South Shields: Rhythm of the night

Words: Martin Lindsay

Images: Martin Lindsay

Every year, on one Sunday in September, the coastal town of South Shields in North-East England is beamed to a global audience.

Huge crowds and international TV crews descend on its famous seafront for the finish of the Great North Run - the world’s biggest half marathon. The race’s alumni includes Sir Mo Farah, who won here a record six times.

Only Christmas provides a greater economic boost for a town that’s home to some of the most deprived housing estates in the country.

After the demise of several key industries, some outsiders say the event is the area’s only remaining source of pride. The town’s football club - top of the table and with Football League ambitions - offers a strong rebuttal.

On Tuesday night they hammered Macclesfield 4-1 to climb to the summit of National League North on goal difference. They’re two games away from playing in the National League - a decade long goal of the owner.

©Martin Lindsay/ Terrace Edition. South Shields vs Macclesfield.

They’re backed by a passionate, drum bashing, young fan base, who lost their minds and their shirts when their side went 2-0 up after five minutes.

The older generation donned strips, scarves and bucket hats in the club’s claret and blue colours.

If anyone dares to suggest South Shields has nothing to shout about these days, I urge you to spend an evening with this lot.

The town - affectionately referred to as Shields by locals - sits on the southern bank of the River Tyne. It’s a former fishing area once famous for salt panning, coal mining and ship building. It has a population of 75,000, similar to that of Premier League side Burnley, who also share the club’s colours.

Newcastle is 11 miles away from South Shields, Sunderland just six. In geography, not much separates them, but in football the distance is the equivalent of several ultra-marathons.

South Shields play in English football’s sixth tier in front of an average home crowd of approximately 2,000. Their ground, the 1st Cloud Arena, has a 900 seater stand and covered terraces behind each goal.

Previous incarnations of the club peaked whilst competing in the Football League in the 1920s but later suffered the despair of going out of business.

The current club, nicknamed The Mariners, was founded in 1974 after financial issues crippled its previous existence. The new set up wasn’t immune to further turbulence though, losing their stadium in the early 2010s when their lease expired.

The club was saved by businessman Geoff Thompson in 2015 who has overseen a resurgence through non-league football that now has them within touching distance of the National League.

In his eleven years as chairman, South Shields have turned full time and famously returned to their stadium, after playing home matches 20 miles away in Peterlee.

This reinvented club, with a professional set up and EFL aspirations, has attracted some star names.

In 2017, former Premier League player Julio Arca captained Shields to the Northern League Division One title, a maiden FA Vase victory at Wembley and two more trophies. In 2023, his former Sunderland team-mate and ex-England striker Kevin Phillips managed the Mariners to their first promotion to the National League North in half a century. Brit Award winning Little Mix singer Jade Thirlwall, who’s from Shields, is a shareholder and the club’s honorary president.

But it’s the current squad, managed by former MK Dons and Carlisle United assistant Ian Watson, who are on the cusp of gaining celebrity status. His former manager at those clubs, ex Newcastle United defender Mike Williamson, recently joined Shields and was assisting Watson in the dugout on Tuesday.

Bringing National League football to South Shields would be among the club’s greatest achievements, when you consider how close it was to extinction just over a decade ago.

From going bust in the 70s, to the obscurity of almost folding again and even being left homeless, their redemption story has certainly been a marathon, rather than a sprint.

But, finally, like the thousands who run here every September, they’re on the home straight, the finish line is in sight.

And the drum beats on.