By Ben Lightfoot
Blyth Spartans’ first game back since the thrilling 5-0 win against Hereford on the last day of the season is against North Shields to kick off pre-season.
The Spartans will travel to the Daren Persson Stadium on Saturday 8th July for their first of six pre-season fixtures before the start of the 2023/24 Vanarama National League North campaign.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for the match can be purchased on the day at North Shields’ turnstiles, which is a cash-only gate.
All tickets for our first pre-season friendly are as follows:
- Adults – £4
- Concessions – £2
- Under 16’s – £1
TEAM NEWS
New signings Harrison Clark, JJ Hooper and the returning Finn Cousin Dawson are all in contention to make their respective debuts.
OPPOSITION
North Shields played their first pre-season game on Tuesday night in a 4-2 defeat against Blyth Town, who we are set to face next Tuesday.
Last season in the Pitching In Northern Premier League East Division, the Robins managed a seventh-placed finish in the league table, but they were demoted to the Northern Football League Division One having failed to prove to the FA that they could provide the stipulated ground improvements.
WHAT WE’RE SAYING
In a recent update from Graham Fenton, he said: “We have around about eight trialists coming in pre-season to have a look at to see if they can step up to the mark; we’re hoping that one or two rough diamonds can come out of that group too.
“There’s an awful lot of work being done behind the scenes; we understand the recent frustrations, but all we can ask is for patience while we try to build a squad that’s good enough to compete at the level we’re at.”
LAST TIME WE MET
The sides faced off against one another in the quarter-final stage of the Northumberland Senior Cup as Blyth would win 2-1 away from home – Michael Liddle and Jay Errington would pull two goals back after going 1-0 down.
The Spartans and Robins also faced each other in a pre-season friendly in the build-up to the previous campaign at the Daren Persson Stadium, where North Shields managed to win 2-1.
MEDIA COVERAGE
You can follow all of the action on Saturday via our social media platforms.