18th April - Jarrow Roofing (a)

All my excited on the drive to the game was about how Jarrow Roofing had so many roofs around their ground. This was based on my previous visit a few years ago when I had dragged the family out for their traditional Bank Holiday visit to watch the Bay. The Boy Mark's excitement knew no bounds as he entered the famous home of Roofs!

Wot no roofs?

Imagine our disappointment as we looked around us to find that the number of covered sections had been drastically reduced: probably due to ludicrous health and safety guidelines. It was like meeting an old girlfriend (who you had only been out with once) and finding out she wasn't quite as good looking as you had imagined as she had chopped off all her beautiful flowing locks to be replaced by a crew cut! It was hard to hold back the tears...but I managed it, just. Health and safety had deprived us both! At least the Haway the Roofers sign was still there!

Nice seats....

In the absence of the roof, though there was the bonus of a spot to put the match programme on. One of the posts that had held up the old roof made an extremely useful table for what was an extremely interesting programme. Normally I only buy a programme to get the team news and try to work out who is who on the pitch but the Jarrow programme was a really good read. It was on shiny paper and there were notes from the manager, assistant, captain and a supporter. Each one seemed to have different memories and experiences to relate, something rare to find in these days of rent-a-quotes. There was also a good article on the Chow-ster, now a Jarrow player which told about how he had ended up signing for the Bay. A top read and surprising that it was only runner-up to West Allotment Celtic for Northern League programme of the year: a programme that I had missed out on after arriving late at the WAC away game a few weeks earlier. Probably Barry had bought them all for the alternative dimension that is his programme shop. These two clubs should be an inspiration for the rest of the Northern League and make other teams realise that writing a programme isn't something that just gets dumped on one hard-working person, it is a club effort from the manager, sponsors to the supporters: their supporter claimed he was on the roof (is £6 really too much to pay? A good programme is something that can be used to promote the club and its sponsors if used in the right way....nobody wants to read the same old thing every week! This certainly was a good read. Well done, Jarrow!

All alone but Robbie is back!

Tearing myself away from the programme it was good to see the lads with smiles on their faces. Maybe Paddy is a bit of a misery on the touchline but his assistants seemed to be encouraging the one-touch games with positivity as well as a good amount of banter during them. In the far corner, Robbie B was doing some stretching with the physio, or was he playing "Row, row your boat?". But the good news was that he was dressed and ready to play....one less to worry about and great to see him back.

The first half was an exciting affair as both teams threatened and it was also good to see Watling putting himself about, getting on the end of forward passes and using his frame to protect the ball much better than he had been doing. Cavey, was having a storming game and seemed to be involved in everything. Blandford managed a cracking shot too so it was a shock to see Jarrow score first. The Jarrow striker Dan Kirkup found himself with only Sean McC to beat, which he did confidently. But the Bay didn't give up and stormed back; and what a goal it was. Watling found himself on the edge of the penalty area and he curled the ball into the top corner. There was a brief pause as we watched the ball loop in but it was a delightful strike from a rejuvenated Watling: all of 20yards according to the club's Twitter.

Neither keeper nor fans can bear
 to look at that shirt!

The only down point from the first half was the return of that horrible grey goalkeeping jersey. The Boy Mark and I have decided we will buy the club a new jersey if it will mean the retirement of that awful shirt. As the teams left the field it was clear that McCafferty couldn't bear to look at it...and neither could the crowd...get rid of it! While you are at it, Mr Chairman please give us some shirts to be proud of...ditch the Wembley ones please, you could even sell some at the club shop!

Yet more excitement followed as we visited Jan's Tea Hut. Although I was disappointed with the missing apostrophe on Jan's, we weren't disappointed with the chips, mine with curry sauce, which were extremely crispy and very welcome. Although if The Boy Mark's wife is reading he had no chips at all....

The second half was noticeable for the amount of arguing with the ref from both sides as he struggled to keep hold of a very physical game but the Bay dominated and could easily have scored the winner on a number of occasions. Fierce Roofing defending kept the visitors out. At the end we were disappointed to come away with only a draw but Jarrow deserved something for the determination they had shown throughout. 

The sun was still shining as we left the ground and apart from the missing roofing and the grey jersey it had been an extremely pleasant afternoon.

8th April 2015 - North Shields (a)

Joined by Silly Andrew.

In September 1996 I moved to teach in a new school and on the same pitch I paid £6 to stand on today, I had managed my school's football team to a 1-0 victory. Still at the same school 19 years later it was bizarre to be watching the Bay play there. Also bizarre was the fact that the pitch had a fence, stands, bar, changing facilities and the rest. Also bizarre was that this was the home of FA Vase finalists: an amazing achievement considering the progress Shields have made over the last few years. But it was a painful one to see the local rivals doing so well in our season of uncertainty. After a visit to the local social club we arrived to see an even longer queue snaking out of the car park than there had been at Hillheads. What was noticeable was the lack of Whitley scarves around the ground as well as the abundance of shiny new Shields scarves. We did get to meet up with occasional Whitley visitor Silly Andrew...who is silly, amazingly, and called Andrew. He was enjoying a snack obtained from the Shields Club Cafe: a delightful Pot Noodle that would have sent shivers down Tommy's spine: classy stuff but where was the Bovril?!

I'll have.......

Compared to our last confrontation against Shields, there seemed to be more about the Bay and Robbie 'the dad' Bird was looking lively. When Robbie was put through on goal he found himself being pulled all over the place before being dragged down to the ground. No penalty decided our favourite white-haired referee! Worse was to follow as Robbie limped off soon after in a great deal of pain. First Craig Mc out now Robbie...our pacy options were becoming severely limited. 'Chuck' Norris came on for Robbie but found life difficult against the Shields defence.
It was at this point the Shields' Confectionery Trolley trundled past us...an blatant but welcome piece of Shields consumerism! Unfortunately as I finished purchasing my prawn cocktail crisps, Shields took the lead. A scrappy goal by all accounts so I was glad I missed it. Another Bay penalty appeal went by the way of the Silver-haired one (as if he'd give us one) then as I made some notes on the match Shields were 2-0 up. Another goal missed: apparently this one was a defensive slip leaving Shields goal-machine Bainbridge the job of scoring a well-taken second.

We deserved better! This end of the ground was not so full.

In the first half, Whitley had passed the ball about confidently but failed to make much of an inroad into the Shields penalty area and Shields had scored twice with little more than two shots.
As the Bay struggled to make inroads into the Shields penalty area, our entertainment was provided by listening to a couple of Shields fans chatting about such wide-ranging topics such as their involvement in the "Battle of Morrisons" - I was trying to make it look like I was going in to break it up...." Really? The other thing they were chatting about was that someone was standing in front of all the Shields flags that they had lovingly put on the fences behind the grass verge (Curva Nord - apparently) where all the Shields Ultras were gathered. They finished off their "putting the world to rights" session by discussing whether the St George's cross really was a real symbol of the BNP. Things had got that bad!
Deciding to head off to the loo before the half time rush, I glanced over my shoulder as Bainbridge laced an incredible shot into the Whitley net for his hat-trick. I was in denial...I had technically seen no goals so the score was still 0-0. I was happy...?

A brilliant sunset....about the only thing of interest tonight for Whitley Fans!

Even the brilliant sunset faded as the teams re-emerged and Whitley found themselves under the cosh but this time kept the Shields team out. In fact as the half wore on, the home fans seemed to have lost the ability to even applaud their team: the ground was silent. Sing in the library? With their team off to Wembley and still in with a great chance of winning the league, you would have expected more. Long before the end the fans were heading home. Instead of the barrage of noise from the Shields fans we had experienced at Hillheads, the atmosphere had definitely become a damp squib. The game ended 3-0 despite Whitley earning a hatful of corners. Without much quality coming into the box, Shields were able to comfortably see out the final few minutes.
The attendance recorded for the match, although big was nowhere near the 1453 reported but one thing was certain - the public had certainly relished seeing the two teams back together in the same league: billed as El Coastico by the Shields website it hadn't been a happy experience for the Bay fans. Still, there's always another day.... hopefully!

3rd April 2015 - West Allotment Celtic (a)

The rain tipped it down from the minute I emerged from my pit to well after the game had finished but the Boy Mark and I were protected with the use of our Portable Roofs (copyrighted).
There was worry for us both as Mark had only been reminded he was picking me up to make the long trip to Whitley Park 50 minutes before kick off. As we passed the ASDA supermarket at Benton there was concern as the traffic lights and then a roundabout slowed our progress. The clock was ticking and we were stuck in a six-car tailback. Then we managed to get one of the last 15 car park spaces as kickoff approached. More tension followed as we took our place behind 7 or 8 fans...kick off was imminent!
Thankfully we made it and headed down to pitchside carrying our portable roofs. A lot of others had preferred to bring their umbrellas to protect them but ours were the kind of protection that it was okay for the mature football fan to carry.
The team sheet revealed that there was no Andy Farrell and from the start it was noticeable that the midfield lacked a bit of drive. Also missing was Birdie Bird who had outrageously put his family first - preferring to put the birth of his first child before playing at WAC! Ok so he had become a father of a boy (6lb 4oz). But that was at 3:18am! A few hours kip and then off to the game....job's a good'un. It certainly put football in perspective and the good news was that mum and baby were doing well and dad was over the moon. Congratulations too them all.

Battle of the baldies.

Of course without the Birdster, the team seemed even more lacking in attacking guile, despite the stirling work of Kempster and Reid on the wings. The drive of the last two games was missing and this
was annoying the Padster, who kept barking instructions on the touchline. Having listened to various people's views about Atko, I was able to point out recent performances yet as we stood near the dugouts under our manly covers it did seem that there was no praise mixed with the barked instructions. King and Robo were constantly being told to move here, there and everywhere but when they did something good, there was no positivity from the touchline. Therefore the Boy suggested launching one of two new campaigns: #saynicethings and #paddyneedstosmile. Yes sometimes people need instructions but when they do what you want Paddy...how about a thumbs up? Go on, give it a try! In the other dugout , it was nice to see the return of plus fours.





My other new campaign is #whitleyshirtstobeproudof, in aid of getting rid of that bloody awful grey keeper strip and send the rest of the Wembley kits off to Africa please....The shirt was as dismal as the weather.
In the first half Watling should have scored with a close header from a delightful Chris Reid cross while there were a few moments of worry for the grey-clad McCafferty as Celtic's bald headed ram-machine and Sean Reid were causing trouble, especially when a header back to the Whitley keeper from MacDonald looked like it was going to be intercepted but at the last minute the McCafferty managed to grab it. Apart from that heart stopper McDonald was looking the dependable left back we had become used to, as were the rest of the defence.
At half time we met up with Celtic fan, Long Haired Andrew and his son Thomas who joined us on the touchline and updated us on all the Celtic news. The hairy one was delighted when Celtic's Sean Reid directed a "bullet header" into the Whitley net. If nothing else a home win would ensure we could have another local derby (and short trip) the following season. I still wanted a Whitley goal or two to celebrate though and that looked more likely when Dummett brought down Chris Reid for his second booking. After this, Whitley managed to wake up and began pressing more effectively so when the home keeper parried: there was sniffer Watling to score. Whitley now held the sway of the game and missed a number of excellent opportunities.

Craig stretchered off: wishing you a full recovery

Unfortunately the match was to be remembered for a terrible injury to Craig McFarland. As both he and the Celtic player lunged for the ball in front of us we heard a scream and Craig was in trouble. A stretcher soon arrived and he was carried off to be taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with a broken ankle and torn ligaments. A sad end to another amazing season for the highly committed player and our thoughts were on him making a full recovery. A more committed and skillful player you will struggle to find.
After that football hardly mattered and the game finished with 10-a-side, Whitley having used all their subs, and a draw the fairest result.
Next stop Shields and the boys will have to up their games for that one..

24th March 2015 - West Auckland (h)

Will the pot of gold be in Hillheads once more?

It was a low key visit to Hillheads for the visit of West Auckland. Our record against them hadn't been great so when the Boy Mark picked me up we weren't too optimistic. However the performance the previous Saturday suggested we would not be humiliated. There was hope of a new phase beginning for the Once-Mighty-Soon-to-be-Again Bay when a full rainbow could be seen the day before the match above Whitley. It had to be a sign! There was more excitement for the fans entering the ground (well me) as the usual fare of 60s hits blaring out of the musical soul-destroying tannoy had been replaced by eighties hits: namely my favourite Smiths track Big Mouth Strikes Again followed by a more mellower Bob Dylan. It was also nice to see the referee and linesmen had coordinated their hairstyles: all three bald as a coot! Don't try that one Lucy!

Yet again the modest crowd looked just over 200, which was a shame, given the improved form and standard of play. There was a surprise change in goal, with McCafferty replacing Flynn (a response to Saturday's flap-gate?). Also Robinson returned to the starting line-up for the first time since being injured: a reward for his part in a late fightback against Guisborough? Despite the error for the Guisborough winner, Flynn had performed heroics at times to keep the Bay in the game so it looked a bit harsh if that was the reason he found himself on the bench.

Bob and the Boy Mark go crazy after Robo's wonder strike!

The Bay took the game straight to the visitors right from the start and there were the trademark quick passes out of defence and with Birdie and Kempster causing problems on the wings, things were looking good. A shot was cleared off the line and the West keeper had to be on his metal to keep a number of great shots out. There was joy amongst the 255 crowd when Robo made a nifty turn before spectacularly finding the top corner of the net! The Whitley workrate was phenomenal but it was hard to see how they could keep that up in the second half. Also hard to fathom was the new craze that was beginning to appear at Hillheads of men wearing shorts in the cold evening. These were not athletes who had just popped in on the way home from their run, practice or match. No! These were deliberate attempts to pretend that Summer was here and could only end in hypothermia and manflu! Never mind the fact that they were, on the whole, the most horrendous collection of faded 70s fashion wear. No! Men of Whitley don't be tempted again! Not even if it is Summer: not with those legs!

Take it like a man and
drink your bovril!

As if to prove their disapproval of the whole fashion shorts situation West scored. The ball was slotted through to their number nine, Matthew Moffat, to score against the run of play. Please not a Guisborough repeat show we cried at half time.
It was cold comfort that our brave group had avoided the shorts rebellion by wearing multiple layers as we supped our purchases from Tommy's Tavern. We were still freezing and West had been let back into the match. We were joined for the second half by Newly Neal, who I hadn't seen since our excursion to Blyth: hopefully a last minute opposition goal wouldn't by signalled by his arrival.
The second half looked ominous as West pushed forward with renewed energy but Whitley held firm and soaked up the pressure. McBride could have put us back into the lead when Robo played him in but his effort flashed over. It was at this point that the need for a new set of strips became obvious as Bob pointed out the size of Birdie's shorts in relation to the rest of his body. The drag factor alone was enough to stop him scoring and a new set of strips would mean an end to the legacy hanging over the club since visiting Wembley: four long years ago!
Food for the Big Coat Crew there?

And Farrell scores!

West were now turning up the screw and it was all hands to the pump for the Bay. However when we needed a hero, up stepped the Bald Bandido, Farrell: still not sporting a moustache. The hairless wonder took a pass from Robo on the edge of the West box before launching a sublime effort into the top corner (yes again) and in so doing avoided the outstretched hand of the West keeper Lowson: a bit too Low he was. (sorry best I can do).
This was still plenty of heart-in-mouth stuff, including McCafferty clearing the ball straight at a visiting striker without him capitalising but Andy Farrell personified the new spirit with his tackling and was rewarded with a friendly punch from a blue striped shirt after typically battling to retain the ball deep into injury time.
 The final whistle was welcomed and there was a warm fuzzy feeling around NE25 as the Paddy revolution gained momentum!
Getting home and tucked up in bed reading the programme with a cup of hot chocolate and a slice of cake, it was sad to read that the loyal face of Whitley David Hall would not be a feature of any more Bay games as he is moving to Malta. A big fan of everything Whitley and not a fan of my own past with Newcastle's Ice Hockey scene, it is sad to see such a loyal fan leaving. It must have been a good way to end his supporting career. He bid everyone farewell standing by the car park gate and I am sure we all wish  him a safe journey and good luck in his new life: it will certainly be warmer!

Well done Shields....

Well done North Shields for reaching the 2015 FA Vase final.....

.....there done it, but it hurt.

21st March - Guisborough Town

Bouyant boy!

The Paddy revolution had stalled slightly when the lads lost 3-2 at Morpeth. Today was another challenge for the Bay when second placed Guisborough arrived. The competition from the Big Toon people meant the crowd was down but 228 people still turned up and I was in a buoyant mood on the way to Hillheads. Things were on the up, I felt. Even better, the boys had managed to win the away game 2-1 in October. so a revitalised Whitley stood a great chance of getting a result at home. A quick check of the programme informed us that there would not be many bookings as we had our favourite, tolerant referess (thanks for that Paul Statto) Lucy May: who often preferred a good talking to: a little too often, maybe?
The first fifteen minutes of the game it looked like the Bay were the top two side and not the other way. With Andy Ferrell and new arrival (another? )Jake Richardson  marshalling the midfield and Blandford and Laws looking solid in defence we were sure this was to be our day. At this point the Boy Mark arrived, having just finished buying a new washer and tumble dryer....white ones apparently: nice! Watling and Bird had gelled up front and when Watters was put through on goal, he slotted majestically past the visiting keeper. Cue celebrations!

Go on... book someone Lucy for
breaking Alex's nose...

Not long after though there was drama as Kempster, who had been causing no end of problems received a blow to the face and had to receive treatment. He was soon substituted with a suspected broken nose, to be replaced by Mrs Norris's son: Sam. This seemed to blunt the Bay attack and Guisborough equalised from a great cross and header with half time approaching.

Moira - so incensed she decides to
 invade the pitch, slightly.

The second half started and I was showing more interest in my marvellous cup of tea purchased from Tommy's Tiny Tea Tavern when Guisborough were ahead. Apparently, the impressive Flynn had been caught in two minds. Catch? Punch? I'll wave at it instead he decided and we were behind. From this point on Guisborough did their best to slow things down and I earned  disapproval from the blue-coated Whitley Elders by telling him to "Get on with it!" No swearing, no derogatory terms...but not accepted Bay Behaviour, apparently!  People get a bit cross, especially when someone dressed as a radioactive lemon takes forever to release the ball...how about a card Lucy? No, best just encourage them to go a bit faster....of course... good idea.

Take your time lemon head!

After that the game drifted a bit as Whitley mounted occasional attacks with some great play but the final ball just wasn't there. As Town packed their defence, Paddy decided it was time to introduce Robo for his first appearance since....a long time: time for a Robo pinpoint pass!

The loyal Bellenders!

Guisborough still looked dangerous on the break and Flynn had to be on his toes to spectacularly save on a number of occasions and more than made up for his earlier error: including a spectacular 1 on 1 effort, saved with his feet.
It was also good to see the return of the Bay bell - chiming each attack: a little throwback to the good old days and sorely missed when it isn't there!
With the arrival of Robo, it was also a chance to judge the increasingly competitive Bay Beard competition with Craig Mc still leading the way in both bushiness and style...of course it would be great to see the fiercely competitive Andy Ferrell join in the competition and so become the Bay's own Tim Howard...just a thought but the competition is still running so keep those beards growing!

The final word almost belonged to the bearded maestro McFarlane when he exchanged passes with Robbie the Birdman and his effort was just deflected over the bar and onto the top of the net.
There was even time for a fracas of handbags towards the end, after which Lucy decided to pull out the cards: no wonder she finished the game soon after: obviously needed a lie down!

 A valiant effort but it was not to be. However we had played the team with the best away record in the league and been unlucky. There had been fight, determination and good football so things look extremely positive. The Paddy revolution rolls on!

Craig does the Matrix

Energetic lino

Birdie on the ball!

Beard envy from the boy Mark?

7.3.15 Whitley bay will be rocking tonight...sort of.

Dunston (h) Paddy gets his first home win. 

The game started in such a low-key manner. For the first home game since 2007, Paul Chow was not a member of the squad and it was a sad statistic that his last goal for the Bay had been the penalty he had scored in the FA Vase. A veritable legend had left the Bay...and not in the manner that a legend would have deserved. The man who had scored the fastest ever goal at Wembley and been Whitley's top scorer every season since he had arrived deserved better, however these are dark days at the Bay. So thanks Chowie for the memories of which there are many. It really was a blast. 

Meanwhile, the present day Whitley team, minus Chow, had won in Durham 4-3 but today we were up against sixth-placed Dunston, a team who had already beaten us 5-1 and 5-0 the previous season and twice this season - 1-0 in the league and 2-1 in the FA vase. This was a result that had proved to be a turning point in the club's management and personnel as Leon decided enough was enough and put his family first. Now we had enough new players to field 3 teams (almost...thanks for that idea, Neil). The day before kick off we had another three players signing Tom Flynn arriving from Consett, Andy Ferrell from Ashington and Sam Norris from Team North.

In the first ten minutes there wasn't much for Whitley fans to get excited about, with an offside against Robbie Bird being the only positive forward play. Therefore concern was focussed on the new Whitley keeper, Tom Flynn wearing a GREEN jersey rather than the mucky and depressing grey one we had been subjected to. He even had a 'comfortable save' to make to start his Whitley career from a backpass. 

There were two other concerns. The first was Paul the Statto's worry that the wind would turn out to be the MOM and as the ball swirled about in the stratosphere above Hillheads, it seemed that this concern would come true. The second was that the boy Mark was standing too close to the edge of the yellow line as he precariously rocked away on the paving slabs. Luckily, disaster was averted when he stepped back from the yellow line after realising the precariousness of his situation.

Too close to the yellow line!

Keeping a safe distance:
 Paul Statto and Claire

On the pitch newbie Sam Norris (was he related to Mrs Norris, Fitch the caretaker's cat in Harry Potter?) was taking every opportunity to shoot down the wing like a gazelle. Unfortunately just like a gazelle, his final pass into the penalty box was lacking as he either lost control or his pass was intercepted. The potential is there though...Unfortunately Watling still seemed to be stomping around the pitch, and was lucky not to booked when his disappointment at a handball in the Dunston penalty area led to him blasting the ball out of playing, narrowly missing the linesman in the process. To add to this, he had previously missed a one on one with the keeper. His effort being easily pushed wide by the Dunston number 1. He wasn't a happy budgie although his partnership with Birdie Bird up front seemed to be continuing to progress, despite the fact that Robbie, the smallest man out of the two and maybe on the pitch, seemed to be trying flick the balls on for the much larger Watling. Maybe a rethink is in order there, Paddy. Chris McD seemed to be enjoying a certain renaissance however and had a great first half until I mentioned the fact to the Boy Mark and he immediately messed up a pass. The half time whistle blew but I thought it was a bit pre-emptive for the tannoy to begin playing Thin Lizzy's Boys are Back in Town for the first time even though the Bay had managed to avoid falling behind in the first half.

The second half still featured the strong wind, as witnessed by the pigeon that tried to bank over the new stand and ended up being carried back across the pitch...it made me laugh anyway. The Boy Mark, however was getting increasingly frustrated by Norris' final balls, despite his great approach play, and had to be warned to keep away from the yellow line. It was a relief for him that the new boy was replaced by Michael Williamson, one of the earlier wave of newbies who had recently impressed. In fact Whitley, for once, were playing much better against top half opposition. The sight of a man walking his dog past us failed to distract us from the action...something I couldn't have said in previous matches. There was an upsurge in delight as Dunston's number 2 (Stephen Harrison - sorry for naming you) slipped in the 81st minute, leaving Williamson through on goal. The substitute had obviously learned from his team-mate Watling , and slotted the ball easily into the visiting net to begin the celebrations amongst most of the 307 fans in the ground. There was even time for a comedy moment as the Dunston keeper attempted to head the ball clear only for the wind to pick the ball up, along with the pigeon that had still failed to escape Hillheads, and send it back towards his own goal-line where Birdie was waiting to head it, the ball not the pigeon, goalwards. Once again Robbie ended up giving another virtual piggyback to a six-foot plus player as the jostled to head the ball. The ball eventually drifted wide and within a minute the match was over. The Bay had won at home for the first time since early January and in two consecutive matches for the first time since the end of November. 

Compared to what we had had to endure at Hillheads, this match was certainly a great improvement on the previous affair and for us That was Entertainment....from Easily Satisfied from Whitley Bay. Take that you Dunston miseries who gave me the idea for the musical video.