Blyth Spirit
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blythspirit.bsky.social
Blyth Spirit
@blythspirit.bsky.social
Honoured to be a lifelong Spartan.
Researching, recording & writing about the history of Blyth Spartans.
A football club proudly making history since 1899.
On this day 125 years ago
@blythspartans.bsky.social (then Blyth Spartans Athletic Club) played its first ever game

Beat Newcastle side Bohemians 6-1 away in friendly

Played 4 friendlies before joining Northumberland League in 1901/02 by then Athletic Club had been swapped for Football Club
November 10, 2025 at 7:47 AM
@blythsgreenarmy.bsky.social first ever goalkeeper

Jim Cannon played in first ever competitive game 7/9/1901

Former Blyth Thistle keeper (folded in July 1901)

38 apps for Spartans
Conceded 51, kept 13 clean sheets

Also played outfield 5 times & scored once

Left to join New Delaval in July 1903
September 24, 2025 at 12:02 PM
All time @blythspartans.bsky.social keeper stats

Most consecutive games without conceding - 8
Mick Morgan 19/4/75 > 8/9/75
(Last 2 games of 74/75 & first 6 of 75/76)

Signed in August 1974 from North Shields

Made 119 apps 44 clean sheets
Conceded 136 goals
= 1.14 goals per game conceded
September 10, 2025 at 12:53 PM
@blythspartans.bsky.social Shirt sponsor stats
1st new shirt sponsor since 21/22

18th different shirt sponsor since 1st appeared on kit in 1982

1st time town name appears in sponsor since 2015

4th consecutive shirt sponsor related to Blyth port services

Had a port related sponsor since 2019
May 23, 2025 at 8:49 AM
Relegation to NPL East at Level 4 of National League System will see @blythspartans.bsky.social enter the FA Cup at the Preliminary Round for the 1st time in 75 years!

Last played in the Preliminary Rd in 1950/51 when they beat Shilbottle Colliery Welfare 6-1 at home on 16th September 1950
March 21, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Following last nights defeat another @blythspartans.bsky.social defeat at home by Warrington Rylands on Saturday along with wins for Whitby Town, Bamber Bridge & Leek Town avoiding defeat will see the club officially relegated from the NPL Premier Division (Step 3) to NPL East Division at (Step 4)
March 12, 2025 at 7:28 AM
Failure to win on Saturday means @blythspartans.bsky.social can now only reach a max of 51 pts

Stockton Town winning means Blyth can longer reach the NPL Playoffs 🫣

51 points would mean survival but that’s never going to happen
17 from safety, won’t win another 17 in last 11 games
👋🏻 NPL Premier
February 24, 2025 at 7:09 AM
Most goals scored in game by an @blythspartans.bsky.social player is 7

Achieved by only 4 players -
Nixon Thompson 1/9/1906
10-3 v Alnwick St James ENL

Billy Tucker 11/1/1930
10-0 v Seaton Delaval NSC

Lew Nainby 9/12/1961
11-2 v Stockton NCL

Brian Slane 6/12/1969
13-0 v Stanley United NL
February 20, 2025 at 7:32 AM
@blythspartans.bsky.social stats

1st time in 90 years club fielded its 6th different keeper in same season, last happened in 1934/35
Between then & now used 5 on 3 occasions

Different keepers per season -
5 times used 5
14 times used 4

Also 2 of 3 managers this season had been keepers
February 9, 2025 at 9:15 AM
@blythspartans.bsky.social stats

Taken 1 pt from last 9 aways

8th time been 0-0 at HT, lost 5 of them

Only scored 2 FH goals in 14 NPL aways

Scored 11 in 14 NPL aways

Conceded 32 in 14 NPL aways

Conceded opening goal in 9 of 14 NPL aways

Conceded 3 or more in 10 of 27 NPLs

#Downnow
February 2, 2025 at 9:29 AM
@blythspartans.bsky.social goal stats
100+ goal scorers -

B Slane 242
1969 > 1979

R Dale 220
2005 > 2022

S Pyle 200
1987 > 1997

D Maguire 160
2013 > 2022

G Pyke 140
1922 > 1927

T McFadden 123
1983 > 1989

T Orrick 119
1964 > 1968

N Thompson 111
1904 > 1910

B Readman 110
1935 > 1939
January 29, 2025 at 9:22 AM
@blythspartans.bsky.social stats
Tuesdays 0-3 home defeat to Ashton United set a new unwanted club record of 16 consecutive league games without a win

Defeat means it’s now 18 games in all competitions without a win

All 12 under new manager without a win

Failed to score in 12 of 25 NPL games
January 23, 2025 at 10:04 AM
2024 @blythspartans.bsky.social
Annus Horribilis
Started comfortably 13th in NLN Ended rock bottom of NPL

Played 43 league games taking 28 of 129 pts available

19,401 saw 23 games at Croft Park - won 3 of them

3 different chairmen & 4 different managers

Current form - 15 games without a win
December 27, 2024 at 8:30 AM
@blythspartans.bsky.social Festive Football 🎄⚽️
Last played on Christmas Eve 47 years ago
1977 drew 1-1 at South Bank
Only played 9 times on Christmas Eve

67 years since last played on Christmas Day
1957 lost 0-3 at home to Ashington
Played 37 times on Christmas Day

All the best everyone
December 24, 2024 at 8:48 AM
@blythspartans.bsky.social stats

Half point in NPL

Fewest points 12 from 21

Fewest goals scored 18

Most goals conceded 46

Losing at HT in 12 of those 21

Not keep clean sheet in last 12

Only kept 3 in 21

12 without a win

Top scorer has 4

In bottom 4 after last 17 played

#doomed
December 22, 2024 at 8:53 AM
@blythspartans.bsky.social fact

Tmrw is last attempt to avoid an unwanted new club record

Failure to beat Prescott Cables will see team having gone an entire calendar year without a Saturday home win!

P13 W0 D3 L10 F8 A28

Last Saturday home win was on 30/12/23 - South Shields 2-1 in NLN
December 13, 2024 at 8:27 AM
Of all the many great images that came from that night when @blythspartans.bsky.social beat @hufc.bsky.social in FA Cup this has alway been one of my favourites
Stephen Turnbull getting carried away by sheer euphoria of last gasp winner
It’s what competition means to us ‘lower’ clubs
#limbs
December 5, 2024 at 8:10 AM
On this day 10 years ago
@blythspartans.bsky.social beat @hufc.bsky.social 1-2 away in FA Cup 2nd Rd live on BBC Match of the Day
Stephen Turnbull equalised with superb free kick then Jarrett Rivers scored a dramatic last gasp winner

Truly great memories of epic night
#FACup #awaydays #memories
December 5, 2024 at 7:54 AM
@blythspartans.bsky.social stats
Only 3rd time in 19 NPL scored 2

Only 2nd FH goal

1st pen missed since 7/11/23

1st time led at HT since 1st game

1st time in 12 scored 2

1st time since 14/10/23 led 2-0

1st time 2 up & drew at home since 7/11/23

1st pen missed since 7/11/23

Were doomed
December 4, 2024 at 8:07 AM
@blythspartans.bsky.social stats
11 games without a win all comps

9 league games without a win

Worst run since start of 19/20 went first 11 games without a win

Worst run in NPL - 2003/04 went 15without a win

Scored 3 goals in last 11 games
That last happened in 2021/22
25th Sept > 27th Nov
December 1, 2024 at 8:51 AM
OTD 16 years ago
@blythspartans.bsky.social achieved a famous 0-0 at Bournemouth in FA Cup 2nd Rd

Over 300 @blythsgreenarmy.bsky.social made 727 mile round trip via plane, trains & automobiles for 5.30 KO due to live TV coverage

Never thought I would fly to a Blyth away game

Great memories
November 29, 2024 at 7:11 AM
@blythspartans.bsky.social stats
It’s taken the most games to get to double points in a completed season since 2011/12

Got to 10 pts from 17 NPL games played on 26th November 2024

In the 2011/12 Conference North season got to 10 points after 17 games on 19th November 2011
November 27, 2024 at 8:28 AM
@blythspartans.bsky.social stats
Joe Oliver 1st defender to score in last 30 games

530 midweek home crowd bigger than 6 played in front of on a Saturday this season

Gone goal down in last 10 games

Only 2 goals scored in last 8 NPLs
(3 goal in last 10 played)

Scored 1 first half goal in 17 NPLs
November 27, 2024 at 8:10 AM
@blythspartans.bsky.social stats

1st time in 20 years 2 players with same surname started

3,004 biggest ever NPL crowd

Heaviest ever NPL defeat

14th 0-6 defeat ever

Scored 1 in last 7

Losing at HT in last 9

1st goal conceded inside minute since 13/1/24

6th ex League club faced in NPL
November 24, 2024 at 7:31 AM
BlythSpartans stats
Yesterdays 1,406 crowd was 3rd highest ever home crowd in 18 NPL seasons

Biggest ever Saturday home NPL crowd

12th 1,000+ NPL crowd

Lost last 5 home games when had 1,000+ crowd

1st time since 1965 been bottom of table & had 1,000+ crowd

📸by @blythsgreenarmy.bsky.social
November 17, 2024 at 7:41 AM