Grassroots on show as U23s romp to victory

EX-NORTH SHIELDS JUNIORS DO CLUB PROUD

Chief Newcastle United Writer NORTH Shields Athletic Juniors saw four of their ex-players star for Newcastle United Under-23s in this week’s 5-0 win over Sunderland.

It was a great night for the black and whites, but also one to savour for the North Tyneside grassroots scene.

The Magpies fielded Lewis Cass, Sean Longstaff, Matty Longstaff and Owen Bailey in the same team on a night which resulted in 10 Geordie players being on the field at the same time.

However, the appearance of four juniors from Shields should rightly be toasted as a success story given the amount of hours that the community football club have put in since being formed in 1996.

After the game, Sean Longstaff said: “It’s great for the club and people like Simon Brown and John Farrage. They are all people who helped us to get to the stage we are at now.

“We always look to repay them a little bit.

“To get four lads on the pitch is unbelievable.”

Cass came into the team at the last minute after an injury to Liam Gibson in the warm-up, while the Longstaff brothers patrolled the midfield, with Bailey grabbing the opening goal.

Looking back on the game, Longstaff said: “We had a pretty big impact on the game as well with Owen Bailey scoring the goal.

“Lewis Cass came on just before the game and played in a game at left-back, which isn’t his position. I thought he was outstanding against a lad who’d played first team football for them. “All in all it was a great night for us. Almost everything we tried came off. It was our night. The news of all four players being involved was received warmly at North Shields. Longstaff added: “For us it is about us showing the young lads at North Shields that there is a pathway to professional football at their club. “It’s not just about the big clubs like Wallsend and Cramlington Juniors. If you do go to a club like North Shields there is a path too. “It was a great night for everybody but I’m really happy for North Shields.” The club’s chairman Farrage said Sean Longstaff last year: “We now have 41 junior teams and a men’s team, plus a reserve team for the seniors.

“We are a community club and we have so many kids coming to play for us.

“There’s a lot of age groups but sometimes three or four teams for each group.

“We have players who have gone on to play at Newcastle’s Academy or Carlisle United, or players who are just playing for fun.

“There are girls teams too and we had Jessica Brown here who went on to play for Sunderland Ladies.

“Sean and Matty were with us from about four or five years of age.

“They have gone on and done brilliantly for the Newcastle Academy.

“There was also Kieron Aplin, Owen Bailey and Lewis Cass who started here before going on to Newcastle.”

For more information on North Shields Juniors go to www. northshieldsjuniorsafc.co.uk

You can also follow the club on Twitter @NSJAFCdev