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South Shields F.C.

Coordinates: 54°58′28.2864″N 1°28′12.3306″W / 54.974524000°N 1.470091833°W / 54.974524000; -1.470091833
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South Shields
Full nameSouth Shields Football Club
Nickname(s)The Mariners
Founded1888 (as South Shields Adelaide Athletic)
1974 (reformed as South Shields F.C.)
GroundMariners Park, Bede Industrial Estate
Capacity4,000
ChairmanGeoff Thompson
ManagerElliott Dickman
LeagueNational League North
2023–24National League North, 8th of 24
Current season

South Shields Football Club is a professional association football club based in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, England. The team competes in the National League North, the sixth level of the English football league system.

The third club of this name, it was formed in 1888 and refounded in 1974. 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 play their home matches at the Mariners Park in Bede Industrial estate in South Shields. The team is often nicknamed as the Mariners.

History

[edit]

Formation and early years

[edit]

The club was formed in the same year as the previous club failed, after a second move to Gateshead by the previous club, and the sale of Simonside Hall, given to the club by supporters. The re-formed club under chairman Martin Ford (a director at the club who disagreed with the sale of Simonside Hall and subsequent move to Gateshead International Stadium) was based at the council's Jack Clark Park which was primarily a cricket pitch, and began a 17-year crusade for a home of its own.

After two title winning seasons in the Northern Alliance, and an appearance in the quarter-finals of the FA Vase in 1976, Shields joined the Wearside League winning the league at the first attempt in 1977 and completing a league and cup double by winning the Durham Challenge Cup against Consett at Roker Park, the first county cup win for the club since it was reformed.[1] The team however was broken up as the club did not have the facilities needed to meet the requirements of joining the Northern League. So the club spent the next 15 years languishing in mid table in the Wearside League while the club searched for a suitable home.

Ultimately, chairman John Rundle and his family provided the long wished-for new ground by purchasing the run down and vandalized facilities next door to the Filtrona factory, the ground was refurbished and ready for use in 1992,[1] the team thanks to the management of Bobby Elwell and the goals of the strike partnership of Steve Harkus and club's record goalscorer Paul Thompson, responded by winning a double of the Wearside League for the first time since 1977 and the Sunderland Shipowners Cup.

Northern League

[edit]

In 1994–95 the club won the Wearside League for the second time in three years with a big highlight being a run to the final of the Durham Challenge Cup, in which Filtrona Park hosted the replay which Shields lost 3–0 to Spennymoor United (in front of a then record attendance of 1,500), and were promoted to Northern League Division Two. Shields were quickly promoted again to Northern League Division One the following season after finishing runners up, The club enjoyed a 4-year stay in the 1st division with a big highlight in that time being a run to the 3rd Qualifying Round of the FA Cup in 1997 which ended in a close 3–2 defeat at Gainsborough Trinity. The club however could not build upon this and ultimately were relegated down to Division 2 in the 1999–2000 season with just 16 points. Chairman John Rundle publicly threatened to fold the club if they went down, though he did not follow the threat through.

After several seasons stuck in mid table in Division Two, John Rundle again threatened the club with closure in 2006, locking the gates at Filtrona Park before a home game. However, a new committee was formed, headed by new chairman Gary Crutwell, and the club was saved, the team was quickly rebuilt under the management of Micky Taylor and come the end of the season, a 2–1 win at home to Penrith on the final day prevented what could have been a near fatal relegation back to the Wearside League. The club's performance improved the following season, although the team missed out on promotion by just 5 points. An FA Vase run to the 3rd round that season was a big highlight, coming to end in a 7-goal thriller at home to eventual semi-finalists Curzon Ashton. The club however built on the success of the previous season and won promotion back to Division 1 finishing runners-up to Penrith. Shields then settled down as a solid mid-table Division one side with a big highlight being winning the Northern League Cup in 2010 after beating Ashington 6–5 on penalties after a 2–2 draw at Dunston, the club's first honour since joining the Northern League.

In the 2012–13 season, despite uncertainty regarding the ground, there were early positive signs shown in a good FA Cup run which included a win over Darlington RA and knocking out NPL opposition in the form of Harrogate Railway Athletic before falling to Spennymoor Town in the 1st Qualifying Round. From then on, the season went downhill, despite some positive performances, these were few and far between and despite a late season charge of 5 successive wins, Shields were ultimately relegated from Northern League Division One. Things took a turn for the worse when the club were forced to move to Eden Lane in Peterlee, after its lease on Filtrona Park expired.

The club spent the 2013–14 and 2014–15 seasons in Division Two of the Northern League, despite having to play home games 20 miles away in Peterlee in front of double digit crowds and difficulties when it came to raising teams to play, manager Jon King still managed to maintain the club's Northern League status with 17th and 15th-place finishes.

New ownership

[edit]

In the summer of 2015 however, a local businessman by the name of Geoff Thompson (founder of Utilitywise) became chairman and bought the original Filtrona Park from John Rundle.[2][3] He renamed the ground as 'Mariners Park'. To celebrate the return, a crowd of over 650 showed up to see Shields play a friendly against Darlington.[4] The new season itself started off brightly with genuine hopes for promotion back to Division 1 before the club pulled off a massive coup, tempting the former Sunderland and Middlesbrough midfielder Julio Arca out of retirement to sign for South Shields.[5]

Arca was joined by David Foley, Wayne Phillips, Lee Scroggins and Robert Briggs.[6] Shields went on to achieve promotion with of 107 points, the second highest points total in the history of the 2nd Division.[7] Promotion itself was achieved in a 1–0 win at Easington Colliery with the league title to follow 2 weeks later in a 4–0 win at Crook Town. As the club were beginning to generate a positive buzz around the town, attendances began to improve, eventually peaking with a then new record attendance of 1,827 for the local derby against Hebburn Town.[8]

Lee Picton and Graham Fenton

[edit]

The rebuild continued throughout the summer of 2016 with Jon Shaw, Gavin Cogdon, Carl Finnigan and Craig Baxter brought in as Shields attempted to push for the Division 1 championship.[9][10][11][12] However, part-way into the season, manager Jon King was dismissed and was replaced by Lee Picton and North Shields manager Graham Fenton. In October 2016, South Shields then appointed former Sunderland defender Martin Scott as assistant manager.[13]

South Shields went on to lose just one game in all competitions out of 55, this included a period between November 2016 and April 2017 of 32 successive wins, an unofficial world record. They would go on to win the Durham Challenge Cup for the first time since 1977, the Northern League Cup for the second time and the FA Vase. Shields had dispatched Esh Winning, Runcorn Linnets, Marske United, Staveley Miners Welfare, Morpeth Town and Team Solent before a home quarter-final against Newport Pagnell Town, here the attendance record was smashed as a crowd of 3,161 saw Shields dispatch their Buckinghamshire opponents 6–1 setting up a semi-final tie against Warwickshire outfit Coleshill Town.

Despite a spirited display from their opponents, Shields managed to grind out what turned out to be a crucial 2–1 win in the away leg at Coleshill Town[14] and a week later, Shields turned on the style in a 4–0 win in front of a new ground record of 3,464 meaning South Shields would be going to Wembley Stadium for the first time in their history.[15] In the final on 21 May 2017, South Shields's opposition came in the form of the Northern Counties East League champions Cleethorpes Town against whom Shields played in front of an estimated 14,000 of their own supporters. Shields went on to win 4–0 to lift the 2017 FA Vase.[16]

In this time, South Shields also managed to use their multiple games in hand to overturn a 17-point deficit to rivals North Shields at the top of the Northern League to win the title with 108 points, with the league title clinched after a 4–1 win away at Ashington. This meant that when the FA Vase was won, South Shields had completed a 'quadruple' of trophies.[17]

The 2017–18 season brought more success in the form of a club record run in the FA Cup. After beating Bridlington Town[18] and Witton Albion,[19] South Shields inflicted two big cup shocks against higher division Darlington and York City.[20][21] This set up a 4th qualifying round fixture against local Hartlepool United (a team three divisions higher).[22] The visitors narrowly won 2–1 in front of a crowd of 2,887. South Shields entered the FA Trophy for the first time since 1974 and reached the 2nd Qualifying round of the tournament.

In the league, Shields recovered from a New Year's Day defeat at home to title rivals Scarborough Athletic to win promotion and the league title by losing just one of their remaining 23 league games. A 4–2 defeat at Colwyn Bay in September ended an unbeaten run in all competitions that stretched back 11 months and the 100 point mark was surpassed for the third successive season.[23] Julio Arca went on to lift the league championship trophy in front of a jubilant home crowd of over 2,000 on the final day. However, this turned out to be his last act as a South Shields player as he would announce his retirement soon after.[24]

Northern Premier League

[edit]

In the 2018–19 season, South Shields competed in the NPL Premier Division, the same division which the previous incarnation of the club left behind in 1974 and also the highest level of non-League football that the current incarnation of the club had ever played at.

The first team would have a very positive first season at NPL Premier Division level. Despite a sluggish start, Shields would go on to lose just 2 of their remaining 28 league games to take the title fight all the way to the final day, ultimately losing out to Farsley Celtic by just three points. Despite this, Shields claimed a highly respectable 2nd-place finish. However the playoffs would end at the second hurdle where Shields would fall to Warrington Town in the league play-off final.[25] This ended the streak of promotions at three.

The 2019–20 season saw many changes at the club, the biggest being the switch to a hybrid model encompassing both part-time and full-time players, the first steps towards Shields becoming a full-time professional club which saw a significant turnover of players.[26]

The league season started very strongly with the club winning 10 of their first 12 games before a mid-season blip saw their 10-point lead wiped out. Furthermore, the club made it to the first round of the FA Trophy before losing out to Southport.[27] Form began to improve through the winter with 5 wins in 6 before the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic put a premature end to the league season. At the point of stoppage, Shields held a 12-point lead at the top of the NPL Premier Division with just 9 games left to play. A legal challenge attempting to overturn the ruling to null and void the season proved unsuccessful; thereby confirming Shields would once again participate in the Northern Premier League for the 2020–21 season.[28]

In that 2020–21 season, the season was curtailed once again thanks to the pandemic but history was still made. For the first time in the history of the current incarnation, the Mariners made the first round of the FA Cup following a win against National League side FC Halifax Town.[29] This set up a first round fixture with League Two side Cheltenham Town which South Shields lost 3–1.[30]

The 2021–22 season saw South Shields become fully professional, the first time a football club in the town would have that status since the first incarnation's Football League days in the 1920s.[31] But despite a strong start (winning 9 of the first 11 league games) and a mid season managerial change (which saw Graham Fenton replaced by Kevin Phillips),[32] Shields were ultimately pipped to the league title by Buxton and would go on to lose in the play-off semi-finals to Warrington Town.[33]

In the 2022–23 FA Cup, Shields beat National League side Scunthorpe United 1–0 to reach the first round.[34] In the first round, Shields met League One side Forest Green Rovers at home, a match that would be televised on the BBC.[35] South Shields lost 2–0 in front of a club record attendance of 3,800.[36] On 10 April 2023, South Shields defeated Whitby Town 1–0 to clinch the Northern Premier League title and earn promotion to the National League North, to be their first season in the sixth tier since their reforming in 1974.[37]

National League

[edit]

Following promotion, Phillips left the club by mutual consent and was replaced by Julio Arca.[38] The 2023–24 season started brightly. However, Arca was dismissed on 27 December 2023 with South Shields in 8th-place in the National League North after an eight-game winless run in all competitions.[39]

Initially brought in on an interim basis, academy boss and U19's coach Elliott Dickman took the reigns after the club had dropped into mid-table. However a strong end to the season which saw a run of 12 wins in the final 20 games saw South Shields make a late run for a play-off place. Despite missing out on the play-offs by one point, Dickman signed a two-year contract.

Recent seasons

[edit]
Statistics from previous seasons[40]
Year League Level Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Position FA Cup FA Trophy FA Vase Average league attendance
2012–13 Northern Division One 9 46 11 5 30 54 117 −63 38 23rd
Relegated
QR1 R1 164
2013–14 Northern Division Two 10 42 11 15 16 62 88 −26 48 17th P R1 69
2014–15 Northern Division Two 10 42 16 5 21 78 74 +4 53 15th QR2 70
2015–16 Northern Division Two 10 42 35 2 5 122 31 +91 107 1st
Promoted
R3 765
2016–17 Northern Division One 9 42 34 6 2 127 35 +92 108 1st
Promoted
EP Winners 1,226
2017–18 NPL Division One North 8 42 32 7 3 112 37 +75 103 1st
Promoted
QR4 QR2 1,489[41]
2018–19 NPL Premier Division 7 40 27 6 7 86 41 +45 87 2nd QR2 QR3 1,546[42]
2019–20 NPL Premier Division 7 33 21 6 6 64 34 +30 69 1st[a] QR1 R1 1,670[43]
2020–21 NPL Premier Division 7 9 4 3 2 12 8 +4 15 6th[b] R1 R1 360[44][c]
2021–22 NPL Premier Division 7 42 23 9 10 71 40 +31 78 2nd QR2 QR3 2,126[45]
2022–23 NPL Premier Division 7 42 25 10 7 71 39 +32 85 1st
Promoted
R1 R1 2,146[46]
2023–24 National League North 6 46 22 8 16 79 53 +26 74 8th QR3 R2 2,220

Stadium

[edit]

South Shields play their home games at Mariners Park situated on the Simonside Industrial Estate, South Shields. The stadium has been known as the 1st Cloud Arena for sponsorship reasons since 2020.[47][48] This deal was extended until at least summer 2025.[48] It has a capacity of around 4,000 with approximately just under 1,100 seats across two seated stands. It includes 3 bars (one within a large marquee), a hospitality lounge with balcony, 15 executive boxes and a club shop.[citation needed] The ground was home to the Filtrona factory's works football team before previous chairman John Rundle bought the facility and moved Shields in during the summer of 1992.[49] Before this, the club used rented council facilities like The Nook but spent the majority of their existence sharing Jack Clark Park with Marsden cricket club.[citation needed]

The club were forced to leave the facility after the 2012–13 season by the former chairman who still acted as landlord until funds or a buyer could be found.[49] During this, the club played their games at Eden Lane, the former home of Peterlee Newtown FC for two seasons.[50] This was before current chairman Geoff Thompson bought the Filtrona Park premises in May 2015 and moved the club back in.[51]

The ground is within a 2-minute walk of the nearest Tyne & Wear Metro station, that being Bede.[52]

Club colours

[edit]

The home colours of South Shields are claret and blue shirts and white shorts,[citation needed] this harks back to the colours worn by the first incarnation of the club just before the move to Gateshead in 1930 and also the first known colours of that first incarnation of the club as early as 1905 when they were known as South Shields Adelaide.[53] The current club (when reformed in 1974) played in Dundee United style tangerine and black before altering to Claret and Blue at some point during the mid-1980s.[citation needed]

The previous incarnations of the club played (for the vast majority of their existences) in green, white and red[53] which was an ode to the town's booming shipbuilding industry in the early part of the 20th century,[citation needed] red and green being the indicating colours for Port and Starboard respectively.[citation needed] In 1924, the club switched to blue and white before the switch to claret and blue in 1929.[53] The second incarnation when formed in 1936 played in red and green quarters until the early 1960s when the club mirrored Leeds United's change in colours to all white with blue trim.[citation needed] They finished their existence in the town in 1974 reverting to all red.[citation needed]

When the club left to form Gateshead United in 1974, they switched again to white and green, they would fold in 1977.[citation needed]

Club Crest

[edit]

From the reformation in 1974 until 2018, the club adopted the town's coat of arms as its badge. This was a crest prevalent throughout the borough being used as the emblem of the towns borough council and the local bus company, South Shields Corporation Transport until its absorption by the newly created Tyne & Wear PTE in 1970.

In 2018, to launch its own marketable image, the club introduced its own current crest.[54] It is a traditional roundel coloured in claret and blue made unique by it overlapping an anchor, a nod to the town's maritime heritage. The "Always Ready" motif is retained from the town's coat of arms and within the anchor are waves of blue and white, depicting the Tyne Lifeboat which is preserved as a display on Ocean Road. The 1888 on the bottom represents the year of the earliest known occasion of a football club representing the town and not the current clubs formation which was in 1974.

Club officials

[edit]

Board

As of 26 April 2024[55]
  • Chairman: Geoff Thompson
  • Vice chairman: Gary Crutwell
  • Honorary President: Jade Thirlwall
  • Honorary President: David Miliband
  • Sporting director: Rylie Henderson
  • Secretary: Phillip Reay
  • Non-executive director: Paul Macpherson
  • Non-executive director: Joanne Howe

Management and backroom staff

As of 18 March 2023[56]
  • First team manager: Elliott Dickman
  • First team assistant manager: Andy Innes
  • Goalkeeper coach: Phil Naisbett
  • Club physiotherapist: Andrew Morris
  • Women's first team manager: Alex Miller

Players

[edit]

Current squad

[edit]
As of November 2024[57]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK England ENG Myles Boney
3 LB England ENG Coleby Shepherd
4 CB England ENG Jamie Bramwell (on loan from Gateshead)
5 CB England ENG Dillon Morse
6 DM England ENG Martin Smith
7 LM England ENG Mackenzie Heaney
8 CM England ENG Robert Briggs (Captain)
9 CF England ENG Paul Blackett
10 CM England ENG Will Jenkins
11 LW England ENG Kyle Crossley
12 CM England ENG Dan Ward
13 GK England ENG Kyle Seymour
No. Pos. Nation Player
15 AM Scotland SCO Lucas De Bolle
18 AM England ENG Ashton Mee (on loan from Stockport County)
19 LB England ENG Bryan Taylor
22 AM England ENG Sam Watts
23 AM England ENG Maddox Evitt
24 AM England ENG Ewan McGowan (on loan to Morpeth Town
26 RB England ENG Joe Richards (on loan from Leeds United)
27 CF Ukraine UKR Anton Dudik (on loan from Carlisle United)
33 CB England ENG Tom Broadbent
34 CB England ENG James Sloan

Records

[edit]

Top 10 attendances

[edit]
Rank Match Competition Date Attendance Ref
1 South Shields 3–4 Sunderland Pre-Season friendly 8 July 2023 4,000 [59]
2 South Shields 0–2 Forest Green Rovers 2022–23 FA Cup first round 5 November 2022 3,800 [36]
South Shields 0–5 Sunderland Pre-Season friendly 13 July 2024 3,800
4 South Shields 4–0 Coleshill Town 2016–17 FA Vase semi-final second leg 18 March 2017 3,464 [60]
5 South Shields 5–3 FC United of Manchester 2019–20 NPL Premier Division 14 March 2020 3,274 [61]
6 South Shields 0–2 Sunderland Pre-season friendly 11 July 2019 3,261 [62]
7 South Shields 0–0 Radcliffe 2022–23 NPL Premier Division 25 March 2023 3,243 [63]
8 South Shields 2–0 Spennymoor Town 2023–24 National League North 29 March 2024 3,162
9 South Shields 6–1 Newport Pagnell Town 2016–17 FA Vase quarter-final 18 February 2017 3,161 [64]
10 South Shields 2–1 Warrington Town 2022–23 NPL Premier Division 15 April 2023 3,061 [65]

Sponsorship

[edit]
Period Kit Supplier Main Sponsor Rear Sponsor Sleeve Sponsor
1974–88 ? ? None None
1988–91 Umbro Anglia Windows
1991–93 Northumbria Windows
1993–95 Reg Vardy
1995–97 Vaux Samson
1997–2000 ? Dicksons Pork Butchers
2000–01 Avec Wimpey Homes
2001–04 Paulas Benara
2004–05 Prostar -
2005–06 Complete Seal Windows
2006–07 Ashley Bathrooms
2007–09 Nike Ashley Timber
2009–11 Port of Tyne
2011–13 Macron Complete Soccer Academy
2013–14 Stanno Westoe Lettings
2014–15 Westoe Dental Practice
2015–16 Nike Site For Eyes
2016–17 Jennings Ford Dealers
2017–18 Errea
2018–19 Puma Business Energy Claims
2019–21 Pulman Volkswagen
2021–22 Nike CEFO Group (CFS)
2022–23 Pulman Volkswagen Darling's Pharmacy
2023–24 Umbro Wyvestows Bar Bistro
2024-25 Shaun Mathias Decorating Centre MBS Protection Services

Managerial history

[edit]
  • 1974–1977: England Bobby Elwell
  • 1977–1979: England Tony Cassidy
  • 1979–1983: England Bill Robertshaw
  • 1983–1985: England Colin Revel
  • 1985–1987: England John Sayer
  • 1987–1989: England Jim Dixon
  • 1989–1992: England Tom Manson
  • 1992–1994: England Bobby Elwell
  • 1994–1996: England Peter Feenan
  • 1996–1999: England Bobby Graham
  • 1999: Scotland Archie Gourlay
  • 1999–2000:England Matt Pearson
  • 2000: England Will Ferry
  • 2000–01: England John Cullen
  • 2001: England Dave Styles
  • 2001–02: England Paul Bennett
  • 2002: England Steve Kendall
  • 2002: England Vince Pearson
  • 2002–03: England David Clarke
  • 2003: England Rob Trainor
  • 2003–2005: England Tony Gibson
  • 2005–06: England Colin Potts
  • 2006: England Mickey Taylor
  • 2006–2011: England Gary Steadman
  • 2011–2016: England Jon King
  • 2016–2020: England Lee Picton and England Graham Fenton
  • 2020–2022: England Graham Fenton
  • 2022–23: England Kevin Phillips
  • 2023: Argentina Julio Arca[38][39]
  • 2023– England Elliott Dickman

Honours

[edit]

League

Cup

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ The 2019–20 season was curtailed due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic with no promotions or relegation awarded
  2. ^ The 2020–21 season was curtailed due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic with no promotions or relegation awarded
  3. ^ During the 2020–21 season, attendances were limited to avoid the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in line with government regulations

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "South Shields". Northern Premier League. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  2. ^ "Club Officials: Geoff Thompson". South Shields Official Site. Archived from the original on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  3. ^ "Geoff Thompson". The Northern Golfer. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  4. ^ "South Shields vs Darlington 1883". South Shields FC Official Site. 11 July 2015. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  5. ^ "Former Sunderland and Middlesbrough ace Julio Arca signs for South Shields". The Northern Echo. 4 September 2015. Archived from the original on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  6. ^ "David Foley signs". South Shields FC Official Site. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  7. ^ "Northern League Div 2". South Shields FC Official Site. Archived from the original on 18 January 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  8. ^ "Record crowd of 1,827 watches South Shields beat Hebburn Town". Shields Gazette. 20 April 2016. Archived from the original on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  9. ^ "Jon Shaw - Player Profile". South Shields FC Official Site. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  10. ^ "Gavin Cogdon - Player Profile". South Shields FC Official Site. Archived from the original on 19 January 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  11. ^ "Carl Finnigan signs for Shields". South Shields FC Official Site. Archived from the original on 8 December 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  12. ^ "Craig Baxter - Player Profile". South Shields FC Official Site. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  13. ^ [1] Archived 10 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine"Ex-Sunderland defender Martin Scott appointed assistant manager at South Shields"
  14. ^ "Coleshill Town 1 vs 2 South Shields". South Shields FC Official Site. 11 March 2017. Archived from the original on 19 January 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  15. ^ "South Shields 4 vs 0 Coleshill Town". South Shields FC Official Site. 18 March 2017. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  16. ^ a b "South Shields 4 vs 0 Cleethorpes Town". South Shields FC Official Site. 21 May 2017. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  17. ^ "Guisborough Town 2 vs 3 South Shields". South Shields FC Official Site. 22 April 2017. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  18. ^ "South Shields 3 vs 1 Bridlington Town". South Shields FC Official Site. 19 August 2017. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  19. ^ "Witton Albion 0 vs 2 South Shields". South Shields FC Official Site. 2 September 2017. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
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  21. ^ "South Shields 3–2 York City". South Shields FC Official Site. 30 September 2017. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  22. ^ "South Shields 1–2 Hartlepool United". South Shields FC Official Site. 14 October 2017. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  23. ^ "Colwyn Bay 4 vs 2 South Shields". South Shields FC Official Site. 9 September 2017. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  24. ^ [2] Archived 14 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine"'A class act' fans' messages to Julio Arca as South Shields, Sunderland and Boro cult hero retires"
  25. ^ "South Shields vs Warrington Town". South Shields FC Official Site. 4 May 2019. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  26. ^ "Club Statement: Restructure". South Shields FC Official Site. 19 June 2019. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  27. ^ "Southport 3 vs 1 South Shields". South Shields FC Official Site. 17 December 2019. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  28. ^ "South Shields: Legal challenge to steps three to seven season voiding dismissed". BBC Sport. 9 June 2020. Archived from the original on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  29. ^ "South Shields 2–0 FC Halifax Town". South Shields FC Official Site. 24 October 2020. Archived from the original on 1 December 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  30. ^ "Cheltenham Town 3–1 South Shields". BBC Sport. 7 November 2020. Archived from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  31. ^ "Club Statement: Transition to full-time training model". South Shields FC. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  32. ^ Louise Thomas (28 January 2022). "Kevin Phillips: 'I've waited a long time to be a manager – I want to do it right'". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  33. ^ Daniel Prince. "Match Report: South Shields 1–1 Warrington Town (5–6 on pens)". South Shields FC. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  34. ^ Andrew Beharie (15 October 2022). "South Shields 1–0 Scunthorpe United: Shields show steel to see off Iron". The Non-League Paper. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  35. ^ "Forest Green end gutsy South Shields' cup run". BBC Sport. 5 November 2022. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  36. ^ a b Richard Mennear (5 November 2022). "South Shields FC smash attendance record with stunning crowd for FA Cup Forest Green Rovers clash". Shields Gazette. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  37. ^ "Shields clinch title after 1–0 win against Whitby". www.southshieldsfc.co.uk. 10 April 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  38. ^ a b "Julio Arca: South Shields appoint ex-Sunderland midfielder after Kevin Phillips' exit". BBC Sport. 27 April 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  39. ^ a b "Julio Arca & Tommy Miller: Ex-Black Cats duo exit South Shields". BBC Sport. 27 December 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  40. ^ a b c "South Shields". Football Database. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  41. ^ "Evo-Stik Average Attendances - 17/18". Football Web Pages. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  42. ^ "NPL Average Attendances - 18/19". Football Web Pages. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  43. ^ "NPL Average Attendances - 19/20". Football Web Pages. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  44. ^ "NPL Average Attendances - 20/21". Football Web Pages. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  45. ^ "NPL Average Attendances - 21/22". Football Web Pages. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  46. ^ "NPL Average Attendances 22/23". Football Web Pages. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  47. ^ "Club announces ground sponsorship deal with local firm 1st Cloud Accountants". South Shields FC. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
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54°58′28.2864″N 1°28′12.3306″W / 54.974524000°N 1.470091833°W / 54.974524000; -1.470091833