Blyth Spartans help to spread some festive spirit

By Matt Badcock & Nick Lough

BLYTH SPARTANS surprised young fan Sam Wrightson to boost his recovery from being hit by a car – by going round his house!

Boss Tom Wade turned up on the ten-year-old’s doorstep with players Robbie Dale and Matty Wade, as well as a signed shirt.

The youngster is out of hospital after he was knocked over on his way home from school and had to be resuscitated seven times.

He also suffered a fractured skull, broken cheekbone and nose and had chest injuries. And Wade says it was the least the Evo-Stik NPL club could do.

“We had a little drive up before training to try and give him a surprise,” Wade said. “He wasn’t expecting us, his mum and dad weren’t either.

“It’s an unbelievable story that the kid survived for starters. We wanted to raise awareness for the air ambulance too and we gave him a signed shirt. It was really nice to see him.

“I know they’re not Premier League footballers but our lads are admired, especially by younger supporters. When I followed Blyth as a young lad I admired the players. It was lovely to go and we’ll invite him along to a game when he’s a bit better.”

Ethos

Wade will hope his side are still top of the table then, with Saturday’s 4-3 win against Stourbridge putting them eight points clear.

From the soggy coastal town of Blyth you’d have had to head 160 miles south to Grimsby to catch another Non-League game last Saturday when they beat Barwell 4-0.

“We’ve got a great groundsman in Peter Henderson, I have to praise him for everything he does for this football club,” Wade said.

“He works tirelessly on the pitch and it stood up to the game and it’s testament to the work that he puts in. The club have spent a little bit of money on the pitch this season and we were delighted the game was on.”

With Blyth the league’s Christmas number one, Wade believes the high standard of football his team are playing is all down to their ethos.

“We believe we play the right way and it’s always an interesting game when you come to Blyth,” said Wade. “I’ve known these lads since they were about eight or nine years old and they are all good mates. I watched 90 per cent of them through junior football and when we didn’t have as much money as we wanted three years ago we had to look to the youth level to fill the squad.

“They’ve blossomed into fantastic Evo-Stik Premier players which is a compliment as it’s, in my opinion, the best league at this level in the country.”