Durham 4th Team Shield – Its that time of year again…

From Russ

You can tell it’s a cup week when my work email inbox has more mails from Costello, Snowden and Miller than from my customers, but that’s the beauty of the cup. Out of the three mentioned only one (Windy) has a chance of being named to play yet the rest of us are all wanting to be involved in whatever way we can to make sure everything is arranged and organised to allow the players who take the field to be as prepared as well as they can. Bruce does this week in and week out and for that we all have to be thankful, however the cup is special and even the retired and infirm are up for it one more time.

I could now start looking back at past finals or banging on aboutwhat has happened this season but for me Saturday is our season. Eighty minutes to define eight months of graft. Forget everything that has happened before this Saturday all the injuries, the results, the tantrums and the celebrations it boils down to those eighty minutes on Saturday.

For the 15 guys starting I cannot stress how proud and luckyeveryone of you should feel. You are representing not only Blaydon as a club, the Bricks as a team but every player who has pulled on a Bricks shirt this season or all of the seasons before. You are playing with and for your mates.

There will be disappointment for the players not starting or even making the squad and trust me when I say whatever team is selected it was not an easy decision to make. But we all have to be 100% behind our side.

South Tyneside are coming into the game on the back of a couple of good wins and will be formidable opponents but if we win our individual battles and play like the team I know we are we can come through.

 

The Squad

Injured / Absent team mates: James Knox (Knee) Stu Reay (knee, hammy, age, etc.) Phil Divers (doesn’t seem to know when the season is, he’s on holiday) Mickey Bell (groin) Liam Bradley (done in by Nat) Craig McBurnie (work), Neil Eyes (running round Paris) Charlie (cup tied) Andy Turland (missing) Dan Turland (Uni) Mark Bly (resting after having a baby,,,)

Team from:

Forwards: Scott Finlay, Brett, Paul Winter – GB, Keith Winter – PF, Phil Partington, David Miller – Windy, Michael Carr – Marge,  Graeme Tomes -Tonnsie, Steph Mullens – Beast, Anthony Jameson – Jambo, Nathan Carmichael – Nat, Simon Drennon, Paul Strachan – Strachs, Stu Bailey, Craig Harrison – Harry

Backs; Shaun Cuthbertson, Nick Coates, Chris Coates, Steve Davidson – Chester, Andy Savory – Savs, Stephen Thackery – Thacks, Ray Spoors, Chris Collings, Joe Snowdon, Craig Barlow, Paul Dingley, Alex Johnston