

NERG is the biggest retro gaming event in the North East, held at Gateshead Stadium over the course of 2 days, this event is as big as it gets for retro gamers or just the big kids re-living their youth playing the games they used to play, after all, they don’t make them like they used to. 2017 will be the fifth year of NERG and it will be a big one. With 100 video arcade machines, 35 pinball machines and 60 consoles and computers this really is an event you do not want to miss!.

The event is held over the weekend of 1st & 2nd of July. Entrance is £15 per day or £25 for the full weekend. Children aged 5-13 years can also get in for only £10 on the Sunday.

All the machines are set to free play so once you pay the admission fee, it’s free gaming all day., so no need for those pockets full of change.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE. or you can pay on the day if the event hasn’t sold out.

More details can be found at www.northeastretrogaming. com

Machines are announced on a regular basis through the social feeds so make sure you keep checking to see what games will be there, though with so many we are sure your favourites will be there.

CLICK HERE FOR FACEBOOK

For Twitter - @NERGOfficial