Hexham u13's hosted Blaydon on a cold and frosty January morning in the 3rd round of the Pinpoint League Cup. The game going ahead was touch and go with the frost not budging due to lack of morning sunshine. Both teams agreed that the pitch was in a playable condition and they were more than right with a great morning's football taking place. Hexham ran out comfortable winners and progress through to the next round where they are sure to face League 1 or 2 sides, thus testing there metal further as they aim to progress all the way in this year's League Cup competition. Dominic Weller was awarded man of the match for his excellent performance at the heart of the Hexham midfield.

The only other team to survive the frost was the Hexham u14's who had a tough match away at Wallsend BC Yellows. Straight from the kick off Hexham went behind and they needed a penalty save from Jack Dobbing to keep them in the match very soon after going behind. Bradley Lowes equalised for Hexham after twenty five minutes after good work from Patrick McLoughlin and Andrew Knotts.

The longest road trip of the season for the Tyne Valley side on Saturday did not daunt them as they produced one of the best performances of the season and came home with three well deserved points. Alnwick are a good side and they play the ball about well but Hexham took the bull by the horns and after only fourteen minutes they were two goals in front. Scott Robson started the goal spree when he converted a Neil Tiffin inch perfect pass and when Paul McLean caught a Thomas North corner on the half volley to drill it past bemused home keeper Michael Armstrong Hexham were flying. Neil McFall pulled one back for Alnwick from a free kick on the twenty minute mark to give Hexham a few nervous moments but the two goal advantage was restored when Ali Stobbs got the first of his goal of the day when Armstrong could only parry a Scott Robson shot, Ali was razor sharp to make sure the ball crossed the line. Alnwick tried manfully to get back into the game but this was to be Hexham's half and as the pressure increased on the home goal a flailing arm was stuck with the ball from a Mark Gibson cross, referee Darren Thomas had an easy decision to make and point to the spot.

Hexham u10 Whites kept up their title challenge with a 3-1 victory over Throckley Magpies. A late change of home pitch due to HMS being waterlogged did not affect the whites as Robert Singer, Steven Heslop and Findlay Baty scoring for the whites.

Both Hexham u11 Greens and Whites were back in action in the NEYDL and both got a reward. The Greens were at Cramlington and enjoyed a comfortable win to maintain their joint third place in the table with Killingworth and West Denton.
The White's had a thrilling match with mid table Tynemouth Yellows and came home with a creditable draw but with a little more luck could have all three points. It ended as a goalless but everyone who saw the encounter could not help to have been entertained

The full programme of walks and events for the 2012 Haltwhistle Spring Walking Fesival is now all online.

The Festival runs between 28th April and 7th May and the times and dates for all 29 walks (and the social evening) have now been published on the Walking Festival website on www.haltwhistlewalkingfestival.org.

By visiting the site those interested in this established walking festival can also read full descriptions for all of the walks so that they choose walks that they can both physically manage as well as finding something of particular interest to themselves.

The cost for most of the walks remains at £6 but where they run over a series of days or where additional costs are incurred, such as transport or food (like an afternoon tea) then prices are higher.

Birds, alpacas, beer, singing and drumming are just some of the themes available in the prgramme for this spring.

Bookings for the walks can also be made through the website so people can plan their Walking Festival visit in the comfort of their own homes.

Christmas is over, 2012 has started and we are all getting back into our routines as though nothing has happened.

But amidst all of this the organising committee for the Haltwhistle Waking Festival is putting the final touches to the Spring Walking Festival which is scheduled to run from Saturday 28th April to Monday 7th May.

There are 28 proposed walks in all of varying grades of difficulty and interest, as well as a social eveing. All of the finalised walks and social events will be fully described on their website before February and also booking will be available for online.

Spring brings a renewed freshness to this area which is both wild and rugged as well as very beautiful, and the walks provide a great opportunity to see the best of this area in good company. The headline long walks this spring will be the Burns and Crags over the first weekend and the 3 day Hexham to Haltwhistle via Burn Tongues over the second weekend. There will be something of interest to everyone as Real Ale, Bird watching, Drumming, Singing, Conservation, Alpacas and much more have all been included in the programme.

A rain hit County cup weekend for Hexham which brought about mixed fortunes for their teams. After the heavy rain earlier in the week Dukeshouse was unavailable so thanks to some accommodating opponents matches were reversed or swapped to other pitches at short notice.

Hexham u11 Greens enjoyed a close victory against Corbridge, as always it's a tight encounter against United and at half time the score line proved this with both sides locked together goalless . With two closely matched sides it was always going to take a special goal to win this West Division semi-final and it came from a Will Roberts thunderbolt free kick, a tremendous effort. Patrick Lally won the MotM and he and the rest of the team will have to be on top form when the final comes around later in the year against Wylam Apollo.

Due to the weather Hexham had an extended festive break and just to start the New Year with a bang the Northern Alliance fixture secretary thought second placed Harton & Westoe would be suitable test to begin 2012. Not wanting to disappoint the Tyne valley outfit produced a result which raised more than a few eyebrows amongst other Northern Alliance teams. On possession Harton maybe just shaded it over the ninety minutes but they never used this time to hurt the visitors.

Hexham keeper Dave Anderson

Captain Gavin Cox was inspirational marshalling the defence and this spread throughout the side and no one let the side down. Hexham were defiantly the better side in the opening half taking the lead after twenty three minutes, some excellent work by Mark Gibson when he beat a couple of players just outside the box and laid on a perfect pass to Ali Stobbs. There was still some work to do but Stobbs calmly slotted his shot past home keeper Greenan to give Hexham the lead which they never relinquished. The pace of Harton was always a threat but Anderson in the Hexham goal looked comfortable all afternoon, the only major alarm was of his own doing but the heavy pitch played a big part in the incident.

It took 17 minutes to break the deadlock in the derby match between the Hexham u10 Greens and Whites. With a tactical substitution Calum Armstrong came off the bench after 17 minutes for the whites and scored two goals in five minutes to take them into half time 2-0 up. Ten minutes into the 2nd half Calum struck again to claim a hatrick. Two minutes later Man of the Match Logan Fawcett scored a fantastic goal chipping the goal keeper at the back post from a right wing shot. With a pass from Finlay Baty, Logan added a 2nd five minutes before the end to complete victory for the whites the Whites. Jack Kilby stared in defence and Sam Peter in goal for the Greens.

Due to the inclement weather at the weekend only Saturday games got the go ahead and Hexham u11 Whites managed to play at league leaders Ponteland Pumas. In the face of a howling wind the whites performed well in an entertaining game . They lost the match 1-4 but really played their part, MotM was Loui Charlton and Tom Robson got a truly memorable individual goal

This third round tie in the Northumberland FA Minor Cup had an explosive start with five goals in the first fourteen minutes. The low winter sun played a major part in the proceedings but the eight absentees from the Hexham squad did not help the cause either. In the first minute Dave Anderson in the home goal was in the right place at the right time to block an effort but he was powerless to stop the first goal moments later after sloppy defending. Straight away Hexham were back into the tie when a right wing corner was flicked on by Stephen Brown and Liam Heenan bravely stuck his head amongst flailing boots to force the ball over the line.

Almost from the kick off Paul McLean fired Hexham in to the lead with a powerful drive that Willington goal keeper Carl Henderson could only observe as is crashed into the net. But in a comical opening period the Saints were level with the Hexham defence struggling in the low winter sun but to complete the farcical start Hexham produced a goal to be proud of. It was Kurtis Harvey who was enjoying his first start in a while arriving at the back post to meet a low hard cross from Thomas North to regain the advantage for Hexham.

It was a fantastic day for the members of Hexham Football Club on Saturday (26th Nov 11) when their brand new football centre was opened. This facility has been in the planning stage for what seems like ages but to see the finished article it was well worth the wait.

The centre comprises of 2 junior pitches a floodlit training area with a club meeting room and kitchen with changing facilities for players and match officials. The final cost of the development was a mind boggling £872,000 which was found by a massive donation from the Football Foundation and also a large sum from Northumberland County Council.