by Peter Scherer
Our visitors this Saturday are Whitby Town, currently 18th in the league and battling for their own survival, but still mathematically in reach in Mickleover.
They have won three of their last 10 games, beating Basford 1-0 last weekend, after a winless run of four games.
Manager Gary Liddle and his assistant Jason Kennedy are both still registered players and are often on the subs bench. Liddle was signed as a player from Spennymoor pre-season, but took over the managership too when Nathan Haslam left last October.
A centre back he started his career at Middlesbrough, before joining Hartlepool on his release. After six years he moved to Notts County, followed by spells at Bradford City, Chesterfield and Carlisle, before joining Walsall in 2006. He then returned to Hartlepool and was at South Shields before his Spennymoor move at the end of last season. He has made 572 league appearances in Leagues One and Two and scored 28 goals.
Kennedy came from Marske Utd last October to join Liddle. A midfielder, he started out at Middlesbrough too and was loaned out to Boston Utd, Bury and Livingston, before joining Darlington on his release.
A year later he joined Rochdale and then moved to Bradford City, who loaned him back to Rochdale, before another permanent move to Carlisle in 2015. His next stops were Hartlepool and Spennymoor, before a two years spell at Marske and has 390 League One and Two appearances under his belt with 38 goals.
First choice goalkeeper Shane Bland was another Middlesbrough youngster. He first came to Whitby in 2013 following his release, but after just over four years moved onto Spennymoor. His next move was West Auckland after an initial loan and is now in his sixth season at Whitby.
His deputy is Nick Cranston, was signed from Billingham in October 2021. He has also played for Wolviston, after starting his career at Darlington.
Jassem Sukar is a centre back and usually captains the side. He started out at Sunderland before heading further north with Dundee Utd. He was loaned to Peterhead, Brechin City and Arbroath, playing in Scottish League’s One and Two, before signing for York City on his release.
He came to Whitby in April 2018, but moved to Darlington four years later. After a loan at Scarborough he came to our visitors pre-season.
Fellow centre back Frankie Whelan and left back Sam Collins are pre-season signings too, following their release from Middlesbrough.
Left back Nathan McGinley came from Spennymoor at the end of last month. He was a Middlesbrough junior, loaned to Wycombe Wanderers and Forest Green, before a permanent move t the latter. He then played for Motherwell, Patrick Thistle and Ayr Utd in Scotland, before starting this season at Spennymoor.
Kasper Williams another centre back, currently on loan from Doncaster Rovers, where he has made two EFL Trophy appearances.
Teenaged defender Alfie Jackson was signed last September, after showing his talent in pre-season trials.
Callum Wilson is another young defender and a product of the clubs own youth scheme.
Central midfielder Alfie Doherty is another ex Middlesbrough junior too, who came straight to Whitby when he was released in August last year.
Connor Smith is a right sided midfielder, who began his career at Hartlepool. He was loaned to York and to Whitby in 2017, before a move to Frickley Athletic. He then moved onto Marske Utd and was loaned to our visitors again in September 2023, but the move became permanent in the November.
Midfielder Adam Gell made his 300th appearance for Whitby earlier this season. Having arrived at Whitby from Guisborough in 2015, he spent nine years with the club before starting this season at Bishop Auckland. But he made the return trip after just two months.
Lewis Hawkins is currently captaining the side. A central midfielder, he was Hartlepool form10 years and played and made 75 appearances in leagues one and two. He was loaned to Whitby, Spennymoor and York City, before joining Blyth Spartans in August 2019, moving to our visitors a year later.
Michael Woods is another midfielder, who played his early football with Leeds Utd and Chelsea. He was capped by England at Under 16, 17, 19 and 20 and after a loan spell at Notts county, joined Yeovil following his release in 2012.
After spells at Doncaster and Harrogate he had four years with Hartlepool, before returning to Harrogate. Dover Athletic, York City and South Shields followed, before starting this season with Blyth Spartans. He came to Whitby last month, after two months at Scarborough.
Nathan Thomas is a traditional left winger with masses of experience, with over 200 appearances in leagues, one, two and the Scottish Leagues, scoring 34 goals.
He started out as youngster with Newcastle Utd and Sunderland, before joining Plymouth Argyle. He then moved to Scotland with Motherwell, before returning to England with Mansfield Town.
After a spell at Hartlepool he moved to Sheffield Utd, who loaned him to Shrewsbury Town, Notts County and Carlisle Utd, before returning to Scotland with Hamilton Academicals. York City was his next stop, before a five month stay at Marske Utd, which preceded his move to Whitby in December 2023.
Aaron Haswell is a midfielder and former York City and Harrogate youngster. He was signed from Ossett Utd in May 2022.
Joseph Aungiers is an attacking midfielder too, signed on a dual registration with Hartlepool last month.
Fellow midfielder Layton Watts is another former Middlesbrough youngster. He came to Whitby in October 202p from Sunderland RCA and had a spell at Guisborough before returning to Sunderland. Easington and Benfield and Redcar Athletic were his next stops, before starting this season with West Aukland, returning to Whitby in November.
Striker Matty Tymon has spent his whole career in the North East, since starting out at Hartlepool. He first came to Whitby in 2011 after a year at West Auckland. Then after two years at Workington he returned again in July 2016.
Marske Utd, Stockton, Redcar and Guisborough were his next stops, before starting this season at Bishop Aukland. He joined our visitors in December.
Mitchell Curry is an experienced striker signed from Blyth Spartans last month. He played his junior football at Middlesbrough and was loaned to Harrogate, Inverness Caledonian and Gateshead, before a move to Sunderland.
Seven months later he moved to the US with Fort Lauderdale and also played for Hartford and Inter Miami, before returning to the UK with Darlington at the start of last season. He started this term at Blyth.
Kick off usual is 3pm.