Non-League Day plans announced

Saturday 6th September is the date of this year's Non-League Day event. It also happens to be the day we welcome Buxton to Croft Park for our latest Evo-Stik Northern Premier League fixture and the club can announce a number of events that are happening to help celebrate Non-League Day.

Firstly the game is being designated as a Green and White Day. So the club would like to see as many supporters turning up in their colours as possible. We would also like to see the Green Army bringing flags and scarves to the game to deck out Croft Park in full Spartans colours. We will be encouraging Buxton supporters to wear blue and bring flags and scarves with them to create a special atmosphere.

Programme Editor Matt Riggs is putting together a special Non-League Day programme and that will be available from the club store and around the ground. It will feature amongst other things articles by several people at the club about what the game at this level means to them.

We will have some special guests at the game in the form of the Kick it Out campaign. Representing Kick it Out will be Kevin Miles, Chief Executive of the Football Supporters Federation and a face well known at Croft Park.

However Kevin won't be the only guest as Spartans will be led out on to the pitch by two very special mascots. Spartans supporters Cory Davison and Callum Brown have been asked to be mascots on the day as the club celebrate their remarkable achievements and bravery over the last twelve months in particular.

Half time will see teams from Blyth Spartans Juniors invited on to the pitch and they will provide the entertainment for the Green Army as they play a small sided match.

Coventry Spartan John Hague is making the trip to Croft Park for the fixture and he will have his camera out at the game to produce a photographic account of everything going on during Non-League Day at Croft Park.

Spartans supporters attending the FC United of Manchester match on Tuesday 2nd September will be entered into a free prize draw. Tickets will be given out at the gate and the winning ticket will be given two Sponsors Lounge tickets for the Non-League Day fixture with Buxton.

Finally the club have two very special pieces of memorabilia that will go on the auction website EBay over the next twenty four hours.

We have a framed Barcelona shirt signed by Argentinean star Lionel Messi and a framed Newcastle United shirt signed by Magpies legend Peter Beardsley. They will be up for auction on EBay and all profits from the two items will be donated to the Scott Bell Fund, as we honour the life of a true Spartans legend.

Spartans Senior Press Officer Mark Carruthers has also been asked to be North East Ambassador for Non-League Day and he expressed his wish that the day would be an even bigger success than last year's fixture with Grantham Town.

"We have put a lot of work into this year's Non-League Day fixture with Buxton and we hope to see a lot of new faces at Croft Park. Non-League Day gives supporters of professional clubs the chance to come and see just how special the Non-League game is and what better place than at Croft Park?

Last year we hosted Grantham Town in a hugely entertaining fixture with one of our biggest attendances of the season and hopefully this year we can do even better"