‘Even legends get old’
Why isn’t there a whole fixture Christmas list of fixtures in the Northern League anymore? There used to be, even in my memory. I was always in awe of the Billingham derby – Synthonia v Town – forever getting four figure crowds at a time when I didn’t know anybody who actually went to Northern League games. This year, we have 2 matches, every other team having a fortnight off to enjoy the festivities. Given the relatively small crowds at this level, surely many players would welcome the chance of playing in front of an actual crowd!?
Especially, if you engineer a derby fixture, as we have today with North Shields’ visit of Whitley Bay. You could probably walk it, if you didn’t mind running the gauntlet of A roads and dual carriageways. Shields are currently challenging for the league (10 points behind leaders Consett, but with 3 games in hand) while Bay were lower midtable. Despite the 11am kick-off, the home side’s Twitter was hoping for 1000+. In the end, it was a still respectable 862. Not bad for a 9th tier game.
I arrived in time to miss out on a programme. Indeed, I should have missed out on kick-off, but we were behind and besides, we had a minute’s applause to carry out for a recently deceased member of Whitley Bay’s coaching staff. I entered behind one goal, a net protecting us from wayward shots (it’d get some practice) before walking around anti-clockwise for a spot. The far end had gaps, while it was shoulder-to-shoulder on 3 sides.
Everyone pressed up against the barrier, making the small enclosure inbetween the dugouts slightly redundant, as it was a step or two back (and it wasn’t raining). Opposite, a similar looking wooden structure housed the only seating. No standing allowed in front of this stand. I lent on a barrier to one side of the goal, and watched as all the action was at the far end – typical. With nearly half an hour gone, the dam burst and Shields’ pressure paid off. The first half highlight belonged to the PA announcer though. The driver of a Porsche Cayenne (!) had left his boot open and would he like to return to his car? ‘Is that your Porsche Cayenne?’ I asked a local. No, it wasn’t. Made a change from me hearing him every minute or so to his mate ‘I don’t know how we’re not winning’, ‘I don’t know how we’re not two-nil up’ etc
As half-time approached I walked around a packed 4th side. Either side of the Main Stand lay grass banking. ‘Do not stand on the embankment’ said a sign on the fence, ignored. ‘I’ve been watching football from here for 20 years’ said a Shields fan. Was the sign only to cover Shields’ ar5es in case of accident? Either way, it was the perfect perch. This being towards the home end, there were 3 steps of terracing below, but far enough below that we were still high above them. All the club needs to do it put in some steps and pave the top of the banking. (With the grass being wet, the risks were there for all to see as folk gingerly descended before flying down at pace.)
The match continued as it had; Shields running rampant and only poor finishing preventing a shoeing. ‘Worst Whitley team I’ve seen in 5 decades’ I overheard someone who’d been there, done that. Still, their keeper barely made a save as Shields hit everywhere except the goal. Still, their big centre forward turned smartly, rolled the defender and buried the ball into the bottom corner from 12 yards for 2-0. An end to the scoring, if not my amusement; three small kids had been kicking a ball about behind one goal and got muddy. Dad was suggesting they changed their (new?) jeans as soon as they got home in case mum spotted the clarts they were covered in. ‘Deal?’ he said hopefully. We all knew who'd be in more trouble, him or the kid.
The Damage:
£7 ent
= £7
The Tunes:
Sometimes I Might Be Introvert (Little Simz)
Collapsed in Sunbeams (Arlo Parks)
