Winning at Wembley’s wonderful experience - lose and it’s a very lonely place
WE NEED TO BLOCK OUT THE HYPE AND FOCUS, SAYS CO-MANAGER OF SHIELDS
GRAHAM Fenton, co-manager of rampant Vase finalists South Shields, is searching for a hat-trick of Wembley wins on Sunday while fearful of history cruelly repeating itself.
Fenton has lifted the League Cup at the national stadium with Aston Villa in a 1994 battle of the heavyweights against Manchester United and the Vase itself two years ago when manager across the Tyne at North Shields.
However, such a joyful past of collecting silver doesn’t blind him to the pitfalls of what could lie ahead if the Mariners believe the hype surrounding their challenge to Cleethorpes Town.
“We are the red-hot favourites,” admitted Fenton. “Everyone thinks we just have to turn up and win on Sunday but that’s the potential problem.
“When North Shields claimed the Vase in 2015 we had started out on our journey as 66-1 outsiders and even when we got to the final Glossop were the heavy favourites. Last year was the same – Hereford were expected to beat Morpeth.
“So we must guard against yet another upset. The players have to block out all the talk and banish complacency. We need to go to Wembley with the right attitude and determination. If we do we’ll be all right. I’ve told the lads that Wembley is only a wonderful experience if you win. Lose and it’s a very lonely place.
“Cup football is littered with upsets – take Newcastle United at Hereford! We have to remember that.”
It’s easy to understand why South Shields walk with the burden of expectancy. They are unbeaten in their last 37 matches dating back to November 5, having set a club record of 32 consecutive victories en route to claiming both the Northern League First Division title and the League Cup.
At one point little more than a month ago Shields were a whopping 17 points behind the league leaders because of a massive backlog of fixtures due to Vase success but they steamed through to an impressive title notched with more than 100 points.
Little wonder the town has gone Vase crazy as chairman Geoff Thompson plots a course of action aimed at taking his home town club into the Conference and even beyond to the Football League.
As part of that plan Fenton and his fellow co-manager Lee Picton are to go full-time – a staggering move for a club still buried in the pyramid system.
After Wembley is confined to the history books – hopefully with further silverware in the trophy cabinet – Fenton and Picton will switch from their day jobs with Monkseaton High School Sixth Form to South Shields’ spanking new academy, which is opening for 16 to 19-year-olds from August.
Their Monkseaton years are an indication of how having co-managers (something I have never been keen on) has worked for South Shields.
“We have been together working day by day for eight years,” explained Fenton. “We know each other inside out. It’s not a case of good cop, bad cop but utilising the strengths each brings to the job. “I know co-managers are controversial in football but Salford City, who are run by the old Manchester United legends, employ it and they have won back-to-back promotions. “I’m excited about the future of South Shields, but first we have a huge job to do before we go into the Evo-Stik League Division One North next season. We are on a massive platform at Wembley sharing the day with the FA Trophy final, which last year in its first season saw the combined gate top 51,000.” The Mariners have enjoyed a splash of the big time during their preparations for Wembley with help from three top clubs.
“We have already trained at Sunderland’s academy and we were over to Newcastle United’s academy last night,” Fenton told me.
“Then on Saturday en route to Wembley we’re stopping off at my first Football League club Aston Villa for a leg stretch.
Cup football is littered with upsets – take Newcastle United at Hereford! We have to remember that Graham Fenton
“It’s terrific that our two big neighbours Newcastle and Sunderland should help us so much and I thought that to drop into Villa en route instead of training in a local park or whatever would help build the occasion.”
South Shields’ all-powerful team, which has swept aside all opposition in 2017, has as its foundation the perfect blend of experience and energetic youth.
“I’ve always believed a good team is led by a group of strong characters in the dressing room,” said Fenton, who in a decent top-flight career played for the likes of Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers and Leicester City. “We’re lucky that we have Julio Arca, Jon Shaw and Craig Baxter, who are all leaders.
“When I first broke into Villa’s team as a kid I benefited from having Paul McGrath, Kevin Richardson, Andy Townsend and Dean Saunders in our dressing room. “We have a good blend at Shields. We base everything on team ethic. “We’re set up right – we defend together and attack together. “However, Cleethorpes will provide us with a test. We’ve had a few reports and I went to watch them myself. I was impressed. “Any team that can beat a side in the Vase semi-final (Bromsgrove) who were unbeaten in their league have to be doing something right.”
Fenton will share his big day with another former Wallsend Boys Club team-mate, Steve Watson, who is first team coach at Trophy finalists Macclesfield Town.
“We played together at the boys club for a year and in the same county side for three or four years,” said Graham.
“It’s good to be at Wembley together and it’ll be even better if we both win.”
Geordies will drink to that.