Star still shining

It was another big day for Blue Star. Once a famous name in Newcastle football, Wembley winners in the FA Vase in 1978, the original club folded back in 2009. Almost a decade later the name was back. Steady progress since then, despite the pandemic, culminate in last season’s promotion to the First Division of the Northern League (the ninth tier of English football). That means entry into the prestigious FA Cup. Saturday marked the first FA Cup tie on the new club’s home ground, North Ferriby providing the opposition.

History was quietly honoured. On a table in the bar, an old programme from a previous FA Cup clash between the previous Newcastle Blue Star and the earlier North Ferriby United was on display. Like Blue Star, Ferriby enjoyed a Wembley triumph before the dream turned sour, the money ran out and it fell to a band of enthusiasts to build back from scratch. It’s a familiar story at this level, often accompanied with wry reflections on the millions splurged by the game’s elite.

Newcastle, of course, has its own Premier League team. Blue Star’s attendances may struggle when the Magpies play at the same time. But any Toon fan of a certain vintage would feel right at home here. The signage over the entrance to the ground has more than a hint of the typeface used by United in the 1980s. The non-league club’s badge resembles a vintage NUFC model. And, of course, the Blue Star itself, symbol of the Scottish & Newcastle Brewery, was a sponsor’s logo on classic Newcastle kits from Kevin Keegan’s playing days.

Times change. Saudi-owned Magpies court global sponsorship. The old brewery is long demolished, the heady waft of malt no longer enlivens post-match post-mortems as the fans stream away from St. James. Even Newcastle Brown Ale is now brewed in distant Tadcaster, Newcastle in name only.

But some things remain constant. Non-league grounds always have a feeling of being held together by a wing and prayer thanks to dedicated volunteers. Blue Star’s is a curious mixture of repurposed shipping containers and prefab stands. The raw ingredients are not promising, but decked out in flags and finery, it works. There’s a large pitchside marquee for drinks, plus a terrace with picnic tables for a better view of the game while supping your Blue Star Lager or (formerly) Newcastle Brown. It’s a world away from the pro game, where drinking within view of the action is strictly prohibited.

Blue Star adopts a different approach from Heaton Stan, who we saw in the previous FA Cup extra preliminary round. While the Stan looks to nurture an identity that doesn’t evoke Newcastle United, Blue Star is happy to embrace its proximity to Tyneside’s dominant team. From signed shirts hailing Gallowgate heroes of old, to a new generation of gobby teens adapting NUFC complaints about the Premier League’s ‘corrupt cartel’ to slate the ref after the non-award of a penalty, the place is full of odd echoes of another club.

As for ‘corruption’, that’s simply the latest in a long line of referee-baiting that remains the most enduring tradition of Northern League football. Saturday’s official had a busy time of it: three penalties awarded, one player sent off. It added up to a 1-1 draw, Blue Star scoring their second spot kick late on after missing an early attempt. In these early stages of the cup, we still have replays, so it’s all down to Humberside on Tuesday night to settle matters once and for all.

Aug. 17, 2024: FA Cup Preliminary Round

Grainger Park, Newcastle

Newcastle Blue Star 1 North Ferriby 1

Att: 263