THE Ebac Northern League has announced that the Brooks Mileson League Cup final will be at Newcastle United’s St James’ Park on Tuesday, May 6.

The league is celebrating its 125th year and has been looking for somewhere suitable to mark the occasion.

League chairman Mike Amos said: “We are hugely grateful to Mike Ashley and his directors. It will be a fitting end to a memorable 125th anniversary season.”

The draw for the quarter finals of the league cup is: Brandon v Whitehaven, Marske United v Guisborough, Tow Law v Ashington, Whitley Bay v Bishop Auckland.

Meanwhile, the squads have been announced for the Northern League’s 125th anniversary match against an FA XI on Tuesday, March 25.

The game will be played at Bishop Auckland’s Heritage Park ground, 125 years to the day since the league’s inaugural meeting. A descendant of the league’s founder, Charles Craven, is flying over from Hong Kong for the celebrations.

The 18-strong Northern League XI will be managed by Spennymoor Town boss Jason Ainsley, while the FA XI is made up players in the Evo- Stik League and is to be managed by England C coach Paul Fairclough Northern League: Andrew Grainger (Newcastle Benfield), Liam Connell (Dunston UTS); Callum Anderson (Whitley Bay), Darren Craddock (Shildon), Daniel Madden (Durham City), Ben Cattenach (Dunston UTS), Stephen Capper (Spennymoor Town), Gary Rowntree (Celtic Nation); Willie Gibson (Celtic Nation), Andrew Johnson (Ashington), Craig Gott (Marske United), Keith Graydon (Spennymoor Town), Mark Hudson (Shildon), Ben Sayers (Team Northumbria); Daniel Johnson (Guisborough Town), Luke Sullivan (Consett), Gavin Cogdon (Spennymoor Town), Paul Chow (Whitley Bay).

FA: Craig MacGillvray (Harrogate Town), Shane Bland (Whitby Town); Jake Picton (Frickley Ath), Steve Gardner (Frickley Ath) Nathan Buddell (Blyth Spartans), Jordan Robinson (Darlington), Leigh Franks (Harrogate Town), Terry Galbraith (Darlington), Lewis Horner (Blyth Spartans), Jonny Davis (Darlington), Tom Portas (Whitby Town), Shane Henry (Whitby Town), Matthew Wade (Blyth Spartans), Dan Maguire (Blyth Spartans), Ashley Worsfold (Harrogate Town), Lee Mason (Whitby Town.) Although three Darlington players have been named in the FA squad, none are likely to be involved as Quakers have a league game the next evening against Wakefield.

Stephen Rigg (Penrith) was picked for the league representative squad, but is unavailable so his place has been is taken by Ben Sayers of Team Northumbria.

  • West Auckland are putting tickets on sale tomorrow for their FA Vase semi-final against St Andrews on March 29.

The game is not all ticket, but West want to reduce congestion at the cash turnstiles on the day by selling advance tickets, priced £8 and £4.

There promises to be a bumper crowd of over 1,500, as St Andrews are bringing five busloads of supporters.