Horden face heavy punishment

The club received a call from their local council late on Tuesday afternoon saying that the Welfare Park pitch was waterlogged, and the game couldn't go ahead, but a later inspection by the match referee ruled that the pitch was playable, but by then players and officials from both sides had assumed that the game was off.

Horden secretary Rob Jones revealed that he has quit his post, and said: "This was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. It's been a long hard season, with one thing on top of another.

"The council told the club that the match was off, but the league told us that the game couldn't be called off unless the match referee agreed. The referee came along, inspected the pitch and said it was playable."

Nissan manager Wilf Constantine said: "We've played on much worse pitches this season, especially a fortnight ago when we played at home to Whitley Bay."

The game has already been called off twice this season, for a waterlogged pitch and floodlight failure, and the league is likely to launch an inquiry into the latest episode. The club will probably be charged with failing to fulfil a fixture.

Nissan were fined £500 two seasons ago and had three points deducted for postponing their league game with Penrith because of a fireworks display at the Nissan complex.

THE FA has given the clearest indication yet that there might be no relegation from the ANL First Division at the end of the season.

Confusion surrounds the issue because three clubs are expected to leave the Northern League for the UniBond League, and under normal circumstances, the relegated clubs would be reprieved.

Northern League officials have been reluctant to state the league's intentions, because of what they see as the FA's tendency to make U turns, in particular regarding its decision to cherry pick clubs for the new division.

But Mike Appleby, the FA official who has responsibility for the national league system, said: "As I see it, the normal procedure is that there is a reduction in the number of teams to be relegated. This is a matter for the Northern League to resolve."

League officials are staying non committal, and again advise clubs not to rely on there being no relegation and say that there are other permutations. "We've been confounded in the past by Mike Appleby's well-intended guidelines, only to have them bulldozed by his committee," said league chairman Mike Amos. "There are no certainties, no decisions and no guarantees."

If there is no relegation, then the three clubs at the bottom of the ANL First Division will be reprieved, which means good news for the current bottom three, Bedlington, Darlington RA and Horden. However, none of those clubs would like to rely on a decision away from the field of play - especially in the current stormy football political climate.

Meanwhile, the FA's National Leagues committee has been discussing the formation of the new UniBond Division One north this week, and they are expected to confirm soon that subject to certain conditions, Newcastle Blue Star, Consett and Durham City will be accept into the new set up. Ground inspections are due some time after March 1.

ALNWICK have denied that they want to take voluntary relegation at the end of the season.

Speculation has grown in the last fortnight that Alnwick, who are bottom of the Second Division, want to quit the Northern league and join the Northern Alliance next season regardless of their finishing position.

But chairman Allan Wilcox said: "All we've discussed is what will happen if we are relegated because of our league placing at the end of the season. If it comes to relegation, we would like to play in the Northern Alliance, and not the Wearside League because there would be a lot more travel in that league.

"We haven't asked the Northern League to be relegated at all, that's certainly something that would never come from my lips. Everybody is putting 110 per cent into the club at the moment to climb out of the relegation zone."

It's still not clear what will happen at the end of the season about promotion and relegation with the feeder leagues, but there is the possibility that even if Alnwick finish bottom, then they won't be relegated if the league loses three clubs to the UniBond League.

TOW Law manager Graham Clark has revealed that he is quitting his job at Ironworks Road at the end of the season.

Clark, who was appointed following the sacking of Geoff Young just after the start of last season, is leaving because of his work commitments with the FA.

"I'm getting more coaching work from the FA and I'm finding it more and more difficult to combine managing a football team and running coaching courses," he said: "I'll stay until the end of the season. I believe that I've put together a useful squad, which is better than the one I took over. Whoever follows me will inherit some good young players."

Clark has been operating without an assistant since Tom Wade left to take over at Bedlington before Christmas. He was involved in a gripping game on Tuesdat at Whitley Bay when his side led 3-0 at half time, but Whitley fought back to draw in the second half.

STRIKER Andy Jennings has returned to Second Division Seaham Red Star following a brief spell with First Division club Shildon, with former Spennymoor midfielder Dion Raitt going in the opposite direction to Dean Street. Jennings celebrated his return with a hat trick in the 7-2 away win at Prudhoe on Tuesday night to take his tally to thirteen for Seaham this season.

Meanwhile, Seaham midfielder John Toft has turned down an approach from Conference North club Blyth.

NORTON manager Phil Dawson wants his players to keep their winning run going.

Norton won their fifth successive games last Saturday when they beat promotion chasing South Shields, and they are now fifth in the table going into tomorrow's away game at Whickham.

"Last Saturday was a game we had to win if we wanted a chance of promotion, and we won it well," he said.

"We totally overran Shields in the first half, and we could have had five or six. There's no reason now why we can't go unbeaten for the rest of the season. Confidence is high, and when that's the case, then good performances follow."

WHITLEY Bay manager Ian Chandler believes that striker Lee Kerr can follow in the footsteps of other Northern League players and turn professional.

Kerr has been earning rave reviews for Whitley this season, and scouts from several Football League clubs have been checking his progress, and in fact he is on trial at Stockport this week.

Chandler said: "I definitely think that Lee has what it takes to move up to the Football League. His performances this season have been down to confidence, which he has in abundance.

"They are very keen on him and with any luck Lee will get his chance. I know there are a few other clubs showing an interest, but Lee was keen to go there. I played for Stockport a few years ago, it's a nice set up and not too far from the North-East."

CONSETT manager Kenny Lindoe has launched a search for a new striker to replace the departed Michael Mackay.

Mackay signed for Hartlepool a fortnight ago, but since then Consett's forward line has stuttered, none more so than in Saturday's 2-2 draw at Jarrow Roofing.

"If Michael had been on the field, it might have been a different story," said manager Kenny Lindoe. "He was a natural goalscorer, and last Saturday we could have done with somebody like him. I'm looking around for somebody, but they're difficult to find."

Consett are one of the clubs with a chance of the title, before they probably depart for the UniBond League at the end of the season.

"It's down to the top four now," said Lindoe, who won the title with Brandon four years ago. "Nissan are under a little bit of pressure, and it's up to the chasing clubs to make the most of their games in hand."

STOKESLEY boss Ted Watts is looking for a rousing end to the season by his players.

Second Division Stokesley have proved themselves worthy of a place in the Northern League after winning promotion last season from the Wearside League, and after last Saturday's 4-2 home win over Alnwick, they're on course for a top half finish.

"We've still got plenty to look forward to this season," said Watts. "We must keep a winning mentality. The players must believe that in every game they should win every tackle and every header.

ESH Winning manager Geoff Young wants to reduce his team's goal difference - and last Saturday's 8-1 thumping of Prudhoe went a long way to helping.

Esh's goal difference is now down to minus 15 following their best win of the season, and Young said: "My target is to get our goal difference down to zero.

"I want the players to be really clinical in front of goal, just as they were last Saturday. We played really well in the first half, and led 5-0 at half time.

Esh, who finished the game with ten men because of injuries, have another game against a team near them, Sunderland RCA, tomorrow.

THE race for the First Division title might not be decided until the last day of the season.

Consett and Billingham Town, two of the teams chasing leaders Sunderland Nissan, clash at Belle Vue on Wednesday, April 25, and the following Saturday, Consett go to Morpeth. Whitley Bay travel to Durham City, while Sunderland Nissan host Billingham Synthonia. Billingham Town will have to sweat it out, as they don't have a game on the last day.

Newcastle Blue Star's final Northern league game before their expected departure to the UniBond League will be at home to West Auckland.