Newspaper Clippings - Dick Butler - page 22
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74 Which is not a bad performance by a team that didn't exist six months ago and which was assembled in such forced haste that no one dared hope for more than a place in the top six . OUR SUCCESS IS DUE TO A GREAT TEAM EFFORT By Dick Kirkup TOMORROW South Shields Mariners com plete the first half of this season's Northern Alliance fixtures , and come what may at Wal lington they will still stand astride the North ern Alliance table . Shields hit the top of the table on Wednesday , Septem ber 4 , and they've been there evers since , a run of 14 suc cessive weeks at the top during which their lead has been as much as six points . At the moment they are four points clear and are freely tipped to win the championship in their first season . I should say first older season back , for readers will no doubt rightly point out that a Shields side competed in the Northern Alliance just after the turn of the century pior to join ing North Eastern the League in 1908 . WORRYING It's been a difficult and at times worrying task to estab ish the new Mariners after the swift and controversial flight of the old Mariners to Gateshead for the second time in their turbulent histo ry , but the hour produced the men for the job . Club chairman Mr Martin Ford said : " Naturally we in the club are highly satisfied with our progress both on and off the field , but we aren't complacent about it . " All we have achieved has been sweated for . We have two goods teams here , one that looks like winning the championship and the other consisting of the club com its many mittee , good friends , all those people who buy your weekly tickets and , of course , the army of won SPORTS SPECIAL derful agents who sell those tickets . SHIELDS " And , of course , the Coun cil played its part by grant ing us the use of the Jack Clark Memorial Park , with out which we would have nowhere to play . TRIBUTE " We have made slight mis takes since we got started , but we are quick learners and any mistake that has ben made will not be repeated . " Mr Ford then paid tribute team Bobby manager to " A lot of Elwell , saying : credit is due to Bobby . He short team at a built notice but he went for quality players and our league plac ing is a tribute to his judge ment . " Said Elwell : " I'm very pleased at the way we've gone this season . When I was manager there appointed wasn't much time for team building , so I couldn't afford mistakes . As it turned out the pool of players I signed not only hit it off on the field , they have produced a wonderful team spirit . " Our dressing room is a great place to be in . " Mr Ford added : " It's been a team effort all along the THE DURHAM Y North umberland Under 15 title clash at Clearion Recrea Ground tomorrow tion morning ( kick - off 11.0 ) has all the ingredients of a football feast for Shields folk , who traditionally , flock to schoolboy matches . Durham have played only one game , drawing 4-4 with Cleveland last Wednesday , in this Northern , Counties championship . North umberland beaten have last Cleveland twice week by 4-0 - and have only to pick up two points from their clashes with Gazette all - in - one - NORTHERN ALLIANCE CHAIRMAN even the weekly washing of PWDLFA Pt strips and towels is done for 1 2 56 20 25 3 2 41 24 21 SS Mariners . 15 12 Morpeth T ... 14 9 Alston 15 10 Marine Pk 13 8 15 7 2 Seaham RS Alnwick T 14 7 Wallington 14 Belford 13 Percy Main . 12 6 S 6 2 5 B Work'ton Res 15 3 7 5 2 3 3 4 1 7 19 26 Wallsend Ath 12 Bede Coll 10 Bed'gton CW 12 8 N'che Univ Thr'ckley CW 15 2 Greenwells 14 2 12 18 51 4 Stockton 11 1 1 9 14 44 3 31 4 11 16 2 11 28 51 21 110 - 1 2 2 4 43 33 21 3 25 9 18 6 33 17 16 5 32 26 16 5 26 31 15 5 43 30 14 4 30 23 13 5 27 33 13 5 21 27 12 4 13 19 9 line . Why did we bother to form a new club in the first place ? Well , it just seemed wrong that South Shields should be without a senior football team . 9 7 6 " It wasn't easy to get going , but gradually it was achieved , and the success of our weekly tickets has been invaluable . Our agents have worked hard and done a great job and our ticket scheme is expanding all the time . " ' GREAT SPIRIT " We financially are healthy and here I should point out that none of the behind the scenes workers gets paid . All the work put in is done so free . No - one even gets petrol money , and Durham to qualify for the semi - finals . nothing . " I think people should know this . And it's a reason one Durham have other ideas . They make two changes positional . Fenwick ( Seaham ) moves up from the back four to midfield to replace Young of Spennymcor and Hutton , Seaham player , another fills in for Fenwick . Main interest for Shields fans will be the appear ance of Alan Weir cf Red well as captain of the team . Russell Durham of Brinkburn is Green named as one of the substi will probably tutes and why there is such a great spirit in the Club . " But where does this am bitious club see its future ? Says Mr Ford : " The main problem is a ground . We hope in the future to be able to secure a permanent ground when we will be able to make concrete plans . We are grateful to the Northern Alliance , and we always will be , for the way they took us in , but I think we may eventually turn our attentions to the Rothmans Northern League . That's the best league in the North East , and our policy is to provide our town with the best standard of football we can . Of course , we can't just walk into that sort of league . We've got to prove ourselves and be able to tell the league we've got a permanent home . " But we are progressing nicely and we aren't going to rush our fences . Our first job is to establish the club on a healthy financial foundation and we're doing just that " . Shields Gazette , Friday , December 13 , 1974-15 England team manager Jim Morrow will be watching and Weir must have chance of being included in the international trial at Scunthorpe next month if he reproduces his usual form this season in both and Trophy county matches . Northumberland , who do not select their side until just before the kick - off , could include as many as eight Newcastle boys . ENGLAND EYE ON WEIR AT CLEADON come on at some time during the game while Ste phen Coltman is substitute goalkeeper . a Everton can go to No.1 STOKE MAY FIND LEEDS TOO MUCH IT LOOKS like " all change " again in the First Div ision tomorrow as the top trio , Stoke , Everton and Manchester City , engage in difficult away matches while Liverpool , West Ham , Ipswich and Middles brough are at home . It is now generally agreed that the tight championship is being race five points cover the top nine teams caused by the absence of two or three outstanding teams rather than a rise in the standard of half a dozen others . Consistency rather than bril liance will win the 1974-75 championship . OMAD But so far no side can find that quality either Man chester City , for instance , have won only once away from Maine Road . Tomorrow Everton go to Derby , and the Midlanders will no doubt be weary after their mid - week European travels . If Everton can col lect yet another draw , making seven in all from ten away matches , they could finish the day on top of the table on goal average Stoke may well be a losing side . as They beat Leeds last The Durham team ic : Ridley ( Stanley ) ; Fowler ( Bishop Auckland ) ; Blackburn ( Stanley ) ; Hutton ( Seaham ) ; Weir ( South Shields ) ; Fanwick ( Seaham ) ; Watson ( East Durham ) ; Defty ( Seaham ) ; Hubbick ( Jarrow , Hebburn and Felling ) ; Robson ( Gateshead ) ; Cunningham ( Lambton and Hetton ) . Subs : Coltman ( South Shields ) ; Young ( Spenny maor ) ; Green ( South Shields ) ; Heatherington ( Spennymoor ) . 1 season to end the Yorkshire club's unbeaten League run but tomorrow is Leed's chance for revenge . MCKENZIE SPARK Leeds are putting together their game after a slow start . Duncan McKenzie has given them the front line spark that has been missing since Mick Jones went down in jured and Peter Lorimer lost his form . Much wi depend on the fitness of recent ca : sualties Johnny Giles ( Leeds ) and John Mahoney ( Stoke ) . Each is capable of con trolling the match in mid field , but with Bremner and Yorath to hustle Hudson out of his stride , Leeds should take both points . Manchester City will need a complete reversal of their away form if they are to take even a point from West Ham . A defence which has con = ceded 21 goals in ten away games will find the 16 - goal pair , Billy Jennings and ex Keith Newcastle player Robson , a handful . Jennings and England midfield man Trevor Brooking are doubts ful through injury , however , which may represent a glim mer of hope for City . Liverpool would be sad indeed if they failed to beat struggling Luton at Anfield , but it is unlikely . Luton's 5-1 cup win for Mariners Shields SOUTH Mariners continued their great run on Saturday when they defeated Shildon BRSA 5-1 in the second qualifying round of the Durham FA Challenge Cup at the Jack Clark Memo rial Park . But the Shildon side put up stubborn resistance , re stricting Shields to a 1-0 lead at half - time . Shields centre forward Jimmy Robson , the Northern Alliance leading scorer , fired wide from a good position in the eighth minute but Eric Johnstone finally put Shields ahead in the 37th minute . He worked the ball down the left flank , cut inside and fired the ball into the net through a packed goalmouth . However , Shlldon grabbed 50th minute equaliser through Golightly and prom ised to make things hard for Shields , but four minutes later Ritchie Madden res tored the Mariners ' lead . Shields then overwhelmed Shildon , Ray Young scoring in the 69th and 83rd minutes and Robson scaring from the penalty spot in the 74th minute . a MINOR SOCCER DURHAM COUNTY SUNDAY CUP FOURTH ROUND Brandon Utd 4 , West Boldon Travelling Man . SUNDERLAND SUNDAY LEAGUE DIVISION V Bard International 1 , La Strada SC 3 . FRIENDLY Hadrian 2 , Gaer Urfa 2 . Sunderland Echo 3 , Press NE 5 . SOUTH SHIELDS SUNDAY LEAGUE Cooks 3 , Scotia 1 ! Mile End 3 , Chelsea Cat 2 ; Cigarette Compon ents 3 , Westoe Celtic ; Harton Moor , Cavaliers 2 ; NGT , Post Office 1 ; Ladbrokes 6 , Allied Ser vices ; PTA 2 , Marine Tech . 1 . Newcastle Road , East Boldon SUNDERLAND Nachum The North's Greyhound Ascot Adm . 30p inc . race card , Free Car Park TONIGHT 7.15 & SAT |
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