Newspaper Clippings - Dick Butler - page 7
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74 10 Shields Gazette , Monday , August 19 , 1974 New Mariners sign in with 4-1 victory ERIC JOHNSTONE SCORES THE scored for Belford from a rebound off the woodwork . Obviously it would be fool hardy to go dizzily overboard after this opening win , but the fact that the Shields players were applauded off at half - time and also at the end , is perhaps the sort of official launching ceremony the club was looking for . Visiting Alliance officials were extremely impressed with the trim Cleadon Recr eation Ground , and the Shields players to a man said : " It would be great if we could play all our home games here . It is an excellent pitch with superb dressing By DICK KIRKUP ONE victory doesn't make a season or a win a champion ship , but there never was a sweeter victory than that by the new South Shields Mari nars at Cleadon Recreation Ground on Saturday . Conceived in haste after the " Simonside Hall Affair " which took the town's senior football to Gateshead , a town still regarded by many to be a soccer cemetery , our new club resumed its historic as- sociation with the Northern Alliance - and they signed in with a 4-1 win over Bel ford . It was a day of certain emotion , and before the game the Shields players felt the tension . Even that great and unmistakably expressive and abullient character Eric " Jonna " Johnstone , said : " You know , I think I feel nervous . " Several did . It was the birth of a new club ; the cul mination of long months of hard work ; and the fact that their first game was at home - - played at Cleadon because CLUB'S HISTORIC inches wide , Ray Young hit a post and then missed by inches and Robson had a shot cleared off the line . of the unavailability of their recognised home ground at Jack Clark Memorial Park - everyone hoped , indeed prayed , that they could begin life on a winning note . Well , the day presented itself as a testing moment of history , but the club was equal to the occasion . Not that nerves didn't show on the field . They did . In the early stages the players were on edge with centre forward Jimmy Robson missing a ninth minute penalty . But gradually the rhythm and understanding came , and ance the passes started fin ding their target it was Shields all the way with Bel ford goalkeeper Les Chappell having to ake a string of great saves to keep out shots from Robson , Billy Graham , Keith McDonald and Steve Hunter , while Graham was But Chappell was beaten all ends up in the 32nd minute when Eric Johnstone had the honour of scoring the Mariners ' very first goal . He streaked past the full back as though he wasn't there and , from almost on the byeline , somehow man . aged to snake a rasping low drive into the far corner of the net . Duncan hit the Shields bar with a 50th minute free - kick , and Shields lost centre half Jimmy Compton through injury in the 70th minute , the same time as Johnstone was having prolonged treat ment for cramp on the touch . line . Ritchie Madden subbed for Compton . Shields needed a second FIRST GOAL goal to bring their pulse rate down a bit and it duly ar rived in the 73rd minute the product of yet another superb piece of football . Ray Young , a player of great talent whose every move has a whiff of class about it , mea sured a superb ball to Hunter who in turn fed Robson and the centre for ward rammed in a 12 - yarder . - Nine minutes later Robson seized on a bad back pass to cleanly snatch a third goal and four minutes after that big Jim McFarlane netted from close range following a cross by Young . Chappell made another brilliant save to finger a Johnstone shot round the post , and in the closing seconds left winger Turnbull rooms . " Billy Graham my man of the match THE NEW South Shields Mariners are run ning a " Player of the Year " competition , and I have agreed to nominate my man of the writes match after every game , DICK KIRKUP . At the end of the season the player receiving the most nominations will win an award . In Saturday's opening game the choice was difficult , but I finally chose mid Patterson ; Wardale , Rutherford ; McFar field man Billy Graham for his shrewd control . lane , Compton , Graham ; Young , Johnstone , Right back Arthur Wardale , back four Robson , McDonald , Hunter . Sub . Madden . men Jimmy Compton and Jim McFarlane , who snuffed out Belford's Ian Tiffin , the Alliance's top scorer with 29 goals last season , clever midfield player Ray Young and forwards Eric Johnstone , for his great running , and two - goal Jim Robson also high on the list , but Graham just shaded it for me . The line - up was : were |
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