Division one North

Mar 14 2008

Evening Chronicle

PAUL BAKER will again be in charge of Newcastle Blue Star in tomorrow’s UniBond League Division One North game at FC United of Manchester.

Following the dramatic events at Kingston Park in the last couple of weeks, Baker was stand-in manager for last week’s game against Harrogate Railway Athletic.

No-one from the club will confirm the position of manager Tommy Cassidy except to state that the former Newcastle United and Northern Ireland star is “on leave”.

Less than two weeks before the Board took the decision to apply for relegation from the UniBond League and move back into the Arngrove Northern League, Baker was brought in as coach to assist Cassidy.

“It’s been a very strange time for me with things up in the air. It has not been ideal but I’m hands on and have got to get on with it,” said Baker.

“I’ll be choosing the side for only the second time tomorrow and it is a really big game since they attract crowds in excess of 3,000.

“It will be an ideal opportunity for any of our players who don’t fancy being in the Arngrove Northern League next season to put themselves in the shop window.”

Blue Star have released Cumbria-based pair Wayne Gordon and goalkeeper Craig Summersgill.

In addition, they have recalled loan players Ben Pringle from Morpeth Town and Shaun Davies, who was at Sunderland RCA.