Newspaper Clippings - Dick Butler - page 40
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74 10 - Shields Gazette , Monday April 14 , 1975 Monday night round - up o MARINERS THINK AGAIN : TO REMAIN IN NO . ALLIANCE By DICK KIRKUP SOUTH SHIELDS Mariners have reconsidered their position and have decided to withdraw their letter of resignation from the Northern Alliance . The full club committee met on Saturday night and , after a detailed dis cussion , unanimously agreed to remain in the Alliance and to postpone any applications for mem bership of other leagues least until next at season . Two more points This decision will be seen to be an honourable one , and though some may interpret the move as a remarkable about turn after recently expressed intentions and Shields are of applying to the Wearside League , it is a decision which will be remembered for its sporting sincerity and consideration . Commenting on the decision , club chairman Martin Ford said : " I think everybody knows that we originally resigned from the Alliance at a late hour because of two sudden vacancies that occurred in the Wearside League . ' FRIENDLY CLUB ' " We felt we had a good chance of getting in , but this meant that our resignation from the Northern Alliance arrive did not in the secretary's hands until April 8 , eight days after the closing date for resignations laid down in the rules . We did this with the best intentions for town and our supporters , and the last thing we wanted to do was to upset the Alliance or its officials . " our Mr Ford pointed out that the club could have held out and insisted on resigning , but he added : " Such a policy would have caused nothing but trouble , and our club is above all a friendly club . We are ambitious for the future , but we will not sacrifice all the friends we have made in the Alliance for the sake of a season or so . a " This is why we are withdrawing our letter of resignation . It was unanimous decision by the committee who have worked so hard to establish the club in the town . The club is financially very sound indeed , thanks to a lot of hard work done by those involved in our weekly ticket scheme , and we are getting stronger every week . " We now hope we can land this season's championship and we look forward to next season and successfully defending it . " ' BY THE BOOK ' So a potentially explosive situation has been resolved with the club displaying a considerable sense of fair play . In addition , this decision also shows other leagues that the club wants to play " by the book " . Few clubs anywhere can have such a gentlemanly record ON the field this season than Shields ; now it can be said that few clubs have such an honourable one OFF it as well . There'll be time enough in the future to realise all ambitions . If you rush your fences you risk a fall , and such wounds take a long time to heal . the champions TWO POINTS from their remaining three games all at home - will give South Shields Mariners the Northern Alliance championship at their first attempt . On Saturday Shields scored a 4-0 home win over Alnwick Town , while their nearest challengers for SO long , Morpeth , lost 3-1 at home to Alston . - It now seems that last season's champions , Marine Park , will edge Morpeth out for runners up honours for they are now level on points with Morpeth with a game in hand and a vastly superior goal average . Hole in one DAN Fletcher playing in a three - ball with Arthur Spark and Bob Brown at South Shields Golf Club on Satur day , holed his tee shot at the 156 yard tenth hole . Ou WON 3-1 Marine Park are now the only side capable of pipping Shields for the title , but to do so , they would have to win all their remaining four games and Shields would have to lose all theirs . On Saturday Marine Park beat Greenwells 3-1 away , after trailing 1-0 . One of Marines goals came from ex Mariner Billy Hair . Saturday's game at the Jack Clark Memorial Park was as good as over for Alnwick Town when the half time whistle blew with South Shields 3-0 ahead . The Mariners romped into the lead in the fourth minute when Kenny Parker headed home a fine cross from Ritchie Madden . Six minutes later substitute Jimmy Robson came on for Eric Johnstone , who was carried off with an injured ankle which required six stitches and virtually rules him out for the rest of the season . GREAT GOAL But Parker scored a great goal in the 26th minute when he took the ball 20 yards before sliding it between a defender's legs and then the beating advancing goalkeeper . time 3-0 ball Just before half Madden made it following a through from Ray Young , and Steve Hunter added the fourth in the 48th minute from close range . 9 10 Current Northern Alliance placings : PW D L F SS Marinrs 29 23 4 2 109 Marine Pk 28 19 54 Morpeth T 29 19 5 5 Alnwick T 31 12 Belford 32 12 8 12 Percy Main 26 11 87 Alston 27 14 1 12 Seaham RS 28 13 2 13 Wallington 27 12 4 11 Wrk'tn Res 28 9 10 Wallsend A 28 9613 Bede Coll 26 9 5 12 Bedl CW 27 9 2 16 41 N'cle Univ 21 8 3 10 Thrckley W 28 5 6 17 Stockton 26 3 6 17 30 Greenwells 29 4 4 21 9 50 F109 60885494791431129 30 36 44 29 A Pts 57 33 84 74 32 44 30 66 29 34 28 36 28 50 18 43 48 43 47 28 51 28 56 24 43 23 69 20 34 19 84 16 85 12 101 12 I t S a S Mariners hit University for six to clinch Alliance title DUORU SOUTH SHIELDS Mariners clinched the Northern Alliance championship at Cleadon Recreation Ground on Saturday with a truly championship display , overwhelming Newcastle University 6-0 . This took their points total to 52 they have dropped only eight out of 60 one more than is possible for Marine Park who seem set to take the runners - up spot from Morpeth who battled with Shields for so long but who weakened in the closing stages . Boldon win again Morpeth , last season's runners - up , could yet finish second but they are one point behind Marine Park last season's champions but have played 30 games to Marine Park's 29 , and Park have a vastly superior goal average . On Saturday Marine Park were 2-0 winners over a Throckley side who , despite their third bottom placing , have shown a great improvement recent weeks . One of Marine Park's They received a shock in the opening minutes , goals came from ex - Mariner however , when Turnbull was Billy Hair , put clean through for the visitors only to shoot wide from a good position . - Shields found the University a tough nut to crack in the first half on Saturday , and at half time Shields led only 1-0 through a headed goal by Ray Young following a cross from Alan Suggett . - SS Mariners Marine Pk Morpeth T Alnwick T Belford Wallington Seaham RS Percy Main Workington Res Alston Wallsend Ath Bede Coll Newcastle Univ Bedlington CW Throckley Wel Stockton Greenwells ..... P W D L Pt 30 24 4 2 52 29 20 5 4 45 30 19 6 5 44 9 10 35 32 13 32 12 8 12 32 5 11 31 29 13 29 14 2 13 30 27 11 8 8 30 31 10 10 11 30 29 14 1 14 29 30 11 6 13 28 28 10 5 13 25 26 30 5 12 23 30 9 3 18 21 31 6 7 18 19 5 6 17 16 in title chase BOLDON CW collected another two valuable points in their bid for the first Wearside League championship since 1955 when they convincingly de : feated Wingate 4-1 at home on Saturday , Hunter's 500th Reardon leads 12-6 Norman Hunter , the Leeds United and England defen der whose 500th League ap pearance last Saturday was delayed because of a leg strain , is expected to be fit for tonight's match against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane . GREAT DAY It was a great day for the Suggett family , for brother Colin was helping Norwich City to promotion to the First Division in winning 3-0 at Portsmouth and in the second half at Cleadon Alan notched a brilliant hat = trick in the 60th , 80th and 82nd minutes - all headers . V75 - Shields ' other goals came from Jimmy Robson in the 50th minute and another from Young in the minute . But while the Shields yards . Anderson crowned a fine display when he scored the forwards were grabbing the home side's fourth goal with Vale v Brighton headlines , a tribute is due to another pile driver from 20 the powerful Shields defence , for this was the fifth consecutive game in which they had kept a clean sheet . Remarkable for a side that employs an attacking policy . Current Northern Alliance placings : 28 31 4 4 23 12 Boldon went ahead in the tenth minute when a fierce drive by Anderson left the ' keeper helpless . Wingate pulled one back just after the interval , when Gott scored from close range the following a mix - up in home defence , but Boldon were not to be denied and increased their lead when Smith converted from the 63rd penalty spot , The home side continued to dominate and went further ahead in the 35th minute when a cross by Anderson was headed in by Carr . T ( - 12 145830E 9 11 19 There is doubt however about Alan Clarke who has a thigh strain . Martin Chivers , the unsettled Tottenham striker who has not played in the senior team since February , is included in a 15- strong squad for the decisive relegation struggle with Leeds . Manager Terry Neill , whose side needs one point for First Division safety , took the squad into seclusion to take the yesterday , pressures off the players . TONIGHT'S SOCCER FIRST DIVISION Tottenham v Leeds , West Ham v Arsenal . THIRD DIVISION Blackburn V Wrexham , Port FOURTH DIVISION Scunthorpe v Lincoln SCOTTISH LEAGUE DIV . Two Albion v Stirling A. 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