Mark Carruthers: Non-league clubs and those who run them should never lose faith, no matter how big the challenges seem

But as we await the arrival of the big man in the red suit and put the final touches to the festivities, it is a good point to take a pause, put down the whisky (honest!) and contemplate what has really happened over the last 12 months.

When the clock struck 12 last New Year’s Eve, and 2020 arrived with a bang, there was little indication of the seismic changes that lay in wait for non-league clubs around the region.

Indeed, as I sat on the Croft Park terraces after watching a six-goal thriller between Blyth Spartans and Gateshead less than 20 hours into the new year, the months that lay ahead seemed to be one full of promise for our clubs.

We had a rejuvenated Gateshead and Spennymoor Town pushing for promotion in the National League North, South Shields blazing a trail at the top end of the Northern Premier League’s top tier and Morpeth Town finding momentum to challenge for a play-off place.

Marske United also had eyes on a top-five place in the North West Division and Dunston UTS were enjoying a solid first season in step four of the non-league pyramid.

Stockton Town’s proud band of local lads were on an unstoppable march towards the Northern League Division One title, closely followed by the great pretenders in Hebburn Town, Shildon, North Shields et al.

Newton Aycliffe and Consett had impressed with an eye-catching style of football based on clever, technical players with more than a hint of flair.

West Allotment Celtic – a club still recovering from almost being ran out of business just three years ago – were now running away with the Division Two title with Redcar Athletic, Crook Town and Billingham Synthonia all waiting for a slip-up from the leaders.

The FA Vase – so often a source of success for North East clubs – had garnered the very really possibility of only a second ever all Northern League final.

And the competition would provide us with one of the few high points of the last year as on a magical day in February, both Hebburn Town and Consett battled through challenging semi-finals to secure their first ever visit to Wembley Stadium.

However, their success was tampered with frustration and their wait to walk out at the home of football has now been extended into 2021.

As the early promise of 2020 descended into lockdowns, social distancing, applause for the heroes of the NHS and wishing you’d invested in shares in Zoom, there were rising fears that the success of our clubs could count for nothing.

A whole host of the clubs mentioned above were left rightly annoyed, obviously frustrated and understandably angry after an FA committee decided to declare the 2019/20 season as null and void.

All of the effort, the investment and countless hours of hard work that had led clubs to the brink of success and historic emotions had been wiped away in the blink of an eye.

The impact of that decision is still lingering today with several of the clubs affected still struggling to find the momentum that led them to the edge of glory just months earlier.

Being deprived of success is one thing, but as summer turned to autumn, and the Government flip-flopped more than a fish out water, concern turned towards the possibility that a number of our clubs were facing an increasingly uncertain future.

Deprived of their main sources of income with supporters watching from afar and clubhouses remaining closed, some true heroes came to the fore to ensure that the clubs that have been part of their communities for generations gone by remain alive for the enjoyments of those to come.

For all of those hours of time and effort, the uncertainty caused by the indecisiveness of the men and women that “run” our country and the national game has left our clubs wondering what comes next.

In reality, nobody knows what the coming months hold for all of us.

As a public, and as non-league folk have done for well over a century, all we can do is stick together – at a social distance – and do all that we can to ensure that one day we will return to our clubs in number and re-embrace the game that we all love.

That day will come, we will get back to buying the real ale at Heaton Stannington and embracing the history that oozes out of Millfield, Croft Park, Hillheads and Dean Street.

We will bare the constant chill at Belle View and Ironworks Road, marvel at the changes at Brewery Field and enjoy the warm welcome at the UTS Stadium and the Green Energy Sports Ground.

That day will come, and when it does, remember the dark days that we have experienced over the last 12 months.

And for one last time, to all of those that play a vital part in keeping our clubs going, those that wind away the hours, do not lose heart or faith in the difference you are making to not only your clubs, but to your local community.

You are every bit as important and the players and coaches that carry your hopes and dreams from season-to-season and represent your clubs with pride and passion when they cross the white line.

Take a pause, enjoy Christmas with those around you, appreciate the break and reflect on everything that you have done over the last year.

Be proud of your efforts and do not lose faith, no matter how big the challenges that lie in wait may seem.

To all of the players, managers, coaches, volunteers, committee members and supporters, have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Now, back to that whisky!

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