COUNTY CUP FIXTURES
Six teams from the Spennymoor League have drawn each other in the first preliminary round of the Durham FA County Cup, which takes place this Sunday (4th September).
Bay Horse entertain Masons Arms, Hunwick play host to Ash Tree and Shildon Athletic are at home to Half Moon.
Meanwhile, other games involving SSL teams this Sunday are: Lakeside v Sunderland Van Mildert, Hartlepool West Park v Penny Gill, Sunderland SR1 v Masons Utd, Stanley Royal v Hogans, Old Shildon v Thornley Officials, Croxdale v Sunderland Manor, Voltigeur v Spraire Lads, Fishburn Beehive v Thorns, Coundon v Belvedere, Sunniside Social v Green Tree, Peterlee Webster Landscaping v George & Dragon, Hylton Castle Arms v Binchester SC.
BLACK CATS BACK LEAGUE SCHEME ( August 29th )
 NORTH-EAST Premiership club Sunderland have praised the initiative of a local Sunday morning football league.
The Spennymoor Sunday League launched their forward-thinking ‘First Aid First Class’ scheme in the summer, which involved training its members in emergency First Aid and gifting every club with brand new fully-equipped first aid kit bags.
And Sunderland AFC Chief Physio Peter Friar, normally used to treating his professional players in world-class Premiership stadiums, has applauded the league’s thinking.
Durham County Football Association have also congratulated the league, urging other local leagues to follow in their footsteps.
"I think this is an excellent scheme by the Spennymoor League and I'm delighted to see that they're taking the initiative,” said Black Cats physio Friar. “The safety of players at grass roots level is just as important as it is in the professional game, but it is more difficult to control as in the professional leagues there are attending paramedics, doctors etc.
“On a cold damp winters day without this back-up in the Spennymoor League, the only thing standing between the player and a serious medical problem may well be the First Aid-trained attending 'physio' or coach.”
As an incentive to its members, the Spennymoor Sunday League enlisted the help of Durham FA to deliver a string of First Aid coaching courses as part of the FA’s Development Programme.
The league paid for the Emergency First Aid courses on behalf of all 28 clubs.
In addition, with the help of the league’s principal sponsor Jackson Anderson Accountants, the league also invested in brand new first aid kit bags for all clubs for the start of the 2005-06 season.
Friar added: “The awareness and understanding of at least basic first aid cannot be underestimated. That's why I'm delighted to see the league taking these steps to improve standards and awareness of first aid with their clubs."
Meanwhile, Durham FA Chief Executive John Topping added: “We applaud and support the Spennymoor Sunday League on this initiative, which shows that the management committee are providing a valuable service to its members.
“I am unaware of any other league within the county providing such courses and it is hoped that other leagues may follow.”
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