just a few comments from the meeting on the playing side only.

- Martin said he was very happy with the signings he made. He had contracted a few key players but many would not be on contract. His view was that he wished he had started a couple of months back on preparation but he was not ‘phased by the challenge’. Sean Gregan was making good progress with his Achilles with some excellent work by Mark Riley who was a fantastic physio.

- Martin left us in no doubt that, NL or otherwise, it would be a tremendously hard season and nothing would be easy. The Northern League had some very good players in it, perhaps a better league than the Evostik based on what some of the lads had said, so fans needed to be patient as the team evolved (Nonleaguezone ‘quakerz’ take note).

- Training was being organised and there would be an opportunity for fans to attend training sessions at Longfield school on their excellent 3g pitch on a Wednesday some time coming. He said the 3g pitch was the best in the area.

- He was happy that the playing budget would make the team competitive but we needed to recognise that it was a tough market with Spennymoor showing strong intent on player signings.

- Martin was keen to adopt a passing style of football but there would be times when they would simply need to ‘grind out victories’ against resilient and determined opposition putting people behind the ball or even where the pitches prohibited nice football.

- On the subject of Bishop’s pitch, he said they the right ground-staff in place but only time would tell how the pitch would stand up. (It was mentioned that Bishop reserves would not be playing on it this season which should remove some of the pressure on it)

- chance of a big friendly.

Probably other points made so feel free to add.

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This empty sanitised shell of a stadium, a cathedral to the vanity and narcissism of one man. It’s very difficult to fall in love with football amongst the rows of empty seats. The notion that a stadium has worth beyond its potential commerical value or it’s proximity to transport links – as a spiritual repository of the hopes,fears and agonies of generations of supporters, or as a physical manifestation of the football club in the community, is a dying one in football (Sam Volkman)