CHARLIE Grose will be proud. The old-timer was part of the Ryhope Colliery Welfare side of the 1960s, a golden period when trophy wins were commonplace and the club reached the first round of the FA Cup.
That team never won four in one season, though, unlike the current one.
On Saturday, Ryhope added the Wearside League Challenge Cup to the league title and Monkwearmouth and Shipowners’ Charity Cups, a feat only previously achieved by Newcastle Blue Star and Marske United.
At the heart of the Wearsiders’ defence, on the end of everything Willington threw at them, was Greg Swansbury, Charlie’s grandson.
So it was fitting too that after victory on penalties, Swansbury lift the cup with captain Philip John Hall.
Manager Martin Swales – greying by the minute – was simply relieved to have emerged on top post-spot kicks, but also delighted by a incredible month of achievement.
He said: “I am very pleased. The quadruple is a great achievement, we are the first side in Sunderland to do it, and the first side in almost 20 years.
“The lads have been absolutely fantastic this season, unbelievably so.
“I could never have imagined this in November, December-time when we were third or fourth in the league and lots of points and goals behind, but we have done it and done really well.
“You do start to worry, and think it is going to be one of those days when you miss chance after chance, and the ball just will not fall for you in the box.
“To be perfectly honest, I was dead worried going into penalties, thinking it was not going to happen for us.
“The grey hair has been kicking in the last few weeks. It was black as ’owt at the start of the season and now I am grey as a badger.
“You always worry with penalties, it is about who has the bottle and the lads stood up and did well. I think we scraped one in and they missed two.”
Guilty, Scott Turner and Paul Thorns, but otherwise they and their team-mates did Willington – 14th in the table and, against the champions, massive underdogs –proud. The Mayor, onlooking, too.
Daniel Lee and Mitchell Sowerby did score from the spot, and in a swirling breeze at Hall Lane Thorns ought to have headed Lee’s lob into an empty net. In extra-time, Jonathan Staff nodded over and Ryhope goalkeeper James French was forced to palm Sowerby’s header behind. Other than that, however, it was all Ryhope.
Nathans Johnson and O’Neil headed at Andrew Stocks and the latter nodded behind. At the end of normal time John Butler’s shot was hacked off the line by Michael Weston, and at the very end of extra-time O’Neil again headed wide.
However, in the shoot-out, Ryhope’s dominance was rewarded as Jonathan Davis, Butler, James Dunn and David Anderson scored, leaving Willington boss Rob Lee as proud of his own team as he was magnanimously pleased for his opponents.
He said: “The lads have done well, a lot have stepped up from the league below this season and I am proud of the lot of them.
“They battled away and gave Ryhope a good game.
“They gave 200 per cent, and I could not have asked for more.
“Ryhope are a tremendous side, what they have achieved is fantastic and I am pleased for them.”
Swales added: “I am delighted, absolutely delighted. It has been hard work but the lads have grafted away.”
WILLINGTON: Stocks, Sowerby, Weston, Lazonby, Richardson, Dobinson, Hanson (Turner, 70), Blenkinsop (Davidson, 83), Seymour (Staff, 46), Lee, Thorns.
RYHOPE: French, C Davis, Hall, Swansbury, Linton (Anderson, 112), J Davis, Dunn, Trewick, Jordan, Butler, Johnson (O’Neil, 72).
Referee: Shane Sugden
Attendance: 350
