Will Spartans Take Offer Of St James' Park For Blackburn Clash?

Last updated : 17 December 2008 By Footy Mad - Editor
Substitute Ged Dalton headed the only goal of the game in the 89th minute to earn the Blue Square Conference North team a glamour tie against the Barclays Premier League outfit on January 5.

We reported yesterday they think Rovers will fear their little ground, but what about a full-house at SJP ... with 40,000 Geordies cheering on the minnows?

Don't rule it out!

Spartans Will Not Face Blackburn At St James' Park!

By Nu Mad
Tuesday, 16th December 2008
No return to 1978 ... Blyth Spartans have turned down the chance to stage their proposed FA Cup third round clash with Blackburn at St James' Park ... IF they beat Bournemouth tonight.
The Geordie non-league club face a replay with Bournemouth tonight, with the prospect of facing manager-less Premier League Blackburn in the next round.

Blyth's 4,000 capacity Croft Park is hardly 52,000 capacity SJP, and when Spartans used Newcastle's ground back in 1978 they had a full-house of 42,000.

That year Spartans lost to Wrexham in the fifth round ... and it was ironic that Wrexham had put out the Magpies in an earlier round.

Blyth Director Ian Evans (talking to the Mirror): "Everyone talks about staging it at St James' like in 1978, but manager Harry Dunn refused to even consider it. First, because our loyal fan base want the game at Croft Park - and everyone who has a ticket stub for the replay is guaranteed admission for Rovers.

"More significantly, he thinks we can beat Blackburn at our own place.
"The TV money has been a huge bonus. This Cup run has earned us money we couldn't have dreamt of a few weeks ago."