THE VISITORS Everything you need to know about today’s opposition Shildon AFC

THE VISITORS...

INTRODUCING

SHILDON AFC

Credit @Official_SAFC

Welcome to our visitors, Shildon AFC. Just 4.4 miles separate The Railwaymen from Aycliffe which means when Shildon come to town there is often more than just three points up for grabs. Over the years there have been a number of players to have crossed through the Middridge divide which also often adds an extra element to the fixture.

In recent seasons Shildon have held the upper hand over Aycliffe, with the Newtonians winning just three of the last 10 meetings between the sides; the latest being a 2-1 win at The Beaumont Landscapes Stadium in the 2017-18 campaign.

The Reds were third in the league table in March before the season was declared null and void and they will be looking to repeat their fantastic efforts this time around to gain promotion as they boast a plethora of attacking threats in their side.

There are a number of ‘derby’ clashes on the fixture list each season for Aycliffe, but this game in particular is the first to be circled on the calendar as another chapter in this storied rivalry gets written today.

STAFF

DANIEL MOORE PLAYER/ MANAGER

Originally from Mansfield, now Hartlepool, first played for Mansfield Town until he enlisted in the army. Daniel proudly gave eight years’ service in the Infantry unit The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers completing two tours of Afghanistan, one of Iraq and one of Kosovo and lived in Northern Ireland for two and half years.

A transfer to Catterick brought him to the North East where he played for

Shildon, Spennymoor Town, Celtic Nation and of course a return to Shildon

AFC where he has played close to 500 games. It was at Shildon that he got his big break into management signing a three year contract with the club. Since his appointment in January 2017 he has taken Shildon to 4th position in the Northern

League, in his first season, and 3rd in his second.

GOALKEEPERS

SHAUN NEWBROOK

Signed at the beginning of the 2018/19 Season and has made over 80 appearances for The Railwaymen. The 31-year-old has previously had spells at Jarrow Roofing and Seaham Red Star.

MATTHEW BATEMAN

Young Goalkeeper signed from Bishop Juniors in October 2019. The 17-year-old provides back-up to Newbrook between the sticks.

DEFENDERS

DOMINIC CURL

He made his first appearance playing for

Shildon AFC first team aged 17 after training in the Shildon Development Centre Under 18s in the 2016/17 season. The 20-year-old has made over 60 appearances since.

AIDAN HEYWOOD

No stranger to Colin Stromsoy, Heywood is a big fullback signed from Team Northumbria at the beginning of the 2018- 19 season. Likes to get forward and help in attack.

JACK VAULKS

Signed from Darlington FC who has had loan spells at Whitby and Pickering Town. He is a calm defender who goes about his job with confidence and gives confidence to the defenders around him.

JORDAN LAVERY

Jordan is a strong tackling left sided player and a good passer of the ball, previously with

Sunderland RCA and Consett. Like his opposite fullback, he likes to get forward to support attacks.

JACK NAYLOR

18-year-old signed from Hartlepool United at the beginning of the 2019-20 season. Comfortable in defence or in midfield.

ALEX WHITE

Signed from Whitby Town in the summer, Alex has a wealth of experience having played North of the border in Scotland as well as at Spennymoor

Town and others.

MIDFIELDERS

BEN TROTTER

Ben has recently been named Shildon AFC’s captain. Born in Shildon he started playing the game aged 7 in a local junior team which led to a signing for Newton Aycliffe FC before coming back to his roots in 2017. Tough tackling and prone to being in the referee’s notebook.

DAVID PALMER

Signed from Seaham Red

Star in 2018, David has become an efficient cog in Daniel Moore’s side and has made over 60 appearances in his two years at the club.

DANNY CRAGGS

A dead ball specialist signed from Consett last summer, Danny is a midfielder who offers goals with a strike rate better than one in three.

KURT MATTHEWS

Signed at the beginning of the 2019/20 Season. Kurt who can play on either wing or as a central striker has spent the last 2 seasons at Newton Aycliffe. As a schoolboy he also played at Leeds United.

CHAY LIDDLE

Chay signed from Marske

United in the summer of 2019, is an intelligent defensive midfielder who reads the game well. He played a key part in their title-winning campaign of 2017/18.

His previous clubs also include Spennymoor Town & Guisborough Town.

BRANDON MALLABURN

A 17-year-old midfielder,

Brandon was signed last summer and offers interesting competition for places across the midfield line.

JOE POSTHILL BILLY GREULICH-SMITH

Signed from Thornaby in January One of the most exciting players in the Ebac 2020, Joe is an exciting 22-year-old Northern League. Billy was born in Barnet, North and adds to the the quality within London, and moved to Sunderland when he was the squad. Good at finding space and 10. He signed for Brandon at 16, before moving to likes to get hold of the ball and carry Luton Town and resigning at the age of 17. This the team up the pitch. was followed by a two year stint with Hartlepool United, Durham City for half a season and Shildon for an impressive eight years. He also spent time at Watford, Middlesbrough, and Sunderland when he was growing up.

FORWARDS

ZAK ATKINSON

The striker joined from Ashington FC and has had spells with Blyth Spartans, Bedlington and Rutherford AFC, having trained at Middlesbrough Academy.

DEAN THEXTON

Dean joined Shildon in January 2020 from Newton Aycliffe having impressed in the first half of the season. A goalscorer who knows where the net is, was on the books at South Shields.

MICHAEL SWEET

Signed permanently, after being released by Blyth Spartans, on a two year contract. Michael led the Spartans attack regularly last term with 30 appearances to his name with a goal return of five. He signed for Blyth Spartans in the summer after scoring 128 goals in four seasons at Consett AFC.

CLUB HISTORY

FORMED in 1890 as Shildon Town, the Railwaymen joined the Auckland and District League two years later and in 1894 merged with the Rangers and Heroes to become Shildon United. In 1900, the club played in the new Northern League Division Two but folded that season due to financial problems – as did the Second Division.

A re-formed club joined the Northern League in 1903 to replace Stockton St John’s. In 1907, Shildon joined the semiprofessional ranks of the North Eastern League, finishing second in season 1932/33.

Before WWII the club won four successive Northern League Division One titles; a record that stood until overhauled by Blyth in 1984. In 1937 the team was unbeaten on their march to the title with Jack Downing firing in a record 61 league and cup goals.

A replay win at York City in 1927/28 saw the club reach the first round proper of the FA Cup for the first time. In the first round they have also played Brentford, Doncaster Rovers, Lincoln City, Scunthorpe United and Oldham Athletic three times. The last time the club reached the first round was in 2003/04, losing out 7-2 against Notts County. The club also reached the second round, in 1936/37 against Dartford. 1923. A £45,000 grant saw new dressing rooms and a social club built beneath the stand 60 years later.

Shildon won the Second Division championship in 2001/02, scoring 135 goals and finished runners-up in two cup competitions. The following season they won the Northern League Challenge Cup with a 3-2 golden goal victory over Billingham Synthonia at Feethams.

Tragedy struck the club in February 2004 when 26-year-old player, Lee

Hainsworth was killed in a road accident on his way to training.

He had been with the club for six years. The Brown Street stand was renamed in his memory.

Bill Aisbitt, a lifelong stalwart at the club, died in June 2003 and the boardroom was named in his honour after over 50 years loyal service.

At the end of the 2004 season, the Railwaymen came under serious threat through financial difficulties when the former chairman severed all ties with the club. At the end of the season all the players and the manager left the club, leaving it crippled.

But during the close season, the club appointed a new chairman, Brian Burn who ensured its survival. The club survived a relegation scare and since then has gone from strength to strength.

The Dean Street turnstiles and In 2012-13, the club reached distinctive grandstand were erected in two cup semi-finals. A depleted www.newtonaycliffefc.co.uk @NAycliffeFC

side lost in the Durham Challenge Cup to Spennymoor Town. The match brought an end to the playing career of midfielder Chris Hughes after he suffered a knee injury. And there was more heartbreak as the side narrowly missed a dream day out at Wembley after losing their two-legged FA Vase semi-final to a late extra-time goal in the second leg at home. In season 2013-14, the management team further strengthened the playing squad, bring in several experienced players in a determination to bring silverware back to Dean Street for the first time. The investment paid off with the club narrowly missing out on the league title, remaining competitive until the final weeks of the season. But the club were able to avenge the semi-final defeat of the previous season when they faced Spennymoor Town in the final of the Durham Challenge Cup. On an historic Good Friday, Shildon striker, Billy Greulich-Smith added a new chapter to the club’s history books with two late goals – the winner in added time at the end of the 90 minutes – to overcome their local rivals by two goals to one. After missing out on the Northern League Championship in the 2014-15 season by one point, the team re-grouped and won the Northern League Cup and became Champions of the Northern League the following

season. Following the sudden departure of the Management Team, Chairman David Dent appointed Daniel Moore in January 2017 and Moore guided us to 3rd position in the League and a Durham Challenge Cup Semi-Final.

The first piece of silverware came at the start of the 2018/19 season with a 4-1 Penalty victory against Dunston UTS. During this season, Daniel Moore guided us to another top 6 finish and the season finished as it started with silverware coming back to Dean Street after the Club defeated South Shields 1-0 in the final of the Durham Challenge Cup held at the Stadium of Light.

August 23 August 27 September 2 September 5 September 8

FRICKLEY ATHLETIC

W2-1 HOME

MORPETH TOWN

L3-1 HOME

STOCKTON TOWN

L3-0 AWAY

WEST AUCKLAND

W5-0 HOME

HEBBURN TOWN T

L2-0 AWAY

PRESEASON

PRESEASON

The Railwaymen could not have had a much tougher start to the season with a trip to the Map UK Stadium in the FA Cup and a visit to FA Vase finalists Hebburn Town in the first week of the season sandwiching the visit of West Auckland Town. A heavy defeat in the FA Cup at Stockton was rectified with the 5-0 hammering of West Auckland on day one of the new league season. But Moore’s men fell to a 2-0 defeat on Tuesday night at The Green Energy Sports Ground conceding a second in injury time when pressing for an equaliser themselves. #OneTownOneTeam Newton Aycliffe FC

ONE TO WATCH

DEAN THEXTON

Shildon are blessed with a lot of quality, but if there is one man at Shildon Newton Aycliffe know well it’s striker Dean Thexton. ‘Deano’ was influential for Aycliffe during the first half of last season scoring 19 goals in 20 games including a remarkable four at Seaham Red Star. It was difficult to see the 27-year old leave in the New Year and while Thexton may have competition for his place at Dean Street among a star studded attacking line-up, there can be no doubts as to his ability to put the ball in the back of the net when called upon.

HOW THEY COULD LINE-UP

SWEET THEXTON

GREULICHSMITH

PALMER TROTTER

POSTHILL

LAST TIME WE MET

December, 2019 SHILDON NEWTON AYCLIFFE 2 0

Newton Aycliffe’s Christmas cheer was dampened at the hands of rivals Shildon on Boxing Day 2019 as The Railwaymen punched their way to a 2-0 victory at Dean Street.

Kurt Matthews and a Billy GreulichSmith penalty gave the three points to Daniel Moore’s men on what proved to be a tough afternoon for the Newtonians who ended the contest with 10 men.

Aycliffe started the game without 19- goal talisman Dean Thexton who would sign at Dean Street the following week in the New Year.

LAVERY

VAULKS HEYWOOD MOORE The win ensured bragging rights would remain the wrong side of Middridge after the two teams shared a four-goal thriller at the Beaumont Landscapes Stadium earlier in the season.