Words: James Whitbread
The Iron are back in action looking to get back to winning ways after being halted to a draw last time out at home to Chorley.
The Mariners will be looking to bolster their form, after losing their first two games of the league campaign, there has been a resurgence in form for the hosts with two consecutive wins against Warrington Town and Oxford City. Butler will be looking to spoil the Geordie side's revival of form. Both sides last season, beat each other when each side had home advantage, the Iron won 3-1 in September thanks to goals from Kian Scales, Danny Elliot and Danny Whitehall, South Shields were victorious courtesy of a double from Dylan Stephenson.
After signing a new contract with the club in the summer which sees him in charge until 2026, Paul Dickman will be looking to take his side to higher heights than last season after narrowly missing out on a playoff spot by a point last season. Paul started his managerial career with Sunderland’s youth teams (U18, U23), he made the switch in 2021 to bitter rivals Newcastle United’s U23s. Paul moved to South Shields as an academy manager in July 2023, then took over as Caretaker Manager in December 2023 and impressed those within the club and he has earned himself a contract as First Team Manager.
A key player for the Mariners last season was striker Paul Blackett, the 26 year old made his move to South Shields in July 2023 and was a huge success last season. He netted 30 league goals for the club and was the National League North top scorer, and he was the only player to have scored more goals in the league than Iron striker Danny Whitehall. Blackett opened his account for the season on the weekend against Oxford City, as he bagged a brace on a day the Mariners oversaw an emphatic 4-1 triumph on the road.
South Shields will be looking to use their attacking strengths to their advantage, Dickman’s team have scored seven goals in the opening four games, only ourselves and Scarborough Athletic have scored more than them. As a strong attacking side take Butler’s Iron that still holds the title as the strongest defence in the league, with still only one goal conceded, United are looking to cancel out the Mariners’ attacking prowess.
