Manager Nathan Beckham spoke to RACA+ on the eve of the brand new Ebac Northern League Division Two season.

Despite being signed on with RACA, Richie Hoggins has joined Northern League newcomers AFC Newbiggin. Richie made 20 starts & 17 substitute appearances in the two seasons he was RACA, scoring 10 goals all in the 23/24 season & but for illness would have played many more games. We wish Richie the best of fortune in his new venture on the Northumberland coast.

A quick look at what our Division Two rivals have been up to this week.

AFC Newbiggin- 12/07 The club announce their ground will be known as Holcim Park following a sponsorship deal. 14/07 Beat Northern Premier League East side Ashington 4-2 at home (Trialist (2), Stokoe, Cooper. 15/07 Announce the signing of midfielder Cameron Elliott, forward Ethan Smith, defender Cody Short & Jay Barber.

Alnwick Town- 16/07 Beat Northern Alliance Champions Burradon & New Fordley 3-2 at St James Park. 19/07 Beat Northern Alliance Premier side Hebburn Town Reserves 3-1 at the Clegwell 4G in Hebburn. (Anderson, Bright, Baston)

Billingham Town- 15/07 Beat North Riding Premier League side Kader 4-1at the Outwood Academy. 17/07 Lose 0-2 away to Division One side Marske United

Boldon CA- 15/07 Sign Joe Powers from Washington. Lose 0-5 at Northern Premier League Hebburn Town. 19/07 Lose 2-3 at home to Wearside Premier League side Farringdon Detached (McBryde, Purvis)

Chester-le-Street-Town- 18/07 Beat 1^st Division Birtley Town 1-0 at Moor Park (Nelson)

Darlington Town- 16/07 Drew 1-1 with Wearside League Premier League side Seaton Carew at the Eastbourne Community Stadium. 18/07 Lose 0-4 at 1^st Division West Auckland.

Esh Winning- Announce retaining Elliot Judson, Ellis Swinburn, Eddie Cook and signing Aaron Willoughby, Michael Harland, Alex Beattie, Brandon Fort, Matthew Ashcroft-Brown, Callum Moore, Ben Todd, Alex White & Harley Cairns. 16/07 Lose 0-1 to Wearside League Premier side Durham Corinthians. 19/07 Lose 1-3 at home to South Moor of the Wearside Premier League

FC Hartlepool- Announce the signing of Tom Miller to the squad. 15/07 Beat 1^st Division West Auckland 1-0 at Grayfields (O’Gorman). 19/07 Beat Hartlepool Pools Youth Seniors of the Wearside League Premier Division 4-0 (O’Gorman, Spalding 2, Bayes)

Grangetown BC- 15/07 Lose 0-1 away to 1^st Division Marske United. Announce the signing of former Consett striker Joe Shields & the departure of manager Curtis Collantine. The new management structure is that Wayne Gredziak has been appointed as First Team Manager, with Paul Carr as assistant, Ian Dixon as First Team Coach and Rhys Greenwood as Player / Coach with Jamie Crookall joining the set-up as Goalkeeping Coach. 19/07 Beat Tees FC of North Riding League Division Two 3-2 (Dixon, McCowie 2)

Jarrow- Announce the signings of Max Nelson & Azz Jackson. 18/07 Lost 2-3 at 1^st Division Newcastle Benfield

Park View Academy- 16/07 Played out a 1-1 draw at Moore Park against Northern Premier League Newton Aycliffe. 19/07 Lose 1-5 at home to Middlesbrough Academy

Prudhoe YC Seniors- 16/07 win away at Northern Alliance Premier side Ponteland United 2-1 (Marr). Announce the signings of Will Morris from Jarrow, Connor Lane from Washington, Ben Cleland, Cameron Toal, Harry Frazer, & Charlie Shane-Stone from the junior ranks, central midfielder Reece Bickerton, midfielder Shay Mulligan from Bedlington Terriers, forward Thomas Wilson from Whitley Bay and youngster James Simpson. 19/07 Drew 2-2 with Division One outfit Whickham at Essity Park in the George McCreedy Memorial Trophy.

Redcar Town- 15/09 Lose 0-6 to Guisborough Town of Division One at the Mo Mowlem. Annouce the retention of utility player Clayton McDonald. 18/09 Beat North East Counties Premier League side Pickering Town 3-2 at home

Seaham Red Star- 16/07 beat Wearside League Premier side Gateshead Leam Rangers 4-3 at The Alexandra Steakhouse Stadium (Appelby 2, Lawson,Weirs)

Sunderland RCA– Signed keeper Lewis Charlton and forward Liam Caffrey. 16/07 Draw 1-1 at West Auckland Reserves. 19/07 Drew 3-3 with last season’s Division 2 champions Horden CW at Meadow Park

Sunderland West End– 17/07 Beat Wearside Premier League side Easington Lane 5-1 (Hope 2, Benali 2, Davis) at The Hub. Signed Luke McCabe, Owen Smith, David Hodgson, Brad Foster, Kyle Turnbull and Ash Davis plus the retention of Zouhair Benali, Adam Anderson, Ethan Thompson, Tom Hunter and Jake Fowler

Tow Law Town- 16/07 Lose 0-2 at Wearside Division One champions Willington

Yarm & Eaglescliffe- 15/07 Beat 1^st Division Northallerton Town 2-1 at the Calvert Stadium (Scaife-Wheatley, Jones) 19/07 Beaten 8-2 at North East Counties Premier side Tadcaster Albion (Atkinson, Hillerby)

RACA 5 DARLINGTON RAILWAY ATHLETIC U23s 0

Albion got the better of a very youthful Darlington RA side in increasingly wet conditions at the Oldhaulage Stadium with a comfortable 5-0 victory. First half goals from Rhys McLeod and Louis Calvert were followed after the interval by a brace from Fergus Lynch & one from a trialist which sealed the win to round off the summer schedule before it starts for real at FC Hartlepool on Saturday.

With Collegians FC having pulled out of Saturday’s friendly at the Oldhaulage Stadium, it looked like it would be a training session at the weekend, but at the 11th hour former Northern League opponents Darlington Railway Athletic have stepped in to provide the opposition. RA have a side in the North Riding League & one in the Wearside League & it’s the Wearside League side we’re playing.

Please note the early kick off if you’re planning to come which is 1:30pm on Saturday. FREE ADMISSION

FT WALLINGTON 2 RACA 3

Just like last season’s pre-season friendly at Oakford Park, Albion left Scots Gap with a narrow 3-2 victory. Tonight Albion twice came from behind to claim the hard-fought win over Northern Alliance Premier League side Wallington in their final scheduled pre-season outing with a penalty from Louis Anderson and a brace from Louis Calvert sealing the victory. All eyes now turn to the start of the new campaign as it now looks like we won’t have a friendly game on Saturday after Collegians pulled out and we’ve not been able to line up a replacement.

Ryton & Crawcrook Albion travel to Northern Alliance Premier side Wallington in their latest pre-season test tonight (Wednesday).

Please note – The match at Oakford Park at Scots Gap (NE61 4EJ) kicks off at the slightly earlier time of 6.45pm.

BIRTLEY TOWN 1 RACA 0

Albion were edged out by 1st Division Birtley Town in a tight game short of clear cut chances. The only goal of the game at the Arrowmark Home Improvements Stadium came from the penalty spot, with James Proctor converting for the hosts on the half-hour mark.

RACA fans don’t have to wait long for the next pre season game as the team head off to Scots Gap to face Northern Alliance Premier side Wallington on Wednesday evening at Oakford Park NE61 4EJ kick off at 18:45

Albion travel to Northern League Division 1 club Birtley Town as pre-season continues on Monday.

It’s a 7pm kick off at the Arrowmark Home Improvements Stadium (DH3 2QW).

A quick look at what our Division Two rivals have been up to this week.

AFC Newbiggin- 08/07 Lose 0-1 at home to Division 1 North Shields

Alnwick Town- 08/07 Win 3-0 at Northern Alliance Division One side Stobswood Welfare. 11/07 Draw 2-2 at Home Park against East of Scotland Division 2 side Coldstream.

Billingham Synthonia- Have announced the signing of forward Chris Webb from Redcar Town. 11/07 Beat Wearside League 1^st Division side Wolviston 1-0 at Metcalfe Park

Billingham Town- 08/07 Beat Division 1 side Boro Rangers 3-1 at Bedford Terrace. 11/07 Lose at home to Northern Premier League side Stockton Town 0-5

Boldon CA- 08/07 Beat 1^st Division Whickham 2-1 at The Villa (Zych, Bell). 10/06 Beaten 0-6 at home to Northern Premier League East side Heaton Stannington. 12/06 Held 2-2 at home to recently relegated into the Wearside League, Washington (Orr, J Robertson)

Chester-le-Street-Town- Announce the signing of forward Luca Nelson from Thornaby. 08/07 Draw 0-0 at Washington

Darlington Town- 09/07 Beat North Riding Premier League side 6-0 at Eastbourne. (Hewitt, Beauchamp 2, Brown, Williamson 2). 12/09 Win again at home 5-1 against West Auckland Reserves of the Wearside League Premier (Mallaburn 3, Wilson, Hewitt)

Esh Winning- 05/07 Draw 1-1 at Wearside League Premier side Brandon United.

Grangetown BC- 12/07 Beat Wearside League Division 1 side Shildon Railway 4-0 away (Greenwood, Campbell, Patterson 2)

Jarrow- Announce the signings of Jack Harrison, Noah Cunningham, Josh Leonard, Simon Farrier and Jordan Stephenson,

Park View Academy- 12/07 Played out a 1-1 draw at Huddersfield Town Academy

Prudhoe YC Seniors- 08/07 beat Northern Alliance Premier side Newcastle East End 3-2 at Coach Lane (Ndwieni, Davison 2). 12/07 Draw 1-1 at the Downhill Hub against Wearside League Premier side Gateshead Leam Rangers (Foster)

Redcar Town- 07/09 Beat North Riding Premier side Kader 2-1 at theOutwood Academy in Acklam. Announce defender Jayden Sekete and midfielder Josh Beach are staying at the club. 11/07 Lose 1-2 at home to Bishop Auckland in the Matthew Graham Memorial Cup (Clarkson)

Seaham Red Star- 08/07 beat Wearside League Premier side Willington 2-1 at Hall Road (Weirs, Lawson) 12/07 Lose 0-1 at Action Park to Northern Alliance Premier League Champions New Burradon & Fordley.

Sunderland RCA– 09/07 Lose 0-2 at Northern Alliance Premier side West Moor and Jesmond. Forward Aiden Stanton retained for the 25/26 season. 12/07 Beat Wearside League Premier side Shotton Colliery 4-0 at Meadow Park.

Sunderland West End– 08/07 Lose 2-4 at home to Wearside Premier League side Farringdon Detached. 11/07 Lose 0-1 to Division 2 champions Horden CW

Tow Law Town- 08/07 Lose 0-1 at home to Northern Premier League East side Blyth Spartans. 12/07 Lose 0-4 at home to Whickham of Division 1

Yarm & Eaglescliffe- Announce striker Josh Larkin has been retained. 12/07 Lose 1-3 at 1^st Division Newcastle Blue Star.