Exclusive:South Shields FC 'in a good position' ahead of the new National League North season - Geoff Thompson

South Shields FC chairman Geoff Thompson believes the Mariners are ‘in a good position’ ahead of the new season and is confident new head coach Mike Williamson can enjoy a positive first season in charge of the National League North club.

The former Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers defender was named as successor to Ian Watson earlier this summer after he accepted an offer to take charge of League Two club Rochdale after a one-season stay at Mariners Park. Williamson’s squad has been boosted by several new arrivals in preparation for the new campaign with the likes of Adam Campbell, Toby Onanaye and Khanya Leshabela have all been secured over the last month.

With Saturday’s season-opener at Scarborough Athletic now just days away, Thompson has delivered a positive assessment of where on-field matters sit ahead of Williamson’s competitive debut in the Mariners dugout.

He told The Gazette: “Mike and the people around him are doing a great job. We have given Mike hopefully all that he needs to succeed. Obviously, it’s a tough league but we will go about it the best way we can and I am confident Mike will do a great job. I think we have got our recruitment right and it has been very analytical and data-led. We have some exciting new faces in a really good squad. We are confident, without being arrogant, that we can do well this season.”

‘The club is in a really good position’

The changes on the pitch have been more than matched behind the scenes with South Shields now heading into the new season with a new-look ownership group in place. Thompson has remained in situ as club chairman after he agreed a deal that saw Jason Ye’s ORY Investment group secure a majority interest in the club earlier in the summer. The move was declared to be an ‘exciting new chapter’ for the Mariners in the days after the announcement and hard work in ongoing behind the scenes to ensure the club are in a position to continue their push up the non-league pyramid.

Thompson praised everyone connected with the club for adapting to the number of changes that have been experienced throughout the summer and looked forward to what lies ahead.

He said: “There is an awful lot going on behind the scenes and a lot that is unseen - but we are in a good place and we have a great team of people here. Everyone that is employed or are volunteers care deeply about the club and are passionate about the club and that helps us a great deal. We are in a good place, we have seen a lot of change over the close-season with the ownership and manager but we have adapted and coped with both situations. We are putting our best foot forward and the club is in a really good position.”

Thompson was talking after the ‘Let’s Kick Diabetes’ charity match at South Shields FC. The fundraising target of £10,000 has now been surpassed but donations can still be made here.

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