Sunderland RCA confirm intention to withdraw Northern League resignation as manager Steve Riley departs

Sunderland RCA have confirmed they are to withdraw their intended resignation from the Ebac Northern League.

Dwindling attendances and challenges on and off the pitch had led the club to ‘give provisional notice’ of their intention to end their time as a club in step five and six in the non-league system at the end of the season.

While the search for new volunteers and investment is ongoing, RCA have lost a whole host of key players in recent weeks and have promoted a large proportion of their reserve team squad into the Northern League. Dominic Jones oversaw Saturday’s 4-0 defeat at local rivals Seaham Red Star as manager Steve Riley took a watching brief of events before further discussing his own future with club officials.

Wednesday brought confirmation of Riley’s ‘amicable departure’ from RCA, who released a statement confirming they were now looking for a successor to ‘take the club forward’ by overseeing a battle against relegation from Division One and what they anticipate will by a hectic summer.

Speaking after Saturday’s defeat at Red Star, RCA secretary Rob Jones told The Echo: “We are aiming in the next two or three games to consolidate what we have got and maybe bring in two or three players with a view to remaining in the first division if we can. If we get relegated, we get relegated, but we will be withdrawing our notice in the next two weeks and we will go on from there with a long-term plan. We are always on the lookout for new players and we didn’t do too badly today.

“I was very proud of the lads that turned out for us today, they were mainly reserve team players and long may that continue. It’s a club that needs to continue in Ryhope because we’ve had a bad time of it with Ryhope Colliery Welfare folding and we are now in a position where we are the only Ryhope club left.

“We need to maintain that, we need people to get behind us but we are staying around.”

RCA chairman Colin Wilson added: “I’m optimistic we will be able to strengthen the current squad, who have done very well so far but need some help obviously. (It has been a) tough few weeks but we will keep going. There are local off-field offers of help and that is encouraging.”

A youthful RCA suffered a 6-0 defeat at Newcastle Benfield on Tuesday night but remain 12 points clear of the relegation zone with 11 games of the season remaining. They face tough-looking away trips to Heaton Stannington and Northallerton Town over the next week before returning to Sunderland LGV Park for a home fixture against Redcar Athletic on Saturday week.