North Shields F.C.

North Shields

Full name	North Shields Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Robins
Founded	1896 (as North Shields Athletic)
Ground	Daren Persson Stadium @ Ralph Gardner Park, North Shields
Chairman	Alan Matthews
Team Manager	Anthony Woodhouse
League	Northern League – Division 2
2010–11	Northern League Division 2, 4th
Home colours

North Shields F.C. are a football club based in North Shields, England. They reached the 2nd round of the FA Cup twice in their history – in 1933–34 and 1982–83. Currently they are members of the Northern League Division Two. They also won the FA Amateur Cup at Wembley in 1969, beating Sutton United.

History

The club was formed in 1896 as North Shields Athletic, and started playing in the South Shields and District League. The club moved to Appleby Park, Hawkey's Lane in about 1900.

In 1908, North Shields Athletic joined the North Eastern League. After the First World War, the club continued playing in that league, but the name was changed to Preston Colliery in 1918. The name was changed again, this time to North Shields, in 1928. Their record attendance was 12,800 for the local derby with South Shields in 1936. After the Second World War, the club had increasing success in amateur football, culminating in 1969 with winning the FA Amateur Cup by beating Sutton United at Wembley, and becoming joint winners of the European Amateur Cup.

The team celebrating their 1969 FA Amateur Cup win

In 1995, the club changed its name back to North Shields Athletic, and in 1999 back once again to North Shields.^[1] In 1992 the club went bankrupt and reformed almost immediately but in doing so dropped from the Northern Premier League to the Wearside League 2, a drop of 5 levels. They gradually got two promotions during their time in the Wearside league back into the Northern League last vacated in 1989. Anthony Woodhouse arrived as player-manager in 2009 from local rivals Whitley Bay and in his first full season the club finished 6th in the Northern League Second Division, the highest the "new" club had ever finished.

Stadiums

North Shields played at Appleby Park until 1992 when debts and subsidence at the ground forced the club into selling the land. The ground was one of the finest non-league stadiums in the country and disputedly the fourth best in the North East after St James', Roker and Ayresome Park's. After 2 years of playing at various grounds around the Wallsend area the club finally reached an agreement with North Tyneside Council and a new ground known as "Ralph Gardner Park" was built in the Chirton area of North Shields. 2010–11 so the commencement of a sponsorship deal with local funeral director Daren Persson which has seen the stadium carry his name. The stadium is affecitonately known as "The Morgue" to the North Shields "Red Multra" supporters.

Honours

• Wearside League: 1998–99, 2001–02, 2003–04, Runners-Up: 2000–01
• Wearside League Div 2: R-Up: 1992–93
• Monkwearmouth Charity Cup: 2000–01, 2002–03
• Sunderland Shipowners Cup: 1998–99, 2003–04
• Northumberland Senior Benevolent Bowl: 1998–99, 2000–01
• Northern Counties East: 1991–92, Runners-Up: 1989–90, 1990–91
• Northern Counties East League Cup: 1991–92
• Northern Counties East President's Cup: 1991–92
• Northern League: 1968–69, Runners-Up: 1965–66, 1983–84
• Northern League Cup: 1968–69, 1971–72
• FA Amateur Cup: 1968–69
• European Amateur Cup: 1968–69 (joint)
• Northern Counties: 1960–61
• Northern Counties League Cup: 1960–61
• Midland League: Runners-Up: 1959–60
• North Eastern League: 1949–50, Runners-Up: 1951–52
• North Eastern League Division 2: 1928–29
• North Eastern League Cup: 1944–45, 1956–57
• Newcastle Infirmary Cup: 1935
• Northumberland Aged Miners' Homes Cup: 1929–30, 1963–64, 1964–65
• Tynemouth Dispensary Cup: 1920–21, 1921–22
• Borough of Tynemouth War Memorial Shield: 1919–20, 1921–22
• Tynemouth Infirmary Cup: 1914–15 (joint), 1925–26, 1931–32, 1932–33, 1934–35, 1936–37, 1938–39, 1939–40, 1946–47
• Northumberland Challenge Bowl: 1907–08, 1910–11, 1931–32, 1932–33, 1934–35
• Northern Alliance: 1906–07, 1907–08
• Northumberland Senior Cup: 1905–06, 1907–08, 1911–12 (joint), 1937–38, 1947–48, 1953–54, 1957–58, 1959–60, 1965–66, 1975–76, 1978–79, 1990–91
• Northern Combination: Runners-Up: 1900–01
• Northumberland Minor Cup: 1900–01
• Robinsons Football Competition: 1897–98
• South Shields District League: 1897–98

Source of Honours^[2]

References

1. ^ http://www.fchd.info/N-SHIELD.HTM Football Club History Database – North Shields
2. ^ http://www.northernleagueclub.co.uk/ Northern League

External links

• Website

Coordinates: 55°00′19.06″N 1°27′32.71″W / 55.0052944°N 1.4590861°W / 55.0052944; -1.4590861