Club Statement | Heslop appointed Blyth club captain

Blyth Spartans AFC is delighted to announce Simon Heslop as our new club captain. 

The experienced midfielder is no stranger to the armband having memorably captained hometown club York City to FA Trophy glory in 2017.

Heslop's appointment signals a new dawn for Blyth following the retirement of club legend Robbie Dale.

The 33-year-old said: "We've all worked hard in pre-season and are ready now for the first game.

"We've got an exciting group of players, so for me to be named captain is an honour.

"Hopefully we can work well together and have a positive good season."

Nelson explained: "His experience and leadership qualities are second to none. He has captained clubs before and had success with it.

"I've spoken to people who have shared dressing rooms and played with him and have said that's the type of character he is.

"He leads on the pitch, he also leads off it in the dressing room trying to rally the troops and get people on board."

Meanwhile, former Sunderland under-21s captain Liam Agnew has been appointed as vice captain.

Nelson added: "Liam is the perfect understudy to him, somebody who'll learn from him, develop and see how Simon does things.

"Liam will take it on board and I'm sure in seasons to come he'll end up being a captain as well."

"I always said we weren't just trying to attract good players but we were trying to attract the right characters - people who were good on and off the pitch and wanted to buy into what we are doing. They both fit that bill."