Tuesday night and it’s Staffs Senior Cup action, as we travel up the A34 to take on Newcastle Town. This is a semi final fixture and we hope to make to our third consecutive Staffs Senior Cup Final. To get this far this season we have dispatched Stone Old Alleynians and Brocton without conceding a goal, While Newcastle have got past Walsall Wood, Sporting Kalsa and Lichfield City, also without conceding a goal. Is that tempting fate for a 0-0 and the winner going through on penalties?
Newcastle play in step 4 in the Northern Premier South East Division, and are currently 16th in a 20 team division. At home in the league they have won 2 drawn 2 and lost 10, but it is their cup form that has seen them do well this season. While losing in their first games in the FA Cup and FA Trophy to Kidsgrove and Leek, they have built up a run in the Staffs Senior Cup and the Integro League Cup having knocked out Witton and Buxton.
One thing that does let Newcastle down is the support they get, with many gates failing to attract over 100. In fact, their three Integro Cup ties saw crowds of 85, 58 and 74 and the Staffs Senior Cup games crowds of 40 and 48. The biggest crowd of the season was 182 for the visit of Leek, no doubt swelled by the travelling fans. That is something we must aim to do, in that despite our poor league form we should take a following to get them past the 100 mark.
Newcastle Town was initially formed as a Sunday league team in 1964. In 1982 they joined the Mid-Cheshire League division 2 winning the division at the first attempt. The league was then reduced to a single division which they won 1985–86. After finishing as runners-up in the Mid-Cheshire League in 1986–87 they were promoted to Division Two of the North West Counties League. As runners up in 1991–92, they earned promotion to Division One. As Premier Division champions in 2009–10 they earned promotion to Division One South of the Northern Premier League where they currently play.
Their ground at the Lyme Valley Stadium on Buckmaster Avenue doubles as a velodrome, with a cycling track around the pitch. Post code for those that have not been before is ST5 3BX. See you there.
Games played on March 3rd this century
2001 Cambridge City A 1-1 Southern League
2008 Kidderminster a 0-6 Conference
