Remember that our end of season 1st team presentation evening takes place tonight Saturday 18th May at 7pm at the Kingsley Park clubhouse and all supporters are invited to attend.

The FA have revealed the other ENL opponents we’ll face next season after promoting play off runners up Newcastle Blue Star to Division One.

Along with Blue Star we lose Blyth Town, Easington Colliery (promoted) & Brandon United (relegated), while we gain Sunderland RCA (relegated from Division One) Alnwick Town (promoted from the Northern Alliance), Darlington Town (promoted from the Wearside League) and Grangetown Boys Club (promoted from the North Riding League).

One thing that might possible change things is Kendal Town’s appeal against being laterally transferred by the FA to the Northern League Division One but as it stands Division Two will consist of- Alnwick Town, Bedlington Terriers, Billingham Synthonia, Billingham Town, Boldon CA, Chester-le-Street Town, Chester-le-Street United, Darlington Town, Esh Winning, FC Hartlepool, Grangetown BC, Horden CW, Jarrow, Newcastle University, Prudhoe YC, Redcar Town, RACA, Sunderland RCA, Sunderland West End, Thornaby, Washington and Yarm & Eaglescliffe.

Congratulations to the lucky winners for the RACA 100 Club Draw this month who are-

1st No 64 T Tailford who wins £100

2nd No 45 M Cribbs who wins £75

3rd No 5 Don McCloud who wins £25

The next draw will take place on 1st June 2024

If you’d like to take part in this monthly fundraiser for just £5 a month, please contact us through the usual channels. Thank-you

Esh Winning’s 4-1 win over Brandon in the last Division 2 game of the season means they leapfrog us and take 10th place despite having an inferior goal difference of 39. Just the play off final between Newcastle Blue Star and Easington Colliery on Wednesday night to decide who joins Blyth Town in Division One next season.

As for RACA we still finish in the top half with an 11th place berth.

Albion were unable to take advantage of Bedlington Terriers being a man down, being held to a 1-1 draw by the ten men.

Bedlington ought to have been a goal up early on when they swooped on a defensive error, the ball being teed up for Matty Nelson who had the simple task of tapping home into an empty net but in a scenario that will give him nightmares, he managed to put the ball wide & RACA were let off the hook. It was Ryton who broke the deadlock on 34 minutes when Rhys McLeod scored his 11th goal of the season, moving past Richie Hoggins’ total to be second highest club scorer in the 23/24 season. Albion got a further boost in the 55th minute when Terriers defender D’Armando Lawrence was given a second yellow card for taking out Lucas Lowery-Matondo. However this only seemed to spur on Bedlington and suddenly Albion looked nervy in defence, Brogan Colquhoun having to pull off a fine save just after the hour mark. The Terriers got their equaliser on 75 minutes when Matty Hayton scored his 24th goal of the season & the points were shared.

FT RACA 1 BEDLINGTON TERRIERS 1 Attendance 180

Disappointment for RACA in falling one short of the 100 league goals and tonight’s draw means the University pipped us as top dogs in the Tyne Valley. We can still finish in the top ten providing Esh Winning don’t pick up more than three points in their final three games but that’s it from RACA on the pitch for a couple of months but the site will be active over the close season with any news from the club and those all important signings, so keep checking in. Thanks for your support and enjoy the break!

RACA’s swansong for the 2023/24 season is the ‘away’ game to Bedlington Terriers actually being played at Kingsley Park. The Terriers have already qualified for the play-offs but Albion still have two targets to chase ; score twice on Monday night and we hit 100 league goals, and if we win the game, we finish above the University to claim Tyne Valley bragging rights as the highest placed side with a guaranteed top 10 placing.

Kick off is at 7:30pm on Monday 29th April if you want to cheer on the RACA for the last time this season, be good to see you there.

RACA’s real final away game of the season against Boldon CA ended up full of incident as Aaron Costello scored a hattrick then got himself sent off, while his teammates pushed on to win the game 5-2 despite the numerical disadvantage, Ryton completing a 100% record at the Hub this season.

Costello had a blistering start to the game as he scored in the 6th, 12th & 17th minutes to put Albion 3-0 up before Dessie da Silva pulled one straight back for Boldon. Costello then got himself dismissed for disputing an offside decision too vehemently in the 37th minute, but Ryton held on to the two goal lead at half time. Regular sharpshooter Robbie Gateshill put Boldon right back into the game on 63 minutes with his fourth goal in five games but RACA kicked on with two goals in as many minutes from Lucas Lowery-Matondo and Rhys McLeod to secure a 5-2 win & keep the hopes of scoring 100 league goals this season and a top ten finish alive. The three points move RACA up to 9th place with one game left to play.

Albion’s last away day in 23/24 season is to face Boldon Community Association but it’s not at the Villa but at the Ford Hub which by the end of tomorrow night’s game will have hosted no less than ELEVEN Boldon home games such have been the issues at their own ground. RACA have won both games played at the Hub this season (v Washington & Sunderland West End) & will be hoping to make it three wins out of three against a Boldon side whose form has collapsed towards the end of the season (no wins in 8 games) which is hardly surprising given their gruelling schedule, with them having to cram ten games into April alone. Kick off is at 7:45pm at the Ford Hub Keelmans Lane, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear, SR4 0HB if you want to cheer on the Black & Blue as we aim for a top ten finish.

Albion were forced to play second fiddle to promotion chasers Easington Colliery at a sunny, dry but still chilly Kingsley Park. The visitors in an unusual strip of pink & white stripes and violet sleeves completely dominated the first half but were let down by some poor finishing and the sides went into the interval goalless. RACA put in a much better performance in the second half but fell behind to an 79th minute goal from Mark Davison, who tapped home from close range from a cross. Ryton raised their game and Rhys McLeod equalised, heading home from a cross on 84 minutes, his 9th goal of the season. But Easington were to have the last laugh as Luke Pearn scored the winning goal on 87 minutes netting after his initial shot had been blocked. Two defeats on the trot for Albion, destined for a mid table finish but the Green (pink/white/violet) Army, in the Tyne Valley in good numbers today, saw their side join Newcastle Blue Star in the play-offs with the other berths to be taken by two from five remaining contenders.

FT RACA 1 EASINGTON COLLIERY 2 Attendance 197

Promotion hopefuls Easington Colliery visit Crawcrook in what was meant to be our final game of the season. As it happens it’s not even our last game at Kingsley Park as the League has ordered Bedlington to play their remaining home games at their opponents grounds meaning we are likely to have our last home game on Monday 29th April against the Terriers. Back to tomorrow’s game & Easington will be keen to avenge the 6-1 defeat we inflicted on them at the Welfare in horrendous conditions in February. It’s not the first time the Colliers have visited NE40 this season as they beat us on penalties in the Brookes Mileson Memorial League Cup. The Green Army are on a fine run of eight games unbeaten and moved into 3rd place after beating Thornaby on Wednesday and have a play off berth in their own hands. Kick off is at 3pm if you fancy cheering on the RACA.