FIXTURES
Saturday 29th Sept: Billingham Town (H), 3pm
Tuesday 2nd Oct: South Shields (A), 7.30pm
Saturday 6th Oct: Ashington (A), 3pm
Wednesday 10th Oct: Consett (H), 7.30pm
Saturday13th Oct: Esh Winning (H) FA Vase R1, 3pm


Newton Aycliffe FC are planning to use Hypnosis to help them out this season, but the club’s players will be relieved to learn boss Allan Oliver isn’t planning to use the head doctor on his struggling troops!

Aycliffe have booked top comedy hypnotist Adam Night to help them raise cash at a fundraising event next month. Adam is widely recognised as one of the best stage hypnotists in the North-East, and appears at Aycliffe Sports Club on Friday 26th October.

During two 45-minute sessions, he will entertain guests by putting volunteers under his “spell” in what promises to be a hilarious evening of fun and games.

Following the success of the club’s evening with Ray Parlour earlier this month, organiser Dan Lewis is expecting the limited tickets, which are priced at £10 each, to sell fast.

“This is the first time we’ve organised an event of this type and from what we’re hearing I think it’ll prove really popular,” said Lewis.

The ticket price includes admission from 7.30pm, while snacks will also be provided, followed by a disco. They can be bought online at www.nafc-online.co.uk, or by calling/texting Dan Lewis on 07581 784726.

Aycliffe defender Darren Craddock says a failure to replace top players in the last year is the main reason for the club’s dip in fortunes. Aycliffe slumped to the bottom of the Ebac Northern League first division with a 1-0 defeat at fellow strugglers Newcastle Benfield last Saturday.

And Craddock said: “We lost a lot of very good players at this level. We’ve probably punched above our weight, but we’ve lost good players and haven’t replaced them, and I think any team in this league that loses five, six, seven players, they’re going to feel the difference.

“We need to show a lot more fight. A lot more effort. I can’t speak for all the lads – some of them are putting in shifts and putting their bodies on the line – but I think we have a few that aren’t pulling in the same direction at the minute.

“I probably don’t have the right to say it, but I’ll say it anyway because I care about the club, and I don’t think enough do at the minute, and that’s why we are where we are.”

Aycliffe were hoping to bounce back from the Benfield defeat with back-to-back home games this week – Penrith on Wednesday night and Billingham Town on Saturday.