Ten years to the day since the unforgettable all-Northern League FA Vase final between Dunston UTS and West Auckland, it’s good at tonight’s Ernest Armstrong Memorial Cup final to bump into Paul Foster, West’s joint manager with Peter Dixon.
After a long time out, Paul’s just been announced as Birtley Town’s co-manager with Paul Bryson, greatly familiar at Chester-le-Street and elsewhere. Robin Falcus, once Whickham’s manager, will be their assistant.
“We’re determined to get Birtley into the first division next season” says Paul Foster.
The match in memory of the former Northern League president and deputy Speaker of the House of Commons is between Newcastle University and Ryton and Crawvrook Albion. Birtley’s an excellent venue, facilities immeasurably improved in recent years.
The pitch is in excellent fettle, the clubhouse commodious and welcoming, some of the lads at the ground since 6am to ensure that all goes well on their big day.
Albion have much the greater following among the 452 crowd, three coaches down from the Tyne Valley and a fluttering of banners perhaps more familiar at St James’ Park. One’s dedicated to Dawsa – “cadging pints since 1986.”
Ryton secretary Stevie Carter’s still a worried man, though: their supporters tend to go Awol. “I went to Easington on a 53-seat coach and came back on a 22” he says.
The students lead inside two minutes, Finn Hebron – almost biblically named – firing unstoppably home. Thus it remains for a further 87 minutes until sub Oliver Symons’s deflected effort brings a rather unexpected equaliser and the match goes soon afterwards to penalties.
Callum Turnbull, Rees Greenwood and Rhys McLeod calmly despatch Albion’s spot kicks. The students miss two and see one saved. When last did a penalty shoot-out end 3-0? Back on campus, the poor lads might do worse than study the art of penalty taking – and, while they’re about it, of legitimate throw-ins, too.
No word about when the Ryton lads got back, but it’ll have been a very happy valley.
*Ernest Armstrong also played for Stanley United, remembered as a combative if allegedly short-sighted centre half. Was myopia really to blame for that shocking tackle on the referee?
It’s at Stanley village hall – the one a mile and a half above Crook, DL15 9SN, be careful – that this Saturday (May 14) between 11am-2pm my new book about that wind-blown Co Durham cmmunity is launched.
The Durham Amateur Footbll Trust is simultaneously staging an exhibition of Stanley United history while village school caretaker Shaun Hope will be showing some of his nostalgic images of life on the hill top. Free light refreshments, including Bovril, will also be provided – and, of course, absolutely no obligation to buy the book.
It’s called Prairie stories, a nod to the wondrously unique changing room and tea hut building known thereabouts as the Little House on the Prairie.
By no means only about football, the book’s a microcosm of changed times, happy and otherwise, in a former Co Durham pit village.
It costs £12 plus £3 50 postage where relevant. Further details from mikeamos81@aol.com – but it would be great to see Grass Routes readers up there. A couple of miles west, the Alan Britton Cup final between Barnard Castle and Stanhope kicks off at Tow Law Town FC at 2pm.
*The great people at Chester-le-Street FC mark the club’s 50th birthday on May 14 with a day of football at Chester Moor – youth teams at 9am, ladies at 11am and men at 3pm, doubtless finishing in time for the FA Cup final on the clubhouse telly. Admission’s just £3, juniors free, and all gate receipts going to the If U Care Share Foundation, which primarily addresses men’s mental health issues.
*Reporting the new, FA-directed make-up of the Ebac Northern League first and second divisions, yesterday’s blog noted a relegation reprieve for Esh Winning and after rumours of the club folding had they been relegated to the Wearside League, hoped for better days ahead.
They started at once when long-serving chairman Charlie Ryan announced the permanent appointment of Bobby Coltman as manager and Ally Baird as his assistant. They’d been acting in that capacity since February.
“We want to leave the turmoil of recent seasons firmly behind us” says a club statement.
Bobby has twice managed the Team GB squad to gold at the Special Olympics and coached Spennymoor Under 23s in the Warside League. Ally has been a successful coach with Co Durham Under 23s.
Former Newton Aycliffe FC press officer Paul McGarry joins Esh Winning in a business development role.
“We’re excited to be given this chance” says Bobby. “With the greatest respect to the division, we firmly believe that we can give it a go next season and give Charlie fewer sleepless nights.”
Grass Routes 