Foalle: “Without the fans, there is no club” ahead of New Year’s Day showdown

Jack Foalle says belief is growing inside the Blyth Spartans dressing room as the club prepares for the crucial New Year's Day fixture at Croft Park.

The forward, who scored the decisive goal in the Boxing Day victory over Ashington, believes the positivity within the squad has been evident since his arrival at the club.

“The mood in camp has been positive since the moment I joined the club,” Foalle said.

“There's a strong core of players here who genuinely want to do well for this football club. We're determined not to be part of the same old Blyth, but instead to be the driving force behind progress at Blyth Spartans and help move the club forward.”

That renewed optimism has been fuelled by the Boxing Day result, a win Foalle admits provided a much-needed boost - while also serving as a reminder that standards must now be maintained.

“The result on Boxing Day was massive for us,” he said. “Scoring and keeping a clean sheet gave everyone a huge lift. Winning hasn't been something we've been accustomed to, so getting one over the line showed everyone that it can be done at this club. But that's in the past now, we haven't achieved anything yet.”

Foalle was also keen to highlight the role supporters have played throughout a difficult run of results, praising the loyalty shown by the Croft Park faithful.

“To have over 400 supporters turning up when results haven't gone our way for nine games, and then see that rise to at least half of the 1488 on Boxing Day, says everything about these fans,” he said. “They're proud of this club and they stand by it. It's on us as players to repay that loyalty with performances that make them proud and give them every reason to keep coming back.”

With another large crowd expected on New Year's Day, Foalle believes the backing from the stands could prove decisive once again.

“The crowd has always been a huge motivation for us as a team,” he added. “Every player wants to play in front of a crowd. The more of you there are, the more motivation it gives us to go and get a result - because without the fans, there is no club.”

Looking ahead to the impact a positive result could have, Foalle feels a New Year's Day victory would send a clear message to those around Spartans in the table.

“A win on New Year's Day would be massive for us,” he said. “We can see the line we need to reach to pull ourselves out of the relegation zone, and a victory would put real pressure on the teams around us. This group believes a run of results isn't far away.”