South Shields F.C. (1974)
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| Full name | South Shields Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Mariners |
| Founded | 1974 (current incarnation) |
| Ground | Mariners Park, South Shields |
| Capacity | 3,500 |
| Chairman | Geoff Thompson |
| Manager | Graham Fenton and Lee Picton |
| League | Northern League Division One |
| 2015–16 | Northern League Division Two, 1st (promoted) |
South Shields Football Club is a football club based in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, England. The third club of this name, it was formed in 1974 and plays its home matches at Mariners Park, formerly known as Filtrona Park. South Shields currently play in Northern League Division One.
The club was formed in the same year as the previous club failed, after a second move to Gateshead by the previous club, and the sale of Simonside Hall, given to the club by supporters. The re-formed club under chairman Martin Ford was based at the council's Jack Clark Park, and began a 17-year crusade for a home of its own.
After two title winning seasons in the Northern Alliance, and an appearance in the quarter-finals of the FA Vase, Shields joined the Wearside League. Ultimately, chairman John Rundle and his family provided the long wished-for new ground at Filtrona Park, which was re-developed and first used by the club in 1992.
In 1994–95 the club won the Wearside League for the second time in three years, and were promoted to Northern League Division Two. It was promoted again to Northern League Division One the following season, but relegated back to Division Two in 1999–00. Chairman John Rundle publicly threatened to fold the club if they went down, though he did not follow the threat through.
After several seasons in Division Two, John Rundle again threatened the club with closure in 2006, locking the gates at Filtrona Park before a home game. However, a new committee was formed, headed by chairman Gary Crutwell, and the club was saved. The club's performance then improved, and a fourth-place finish in 2007 was followed by promotion in 2008 back into Division One. In 2010, the club won the Northern League Cup, beating Ashington 6–5 on penalties after a 2–2 draw.
In the 2012–13 season, South Shields F.C. was relegated from Northern League Division One before being forced to move to Eden Lane, in Peterlee, after its lease on Filtrona Park expired.
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