When South Shields beat Cleethorpes Town in the 2017 Buildbase FA Vase final back in May, they became the eighth team from the Northern League to win the competition in nine years.
Morpeth Town, North Shields, Spennymoor Town, Dunston UTS and Whitley Bay have all triumphed in recent seasons to create a quite remarkable record for the north east.
This Saturday, Northern League Division Two side Bedlington Terriers host Charnock Richard in the first round proper and we caught up with club chairman Ronan Liddane to see if he could shed any light on the north east’s domination.
“I played many years ago for Blyth Spartans and we played in the FA Trophy at Northern League level,” said Liddane.
“That was back in the late 80s and I think Northern League teams didn’t enter the Vase much – they entered the Trophy, which was a very small and difficult competition to win.
“We have a very strong league up here because the next league up (Northern Premier League Division One North) is a hell of a lot of travel and it’s a massive step up in cost.
“Players tend not to want to do that travel and there’s some very good players that could play in a higher league but geographically or logistically, they can’t do it because of work.
“Most of the world is on shifts now, certainly in the UK. We can’t put the same team out two games in a row if we have a midweek game because people have shifts.”
The Terriers are a famous name in FA competition history, having reached the Buildbase FA Vase final in 1998-99 and also reaching the second round proper of the Emirates FA Cup that year in a fantastic run.
The club that shares its name with a breed of dog has strong FA Vase pedigree, having also made the semi-finals in 2002 and 2005, and Liddane is looking forward to another run this year.
“We’ve got through a couple of rounds and we’ve put a bit of a run together, so we’re quietly getting there,” he added.
“Our aim is to get back into the first division of the Northern League but a cup run creates confidence and a good atmosphere within the team.
“We’ve got to be right at the edge of our game to do anything on Saturday. They [Charnock Richard] come as the superior team from a division above but home advantage is always good for you and we’re up for it.”
Buildbase FA Vase history
The Terriers lost 1-0 at Wembley to Tiverton Town in 1999 when they reached the final, their best ever Buildbase FA Vase performance.
Charnock Richard took part in the competition for the first time last season, losing 4-2 to Staveley Miners Welfare in the second round proper.
Did you know?
In 2010, the Terriers received sponsorship from American billionaire Robert E. Rich Jr after his wife discovered ancestral links to the town of Bedlington.
The prize
The winner of Saturday’s tie will progress to the second round proper and earn £825 in prize money.
