After discussions with Reserve Chairman Norman Stephens and Joint Managers Mark Fanning and Paul Aldsworth over the last few months it has been mutually agreed that we part company and the ‘Reserve’ side use a different name moving forward.

Understandably Norman, Mark and Paul have aspirations of gaining promotion from the Wearside League. There was growing frustrations that they were short of players and losing players to the Northern League.

The main reason for the decision from our point of view was mainly the standard of the Wearside League wasn’t giving our fringe players what they needed.

Other reasons being that with the First Team running with a smaller squad and with the formation of the Academy we can now provide enough Football for our younger players with our links to Professional and Semi Professional Clubs to either arrange extra games or send them out on loan to get experience.

We have also looked into the possibility of joining an Under 23 League and may revisit that idea now this has been confirmed.