Blyth Spartans  

Blessed with one of the most recognisable names in NonLeague Football Blyth Spartans also have a fearsome reputation as a cup fighting team having reached the First Round proper of the FA Cup on over 30 occasions.     

The clubs most famous cup adventure came in 1977/78 when Blyth Spartans remarkably reached the Fifth Round before narrowly losing a replay to Wrexham at St James Park in front of an amazing crowd of 42167 with thousands more locked out. 

Such magical nights were far from the minds of the founders of the club who, in 1899, decided that the new club would be called the Spartans in the hope that the players would be imbued with the battling qualities of the ancient Greek warriors from Sparta.   

In their early days Blyth were a dominant force in the Northumberland league winning the title three times before 1907 and then going on to win the Northern Alliance twice before the First World War.   

In 1909 Blyth left their original Thornton Cottage ground to move to their present-day home of Croft Park. 

Competing in the North Eastern League for many years against the reserve sides of Football league clubs meant honours were few and far between until Blyth Spartans reverted to amateur status and joined the Northern League in 1964.     

It was during their Northern League days that Spartans really came of age winning the championship on ten occasions and finishing runners-up five times.   

All those title winning seasons came in one remarkable period, 1971-72 to 1987/88, when Spartans never finished below fifth and were by far and away the most successful club in the north east. 

Blyth’s next title success came in 1995 when, in their first season of Northern Premier League football, they won the First Division.   

After establishing themselves as a Premier Division club Blyth Spartans eventually broke through to the Conference North when manager Harry Dunn, who famously had his moustache sponsored, inspired the club to a unique treble in 2006 in winning the Unibond Premier Division, Chairman’s Cup and Peter Swales Memorial Shield. 

Croft Park has been the home of Blyth Spartans for 98 years and has recently undergone intensive redevelopment to be brought up to Conference standard with the addition of more seating and covered terrace accommodation.   

An excellent first season in Conference North saw Blyth Spartans just miss out on a play-off spot but Harry Dunn and his players will be looking to progress even further.