Why North beats South in cup stakes
WHEN South Shields take to Wembley’s sacred pitch tomorrow, they will be the 10th Northern League side to do so in nine seasons.
The league has a rich recent history in the competition, initiated by Whitley Bay’s trio of consecutive triumphs between 2009 and 2011.
The ever-reliable Paul Chow scored in each of Whitley Bay’s finals (including netting the fastest ever goal at the new Wembley) which set off a chain reaction of Northern League finalists at the national stadium.
The trophy has been brought back to the North East for the last two years and this year’s Northern League champions Shields are favourites to win it this time around.
Their squad certainly has the pedigree to do so, with five of their current crop having previously played in a final. Liam Connell won the title with Dunston UTS in 2012, while Gav Cogdon, Andrew Stephenson and Wayne Phillips were all part of the Spennymoor Town side that lifted the trophy a year later. Robert Briggs was part of the West Auckland Town side that fell 1-0 to Sholing in the 2014 final.
Their coaching staff have Wembley history too – joint-manager Lee Picton won the trophy twice as a player with Whitley Bay. His associate Graham Fenton lifted the trophy as manager of North Shields in 2015.
So, the Northern League has a serious record in the competition, but what is the reason behind this success? Russell Wynn, social media co-ordinator at the Northern League and media manager at 2015 victors North Shields – and who has covered the last two finals – thinks the Vase is particularly special to the North Shields lifted the FA Vase in 2015 beating Glossop North End Northern League as a whole. “The FA Vase means so much to the league because the players, fans, committees and clubs make it so,” he said. “The Vase is our FA Cup and big ties generate a unique atmosphere.
“I think the fact that the Vase gives ordinary lads a chance to do what they love on Wembley’s hallowed turf just gives players a lift, and with the quality in the league it’s why we do so well,
“Some will cite the lack of promotion but the league itself attracts quality that could probably play one, two, or three levels higher, but they choose to play in the Northern League due to its competitive and passionate nature,
“Having watched football elsewhere in the country, it’s easy to see why.” If South Shields lift the trophy tomorrow they will be the seventh Northern League team to do so in eight years – a quite astonishing feat in a national competition with more than 500 teams involved.