By Brian Bennett

Ashington FC manager Ian Skinner – reflecting on his sides 3-2 win over Whitley Bay at Hillheads on Saturday – reckons he can ‘start to see things coming together’

Monsoon weather conditions coupled with thunder and lightening preceded the game but the contest got underway on time.

The Colliers were 3-0 up at one stage with a brace of goals from Dan Maguire and a trialist before the Seahorses netted twice in the final ten minutes through Josh Gilchrist and Cameron Brewis.

The new campaign is just over a couple of weeks away and Skinner re-iterated that he never gets fazed over pre season results. However he said: “It was an excellent workout against Whitley Bay today but the most pleasing aspect for me was that I can see how things are coming together a little bit in terms of how we are trying to play which is slightly different from last season. There were lots to appreciate in terms of the structure and process as well as the principals which we are trying to apply.”

He continued: “I thought Whitley Bay began the brighter of the two sides and they should have taken the lead after three or four minutes when it was probably harder to hit the bar – which they did – rather than score. After that we grew into the game, netted a good goal through Maguire – and after that I thought we looked relatively comfortable.”

He continued “Second half we began well, added a second goal – again from Maguire -then started to make changes – and we tried to do these in smaller chunks because it does disrupt the flow. A young trialist who has just been released from Carlisle came on and scored our third but from 3-0 up I was slightly disappointed with the two goals we conceded. We have worked quite a bit now on what we call the ‘build up phases’ where we get the ball and play and that was really pleasing. We haven’t done too much about the final third or working out of possession which was probably evident today and I would have liked us to have shown a bit more game management but as I stated last week, I don’t get hung up on results.”

Skinner then gave a glowing tribute to hosts Whitley Bay: “I’d like to thank them for their hospitality which was first class,” he added, “It was good to see their manager Nicky Gray whilst I had a lovely conversation with chairman Paul McIlduff and I’ve just spotted Jennifer Breakwell who is their treasurer out of the corner of my eye so I’ll go and have a word or two with her. I helped Whitley Bay out for a short spell some years ago and it is a place I like going to because of the relationship I have with the club.”

By Brian Bennett

Ashington FC manager would like nothing better than his players to enjoy another exciting and mouth watering run in this season’s Emirates FA Cup.

The Colliers had some fabulous tussles and victories against the likes of Ashton United, Bradford Park Avenue and Stocksbridge Park Steels during the last campaign – all clubs higher up the footballing pyramid – before they eventually bowed out 3-1 away to Kings Lynn in the fourth qualifying round despite a gallant effort against a side from the National League North.

The draws were conducted last week and in the FA Cup, Ashington will be at home to North Shields in the extra preliminary round on Saturday August 5 with the winners facing an away tie against Stockton Town: “It’ll be tough,” said Skinner, “At least it means we will start the season at Woodhorn Lane which is always a bonus. Hopefully we can try and rekindle some of the magic we had in the FA Cup last season. Obviously it’s a competition which the players look forward to playing in; the club look forward to being involved in; the supporters love it – and it’s got its financial gains as well.”

In the Isuzu FA Trophy, the Wansbeck outfit will travel to meet Dunston UTS in the first qualifying round on Saturday September 9 with the victors away to either Liversedge or Nantwich.

“It will be the club’s first appearance in the FA Trophy for many years and again, it could not have been much tougher than an away game at Dunston UTS. However, at least we’ll have a bit of time to do a spot of homework on them and prepare for it.”

By Brian Bennett

Ashington started their pre season warm up games with a 7-2 defeat away to Ebac Northern League first division newcomers Birtley Town on Saturday.

But manager Ian Skinner has re-iterated that he does not get hung up on results from friendlies – as he tinkers with his formation and style of play: “First of all I’d like to say a big thank-you to Birtley for their hospitality,” he said, “They have got a fantastic set up with great facilities and I’ve got a lot of time and respect for their management team of Paul Bryson, Foss and Robin Falcus who I know personally. We had a few missing for holidays and we had five trialists who played who we wanted to have a look at. Birtley looked to be slightly ahead of us in terms of preparations which led to the outcome we got and they were the better team in my opinion across the 90 minutes.”

Scott Heslop scored both Ashington goals.

Skinner continued: “Of the seven we conceded – and I haven’t watched them back yet – at least four were really, really poor individual errors so four of them (goals) were avoidable. We went in 4-2 down at half time after what looked like a really ragged disjointed first half if the truth be known. Second half we looked better. We started brightly; we dominated the ball and had a goal disallowed. We hit the post twice then the Birtley ‘keeper has made three good saves – so we had a real 20 minutes spell where we created more chances – albeit we didn’t take them. However a slightly disappointing thing was the manner in which we conceded two goals in the closing stages.”

He added: “I knew Birtley would be well organised and be fit and have a way in which they would play. It will be a tough place for lots of teams to go to and I’d go as far to say that they will be my surprise package in the first division of the Ebac Northern League this coming season – not just because they beat us – but because what I know about the management team; the club – and behind the scenes I get on really well with Scott Brown who I think is vice chairman there. I know they are a team very similar to ourselves who work on a self generated income model but they have a good group of tight knit lads who want to work hard for each other.”

He went on: “Pre season is about players getting minutes into players legs and I’ll not get hung up on results. I did an interview last year when I said results don’t really matter (in pre season). We went to Alnwick and won 10-0 and everybody started getting excited. ‘Practice what you preach’ or ‘change your speech’ is something I use quite often. Yes there were some things which I was disappointed with today but there were other things I was pleased with too and probably the most pleasing aspect is that everybody seems to have come through unscathed. We’ll train twice this week then prepare for Whitley Bay away on Saturday (July 15) – but the whole ethos around our pre season programme this year was to get as many tough games as we possibly could.”

Meanwhile Skinner is looking to add to his squad: “Things have been quiet on the incomings front,” he said, “We’re probably looking to bring one or two more players into the squad but they’ll have to fit into the way we want to play and have to have the right character for what we are looking for.”

By Brian Bennett

It’s two months since Ashington clinched promotion to the Northern Premier League – and although manager Ian Skinner announced at the Presentation Evening that he would like every member of the squad to remain with him ‘on the journey’ – due to a variety of reasons it was inevitable that a number would move on.

Now the Woodhorn Lane boss – whilst welcoming the new arrivals at the club has publicly chosen to say a fond farewell to the lads who have left: “I think it is only fair that we pay tribute to the roles which they played both last season and beyond,” he said, confirming that eight had departed Woodhorn Lane.

The boss then spoke individually about the eight:

Ben Harmison: Ben was our top goal scorer as well as captain and he played a massive part at both ends of the pitch for us. Unfortunately due to his work, his other sports as well as family commitments, the travel was probably going to prove too challenging for him. To his credit Ben was disappointed that he found himself having to step away and he has made the offer that he will dual register and if we are ever short and he is available he would be more than happy to come and help the club out – so that’s always a positive.

Robbie Dale: Robbie was a revelation at centre back last year. He ended up playing there at the start of pre season and also at the start of the season proper when we had a number of injuries. He said he would do a job for us in the short term and he did so well that he ended up playing most of his games there. He gave us that calmness and experience at the back; his reading of the game was brilliant and his understanding was different class and he’ll be a big miss around the place.

Andrew Cartwright: ‘Carty’ was huge for us at right back last year. He was a good leader in the dressing room and was great on the pitch both in and out of possession and was very much a bit of a modern day sort of full back. He offered us lots going forward in attack but was also good at defending in one versus one situations. He had won promotion with North Shields the previous season and I knew when I signed him that if we achieved our goal (promotion), he wouldn’t be able to continue on the journey with us.

Dean Briggs: Dean became a focal point for us and got his love back for the game – and had that real hot streak where he scored all sorts of goals. His career path took him to Dubai but when he came back, he never really found that spark again and sometimes a fresh start is what a player needs. I think he’d be the first to admit that towards the back end of last season he became a little bit stale and wasn’t the player that we knew of old so a move may just reignite him to get him back to the levels which he is capable of.

Paul Robinson: ‘Robbo’ was another player we knew that come the end of the season he would move on. Paul has got a large contingent of very close friends who play for Newcastle Blue Star so we were always of the opinion that he would have a season with them. I think supporters saw at the back end of the campaign how brilliant he was for us. There was always a joke between Paul and myself that if Ashington could get a 3G pitch or if he could just have the winter off then we could prolong his career even further. He’s another player who goes with our blessings.

Luke Salmon: Luke probably didn’t play as much as he would have liked last season but again we need to remember the contribution he has made to the club over a long period of time. This was his second spell with us and ‘what you see is what you get’ with him. Luke gives nothing short of 100 per cent and scored a couple of important goals for us in games last season. We wanted to keep him but we understand his reasons for finding a move with regular football.”

Adam Johnson: Adam had to use lots of his holidays from work to get time off to play football and it was a challenge for him to play in the Northern League. Obviously our step up to the NPL and the amount of travelling involved would have ruled him out of too many games. It’s disappointing for us but Adam has got himself a great move back to Blyth Town which is his home town club. I wish him all the best – and I’m sure he’ll score lots of goals for them.

Ryan McKinnon: When Darren Lough broke his nose at Bishop Auckland, Ryan got into the side. He played in the inter step play off game at Glossop and was excellent – and never let the club down when he did play. He probably wanted more game time but when he looked at the Lough/Dale partnership, it was too good of a one to break up and Ryan didn’t quite force his way in. He was another player who gave everything for the cause and was a good lad to have around the place and we wish him all the best at Consett. Skinner continued: “It’s with a touch of sadness that we lose those eight players – and possibly one or two more for similar reasons which I have alluded too – but one thing I would say is that every one of them played their part in getting Ashington Football Club to where it wanted to be. They leave with a heavy heart after being part of what was a fantastic group last year – and will go down in history after getting this club out of the Northern League. I wish them all the best in where their footballing journey takes them – but one thing which is for sure is that they will always be welcome at Woodhorn Lane.”

By Brian Bennett

Ashington FC’s new forward Cameron Gascoigne admitted that he garners his footballing inspiration from a family member who is World famous.

Paul ‘Gazza’ Gascoigne was a fans favourite especially during his career in the 1980’s with Newcastle United and also England where he won 57 caps.

Now 21 year old Cameron has revealed that it was his Uncle Paul who taught him how to play football from an early age – and added that he is constantly in conversation with him: “As soon as I could walk, my Uncle Paul was the one who took me out, got me a football and taught me how to play,” he said, “He encouraged me and gave me the love for the game and as I grew older, I viewed all of the games from the Euros and the World Cup when he played – and just watching him inspires me to go and be the best that I can.”

Cameron continued: “He’s always on the phone to me and I ring him pretty much after every game to tell him how I have got on. He gives me some feedback and it’s good especially when I know he’s been and done it at the highest level. My favourite goals which he scored were his stunning free kick for Spurs in their FA Cup semi final against Arsenal in 1991 and the other was for England against Scotland in Euro 1996 – which is just magical and a joy to watch.”

By Brian Bennett

Cameron Gascoigne says he is excited after putting pen to paper for Ashington last week.

For the past two years, Gascoigne – a forward – has been with Ebac Northern League first division outfit Newcastle Benfield joining them after he had just celebrated his 19^th birthday.

But the Gateshead-born player admitted that when he received a phone call from Ashington, he was ‘immediately interested’ in a move: “I had two good seasons at Benfield and enjoyed my time with them. However as soon as I got the call from Ashington, I was immediately interested because I felt it was time for a new challenge and I thought the move was right for me in terms of where I wanted my career to go. Ashington’s ambitions are really high after being promoted to the Northern Premier League and there is talk about them hoping to make the play offs come the end of the new campaign – and from what I have seen of the squad, I think that can be possible.”

He added: “Ashington are a huge club in non league circles. They have a big history and when Benfield played them home and away last season, the support towards their players is always amazing. I’m excited and really looking forward to joining a club who have got ambitions and who want to push on.”

Meanwhile Gascoigne was full of praise for Newcastle Benfield: “As soon as I rang manager Paul Brayson, he said the club would never stop me from wanting to play at a higher level. They have been excellent and I’d like to thank everyone who has helped me after I came into the Benfield set up as a young lad.”

By Brian Bennett

Goalkeeper Ross Coombe says he is looking forward to enjoying his football again after signing for Ashington last week.

The 24 year old who has also worn the number one jersey at South Shields, West Auckland and Consett, said:  “I’m looking forward to enjoying my football again. After the end of every campaign, I keep myself fit and always enjoy pre season. This year it will be different as I get to know my new team mates and at Ashington, it’s nice to hear about a club that have ambitions to go higher.”

Ashington boss Ian Skinner said: “We monitored Ross for a little while. Being with Consett last season, he played for a team who are in the league we have just joined so he has got some experience. He was very enthusiastic and really keen and I’m delighted to have him on board.”

By Brian Bennett

George Rounsfell, one of Ashington FC’s new signings, admitted that he is looking forward to playing at Woodhorn Lane – in a stadium where there is a ‘proper atmosphere.’

The 21 year old admitted that he went through a period where he fell out of love with football but played towards the end of last season with Washington to try and get some enjoyment back. Now he says he is ‘looking to push on.’

Born in Kingston-upon-Thames in London, Rounsfell commented: “I followed Ashington last season and they are a club who are on the up. Not only that but I noticed that they were playing in front of big crowds for the majority of their games which stood out. From my point of view, I would like to play for a team in front of a crowd where there is a proper atmosphere so I’m buzzing to be joining them. When you go to a new outfit it gives you that bit of incentive because you don’t want to be lagging behind and I can’t wait to meet everyone to be fair.”

Rounsfell – an assistant accountant on TV and film productions – added: “I felt out of love with football. I was at Newcastle United from being a six year old until I was 19 then I went to the USA to play for Campbell University Athletics. Towards the end of last season I played for Washington to try and get some enjoyment back but I felt it was not at the standard that I need to be playing at. Now I’m looking to push on.”

Ashington boss Ian Skinner said: “George is a player who we very much look forward to working with. He has got huge potential. He is used to being in an elite performance environment from his time with Newcastle United and then moving overseas to play in America. He came back over here towards the middle to the end of last season and he played a couple of games for Washington. He’s someone who we have monitored in terms of the potential he showed previously and we feel we can offer him an environment where we can unearth that potential again and help him to kick on and get back to the levels that he was before.”

The FA have today released the scheduled for the Emirates FA Cup and Isuzu FA Trophy for the 2023/24 season.

Last season, we had a magnificent run to the 4th Qualifying Round of the Emirates FA Cup, whilst in 2023/24 we will be competing in the Isuzu FA Trophy for the first time since 1984/85.

Emirates FA Cup – Round Dates

Extra Preliminary Round – Saturday 5 August 2023
Preliminary Round – Saturday 19 August 2023
First Round Qualifying – Saturday 2 September 2023
Second Round Qualifying – Saturday 16 September 2023
Third Round Qualifying – Saturday 30 September 2023
Fourth Round Qualifying – Saturday 14 October 2023
First Round Proper – Saturday 4 November 2023
Second Round Proper – Saturday 2 December 2023
Third Round Proper – Saturday 6 January 2024
Fourth Round Proper – Saturday 27 January 2024
Fifth Round Proper – Wednesday 28 February 2024
Quarter Final – Saturday 16 March 2024
Semi Final – Saturday 20 April 2024
Final – Saturday 25 May 2024

Isuzu FA Trophy- Round Dates

First Round Qualifying – Saturday 9 September 2023
Second Round Qualifying – Saturday 23 September 2023
Third Round Qualifying – Saturday 7 October 2023
First Round Proper – Saturday 28 October 2023
Second Round Proper – Saturday 18 November 2023
Third Round Proper – Saturday 9 December 2023
Fourth Round Proper – Saturday 13 January 2024
Fifth Round Proper – Saturday 10 February 2024
Sixth Round Proper – Saturday 9 March 2024
Semi Final – Saturday 6 April 2024
Final – Saturday 11 or Sunday 12 May 2024

By Brian Bennett

He may be joining a new club only a few miles up the road but Matty Dopson is excited about his move from Blyth Spartans to Ashington.

Dopson who has linked up with the Colliers after playing at Croft Park for the past two seasons, can operate as a defender or midfielder: “I think joining Ashington is brilliant,” he said, “Obviously they are a club who have come off the back of a great season with promotion to the Northern Premier League and who will be looking to improve even more this coming campaign. I’m looking forward to it and can’t wait to meet the lads and get pre season started.”

The 19 year old – who is based in Bedlington – is hoping to get more ‘game time’ under his belt: “I was approached by the club (Ashington) and we had a few chats with really positive thoughts,” he added, “For me being a young lad I was at a brilliant club in Blyth Spartans but I wasn’t getting enough game time so I’m hoping for more with Ashington. Knowing the likes of former Blyth players Dan Maguire and Nathan Buddle will be great to help me settle in but the majority of the lads are going to be new faces for me in what is a fresh start.”

Ashington FC manager Ian Skinner said: “Matty fits into the type of player we have looked to try and recruit in the summer. He is really receptive to coaching; he always performed admirably when he played for Blyth Spartans and maybes we are a good fit for his development in terms of exposing him to more game time. He has a good pedigree in terms of being around an elite environment and has been with England schoolboys where he played in every game of the Centenary Shield. So it could be good for both parties in terms of us being able to give him more game time and try and help him develop further and for him to really go on and flourish.”