Northern Football Alliance

What a season that was, plenty of games, plenty of incident, and, almost certainly, plenty of goals, there was definitely plenty of those that’s for sure – that was, the 2021/22 Bay Plastics Northern Football Alliance campaign. Two sides would complete a double, as the trophies, come the season’s eventual end, would be shared about – Killingworth FC took the Bay Plastics Premier Division, and Team Valley Carpets Challenge Cup (5-4 on penalties following a 4-4 draw with Wallington), whilst Stobswood Welfare claimed the Team Valley Carpets Second Division, and snatched victory in the final of the Reeves Investment George Dobbins League Cup, 1-0 against Burradon & New Fordley. But, in the season as a whole, there was many stories intertwined throughout, Wallington adding more to their rich history by finishing in the top five of the Premier Division, finalists in the Challenge Cup, and winning the Northumberland FA Benevolent Bowl (2-1 against Alnwick Town), manager Trevor Baston and his players, perhaps a little aggrieved with their start to the season, finishing off rather well. Speaking of starting a season, what about that which befell Nathan Beckham’s Killingworth side; the now former Killy boss started the season just finished, from scratch, with only a handful of players to work with. He brought in a few (more than) and helped build a side that, despite a few bumps in the road (there always is), started the Premier Division campaign with a near-record breaking, 17-match winning streak, eventually succumbing to Newcastle Blue Star in midJanuary at Scotswood. NATHAN BECKHAM – Manager, Killingworth FC “I wouldn’t have come to the club in the first place if I didn’t expect something to happen, but, this was also something totally new for me and I brought in a load of new players ahead of the season beginning (Killingworth were stripped bare, with only a handful of players staying on from the season before). “The first half of the season was excellent, but we actually only did enough to win games and it just carried on from there really. “But, you have to take the losses with the wins so I didn’t read the riot act or anything after we lost to (Newcastle) Blue Star, although things were a little easier once they lost their manager (Liam McIvor). “It’s hard though, to keep such a run going, and others were starting to breath down our necks a little as the season progressed. “Full respect to Prudhoe Youth Club, they had an excellent season and good on them for 87

being promoted, but yes, overall, it was a relief when we finally made certain of the league title. “Now, I’ve got extra motivation for coming back for the new season, and I’m hoping for similar again, winning the league and claiming promotion ourselves. “In the cups, the Benevolent Bowl, against Cramlington United, that was our fault more than anything, we got cocky, rested a few players, and were made to pay for it – credit to them though, they have had a great season themselves really. “Winning the Challenge Cup though, that was a highlight for me; they (Wallington) were massively up for it and took us by surprise. “It was a crazy final, great for the spectator, if not for me, but yes, we enjoyed that one; there was a few league games also, where we had the bare minimum and scraped through. “Next season though, I’m looking forward to it already and we’ll have a few new players on-board, ones that we’ll need to blood so hoping for a quiet start, win the first one, and take it from there.” It was a Blue Star side that promised so much, but eventually delivered nothing; chasing down Killingworth, alongside surprise challengers, Prudhoe Youth Club, Blue Star suddenly imploded, ridding themselves of then-manager Liam McIvor, and with it, the vast majority of their playing staff – the rebuild, that will take shape over the summer. Killingworth though, for all that success in the league, cup competitions became a little troublesome for them, being dismissed in the Benevolent Bowl by Tony Rees’ Cramlington United, and from the League Cup by Simon Wilson’s AFC Newbiggin (they finished second and third in Division One respectively) – ending the season strong enough however and claimed a silver-lined double. Twenty-five wins and two draws from thirty outings would see Killy lift the title, eventually, by eight points from runners-up, Prudhoe, netting ninety-seven goals in the process, Michael Baxter finishing top-scorer with 28, Sam Grieveson fourth with 16. As for Joe Kendrick’s Prudhoe, although they didn’t lift any silverware, they were the surprise package and perhaps a fan favourite with many, finishing the season themselves with perhaps the bigger prize, promotion to the Northern League Second Division. With Kendrick having departed the club immediately after the season finishing, the now-NL2 outfit also had two players in the Premier Division’s top ten scoring charts, Sam Dibb-Fuller and Craig Fairley bagging fifteen apiece. Speaking of club’s with double the scorers in the charts, that Wallington side, they ended up with both Jack Palmer (27) and Jordan Nellis (21), sandwiched between the Killy strikers, they finishing just four points behind the joint-third pairing of Blue Star, and Dave Malone’s Burradon & New Fordley – more on those, later. Beneath Wallington, a tight-knit group of clubs were bunched together in the final standings with just two points splitting the next four sides of Newcastle Chemfica, Winlaton Community, Gateshead Rutherford, and Benny Bowl finalists, Alnwick Town – despite the way season finished for them, Rutherford had their best finish in many-ayear. As for the bottom-half of the Premier Division, Ponteland United, Haltwhistle Jubilee (who can be pleased with their Premier Division showing, although they’d have liked better), Seaton Delaval, and a perhaps demoralised Percy Main

Amateurs, follow suit. As for the bottom three, Whitley Bay Reserves, although third bottom, finished the season quite well, even reaching the semi-finals of the League Cup before succumbing to Burradon & New Fordley, with Cullercoats, and North Shields Athletic, bringing up the rear, they having conceded a combined, 264 goals, in the league (134 and 130 respectively). It was a different story in the Reeves Independent First Division, sides having to chase down what was, a rampant, Cramlington United side, they having fun in all competitions, especially their run in the Benny Bowl, where they dismissed Killingworth and Newcastle Blue Star, in successive rounds. Although they would also dismiss Newcastle Independent from the TVC Combination Cup, it would eventually be Independent who’d overhaul them to take the division in the final throes of the season, starting and finishing with unbeaten streaks. Impressively, Independent would begin the campaign with a 19-match unbeaten streak in the league, and finish with eight, straight victories, including seeing off title rivals Cramlington (2-0 away), Hebburn U23s and Hexham in consecutive matches (both 4-1, also away), and a 9-1 demolition job at Bedlington – all in the close weeks. There was also success for two other, First Division sides, when on cup duty, third-placed Newbiggin won an epic, cup final shoot-out to win the Northumberland FA Stelrad Minor Cup, and fourthplaced Hebburn Town U23s, cup specialists of recent years under Durham FA auspices, they lifted the Combination Cup, with a comprehensive win over, Newbiggin. SIMON WILSON – Manager, AFC Newbiggin “It was definitely a successful season for us, especially after how the previous two campaigns had been and, although we’d been doing well, we weren’t convincing, maybe just going through the motions. “After the first handful of games, this season, I changed formation, and it worked, putting together a few, good runs on the spin, but, with the cups, we had too many games to catch up on Crammy, and Independent – none of us were going to drop points really. “Overall, it’s been the best season I’ve had, and the best since winning promotion in 2015; the perfect season would have been to win the Minor Cup, and the division, bit we can be proud of what we have done though, and the records we’ve set along the way. “The Minor Cup, that was a weird one, and I think we came from behind in pretty much every game, and, against East End in the final, every game against them is the same, they’re a very direct, physical side. “To win on penalties as well, we’d missed at least half a dozen during the season, so I just told them to go out there, and not change their minds, just hit the target – even then, I’ve not been in a shoot-out which had such high stakes. “Now, moving forward, regardless of what happens, what division we’re in, I tend to prioritise the County Cup so, the Benny Bowl will be one to aim for; but, we have to win those early, midweek games, and if in the First, challenge for the title, if the Premier, then it’s finish as high as we can. “We’ll be under no illusions though, no matter which division we’re in next season.”

Stobswood Welfare made a nuisance of themselves from the Reeves Independent Second Division, Stefan Townsley’s side claiming an exciting, league and cup double having seen off the challenge of Newcastle East End (by seven points) and some fifteen clear of third place Willington Quay Saints, to claim the title. Losing their first game, to eventual runners-up, East End, Stobby embarked upon a twelve-match unbeaten spree taking them into January, before another, nine-match run, kept hopes alive; Stobby even picked up a handful of Premier Division scalps when on cup duty for added measure. That run to victory in the League Cup would see them defeat North Shields Athletic (3-1 at home), Percy main Amateurs (1-0 away), a famous scalp in Newcastle Blue Star (2-0 at home), First Division champions Newcastle Independent (4-0 at home), First Division runners-up Cramlington United (2-1 at home, semi-final) before edging Burradon & New Fordley, 1-0, in the final. STEFAN TOWNSLEY – Manager, Stobswood Welfare “We had a few, tough, pre-season games, and put in some good performances so there was some optimism, that and we already had a good squad so just needed to add a few, newer faces. “When the season started, we were looking at promotion, maybe winning the title, and lifting the Minor Cup – then we lost our first game of the season, and were knocked out of the Minor Cup; I take the blame on that first loss though. “After the first defeat though, we just sat down, and took a fresh look at things, and then just went out the following game and set the tone for the season really, giving ourselves the belief to push, and keep the momentum going. “As for the League Cup, we had a really tough run in that, but we showed good character and only let in two goals, coming from behind in both games; to beat the likes of Cramlington United, Newcastle Blue Star, and Burradon & new Fordley, it took some doing, and we were grateful that, after the final, Dave Malone (Burradon manager) came over to us, congratulated us, and told us to enjoy the celebrations. “No matter who we’ve played against, we’ve turned up and done things properly, both in matches, and during training but, although we have a few lads who’ve played in the First Division, we know there’s no divine right and that we have to follow up the good work we’ve done, and be consistent, across the board. “It’ll be difficult, going in against some really tough sides, but we’ll never say never either, and will always back ourselves. “This has been the best Stobby side I’ve seen in the decade or so I’ve been here, and we’ve got a great committee behind us who do an exceptional job, and with the coaching staff I have as well, it takes the pressure off me, I just have to focus on the matches themselves.” Outside of the top two in the Second Division, the remainder of the top five was made up of Willington Quay Saints (they’ll harbour hopes of promotion/ success next season), and the reserve sides of Newcastle Blue Star, and Ponteland United. Wideopen meanwhile, who finished sixth in the division, capped the season as a whole when lifting the Bill Gardner Cup, defeating Hexham 1-0 in extra-time. Then there’s the Bluefin Sports Insurance Third Division, won by Jordan Robertson’s Blaydon Community, three points clear of free-scoring runners-up, Tony Messenger’s AFC Newbiggin Central in what was certainly a division for goal-fests. Blaydon themselves were involved a couple of highscoring, free-flowing games, including the mid-January, 5-5 draw, with visitors Alnwick Town Development – they actually scored seventeen, and conceded thirteen, in four games around that period, finishing the season with a fifteen-match unbeaten streak.

Speaking of free-scoring sides, runners-up AFC Newbiggin Central certainly bagged a few, including finishing with the division’s top three scorers in Michael Dunn (25), Evan Todd (24), and Kevin Halliday (23) – the second game of the season would see them win 13-0 at home to Red House Farm, and in early January, a 27-1 win at home to Bedlington United Sporting Club. The remainder of the top five in the Third would see Walker Central finish third, on goaldifference, from Central, North Sunderland, and Blyth Town U23s, in a fourteen-team division. In the divisional cup competitions, and alongside the successes for Killingworth in the Challenge Cup, and Hebburn U23s in the Combination Cup (5-1 against AFC Newbiggin), there was also the Amateur, and Neville Cowey Cups’ all sponsored by Team Valley Carpets. In the Amateur Cup final, Andy Jarman’s Newcastle University A routed a shell-shocked Newcastle Blue Star Reserves 5-0, and the Neville Cowey Cup would see Keith Thompson’s Whickham U23s defeat Newbiggin Central 2-1. There wasn’t to be much to write home about in any of the Durham competitions this time around, however, in the two, Northumberland competitions, there was plenty. In the Stelrad Minor Cup, Newbiggin and Newcastle East End contested the final, at Whitley Park, having played five matches apiece to get there; winners Newbiggin saw off North Sunderland (3-0 away), Blyth Town U23s (3-2 at home), Hazlerigg Victory (4-3 at home), Wideopen (4-2 at home) and West Moor & Jesmond (2-1 at home) in the semis – East End meanwhile, they saw off Benton Cons Club (4-2 at home), Cramlington United U23s (7-1 away), Cramlington Town Independent (3-0 at home), Seaton Burn (5-4 on pens after a goalless draw at home), before a semi-final win over Hexham (4-1 at home). Considering the thirty-four goals bagged between them en-route to the final, it perhaps came as little surprise they were hard to split in the final, it finishing 1-1 before Newbiggin, finally, edged the shoot-out, 12-11. And then there was the Benevolent Bowl, contested between Trevor Baston’s Wallington (winners) and Richard Latimer’s Alnwick Town, the former winning 2-1 on the night, in what was a busy, second half of the season for them. En-route to the final Wallington would see off Cullercoats (4-1 at home), Ponteland United (4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw away), and Cramlington United (4-0 away), whilst Alnwick defeated Whitley Bay Reserves (6-1 at home), Newcastle Chemfica (3-0 away) and Prudhoe Youth Club (2-1 away). TREVOR BASTON – Manager, Wallington FC “I’d say it’s probably the best season we’ve had, especially with the two cup runs and finishing how we did, and after the start we had as well. “If we’d have beaten (Newcastle) Blue Star we’d have been third, but the league fixtures (victims of their cup success), they backed up quickly, and we were glad to get a strong end in. “The aim was to win a cup, and I’d have loved a top three finish myself, sneak in under the radar, especially after how we’d played during the incomplete seasons before; but I wanted a trophy for the lads. “Reaching those two cup finals, I did think we stood a chance of winning both but, in losing to Killingworth, and that ramped 91

up the pressure for the Alnwick game, and they were both, very different, matches. “The Benevolent Bowl, that was more nervous, but it was brilliant, especially for the younger lads, and to win it with my family there, was amazing. “Moving forward though, we know we can improve on what we’ve got, target the cups and we’re still in a good position so hoping that, over the summer, we won’t lose (m)any players, whilst also brining in a few, experienced heads, and hopefully hit the ground running. “But yes, overall, it’s been exciting, more as that was my first, full season in management.” Slipping a little something, something in, just for arguments sake, watch out later in the year for something new from the Northern Alliance, work is now in progress, alongside everything else our esteemed Press Officer has going on – we’re sure you will not be disappointed. The Northern Football Alliance League will now hold its AGM on 14 June, where new member clubs will be announced and the constitution for next season will be put in place – the league would like to thanks its sponsors Bay Plastics, Reeves Independent, Team Valley Carpets, and Bluefin Sport Insurance, for their continued support. Keep up-to-date with all things Northern Football Alliance via their socials on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ northernalliance2019 and Twitter https://twitter.com/ nfalliance1890 and the official, league website at http://www. northernfootballalliance.org.uk/ All images (except Killingworth lifting the Premier Division title) courtesy of Tara Wilson, images from the cup finals can be purchased direct, from her, by emailing tara.wilson75@ hotmail.com

Hi Andrew, welcome to NE, can you introduce yourself to our readers? Hi, so I’m Andrew, I’m a 37 year old big kid who loves dinosaurs, especially Jurassic Park. Originally from Durham but now living in South Shields, where I drive my Wife and 12 year old Daughter mad with all things Jurassic.

You are the man behind Rexys Reviews, but what exactly is Rexys Reviews? So Rexys Reviews started as a YouTube channel (hence the name) in 2019 during the Covid lockdown. I would make videos reviewing some of my Jurassic Park toys and merchandise just to fill in some of the time when we were all stuck indoors. This continued until my collection of all things Jurassic expanded slightly out of my loft and onto my driveway when we added “Rexy”, the tribute Jurassic Park Tour Car to household. From there, following an off the cuff email about attending a local comic con event to share the car with other fans, the idea to sell

Deckchairs, Piers and Souvenirs: A Celebration of British Seaside History

Dr Kathryn Ferry, critically acclaimed author and historian, will deliver an exclusive talk on 28th April to complement Bailiffgate’s big summer exhibition of 2022. Kathryn, a regular contributor on film and radio, will lead guests through three centuries of seaside history. Pull up a deckchair, grab your glass of wine and join her at St James’ URC in Pottergate, Alnwick at 7pm for an exploration of the distinctive landscapes of our coastal resorts including those in Northumberland.

Kathryn has had a passion for the British seaside, its history, culture and architecture, since the 1990s and has written and broadcast extensively about it. Kathryn said ‘we have an amazingly rich seaside heritage which should be properly celebrated not least because the British invented the idea of the ‘seaside’ as a leisure destination. Until the era of foreign package deals and cheap flights, the seaside was THE place for Britons to go on holiday. A tradition that has been rediscovered by many over the last two years.’

Kathryn’s latest book features 100 favourite holiday objects encompassing promenade shelters, sandcastles, beach huts, paddle steamers, fashion, sticks of rock and ice cream cones. Kathryn will talk about how the layering of all these different elements has created the unique British Seaside.

Jean Humphrys, Chair of Trustees said ‘we’re very excited to have been able to book Dr Ferry. Her research provides a fantastic complement to our ‘Beside the Seaside’ summer exhibition. Being transported back over 300 years of the many ways the British have made the seaside such a strong part of their leisure will, I’m sure, evoke lots of childhood memories of holidays and coastal life ‘.

Discounts available for Friends of Bailiffgate and members of the Northumberland & Durham Family History Society. Dr Ferry will be happy to answer questions and sign books on the evening. Booking advised.

Thursday 28th April 7pm St James’ URC, Pottergate, Alnwick NE66 1JW.

Entrance £8 INCLUDES WINE AND NIBBLES (£6 to Friends of Bailiffgate and NDFHS members). Doors open 6.30pm. Booking advised. https://bailiffgatemuseum.co.uk/