Newspaper Clippings - Dick Butler - page 99
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10 Shields Gazette , Saturday , December 27 , 1975 TEAM WORK KEY TO SHIELDS ' SUCCESS CURRENTLY riding hign on the crest of success South Shields look favourites to retain the Northern Alliance title this season and could possibly pull off the coveted league double by winning the League Challenge Cup . The Mariners have built up a reputation for good football and goal scoring second to none since joining the league in 1974 as a newly formed club to win the championship at their first attempt . Retaining most of their successful squad Shields made a sound start to the current term in which Kenny Parker donned the mantle of marksman with last year's leading scorer Jim Robson giving support in this role . Headed by chairman Martin Ford and secretary lan Joicey , the near professional set - up at the Jack Clark ground is based on a happy relationship between players and officials and despite the Mariners longstanding unbeaten record in the league since October 5 , 1974 , the aim is always to win the next game whether it be against the bottom side or title challengers . This outlook has served South Shields well in the FA Vase this season ending in their recent clear cut win at Wallsend against the Wearside League outfit . As a result the Mariners are the sole . surviving club from the North - East left in the last 32 teams vying for the vase in which they are drawn at home to Lincolnshire club Brigg Town on January 10 . 1 Though at first somewhat shy to support the deserving cause , Shields fans are regularly rallying to cheer them on and the prospects of a Wembley appearance are by no means as remote as might have seemed a few weeks ago . Team work rather than individual skill has been the basis for success at Northern Alliance South Shields where the man in sole charge of the football side is Bobby Elwell , whether it be training , coaching , team selection or tactics . infuse the life blood into the league such as Carlisle City and Durham University this year . The advent of the club to the Northern Alliance ended this stranglehold of Marine Park on the honours with an enviable record of being champions and League Challenge Cup winners in 1973 and 1974 . In the event , Marine Park went on to record a hac - trick in the League Challenge Cup but were pipped for the championship by the all conquering South Shields squad last year . Marine Park in turn had broken the monopoly of teams like Alnwick Town and Bedlington who between them repeatedly won the league honours for almost a decade . This illustrates the vital necessity of new teams to It is gratifying to see a club like Percy Main having a successful spell after flattering to deceive for several season though they did win the League Challenge Cup in 1972 . One of the highlights of this season was today's vital title contest between South Shields and Percy Main which was worth double points to the clubs concerned in view of their current table placing . The sides drew 3-3 in the opening match of this term at Percy Main where Shields were trailing 3-0 at one stage . Having already met title challengers Carlisle City and Seaham Red Star twice this season , Percy Main had to win today against the Mariners to boost their championship hopes . |
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