FSA supports pre-season friendlies

This weekend the FSA supported a range of pre-season friendlies to celebrate our community-owned clubs.

Over the course of the weekend on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th July we supported the Better Together Cup at Croft Park in Blyth, the Supporters Direct Shield at the same venue and the Brian Lomax Cup at St Paul’s Sports Ground in south east London.

Better Together Cup & Supporters Direct Shield

The Better Together Cup was contested by five invited non-league teams: Blyth Spartans, Ashington, AFC Newbiggin, Horley Town, and Dunstable.

The weekend opened with hosts Blyth Spartans taking on Horley, the game finishing 0-0 after 90 minutes, with Spartans going on to win on penalties. In Saturday’s second fixture, Dunstable beat AFC Newbiggin 3-2.

The Supporters Direct Shield was also contested on Sunday at Croft Park between hosts Blyth Spartans and Dunstable – with the latter running out 3-2 winners.

Blyth Spartans hosted the event alongside Tyneside and Northumberland Mind, Spartans in the Community and the FSA. It is supported by the Northumberland Football Association and QTS Data Centres.

QTS Data Centres donated £20,000 to Tyneside and Northumberland Mind, represented by Mind national chair designate Clarke Carlisle, at half-time during Spartans’ game against Horley on Saturday (pictured above).

We Are Better Together 💚

A huge thank you to all of the participating clubs for making the inaugural Better Together Cup such a fantastic weekend of football 🏆

More importantly, thank you for helping us raise awareness of mental health and showing the power of football to… pic.twitter.com/0ucTWBKFK0

— Blyth Spartans (@Blyth_Spartans) July 19, 2026

Brian Lomax Cup

On Saturday Fisher took on Grays Athletic in south east London for the 2026 Brian Lomax Cup.

First held back in 2002, when AFC Wimbledon beat Enfield Town 3-2, the silverware is named after Brian Lomax – considered the founding father of the supporters’ trust movement and community-owned clubs. Previous winners include AFC Wimbledon, Rushden and Diamonds, FC United of Manchester and Merthyr Town.

This year’s match had been organised to celebrate ten years of community ownership at Fisher.

Visitors Grays Athletic won the 2026 Brian Lomax Cup, defeating Fisher 3-2.