Former Sunderland defender issues warning to South Shields ahead of key clash with NPL title rivals Radcliffe

Kevin Phillips’ side could move to the brink of promotion with a home win on Saturday afternoon.
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Former Sunderland defender Jordan Hunter has warned South Shields they still have work to do to claim the Northern Premier League Premier Division title.

The Mariners are currently preparing for an eagerly anticipated top of the table clash with second-placed Radcliffe at the 1st Cloud Arena on Saturday afternoon. A home win would take Kevin Phillips’ side 16 points clear of their nearest rivals and with just five games of the season remaining.

South Shields man Jordan Hunter - Photo by Kev WilsonSouth Shields man Jordan Hunter - Photo by Kev Wilson
South Shields man Jordan Hunter - Photo by Kev Wilson
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That would mean South Shields are within touching distance of the league title but despite looking as if they are close to finally securing a long-awaited promotion into the National League North, Mariners full-back Hunter insisted his side will not stop pushing until becoming champions is a mathematical certainty.

He said: “A lot of people were looking at us ahead of going to Hyde on Saturday and maybe they were thinking we would get a draw - but we got a big win down there and it’s a massive result for us.

“It sets us up for Saturday and really it couldn’t be any bigger. It’s the top two clubs in the division and we hope there will be a crowd of over 3,000 there to get behind us.

“The supporters are big for us in every game and there were so many of them at Hyde last weekend. They made some noise getting behind us and I have no doubt they will do that again on Saturday afternoon because they want promotion and we want it too.

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“But we know it isn’t done until it’s mathematically done and we won’t stop until it is.”

Hunter’s desire to see a crowd of over 3,000 supporters at the 1st Cloud Arena have been boosted by the fact the fixture falls upon this season’s Non-League Day.

That initiative takes place each year during an international break as non-league clubs around the country look to attract supporters of Premier League and EFL clubs to take in their fixtures and showcase all that is good about the non-league game. Started in 2010 by Queens Park Rangers supporter James Doe, Non-League Day has grown in stature and is now supported by clubs across the country and beyond.

Hunter has enjoyed a successful introduction into the non-league game after a loan spell at South Shields in the first month of the 2019/20 season was converted into a permanent deal just under a year later. The highly-rated full-back revealed his love for the non-league game - but revealed the ongoing changes at the 1st Cloud Arena mean the Mariners players feel like they have already met the club’s target of reaching the Football League.

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He said: “When you walk through the gates, you see the stand, it feels like a Football League ground and with the fans being like it is, games feel like they are at a higher level.

“The volunteers and the supporters are the main thing for the club, just as they are around non-league football, and you’re on first-name basis with the fans that stand in the same place week-in, week-out. Maybe if you go higher, you don’t have that connection.

“On Saturday, we are holding an If U Care Share Foundation night at the club and the staff have a table at the event. You probably wouldn’t get that higher up the league, but no matter what happens during the game, we will be there alongside the supporters.”

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