Sport North East ISSUE 01 | Page 33

North Shields “North Shields Quality Butchers were looking to sponsor a local sports team and North Shields FC at the same time were looking for some sponsors. We ended up working together and I agreed to sponsor the Main Stand at the Daren Persson Stadium which has been for four years now. We also have a few boards around the stadium and we try and get to as many matches as we can to show our support to the club. The club have had some raffles to help raise funds over the years where we have also donated prizes to help out. From all of us here at North Shields Quality Butchers we would like to wish everyone associated with North Shields Football Club all the very best.” North Shields Quality Butchers Traditional family butchers Warm and friendly service • Poultry • Pork • Beef • Lamb • Homemade Sausage & Burgers 0191 259 5225 19 West Percy Street, North Shields NE29 0AH Mark Batey to bring fresh ideas to the club. Our hope is that we will be able to improve our community work as each season passes.” Challenges “I think the biggest challenge that the club will be facing in the immediate future is coping with the increase of quality amongst the league. Whilst we remain confident that we have more than enough to win the league, more and more teams are now proving that they have the quality required to at least mount a challenge. Let’s take a look at Hebburn Town for example who have only just been promoted to Division One, however, with good financial backing coupled with being a very well run club, they find themselves fighting tooth and nail to finish in the top six; something which would be a tremendous achievement for them. It isn’t just them as Consett, Dunston UTS, Bishop Auckland, Sunderland RCA and West Auckland Town have all shown how good they can be. We at North Shields need to make sure we are ready for this kind of a challenge.” Ambitions “I would say that over the course of the next five years, we would love to see ourselves maintain our high levels and carry on winning football games. Whether this results in the club being promoted or not is not for me to say but should we achieve promotion, we will absolutely set out to carry on with our winning mentality. One example would have to be Morpeth Town who, after being promoted from second place in Division One last season, now find themselves running away at the top of the league above us. Having said that, we aren’t the type of club to copy how another club has achieved promotion, we want to do things the North Shields way!” www.sportip.biz 33