Sunderland West End confirm managerial departure despite highest ever league finish
There was some surprise news from the Ebac Northern League on Wednesday night.
Sunderland West End have surprisingly parted company with management team Steve Cockrill and Steve Salvin just weeks after they secured the highest ever league position in the club’s history.
The duo took charge of West End midway through the 2023/24 season and helped the club preserve their Northern League Division Two status before putting foundations in place for what has been a remarkable season this time around. After spending the early months of the campaign in the lower half of the Division Two table, West End embarked on a remarkable run of form and lost just one of their last 17 games of the season.
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A run of five straight wins during the last month of the campaign culminated in a 3-2 home victory against Boldon CA and results elsewhere confirmed West End would end the season in eighth place in the Division Two table, which represents their highest ever finish in the non-league pyramid.
However, that win against Boldon will now go into the record books as the final game of Cockrill and Salvin’s reign after the club confirmed they had ‘decided to part company’ with the duo.
A statement released on Wednesday night read: “West End FC can today confirm we have decided to part company with Steve Cockrill and Steve Salvin with immediate effect. The club would like to thank both Steves for their efforts during their time with us and for helping us reach our highest league position. We wish them both well for the future.”
Northern League play-off details
Meanwhile, the Northern League Division One and Two play-off semi-finals get underway on Friday night as top tier rivals Boro Rangers and Newcastle Blue Star meet at Phoenix Park. The winners of that game will meet the winners of Saturday’s meeting between Shildon and Blyth Town.
The Division Two play-offs kick off with Jarrow’s home game against Chester-le-Street United on Monday night and the semi-finals are rounded off by an all-Teesside meeting of Yarm & Eaglescliffe and Thornaby at Bedford Terrace on Tuesday night.
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