Graame Dury: Football, Viz, and the Spirit of Blyth Spartans

Ahead of the re-release of the iconic Blyth Spartans X Viz retro shirt, we look back on Viz co-creator and long-time Spartans supporter Graeme Dury's connection with football, creativity, and community.

Viz co-creator Graeme Dury has seen football from all angles, from his early days in Nottingham nutmegging a future England international, to pulling on the famous green and white at Croft Park, to supporting Blyth Spartans through decades of non-league passion. His journey, filled with humour, creativity and a deep love for the game, is woven into Spartans history.

Early Days in Nottingham

Graeme's football story began in Nottingham, where his dad ran a kids' side called Clifton Athletic. His older brother played in the team, and Graeme would tag along, eventually training alongside none other than Viv Anderson, the future England and Nottingham Forest legend.

Graeme fondly recalls one moment in particular, his “claim to fame,” as he calls it, the day he pulled off a perfect nutmeg against Anderson before finishing past him. “I nutmegged Viv Anderson,” he laughs. “I still dine out on that story.”

Though he never pursued serious football himself, Graeme always stayed close to the game, playing casually at university before moving to Newcastle in the late 1980s, where five-a-side became his regular fix. And, like many growing up in Nottingham at the time, Forest were the team he gravitated toward, especially during the famous European Cup-winning years.

Falling in Love with Non-League

Graeme's love of non-league football grew naturally once he moved north. He was drawn in by the authenticity and the closeness of the experience, the small grounds, the familiar faces, the sense of community. “It just felt more real,” he explains. “You can talk to the players around town, you can actually see your kids on the terrace, and it isn't 22 millionaires running around. It's more immediate, more human.”

That sense of connection has kept him hooked ever since.

Putting on the Green and White

One of Graeme's proudest - and most agonising memories came when he actually played at Croft Park during an Emmerdale charity match. Charging down the right, he unleashed a strike that clipped the bar and went agonisingly over.

“I still wake up in a cold sweat thinking about it,” he jokes. “If I'd just chipped it a bit softer...” Even a half-time pep talk from Tom Waits (“Don't worry, Graeme, it'll come”) wasn't enough, though Graeme admits it didn't come at all. John Charlton subbed him off at the break, “a hard man, that one!”

A Brief (and Brutal) Spell as a Referee

After finishing playing about 15 years ago, Graeme decided to give something back to the game by becoming a referee. He completed the course, earned his Level 7 badge, and was thrown straight into the deep end, officiating games full of 15-16-year-olds.

“It was brutal!” he says. “You get so much stick at kids' games. I was too soft and people took liberties. Never again will I criticise a ref, it's a hard job.”

Running the line had its challenges too, especially with “club linesmen,” who Graeme diplomatically notes are “not always the most impartial.”

Family and Football

Graeme's three sons - Jack, George and Arthur have each dipped into football to varying degrees. Jack and George both played and even tried refereeing for a while, while Arthur gravitated more toward basketball. Though none of them play now, they still join Graeme at matches when they're home.

The Viz-Spartans Connection

The partnership between Viz and Blyth Spartans dates back to the early 1990s and has become one of the most beloved quirks of the club's history.

Graeme recalls that the sponsorship wasn't always guaranteed. Viz's publisher at the time preferred the idea of sponsoring Fulham, but the cost proved too high. Editor Chris Donald then suggested doing something closer to home, something that felt right for the magazine and its readers.

“And Blyth Spartans had that perfect name and spirit,” Graeme explains. “It all came together nicely after that.”

Whether through posters, T-shirts, matchday artwork or simple matchday presence, Graeme's creativity has brought colour, humour and identity to the club for decades, and continues to do so today. As he jokes: “I cycle to the games now. I wouldn't fancy cycling to Fulham every Saturday!”

The Return of a Classic

As Graeme's memories show, the Viz connection runs deep through Spartans history, a partnership built on humour, heart and community spirit. Now, that legacy comes full circle with the re-issue of the iconic 1993/94 Viz home shirt, proudly returning for a new generation of Spartans supporters.

Order yours and celebrate a classic reborn here