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About Shields United Football ClubShields United FC was formed in February 2007 by Gareth Allen who is the current first team manager. The club first played games at Chuter Ede in South Shields for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons but as the successfully progressed out of the second division with a runners up promotion campaign the club needed to find a ground with slightly better criteria.. The club had bids knocked back from the Jack Clark Park as predonimently that was kept for the cricket and also Filtrona Park, Home of Northern League club South Shields as they need to extend their current pitch.
The club has a fiver year development plan set in 2007 that by 2012 the first team would be an established Northern Alliance team competing in the Premier division. In 2008-09 Allen's team hit the first target by winning promotion to the first division after a very succesful campaing. The first season saw a high turnover of players as the club struggled for stability with the combination of players who were not good enough for the standard of the league. Despite some heavy defeats early on in the season United managed to play from January 07-May 07 only losing two games in 5 months, one of which was a friendly at Northern League outfit Crook Town 0-1 (over 100 years of history including a win at Wembley!) in a game that United had the two best chances but failed to convert, the second a poor display against Wallsend Town 0-2. In Uniteds first season Chuter Ede seemed to be a place where teams would come and get a draw, Chemfica, Wallsend BC, Amble United, Jesmond, Newcastle BT to name but a few! Kyle Yorston finished top goalscorer with an impressive first season at Alliance level, he was voted Managers player of the year and rightly so.
The clubs primary sponsor is"Natural Resources" to whom there is a full dedicated page. They have sponsored United in each of the last three seasons and without their financial support the club may not be here today. The clubs colours were chosen as a result of the team being made up of Sunderland and Newcastle fans and there combined colours. The badge is simple and is finished off in latin wirting which translated means "NEVER STOP BELIEVING..."
Shields Uniteds plan of growth kicked in in January 2008 when they decided to launch an U21 academy to feed the first team with young and promising players, despite some encouraging displays and even a penalty shoot-out cup final defeat in a pre-season tournament the club killed off the team weeks before the season was due to start as the standard of playesr we attracted would have meant the club would have struggled to attract the better youth players in the region. United did set-up a new team, with Gary Jeffries creating an U14 team who started their history with some blistering performances hitting several teams with double figures. In May 2008 Gareth Allen (Beanie) appointed Gary Jeffries assistant manager to the first team and the two compliment each other well. Susan Lowes was introduced as Treasurer to the club in Novermber 2007, mother of former youth player Adam Lowes, Sue helped with the off the field paperwork and finances. The club, whilst pling at Chuter Ede had been fighting to secure the services of the "Dell Quarry" pitches and they were knocked back by the league late in the 07-08 season as the pithces werent in the best condition.
In May 2009 The club got the green light from the Northern Alliance league to move to the "Dell/Quarry" pitches. On moving there United battled with the local council to try and secure a ten year leasing agreement to secure longevity of the pitches so private funding can be sourced to improve the facilities to one day get the club playing at Northern Alliance Premier standard. After a 3-1 win at home to Amble FC the club secured its first major honour as they clinched promotion and second place in Northern Alliance division 2. The U14 team finished 4th after losing there last two league games of the season but did acheive promotion. In may 2009 Gareth Allen met with Mick Sharp, founder of "The Dock FC" and agreed to bring the team under the Shields United banner and be known as Shields United Reserves.
The reserves played for the 2009-10 season in the South Shields Sunday afternoon "Tyne & Wear Business Houses League" after finsihing 4th in their prior season the club was hopeful they will build on that success. Unfortunately due to a lot of external factors the team struggled in the league but did make it to the final of the Dave Foster Cup but lost 4-0. A week after the clubs 2009 AGM United created the U18 team managed by Warren Brown and assistant Peter Lamb. The team played in the Russell Foster League on a Sunday but struggled in the first part of the season. The club decided a management change was needed and brought in Kevin Sharp and Iain Anderson who done a very respectable job and guided the team to mid table finish. That U18 team will compete as Shields united Youth team in the 2010-11 season in the mens Sunday afternoon league which should be a big learning curver for the youngster in there continuos development. The first team also appointed Wess Brown who was in the role with joint assistant Mark Wilson for around 4 months.
The club appointed committe member Frank Goodwin to the club at the AGM in 2009 who is currently Vice Chairman and club secretary, Frank has extensive knowledge and expereince of running senior Saturday league teams especially in the region. After a very testing season Gareth Allen appointed reserve team manager Mick Sharp to the position of First Team assistant manager which he undertook mid season of the 2009-10 campaign. United finished a credible 7th in Division one but the icing on the cake was the clubs dramatic cup final victory in the Durham FA County Minor Cup over Hartlepool Millhouse with substitute Tijan kah coming on and scoring in the 92nd minute to take the game to extra time where he added the winner before Assan Jallow got sent off to add to the nerve jangling finish. In the summer of 2010 United confirmed Mick Sharp had agreed to take the role of assistant on again for the 2010-11 season alongside new recruit David Harwood. |
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