More to come from South Shields FC as stalwart Morse reflects on 'incredible' decade

Dillon Morse has reflected on an ‘incredible’ decade at South Shields FC as he prepares to face National League South club Dagenham and Redbridge in his testimonial match on Saturday afternoon.

The former Blyth Spartans defender joined the Mariners in the aftermath of their Northern League Division Two title win under former manager Jon King in 2016 and has become something of a legend over the last decade. Morse has racked up a number of honours over that time after helping South Shields to three promotions and six trophies and will remain part of Mike Williamson’s squad as the Mariners look to push for promotion into the National League this season.

The journey from Northern League to the brink of the National League has been one of the stories of the North East football scene over the last decade - and Morse has insisted there is more to come as the Mariners prepare to embark on a new chapter in their history.

He told The Gazette: “It’s been incredible and I can’t wait for the game and to celebrate ten years at the club. It’s been a rollercoaster, it’s been a brilliant journey. When I first spoke to Lee (Picton) about what Geoff Thompson wanted to do with the club, it was exciting, but a lot of chairmen say they want to do things like this - and Geoff has done an incredible job.

“It was special to sign for the club because you could see the fanbase growing and the new support they were attracting. We won all of those trophies in the first year, we went to Wembley and won, and then we have just kept going and going - and I think there is still more to come because there is still a lot of ambition within the club.”

‘An attractive club’

Although the meeting with the Daggers will be used to honour Morse for his incredible decade of service, the fixture will also provide a key moment in the Mariners preparations for the new National League North season. After a promising pre-season, Saturday’s game will be a last chance for Williamson to prepare his players for the league campaign and comes just seven days before the opening day visit to Scarborough Athletic. Morse is looking forward to the test that lies in wait as he prepares for a potential head-to-head with former Newcastle United and England striker Andy Carroll.

“It will be an interesting game, it’s a challenging game for us and it’s one that is important for us ahead of the new season really,” he explained.

“Obviously, they’ve got KSI as their chairman now and he will no doubt put money in to try and help them kick on and they’ve got Andy Carroll involved on their management team and as a player. They’ll be an attractive club for people to watch - but for us it’s just about the game and using it to get ready for the new season. It’ll be a tough test - but we are looking forward to it.”

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