Difficult to
Sports Writer EVEN with everything else South Shields have had going on this season, Carl Finnigan admits it has been hard not to think about Wembley. Now the striker does not have to worry about it.
The Mariners walk out at football’s most famous stadium at 12.15pm tomorrow to face Cleethorpes in the FA Vase final. Finnigan cannot wait.
“Any child growing up kicking around in the street dreams of playing at Wembley,” he says. “Fortunately for us it’s a reality so it’s something to be massively excited about.”
South Shields have played 13 times since March’s two-legged victory over Coleshill Town in the semifinal. Smith is a huge fan-favourite, and has been with Shields since his days at Peterlee. He has amassed more than 250 appearances for the Mariners and has remained a squad staple despite a huge recent influx of money and talent into the side. Noted for an immense engine and always giving everything, Smith won the Shields Player of the Season, Players’ Player of the Season and
BARRIE SMITH
Even with a league title and two cups – all won – to concentrate on instead, not thinking about playing under the arch has been tough.
“Yeah it has been because it’s a massive occasion and something everybody’s excited about so it has been a case of putting it on the shelf and leaving it there because we had the league and two cups to win,” says former Newcastle United trainee Finnigan.
“Although it would be a massive achievement and it’s something we were all thinking about, it had to be put to one side for now.
“It wasn’t easy because common conversation.
“You bumped into a friend or a supporter and they wanted to talk it was