Team Northumbria embark on the long road to Wembley this weekend when the club kick off their FA Cup campaign at home to Heaton Stannington.
An eagerly anticipated derby clash in the Extra Preliminary round of the world’s oldest knockout competition should mean a bumper crowd at Coach Lane.
And manager Colin Stromsoy looks set to hand debuts to new boys David Webster and Stefan Holder as newly promoted TN look to make a winning start to the 2017/18 campaign.
“We’ve had a good pre-season and worked well together this summer,” said Stromsoy. “There is a strong core of players from our Division Two promotion-winning squad returning.
“And we have strengthened in the key areas where we needed to.
“It doesn’t get much better than a local derby in the FA Cup to kick things off and we can’t wait to get the season underway.”
Former West Allotment schemer Webster will add strength and experience to TN in the middle of the park.
And Holder replaces former skipper Steven Mundy in goal after the latter enjoyed two outstanding seasons at Coach Lane.
Long-serving full back Liam McNamara has been named captain heading into the new campaign.
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