FA Cup.

The match is live on BBC 1 –

Kick off at noon on Saturday 5^th November.

Thankfully FGR are just playing South Shields and not the whole of Shields.

FGR (1982) and South Shields (2017) have both previously won the FA Vase.

By Car

1st Cloud Arena is on Shaftesbury Avenue, South Shields, and has a post code of NE32 3UP.

It is at least a 4 hours 30-minute journey.

Car parking is available on Shaftesbury Avenue, as well as the overflow car park at the nearby Barbour store.

Public Transport

 There is a train strike on 5^th & 7^th November and limited services on Sunday 6^th November.

 The ground is within walking distance of Bede Metro Station. Alight at the station and go down the stairs before turning right if you have departed a train heading for South Shields or turning left if departing a train going towards Newcastle. At the next junction you come to, turn right, and there is then a short walk along Shaftesbury Avenue to reach the ground.

The Metro service links 1st Cloud Arena with both Newcastle and Sunderland train stations. If you are coming from Newcastle Central Station, board a Metro train heading towards South Shields from there, and alight at Bede station. If you are coming from Sunderland train station, board a Metro train going towards Newcastle and alight at Pelaw station, before crossing the platform and boarding a train heading towards South Shields and get off at Bede.

Until December 3, 2022, the Metro service is suspended between South Shields and Pelaw. A replacement bus service is in operation and further options are available for supporters. Click here for full information

Local bus services operate to Simonside and the surrounding areas, which are again within walking distance of 1st Cloud Arena.

South Shields are currently fourth in the Northern Premier League but have 2 to 5 games in hand over their rivals.

Warrington Town 3 – 1 South Shields (FA Vase)

South Shields 1 – 0 Warrington Rylands (NPL)

South Shields 1 – 0 Liversedge (NPL)

South Shields 1- 0 Scunthorpe (FA Cup)

Will Russ, a forward, on loan from Fleetwood Town.

The 19-year-old has joined South Shields on a deal until January 3rd, after recently completing a one-month spell with FC United.

Goals has been South Shields weakness so Will has been brought in to address that.

Russ, a Wales Under-19s international, is a Leicester City Academy graduate and scored four goals during his time at FC United, including a hat-trick in his final appearance for the club, against Morpeth Town, and a winning goal away to Warrington Town.

The 19-year-old was part of the FC United side which inflicted the South Shields only league defeat of the season so far.

Kevin Phillips during his heyday at Palace.

South Shields Football Club

The third club of this name, it was formed in 1888. The team played in the Football League during the 1920s.They won the Wearside League in 1977 and remained at this level for 15 years before moving next to the Filtrona factory for 1992. The club also won the Wearside League in 1993 and 1995. The club earned promotion to the Northern Football League first division, remaining there for four years until relegation in 2000. In 2015, the club was purchased by Geoff Thompson who would oversee several promotions and increased attendances. After several high-profile signings, the Mariners earned several promotions to the Northern Premier League and also won the 2017 FA Vase Final.

South Shields are no strangers to playing Gloucestershire teams, last season they lost 3-1 away to Cheltenham in the first round of the FA Cup.

Match report and highlights – Cheltenham Town 3-1 South Shields – BBC Sport

The team now competes in the Northern Premier League, the seventh tier of the English Football League System.

The team is often nicknamed as the Mariners.

The image and motto on the badge may be related to the town’s role as the location of the first lifeboat station service. ‘Always ready’ probably refers to the availability of the lifeboat. 1850 was the year that South Shields was incorporated as a borough with its own charter.

The team play in claret & light blue shirts.

For a detailed history of South Shields FC – History – South Shields FC

Marsden Bay

As well as being the oldest and largest town in South Tyneside, South Shields is also one of the region’s most popular seaside resorts. From 1985 to 2009 the area marketed itself as “Catherine Cookson Country” (she was born in South Shields), which attracted many visitors.

The town and region include:

• The reconstructed Roman Fort and excavations at Arbeia, which form part of the Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site
• The town’s museum & art gallery, including a permanent exhibition dedicated to the life and times of Catherine Cookson
• The home to the Barbour headquarters, warehouse and factory
• The Customs House theatre and arts venue and the historic Mill Dam riverside
• Traditional, continental and farmers’ markets and high street shopping
• Seafront complete with promenade, parks, fairground and amusement arcades, crazy golf, skate complex, quasar laser, miniature steam railway and boating lake and live entertainment
• Coastal scenery, beaches and dunes at Littlehaven, Sandhaven and MarsdenBay
• National Trust -owned Souter Lighthouseand The Leas cliff tops
• St Hilda’s Church, reputedly built on the site of Hilda‘s own seventh-century chapel
• Haven Point
• The combined Jubilee Clocktower and WouldhaveMemorial, which stands on Pier Parade alongside “Tyne”, Britain’s second-oldest preserved lifeboat.
• An extensive network of cycle paths and trails.
• A newly refurbished multi-purpose family-friendly complex at the seafront, including a bowling alley, a soft play area, a fully licensed bar, Italian restaurant, an arcade called Dunes Adventure Island and a renowned Amphitheatre.

More information on South Shields attractions and hotels & restaurants – Official tourist information for South Shields (visitnortheastengland.com)

Sandy the South Shields mascot – thankfully not a lion or dog.

People born in South Shields are considered to be Geordies, a term commonly associated with all residents of Tyneside.

A less commonly used colloquial term is sandancer (sometimes sanddancer). It is presumed to originate from the town’s beach and history.

In 2017 before their FA Vase Final there was a vote to name the mascot. The options were all essentially variations on the name Sandy so perhaps unsurprisingly Sandy won. Sandy has a beard and wears a sailor’s outfit, so now you know what Captain Birds Eye does on his days off.