Northumberland Schools Football Association

Secretary's Report 2024-25

Introduction This season has seen an almost complete changing of the guard on the Executive Committee of the Northumberland Schools’ Football Association as numerous vastly experienced and very valued members of the Committee moved on to pastures new after many years of service. Some of those members still support the association in various ways and that is much appreciated by all as we are still very much in the transition process.

I won’t say it has been a very straightforward transition under the new guard but it has been an enjoyable and rewarding one with a few unexpected bumps in the road. Although the new committee is more streamlined now, we have all ‘clubbed together’ and found ways to ensure we have covered the various county activities and demands over the season.

The number of entrants and matches played in our County Cups has continued to rise over the last few seasons. 243 matches were scheduled - but unfortunately 25 were not completed, with walkovers being awarded. This is disappointing although the number of scheduled matches was up by 24 on last season. (Last season there were only 12 walkovers). In the U13, U14 and U15 County Leagues several fixtures were completed but again quite a few were not - some schools played a lot more games than others.

The Under 18 league continues to offer plenty of matches to sixth form players under the guidance of Andy Blight. Thanks again to all those colleagues who make sure the competitions run on time and reach positive conclusions: Ian Beck, Nigel Shields, Neil Robinson, Jonathan Roys, Jaime Murphy, Sam Donovan, Steve Cauldwell, Adam Pilkington, Alex Burnett, Paul Dunn, Andy Blight. Special thanks to Sam Donovan for his invaluable help chasing trophies, slow quarter-final and semi-final ties, and being on hand to help the various competition secretaries, the Chairman and Secretary with their presentation duties on finals nights.

See below for the full list of winners.

Paul Dunn continues to take on responsibility for developing Futsal in the schools and developed a district approach to sessions which has worked very well.

County team organisers Keith Watson, Paul Corney, Kevin Hodgson, Kevin Drinkeld and Peter Tracey have continued in their roles and successfully organised a huge total of 48 county matches - up from 34 last season, and 36 the season before.

The teams were more successful than last season, completing a 3 trophy haul! The U16 Girls won the NCSFA Knockout Cup in its inaugural season beating Merseyside 0-1, the U16 Boys won 0-3 at local rivals Durham in the NCSFA League Final and the U18 Boys won their NCSFA League Final 0-4 at South Yorkshire - all three excellent away wins. The U16 Boys team reached the national final also but fell at that final hurdle to Essex.

Thanks must go to all team managers - Paul Corney, Michael Moran, and their assistants, Kevin Drinkeld, Kevin Hodgson, Craig Brown, Joss Harbottle, Steve Mooney and Jonathan Roys for their unerring efforts in organising trials, friendlies, venues, referees, etc. and a special thanks to Kevin Drinkeld for organising the Last Man Standing Fundraising programme which he previously used to fund the NSFA U14 Boys team’s activities and has now pushed out to more parents to help all the county teams.

Kevin has also retired from his role as manager of the U14 Boys and we thank him for all his sterling efforts with that age-group over the last few years. We welcome Michael Cairns and Michael Woods - both vastly experienced coaches from SWNSFA - as new U14 Boys team managers.

The Girls teams will continue their participation in the Gothia Cup in Sweden again this Summer. Thanks again to Paul Corney, Keith Watson and Michael Moran as well as other members of the girls management team for their hard work with this and good luck!

Two teams from Northumberland reached a national final this season with Whitley Bay U18 Girls team losing 0-1 in the final to Surbiton.

Valley Gardens won the U11 Girls Pokemon competition after beating Henhouses Primary on penalties - to go with their previous success in the Premier League competition representing NUFC where the same team beat Manchester United also on penalties in that final.

Walker Riverside lost in extra time to the eventual winners Wright Robinson in their national U16 Boys cup semi-final.

Once again we have enjoyed a positive relationship with Newcastle University and thank Nick Beall, their facilities manager, for his co operation and support.

Sincere thanks also go to Andy Littleton who continued his scribing skills as Minuting Secretary for several meetings but has now retired from the role he so eloquently undertook over several decades and I now know what a huge task that was - especially as I can’t read my own handwriting.

Thanks also to Steve Swinyard who has also relinquished his role as NSFA CWO having undertaken that role for several years with great aplomb - we always knew we had his vast font of knowledge available to fall back on if any child welfare issues arose. We welcome Adrian Farrar to that role now - official title now NSFA Safeguarding Officer -and he is also vastly experienced in these issues with SWNSFA and Cramlington Juniors.

Alan Johnston along with Owen Aiston has continued to maintain our links with ESFA and we thank them for this support.

Neil Pont noted in his last ever Secretary’s report when I was nominated as his successor - ‘we are going to let him take over!’ - well I can say that it’s been a pleasure and I am honoured to do it but it’s been quite a lot of increased workload as I’m sure Gavin Storey would agree as he too has stepped up to the plate admirably!

As Neil said in last year’s report, Peter, Chris, Dennis and himself would now be very much background figures and that they could consider that they had been involved in a ‘job well done’ and had earned respect for the service they had given. We are very grateful as a Committee to be able to rely on those respected background figures and draw upon their experience as necessary.

June 2025