Blyth Spartans v Emley AFC | Saturday, 18 October 2025 - 15:00 | League

Matchday Information

You can buy tickets with cash or card at the gate on the day or online here. All ticket information is as follows:

• Adults - £12
• Concessions, blue light holders & 11-16 years/students - £7.00
  
• Under-10s are admitted for free when accompanied by a paying adult.

Blyth Spartans return to home action at Croft Park after their midweek clash away to Dunston UTS which ended in defeat.

The Spartans fell to the bottom of the league table after their most recent defeat and will be looking to begin their push away from the bottom end of the table.

However, another difficult fixture lies ahead as they prepare to face Emley AFC who have started the season well and are currently sitting in the play off positions.

The Opposition: Emley AFC

Emley AFC nicknamed The Pewits, were first founded in 1903 however, the Emley we know today as Emley AFC were founded in 2005 originally named as AFC Emley before changing their name in March 2019.

For the 2005/06 season The Pewits joined Division One of the West Yorkshire League, they achieved a third place finish and were promoted to Division One of the Northern Counties East League.

In 2014, Emley AFC were offered to merge with Wakefield, something which had occurred previously in the club's history due to new ground regulations being introduced in 2000, which forced Emley to relocate to Belle Vue in Wakefield, however on this occasion the merger was rejected as they went on to finish fourth qualifying for the play offs but just missing out in the final to Bottesford Town.

For the 2019/20 season The Pewits were transferred to Division One North of the North West Counties League and had started the season fantastically, sitting in fourth place with games in hand on the teams above them however the season was abandoned due to COVID-19.

In the following season Emley AFC were transferred back to Division One of the Northern Counties East League where the same issue occurred, however this time The Pewits were sat at the top of the table and were therefore promoted to the Premier Division based on their performances across the two abandoned seasons.

In 2022/23 The Pewits triumphed in the Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup, defeating Malty Main 2-0 in the final and were promoted to the Northern Premier League East Division in the 2023/24 season after winning the NCEL Premier Division title.

Last season Emley AFC finished fifth losing out to Dunston FC in the Play Off Semi Final and will be looking to better that performance this year after a fantastic start to the season.

Player To Watch:

Laurence Sorhaindo is the player Spartans should look out for in this match.

The forward has already netted five goals this season including doubles against Silsden and Consett, but is also a creative outlet for The Pewits so he could Spartans problems without getting on the scoresheet.

Sorhaindo will be looking to add to his tally against Spartans at Croft Park on the weekend.

From the Dugout:

Richard Tracey is The Pewits manager, he was appointed in May 2019 and led them on their two wonderful seasons which were interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Before taking the role at Emley AFC, Tracey managed Ossett Albion who have since merged with Ossett Town to form what we know today as Ossett United.

In his playing career Tracey played for clubs such as Carlisle, Macclesfield and Gateshead as a striker.

Tracey has enjoyed 6 years with Emley in that time he has won the Sheffield and Hallamshire Senior Cup as well as promoting them to the Northern Premier League East Division as champions.

He will be looking to take the club one step further after they lost out in the play offs last season and will be impressed with their start to the season ahead of their clash at Croft Park against Blyth Spartans.

What has been said:

Colin Myers spoke after the Spartans 3-0 defeat in midweek away to Dunston UTS:

The new edition of 'The Spartan' will be available for Saturday's clash at home to Emley AFC, a special edition ahead of our two upcoming home games this week which include Saturday's match and the midweek clash against Matlock Town.

Within this copy there will be: A tribute to Spartans legend, Scott Bell and his career while at the club.

An important message from the Chairman, Kevin Miles.

An interview with Blyth Betis Pena Betica on their 14th anniversary of being founded this season.

Phil Hogg: “Hoggy's Quiz.

Information on Blyth Spartans Academy open event.

Match Coverage:

You can follow all of Saturday's action through live updates via our social media platforms as well as live coverage via BlythLive from 2:45pm.