by Peter Scherer
It’s off to Spennymoor Town on Saturday for our second round FA Trophy tie.
Our hosts had a fairly good start to their National League North season and currently lie in fourth place. So Sports will need to be in top form, as they look to start another winning streak.
Tuesday night Spennymoor hosted local rivals South Shields, looking to restore their home form after a defeat to Curzon Ashton and a draw with Boston Utd earlier this month, but finished the night 2-5 down.
They have recently been without manager Lewis Dickman too, who is currently recovering from surgery. Dickman was previously Academy manager at Sunderland and has been at Spennymoor since August last year. He was initially first team coach, but became assistant manager in August, before taking charge following Jamie Chandler’s departure in September. But during his recent absence, Andy Inness has been in charge.
Former Middlesbrough junior James Montgomery is their first choice keeper, he returned on Tuesday night after injury. A former England C International and following his ‘Boro release he went to Guiseley, before a spell at the Nike Academy.
Telford, Gateshead, Forest Green, Fylde, Southend Utd and Chesterfield followed, before returning to Gateshead for a third time in March last year. He came to Brewery Field pre-season.
Michael Roxburgh is his deputy, having returned from a loan spell at Liversedge. He spent time at Sunderland and Hartlepool before joining Huddersfield Town. He was released by the Terriers at the end of last season and signed for our hosts in July.
Centre back Reece Staunton was a Republic of Ireland Under 18 International. He started out at Bradford City and was loaned to Ossett Utd and Bradford Park Avenue, before joining the latter on his release.
He spent last season with Park Avenue before coming to ‘Moors pre-season.
Lebrun Mbeka is another centre back that arrived pre-season from Boston Utd. He started at Tadcaster, before joining Guiseley, moving to Boston in September last year. He was then loaned back to Guiseley for one month.
Their third centre back is Tranmere Rovers loanee Ben Hockenhull, while right back Keenan Ferguson is another pre-season signing from Boston Utd. He was at Tottenham and Sheffield Utd Academies, before joining Boston in 2021.
Josh Doherty is a left back and former Northern Ireland Under 18 International. He started his career with Ards, before joining Watford in 2012. He’s played for Leyton Orient, Crawley Town, Colchester and Barnet too, before returning to Ireland with Portadown. He spent last season at South Shields, before coming to Brewery Field pre-season.
James Curtis is the senior player and club cpatian, another centre back who came to Spennymoor in July 2016, after 13 years at Gateshead. He previously played for Washington.
Michael Ledger is primarily a centre back too. Another former Sunderland Junior, he went on loan to Viking Stavanger and Hartlepool. On his release he returned to Norway with Notodden for two years, before playing in Scotland with Queen of the South and Morton. He’s been at Spennymoor since August last year.
Ben Pollock is yet another centre back or defensive midfielder, whose father Jamie is a former Spennymoor manager. He was a junior at Middlesbrough, Leeds Utd and Newcastle, before joining Hartlepool on his release. He then joined Dunston UTS and Billingham Synthonia, before moving onto Hereford and spent last season at Boston Utd before coming to our hosts pre-season.
Although born in the North East, midfielder Mark Anderson spent most of his early career in the United States. He played his youth football with Sunderland, but joined Barry Bucs in 2010. Three years at Fort Lauderdale Strikers and another year at RailHawks preceded his UK return with Spennymoor in January 2016.
Midfielder Rob Ramshaw is another long serving player, having signed from Gateshead in July 2016. He also played for Darlington.
Danny Greenfield is a central midfielder, who had a spell at Manchester Utd before joining Barnsley in his junior days. He joined Gateshead on his release and had a loan spell at Matlock too. He joined Spennymoor in July last year, but spent part of last season on loan at Scarborough.
Left sided midfielder Corey McKeown arrived from Blyth Spartans in November 2022, after a four-year spell.
Central midfielder Callum Ross is another player to have sampled US soccer. Cramlington Juniors and Sunderland provided his early experience, before three years at Monkseaton preceded his move to Wingate Bulldog.
His US career was to last seven years, with Charlotte Independence and Oklahoma City, before joining South Shields on his UK return in January 2020. He has been at Brewery Field since January.
Connor Shanks moved between Huddersfield and Bradford City in his early career, before settling at Huddersfield. The midfielder was loaned to Nuneaton and Boston Utd before his release in January, from when he came straight to Spennymoor.
Central midfielder Sam Fielding started off at York City, before moving to Barnsley for three years. His next stop was Salford City, before returning to York. He joined our hosts in January from Bradford Park Avenue.
Sheffield Wednesday loanee Jay Glover is another midfielder, who had also been loaned out to Belper Town and Gainsborough Trinity.
With over 150 goals to his name since arriving from Ashington in 2015, Glen Taylor has become a Spennymoor legend. He had spells at Whitley Bay, Blyth Spartans and Ashington too, before arriving at Brewery Field. He scored 20 goals last season too.
Fellow striker Will Harris was on Burnley’s books after they signed him from Colne. He was then loaned back to his former club, as well as Warrington, before joining Sunderland on his release. He was then loaned to Barrow, before a permanent move to Gateshead, where he spent last season before his summer arrival at Spennymoor.
Owen Gallacher spent time with Newcastle City Juniors, Swallwell Swifts, Sunderland Academy, Ryton Blacks before joining Newcastle Utd. He moved on to Nottingham Forest, who loaned him to Harrogate, before joining Burton Albion on his release.
Next stop was Crawley Town, who loaned him to Gateshead, before a five-month spell with Grimsby Town preceded his arrival at Brewery Field in July.
Riley Mouat is a young striker that has come through ‘Moors own youth scheme and recently made his first team debut. Similarly midfielder Dan Atkinson has recently joined the first team squad too.
Kick off at Brewery Field ais 3pm, it’s a long way but your support would be welcomed.