Dec 2014 North Shields (h)

Right from the start you knew it was not an ordinary game as we were shocked to find a queue to get in. Not just a queue but an along past the Seahorse nearly to the newsagents on Hillheads Road -type queue. What was this all about? Standing clutching our season tickets in our grubby hands we were indignant: this was unfamiliar territory. The season ticket holder in front of us told me to make sure "You put it in your blog.." The voice of the people! Surely we should be ushered in via our own special golden gate as the stalwarts of the club's support...just a suggestion.

Fans here...

Fans there...

...fans every ........ing where!

 There was chanting...mostly for North Shields...in fact all for Shields. The excitement of youth? The previous Saturday Bob had heard a rumour that there would be bother at the game with hoards coming down 'from Newcastle' but there was no hint of trouble. The previous Saturday when I had looked around the crowd at the Vase game I was met by the sight of young kids, middle aged men (and women) and the elderly. Hardly the type of fans that would put up a good fight for the hoards  who were "up for aggro". As it was, apart from Bob not wearing his scarf and the fact that there was a big crowd, it was the usual midweek fare. The area behind the Shields goal was packed (and the parts of the ground that allowed easy access to the bar)...the rest wasn't. No problem setting up the chair and plenty of the normal space we are privileged to enjoy.
The talk before the game was of the formation: three at the back and MacDonald and McFarland on the flanks to bomb forward like wingers...well that was the theory. In practice it didn't work. the defensive three had no answer to the marauding Shields wingers. Although Whitley started positively and had the visitors on the back foot it was the sucker punch volley from Richardson that knocked the wind out of Whitley. After that old Whitley boy Denver Morris ran his socks off in a manner he only achieved in spells for the Bay. It was his super strike that put Shields 2-0 up and Saturday's match returned to haunt the Whitley fans. What we didn't expect was the third (offside) and fourth goals: all cracking strikes that had Bob purring: "They are entertaining to watch..." This fell on deaf ears however: we just weren't in the mood and as the team trooped off at half time Moira told them to "hang their heads in shame".

The Shields hoards.....?

To add to our misery during the first half we had had to put up with the Shields hoards in full voice singing such classics as "Is this the lib-ra-ry?" and various songs about Wemb-er-ley. Although I had to take issue with the song "What's it like to see a crowd?" With only two home league attendances less than 300, I would doubt that our visitors (and most if not all Northern League teams) could compete with Whitley's crowds. Okay so we aren't the most vociferous fans in the league but we are the loyalest: something previous performances had demonstrated. So the cry of "Can we play you every week?" didn't really apply since they wouldn't be there anyway: glory boys that most of them were.

Hallucinogenic effects?

The half time decision not to experiment with the hallucinogenic properties of the mushrooms growing on the advertising hoardings seemed to be wise and in the second half we were pleased to see that Leon had taken himself off and gone for a flat back four with our preferred choice of McDonald and McFarland (the two Macs) on the flanks. It was no coincidence that the team looked more solid and what could have been an 8-0 drubbing turned into a bit of a restoration in Whitley pride.
It was noticeable that just after half time a section of the Shields Horde set off behind the opposite goal expecting more action there but this time Gladstone came up trumps with some fine saves in what could have been his most commanding half to date. From then on the Shields encouragement came from behind Gladstone's goal while the other end wouldn't even join in with "Shields, Shields, what's the score?" Were they the hordes from the Toon?

Not happy!

There was better to come for us as Birdie finally got into the game. He and Kempster got more joy on the pitch. Although at times the Whitley players seemed reluctant to pass the ball wide (didn't want to tire Alex out) when the did Alex produced some great runs all over the difficult pitch. The main thing was we were actually getting crosses and balls into the box. As a result Robbie the Birdiemeister knocked in a couple to give the score respectability. The final score of 4-2 wasn't as humiliating as it could have been but something needs to be done to the shape of the team as the two halves were complete contrasts.
As the marvellous Maximo Park sing: "What happens when you lose everything? You start all over again....Apply some pressure!" Out of the Vase, marooned in the middle of the league, we need to rebuild, the second half display is a good place to start!