Hebburn Town FC's 'total transformation' continues with historic Southport clash
Hebburn Town host Southport in their first ever competitive fixture as a National League North club.
Hebburn Town FC will take the latest step in the ‘total transformation’ they have undergone over the last nine years when they host Southport in their first ever National League North fixture.
Facing a club that spent half of their history as a Football League club feels like a fitting introduction to life in the second tier of the non-league game for the Hornets on what will be a truly historic day at the Trustmark Group Stadium. A second title win and promotion inside three years was secured on the final day of last season as the celebrations following a memorable victory over Rushall Olympic went on long into the night.
Those celebrations has almost died down when Hornets chief executive Stephen Rutherford and the decision-makers behind the scenes were given a swift indication over how far they have come since the then-Northern League Division club battled for its survival during the early months of 2017.
Rutherford told The Gazette: “I think it sunk in because a few days after we won the league we received a 92-page introduction document from the National League so when we started reading through that it quickly makes you realise. We know where we have been, what we have achieved, and to be where we are now, it’s incredible really. It’s been such a wonderful journey from being in the second division of the Northern League and being close to going under to where we are playing this season, it’s emotional.
“It’s unbelievable. Looking at what the next three to five years looks like for the club, it’s a total transformation and it’s been a tough ride over that nine years but it’s been exciting and enjoyable and we’ve had great success with four promotions, a Challenge Cup win and an FA Vase win at Wembley. But we want more and we will work hard to do that.”
High expectations
Saturday’s fixture will be the start of yet another challenge for Hornets manager Daniel Moore, assistant Mark Hudson and goalkeeper coach Carl Morris as they look to move themselves at a higher level once again. After taking charge of the Hornets during the summer of 2022 following a successful stint at Shildon, the trio have overseen a remarkable period of success that has allowed Hebburn to reach new heights.
A Durham Challenge Cup final win against Spennymoor Town only delivered a hint of what was to follow as Moore’s men saw off former Northern League rivals Stockton Town to clinch the Northern Premier League East Division title on the final day of the 2023/24 season.
After a challenging first season in the NPL’s Premier Division, the Hornets defied all of the odds to see off the challenges of FC United of Manchester and Hednesford Town to claim the title and a historic promotion into the National League North with a final day win against Rushall Olympic. Rutherford hailed Moore, Hudson and Morris for the work they have overseen during their time at the club - and pledged the club will do everything they can to support them throughout the new season.
“I can’t speak highly enough of Daniel, Mark and Carl,” he explained. “They’ve had a few coaches supporting them over the years too. I go back to when we spoke to Daniel and he said I’ll get you promotion and a county cup win and he has surpassed that massively.
“It’s not always plain sailing. Managers set high expectations and maybe we haven’t lived up to that at times and given them everything they want - but we try to provide the best professional environment we can. We have gone above and beyond to make sure we have that for them this year - but we know our financial resources are minimal with some of the clubs we will be facing this season.”
‘We can’t and won’t forget our roots’
Rutherford has stressed every effort will be made to ensure a desire to boost those financial resources will not be passed on to existing or potential supporters around the community. One of the most notable features of the club’s rise up the non-league pyramid has been the close links the Hornets have forged with their local community - and those links will be further strengthened over the coming months and years.
Although they are now keeping lofty company on the pitch, the Hornets chief insisted they will not ‘forget their roots’ and have made efforts to limit the cost of entry to the Trustmark Group Stadium and increase opportunities for members of the community to attend games during a historic year.
He said: “We can’t and won’t forget our roots and are trying really hard to strengthen our links with the community. If you look at what we have done with our season tickets this season. We are moving into a league where the lowest adult ticket for entry is £15 across the board and that’s a lot more than we have charged.
“So we have a deal where if you buy a season ticket, you get in for £9.50 and it’s slightly less with a concession. We are trying to look after the community - and outside of that, we have had a good pre-season with commercial engagement and there are plenty of opportunities out there for us. The junior section, speaking to schools, speaking to care homes, we want them all to embrace this ride we are on so there will be free community tickets going out there.”