@blythspirit.bsky.social
Honoured to be a lifelong Spartan. Researching, recording & writing about the history of Blyth Spartans. A football club proudly making history since 1899.
@blythsgreenarmy.bsky.social first ever goalkeeper
Jim Cannon played in first ever competitive game 7/9/1901
Former Blyth Thistle keeper (folded in July 1901)
38 apps for Spartans
Conceded 51, kept 13 clean sheets
Also played outfield 5 times & scored once
Left to join New Delaval in July 1903
All time @blythspartans.bsky.social keeper stats
Most consecutive games without conceding - 8
Mick Morgan 19/4/75 > 8/9/75
(Last 2 games of 74/75 & first 6 of 75/76)
Signed in August 1974 from North Shields
Made 119 apps 44 clean sheets
Conceded 136 goals
= 1.14 goals per game conceded
@blythspartans.bsky.social Shirt sponsor stats
1st new shirt sponsor since 21/22
18th different shirt sponsor since 1st appeared on kit in 1982
1st time town name appears in sponsor since 2015
4th consecutive shirt sponsor related to Blyth port services
Had a port related sponsor since 2019
This is the fascinating story of @blythspartans.bsky.social kits & colours
blythspirit.wordpress.com/2021/09/10/the…
Tells the full story of all the colours ever worn & how club ended up in green & white
Includes all the shirt sponsor history & kit manufacturers
If it’s the bible of Blyth kits
Relegation to NPL East at Level 4 of National League System will see @blythspartans.bsky.social enter the FA Cup at the Preliminary Round for the 1st time in 75 years!
Last played in the Preliminary Rd in 1950/51 when they beat Shilbottle Colliery Welfare 6-1 at home on 16th September 1950
Following last nights defeat another @blythspartans.bsky.social defeat at home by Warrington Rylands on Saturday along with wins for Whitby Town, Bamber Bridge & Leek Town avoiding defeat will see the club officially relegated from the NPL Premier Division (Step 3) to NPL East Division at (Step 4)
12.03.2025 07:28 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0On this day 1978
@blythspartans.bsky.social FA Cup run ended on a wet night at SJP 42,187 saw the Spartans lost 1-2 to Wrexham in 5th Rd Replay
Whittle & McNeil made it 0-2 before Terry Johnson pulled goal back but sadly wasn’t to be
Read the full story of👇🏻
blythspirit.wordpress.com/2018/05/04/the…
Failure to win on Saturday means @blythspartans.bsky.social can now only reach a max of 51 pts
Stockton Town winning means Blyth can longer reach the NPL Playoffs 🫣
51 points would mean survival but that’s never going to happen
17 from safety, won’t win another 17 in last 11 games
👋🏻 NPL Premier
Most goals scored in game by an @blythspartans.bsky.social player is 7
Achieved by only 4 players -
Nixon Thompson 1/9/1906
10-3 v Alnwick St James ENL
Billy Tucker 11/1/1930
10-0 v Seaton Delaval NSC
Lew Nainby 9/12/1961
11-2 v Stockton NCL
Brian Slane 6/12/1969
13-0 v Stanley United NL
@blythspartans.bsky.social stats
1st time in 90 years club fielded its 6th different keeper in same season, last happened in 1934/35
Between then & now used 5 on 3 occasions
Different keepers per season -
5 times used 5
14 times used 4
Also 2 of 3 managers this season had been keepers
@blythspartans.bsky.social stats
Taken 1 pt from last 9 aways
8th time been 0-0 at HT, lost 5 of them
Only scored 2 FH goals in 14 NPL aways
Scored 11 in 14 NPL aways
Conceded 32 in 14 NPL aways
Conceded opening goal in 9 of 14 NPL aways
Conceded 3 or more in 10 of 27 NPLs
#Downnow
@blythspartans.bsky.social goal stats
100+ goal scorers -
B Slane 242
1969 > 1979
R Dale 220
2005 > 2022
S Pyle 200
1987 > 1997
D Maguire 160
2013 > 2022
G Pyke 140
1922 > 1927
T McFadden 123
1983 > 1989
T Orrick 119
1964 > 1968
N Thompson 111
1904 > 1910
B Readman 110
1935 > 1939
@blythspartans.bsky.social stats
Tuesdays 0-3 home defeat to Ashton United set a new unwanted club record of 16 consecutive league games without a win
Defeat means it’s now 18 games in all competitions without a win
All 12 under new manager without a win
Failed to score in 12 of 25 NPL games
2024 @blythspartans.bsky.social
Annus Horribilis
Started comfortably 13th in NLN Ended rock bottom of NPL
Played 43 league games taking 28 of 129 pts available
19,401 saw 23 games at Croft Park - won 3 of them
3 different chairmen & 4 different managers
Current form - 15 games without a win
@blythspartans.bsky.social Festive Football 🎄⚽️
Last played on Christmas Eve 47 years ago
1977 drew 1-1 at South Bank
Only played 9 times on Christmas Eve
67 years since last played on Christmas Day
1957 lost 0-3 at home to Ashington
Played 37 times on Christmas Day
All the best everyone
@blythspartans.bsky.social stats
Half point in NPL
Fewest points 12 from 21
Fewest goals scored 18
Most goals conceded 46
Losing at HT in 12 of those 21
Not keep clean sheet in last 12
Only kept 3 in 21
12 without a win
Top scorer has 4
In bottom 4 after last 17 played
#doomed
Oh boy! I didn't realise it was that bad! 😬
13.12.2024 22:31 — 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
@blythspartans.bsky.social fact
Tmrw is last attempt to avoid an unwanted new club record
Failure to beat Prescott Cables will see team having gone an entire calendar year without a Saturday home win!
P13 W0 D3 L10 F8 A28
Last Saturday home win was on 30/12/23 - South Shields 2-1 in NLN
Of all the many great images that came from that night when @blythspartans.bsky.social beat @hufc.bsky.social in FA Cup this has alway been one of my favourites
Stephen Turnbull getting carried away by sheer euphoria of last gasp winner
It’s what competition means to us ‘lower’ clubs
#limbs
On this day 10 years ago
@blythspartans.bsky.social beat @hufc.bsky.social 1-2 away in FA Cup 2nd Rd live on BBC Match of the Day
Stephen Turnbull equalised with superb free kick then Jarrett Rivers scored a dramatic last gasp winner
Truly great memories of epic night
#FACup #awaydays #memories
Welcome to The Grapes
#earlydoors
@blythspartans.bsky.social stats
Only 3rd time in 19 NPL scored 2
Only 2nd FH goal
1st pen missed since 7/11/23
1st time led at HT since 1st game
1st time in 12 scored 2
1st time since 14/10/23 led 2-0
1st time 2 up & drew at home since 7/11/23
1st pen missed since 7/11/23
Were doomed
@blythspartans.bsky.social stats
11 games without a win all comps
9 league games without a win
Worst run since start of 19/20 went first 11 games without a win
Worst run in NPL - 2003/04 went 15without a win
Scored 3 goals in last 11 games
That last happened in 2021/22
25th Sept > 27th Nov
OTD 16 years ago
@blythspartans.bsky.social achieved a famous 0-0 at Bournemouth in FA Cup 2nd Rd
Over 300 @blythsgreenarmy.bsky.social made 727 mile round trip via plane, trains & automobiles for 5.30 KO due to live TV coverage
Never thought I would fly to a Blyth away game
Great memories
(3/3)
Two brilliant supporters of Blyth Spartans and Spennymoor Town.
@spennyfanchris.bsky.social
@blythspirit.bsky.social
Plus would be harsh to ignore Whickham chairman and non-league stalwart (as much as I want to ignore him)
@rossgregory9.bsky.social
@blythspartans.bsky.social stats
It’s taken the most games to get to double points in a completed season since 2011/12
Got to 10 pts from 17 NPL games played on 26th November 2024
In the 2011/12 Conference North season got to 10 points after 17 games on 19th November 2011
@blythspartans.bsky.social stats
Joe Oliver 1st defender to score in last 30 games
530 midweek home crowd bigger than 6 played in front of on a Saturday this season
Gone goal down in last 10 games
Only 2 goals scored in last 8 NPLs
(3 goal in last 10 played)
Scored 1 first half goal in 17 NPLs
@blythspartans.bsky.social stats error amend
0-6 isn’t heaviest ever NPL defeat 🫣
A 7 goal defeat is heaviest ever NPL defeat
How did I get that wrong 🤦🏼♂️
Has happened twice -
21/4/2014 lost 0-7 at home to Whitby Town
31/10/2012 lost 1-8 away at Worksop Town
@blythspartans.bsky.social stats
1st time in 20 years 2 players with same surname started
3,004 biggest ever NPL crowd
Heaviest ever NPL defeat
14th 0-6 defeat ever
Scored 1 in last 7
Losing at HT in last 9
1st goal conceded inside minute since 13/1/24
6th ex League club faced in NPL
Blyth Spartans history
New article gives insight into what the club nearly became back in 1920’s
A little know yet truly fascinating event in clubs past 👇🏻
blythspirit. blythspirit.wordpress.com/2024/11/21/b...
@markcarruthers.bsky.social
@blythsgreenarmy.bsky.social
@nonleaguecrowds.bsky.social
