Where are they now? How did the teams that decorated 'The Road' in Autumn 2016 finish the season?

There is only a week to go until the FA Cup Final when the journey Road to Wembley from Scotland will reach its final destination. Under the arch Chelsea and Arsenal will cross swords with the winners heading home with the most famous trophy in world football. I have been following the competition since August and in the early rounds I saw some great football played by friendly and ambitious non-league teams who showed me some wonderful hospitality. Today I salute the non league teams I saw in the qualifying rounds and pose the question ‘what sort of season did they have?’

The first match that I attended on ‘The Road’ was the extra preliminary round tie between Penrith and Sunderland Ryhope Community Association on the 6^th August. This match was chosen as it was the extra preliminary round tie that was being staged closest to the Scottish border. Penrith won 1-0 with a goal scored by Jake Smith. Jake was the subject of the previous post and has stayed in touch and has described that goal as ‘the ball dropped to me at the edge of the box and I hit it into the bottom corner’. Nice one. With the Bonny Blues from Penrith victorious then Sunderland RCA were the first team to be eliminated on The Road. RCA got over the disappointment of going out of the cup quickly and have had a good season. They reached the last 16 of the FA Vase eventually going out to Newport Pagnell after extra time. In the league they finished half way up the Northern League but had some good results along the way including a 10-1 victory away at Washington. Third generation Scot Ross McNab, grandson of Sunderland legend Jim ‘Mac The Knife’ McNab, played with distinction for RCA throughout the season.

Ross McNab of Sunderland RCA in action against Sleaford in the FA Vase in January

The next team to be eliminated on The Road were Penrith, but not before I had watched them play on three occasions. After beating Sunderland RCA the Bonny Blues were drawn away at Dunston UTS. Two great games were played between these Northern League rivals and the men from Gateshead eventually emerged victorious after a replay on a sunny evening at the picturesque Frenchfields Stadium in Cumbria. Like RCA Penrith also had a good season finishing midway in the league and having a decent run in the FA Vase, eventually going out to Atherton Colleries in the third round proper. Their main Scottish link took place after their FA Cup exit. The manager back in August was Matt Henney and he left in October to take on a managerial role with Scottish Lowland League side Gretna. A couple of Penrith players followed him over the border and perhaps Gretna Green should be renamed Gretna Blue!

Matt finish at Frenchfields. Boss Henney left to coach in the Scottish Lowland League

After knocking out Penrith, Dunston were on a roll and in the next round they knocked out Skelmersdale United from two league tiers above them in the pyramid. Skem took Dunston to a replay in Lancashire before bowing out. I think it is fair to say that season 2016-17 did not get any better for Skem after their shock cup defeat in September. They finished rock bottom of the Evokstik Northern Premier League and next season will play their football in Evostik Division One North. Off the field they also had massive problems. In March the club announced that they had been unable to agree a new lease on their stadium and for a couple of weeks it looked like they might fold completely. However in April they were able to report that they had agreed to groundshare with Prescott Cables FC in season 17-18 and their immediate future is guaranteed although by no means secure. Worrying times for a famous club once coached by Scottish football icon Ian St John. I wish them well.

Volair Park the home of Prescott Cables and will also be home to Skem in 2017-18

Dunston’s adventurous FA Cup run eventually came to an end on the 17^th September when Chorley of the National League North beat them at their trim, well appointed UTS stadium. I ended up watching Dunston 5 times and visiting the UTS Stadium 3 times in August and September and I loved every minute of it. Dunston are a wonderful football club full of friendly people and a team of promising young footballers playing some great stuff and scoring loads of goals. At least that is how it all looked back in the early Autumn. The FA Cup run turned out to be the highlight of the season and the Gateshead based club did not manage to build on their success in the world famous knock out competition. They parted company with their charismatic manager Billy Irwin before Christmas and results did not improve significantly and they finished the season placed in the bottom half of the Northern League. They have however left me with some great memories. I will never forget the hospitality shown to me and my son Brian by Billy Irwin and never forget those scintillating, mouth-watering pies served up by Scots Beth. I was delighted to note that the club had awarded a long service award at their annual prize giving night.

Dunston legend and all round great guy Billy Irwin is lauded at the annual prize giving

The pie stall at Dunston - Pastry Heaven by Beth from Greenock

Chorley’s success on the Road to Wembley from Scotland was short lived. They fell at the next hurdle when they were ko-d by Spennymoor in County Durham in on the 1^st October 2016. They did however kick on after this and had a good season in the National League North. They qualified for the end of season play offs and agonisingly lost in extra time to Halifax in the play off final and were hence denied a place in the National League in season 17-18 by the narrowest of margins. Ex Greenock Morton striker Jason Walker was among the goals throughout the campaign.

 Spennymoor were drawn away to Lincoln United in the fourth qualifying round and thumped the home team 3-0. Lincoln United had done remarkably well to reach that stage of the competition and their focus on the FA Cup affected their league form. They eventually finished 8^th in the Evostik Division One South and missed out on the promotion play offs. The Lincoln United side do not have any Scots players but a couple of Scotsmen have continued to support the team throughout the season.

The Caledonian Branch of the Lincoln United Supporters Club 

Spennymoor’s cup run eventually came to an end at the palatial Stadium MK where the Dons scored 3 early goals and then hung on to defeat the plucky part timers 3-2. The Moors did not let this set back bother them and they have gone on to have a massively successful and memorable season. They finished 2^nd in the Northern Premier League and won the subsequent play off competition and have been promoted to the National League where they will cross swords next season with Boston United, Stockport County, York City and Darlington among others. These glamour fixtures will no doubt generate new revenues, something that will please the Moors Scots secretary David Leitch

Moors Secretary Scotsman David Leitch

I had a great time watching the Moors in the FA Cup and I have followed their progress with interest. I note that they will be playing a pre-season friendly in my home town here in Midlothian in late July against Penicuik Athletic. I will be there and I am looking forward to catching up with some of the Spenny fans again.

There was of course one more non-league team that I have seen on The Road to Wembley from Scotland but Lincoln City did not leave ‘The Road’ until the quarter final stage. Next Wednesday I will report on what happened to the teams that left ‘The Road’ from the second round proper onwards, including the gallant Imps from Lincoln. Tomorrow is the final day of the Premier League for 2016-17 and in Monday’s post I will  report on how the two cup finalists finished the season. Will Arsenal qualify for the Champions League? Will Chelsea finish their league programme with yet another win? Come back here on Monday to find out … and keep reading.