An Evening With Gary Forrest and Mark Hudson

Where: Shildon AFC Social Club
When: Saturday 19th July
What time: 7.30pm

Local Northern League football expert, Pete Sixsmith will be the host when Shildon AFC manager, Gary Forrest and club captain, Mark Hudson, make themselves available for a night of football conversation with a question and answer session about the forthcoming Northern League season.

The event gives Shildon fans old and new the opportunity to quiz the gaffer and captain about the club’s plans for the coming season and to hear stories from their time in football.

Mark Hudson has played at every level of the game, starting his career in the English Premiership with Middlesbrough. Last season he held aloft the Durham Challenge Cup – Shildon’s first major silverware for a decade and the first time the County Cup has been back at Dean Street for 41 years.

The trophy, which will be on display on the night, is the first in Gary Forrest’s reign as manager, and the club expects to go from strength to strength now that the hurdle of the first silverware has been overcome.

Gary will be talking about the new players coming into the side and revealing his ambitions for the season and how they coincide with the recent three-year plan published by the club.

A spokesperson said, “There are a limited number of tickets for the event, which are selling quickly, so be sure to book yours as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Tickets are just £12 and include complimentary pie, peas and a pint.

“With his deep knowledge of the Northern League and football in general, we are delighted that Pete Sixsmith will be hosting this event and we’re sure he’ll mange to get Gary and Mark to reveal some interesting stories from their time in the game.”

The event takes place at Dean Street clubhouse on Saturday, 19th July from 7.30pm; the day after Shildon play Scottish League One side, Stranraer FC in a home pre-season friendly. Tickets can be booked by calling 07538 789464.

Reserves announce friendlies

For the first time, Shildon Football Club will have a reserve side this season, playing in the Durham Alliance League and based at Sunnydale Leisure Centre.

The reserves will be joined in the league by reserve sides from Spennymoor Town and Bishop Auckland along with a minimum of 14 other sides. Playing last season as Durham Stonebridge, the side finished fourth in the league.

The side has announced a series of pre-season friendlies which will give Shildon fans the opportunity to go along and see the latest additions to the growing number of teams representing the club and the town this season.

The friendlies will be played at Sunnydale Leisure Centre with dates and kick off times as follows:

Sat July 5th: Shildon Reserves v  Silksworth CWFC, 2pm
Wed July 9th: Shildon Reserves v  Rutherford FC, 7pm
Sat Jul 19th: Shildon Reserves v  Easington CWFC, 2pm
Wed July 23rd: Shildon Reserves v  Ashbrooke Belford House, 7pm
Sat July 26th: Shildon Reserves v  Sunderland West End, 2pm
Sat August 2nd: Shildon Reserves v  Swallwell, 2pm

Entry to all reserves games – friendlies and league matches – is free.

Shildon Reserves’ league campaign will kick off on Saturday 9th August. Fixtures are not yet available. You can also follow the Reserves on twitter at their account @ShildonReserves where they will be tweeting all their news and live matchday scores.

Season tickets on sale now

Durham Challenge Cup winners, Shildon AFC have announced that admission fees for the 2014-15 season at Dean Street will be frozen at last year’s prices.

Season tickets, which are on sale now, will again cost just £90 for adults and £50 for concessions and juniors – that’s less than £4.50 per game for adults and less than £2.50 per game for concessions.

Full admission prices for league matches will be £6 and £4 with under 12s gaining free entry when accompanied by a paying adult.

Cup matches are not included in the season ticket and full admission prices for FA Cup and FA Vase games will be £7 adults and £5 concessions. Domestic cup matches will be priced at the same as league matches. The same offer also applies to under 12s.

To purchase your season ticket, contact Jeff Ridley on 07909 992731. Alternatively, contact  Club Secretary, Gareth Howe on 07976 822 453 or by email at gareth.howe3@btopenworld.com.

New season’s fixtures released

Shildon’s Northern League Division One fixtures for the 2014-15 have been published. The Railwaymen will open their campaign with a home match against Billingham Synthonia, evoking memories of last season’s Durham Challenge Cup triumph at the Synners’ home ground.

The Cup winners will visit newcomers Jarrow Roofing on August 23rd while Second Division Champions, North Shields will visit Dean Street on 10th September. The visit of the third newcomers, West Allotment Celtic will have to wait until 25th October.

Expected title challengers and local rivals, West Auckland Town will host Shildon on 4th October, while the first game against last season’s runners up Celtic Nation will take place at Dean Street on November 8th.

Meanwhile, the first two rounds of the Brooks Mileson Memorial League Cup have also been drawn and Shildon will entertain Second Division Whickham at Dean Street in the First Round.

The winners of the tie will then face a trip to the winners of the first round tie between Tow Law Town and Brandon United.

Dates of the ties are yet to be arranged.

The full League fixtures list is reproduced below:

Sat Aug 9th 2014 Billingham Synthonia H
Tue Aug 12th Dunston UTS A
Wed Aug 20th Morpeth Town H
Sat Aug 23rd Jarrow Roofing BCA A
Mon Aug 25th Crook Town H
Sat Aug 30th Bedlington Terriers A
Wed Sep 3rd Guisborough Town A
Sat Sep 6th Newcastle Benfield H
Wed Sep 10th North Shields H
Sat Sep 13th Marske United A
Tue Sep 16th Ashington A
Sat Sep 27th Sunderland RCA H
Sat Oct 4th West Auckland Town A
Sat Oct 11th Consett H
Sat Oct 18th Bishop Auckland A
Sat Oct 25th West Allotment Celtic H
Sat Nov 1st Penrith A
Sat Nov 8th Celtic Nation H
Sat Nov 15th Whitley Bay A
Sat Nov 22nd Newton Aycliffe H
Sat Nov 29th Durham City A
Sat Dec 6th Dunston UTS H
Sat Dec 13th Morpeth Town A
Sat Dec 20th Guisborough Town H
Sat Dec 27th Crook Town A

Sat Jan 3rd 2015 Bedlington Terriers H
Sat Jan 10th Billingham Synthonia A
Sat Jan 17th Jarrow Roofing BCA H
Sat Jan 24th North Shields A
Sat Jan 31st Ashington H
Sat Feb 7th Newcastle Benfield A
Sat Feb 14th Marske United H
Sat Feb 21st Sunderland RCA A
Sat Feb 28th West Auckland Town H
Sat Mar 7th Consett A
Sat Mar 14th Bishop Auckland H
Sat Mar 21st West Allotment Celtic A
Sat Mar 28th Penrith H
Sat Apr 4th Celtic Nation A
Sat Apr 11th Whitley Bay H
Sat Apr 18th Newton Aycliffe A
Sat Apr 25th Durham City H

Player Presentation Night

Event: Shildon AFC Players’ Presentation Night

Venue: Elm Road Club, Shildon

Time: Doors open at 7.30pm

Entry Fee: £3

Live Music: The Last Fakers

After a memorable season, the time has arrived for Shildon’s footballers to be celebrated and rewarded for a third place league finish and for bringing the Durham Challenge Cup back to Dean Street for the first time in 41 years.

The Players’ Presentation Night will take place at Elm Road Club this Friday, 16th May from 7.30pm with awards given out for the Players’ Player of the Year, Directors’ Player of the Year, Club Top Goalscorer and Supporters’ Club Player of the Year.

Live music will be provided by successful and popular local band The Last Fakers, fresh from playing the world famous Cavern in Liverpool the previous evening.

A cover charge of just £3 will include the opportunity to have a photo taken with the team and with the Durham Challenge Cup, won in dramatic fashion on Good Friday with two late Billy Greulich-Smith goals against Spennymoor.

There will be opportunities to win prizes with football cards and a raffle, which will include a top prize of a Shildon shirt signed by all the team and the night will be rounded off with a video disco.

Supporters who sponsored the club’s players this season receive a special invitation to the presentation evening where they will be gifted with the players’ shirts.

Three-year plan to be unveiled

The blueprint for the future of Durham Challenge Cup winners, Shildon Football Club will be presented in an open public meeting at Elm Road Club next weekend.

The meeting will take place at 10.30am on Saturday 10th May and a special invitation is extended to all Shildon supporters and to all of the club’s sponsors.

Shildon AFC Director, David Dent, whose company founded the Shildon AFC Development Centre, will outline the football club’s ambitions for the next three years.

Mr Dent will speak about where the club is now, the obstacles it must overcome to achieve continued success, the Board of Directors’ vision for the future, how it means to achieve that vision and what that means for the wider Shildon community.

Speaking about the presentation Mr Dent said: “This has been a tremendously successful season for the football club. We came third in the Northern League Division One behind two clubs that have invested heavily in recent years and of course we won the Durham FA Challenge Cup for the first time in 41 years in front of a crowd of over 1,000 spectators on Good Friday.

“We see this success as the first of many trophies we want to bring to the club, including the league title, which Shildon has not won since the 1930s.

“On Saturday 10th May, I will outline our vision for the future of the club and we want to reach out and engage with the entire Shildon community. Football is a sport like no other. It has the ability to bring entire communities closer together and we hope in the coming years to make Dean Street a place that all of Shildon will be proud to visit to support their local club.

“Shildon Football Club is not just the team that plays in the Northern League top flight; we now have sides at every age group from under six to under 18 together with a Reserve side.

“The community will play a vital part in the future development of the club and we look forward to seeing as many people as possible at Elm Road Club on Saturday 10th May. I am confident the public will be as excited as we are about the club’s future plans.”

The presentation will be immediately followed by the Shildon AFC Supporters Club’s next meeting. Anyone who wishes to remain behind is welcome to join proceedings, and to join the Supporters Club should they wish.

There will also be an opportunity at the meeting to sign up to a regular electronic newsletter from the football club.

Pre-season fixtures arranged

The curtain may have only just fallen on the 2013-14 season, but Shildon are already well ahead in their preparations for next season.

The club’s pre-season friendlies – subject to any changes – have now been finalised and include a prestigious friendly against Scottish League side, Stranraer FC. Midweek games are expected to kick off at 7.30pm, unless otherwise indicated, while weekend games will kick off at 3pm.

The fixtures list – subject to any changes – is:

Saturday 12th July: Shildon begin their pre-season fixtures with a visit to Tow Law.

On Wednesday 15th July Shildon will travel to Blyth to taken on the Spartans, who play in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.

Friday 18th July: In a return friendly, Shildon will welcome Scottish League One side Stranraer to Dean Street for our first home friendly of the season.

On Monday 21st, the Railwaymen are on their travels again to visit Northern League bound, Ryhope Colliery Welfare.

Wednesday 23rd sees an opportunity for the lads to add to their trophy cabinet when the winners of the Durham Challenge Cup will meet Guisborough Town, the winners of the North Riding Cup, to play for the Eric Powles Trophy. The match will take place at Guisborough Town’s King George V Stadium.

On Friday 25th July, Scottish Junior league side (the Juniors are the Scottish equivalent of the English non-league system) Tayport FC will be visiting Dean Street.

The Railwaymen will return home to welcome Heaton Stannington to Dean Street on Wednesday 30th July.

Finally, on Friday 1st August is the annual John Hay Memorial Trophy which will again be played at Seaham Red Star this year. Shildon lifted the inaugural trophy last season.

The 2014-15 season is expected to get underway on Saturday 9th August.