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Northern Ventures
2005-2006

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NVNG 101

NVNG 101 - Christmans Edition 2005

Bright shining Newcastle Blue Star are illuminating the club's 75th anniversary in a big way - with major ground investment, a glittering dinner and an attempt at bringing a first League championship to the Wheatsheaf.

Club secretary Jim Anderson has stressed, however, that Star have no plans to leave the ANL. "If all six numbers came up and we won £10m we might think about it, but we're more than happy where we are."

Club officials were disappointed when team manager Andy Gowens, who left for Durham City when Star had a 100 per cent record, claimed that he had gone to a "bigger and more ambitious" outfit.

"While I cannot doubt that Durham appear very ambitious, I think he used 'bigger' with tongue in cheek," said Jim.

"We feared that quite a lot of players might go with Andy, but almost all rallied round the committee. I think it showed they like it here, and that we're doing something right - but certainly not paying the kind of money people think. We also have a fantastic physio agreement with Newcastle Falcons and a good relationship with Newcastle United."

Starting in the Newcastle and District Trades League, Blue Star progressed through the Tyneside Amateur League, the Northern Combination and the Wearside League - winning each competition at the first attempt - before remarkably repeating the feat in their debut season, 1985-86, in the Northern League second division. In 38 games, Star won 36 and lost just once, scoring 133 goals against 15. As a Wearside League club, they also won the FA Vase at Wembley in 1978 and reached the FA Cup first round, against York City, in 1984-85.

With the help of Lottery and Football Stadia Improvement Fund grants totalling over £250,000 the ground is transformed - the latest project the installation of new pitch drainage which meant that Star couldn't play a home game until Friday October 21. Doubly coincidental, it had poured down all day - "we'd have had no chance with the old drainage," said Jim ­ and the visitors were Durham. Blue Star won 3-2.

The latest £55,000 grant also helped erect further ground fencing, install a new boiler and complete hard standing around the pitch. The club has now applied for further funding to replace the pitch perimeter fence and stand roofing, install tip-up seats and make the junior pitch full size.

Though the maximum FSIF grant is now usually 50 per cent, with a requirement for matched funding, Jim insists that clubs shouldn't be put off.

"You can raise £10,000 from a well organised sportsmen's dinner and we also have some great sponsors. The FSIF has been brilliant for us."

Jim gives particular credit to director of football Bob Morton, formerly with Benfield Saints, and to club treasurer Garrie Forster. The purpose-built new Wheatsheaf tea hut, called Kerry's Kabin, will be run by Garrie's wife and daughter.

Star have already invited an Over 40s side and Newcastle's woman's team, run by former player and manager Rob Atkin, to use the Wheatsheaf and hope to attract even more junior teams.

Ever-magnanimous club president the Rev Ted Walton MBE said he was delighted at the way Star had progressed. "I like to think we're not just a meteor flashing past. We want to be up there for a very long time.”

Hebburn chairman Bill Laffey has praised the three local companies whose backing has helped steer the club towards a more promising future.

The Tyneside team's ANL membership was endangered last season by an arson attack which destroyed the stand and by poor performances which meant that relegation was a possibility until the season's last day. This season they had an FA Cup run which ended at Barrow and have shown improved League form - Bill still eyeing a top six finish.

“We owe improved performances both to our supporters and to our magnificent sponsors," he says.

Meldrum Construction Services rebuilt the stand on "extremely favourable terms" and are co-sponsors this season with Terry and Colin Smith of Tyne and Wear LGV and Neil Tatum of Premier Scaffolding Services. Neil's brother Ronnie was in North Shields' 1969 Amateur Cup winning side; his brother Les is a former Hebburn captain.