The membership of the Northern League club has reached record levels.

The club, formed only five years ago, has a growing membership from all parts of the UK and abroad, and just two months into the season already has over 250 members, a record.

Co-organiser Martin Haworth said: "I've been lucky in that after the initial promotion drive, the club has sold itself. Either by word of mouth, or by one of a few people who promote the club with almost missionary-like zeal.

"While the majority of our membership is from the North-East, it is by no means exclusively so. We have a few from the Edinburgh area who as a result are making regular trips to our grounds as they feel the atmosphere and friendliness is far superior to that at home. There are also people who used to live in the north east and want to keep in touch with what is going on.

"We also have members in Canada, Germany, Italy, Australia and the former Soviet Union. One chap was desperate to join, but due to certain financial restrictions in his country, was not allowed to send out currency. He paid his membership in football souvenirs.

"The Club has a website, on which we publish fixtures, results, latest news, features and have a photo gallery. My wife, Denise, and I have put up photos of old grounds, and we got a message from an ex-pat, living in America, saying that he'd just spent two hours poring over the photos of old grounds he knew."

League chairman Mike Amos said: "The club exists to keep people in touch with the league, but without the help of Martin and Denise, then it wouldn't be the success it is."

Subscription to the Northern League club is £10, and details are from Martin at 17 The Turn, Morpeth, Northumberland NE61 2DU.

West Auckland general manager Stuart Alderson has thanked Sunderland for a "magnificent gesture". The Premiership club recently sent its reserve team to play West in a Durham Challenge Cup tie, and now Alderson has learned that Sunderland have given their share of the gate receipts to West.

"It's very good of them to do that. In these days of money, money, money in the Premiership it's good of them to think of the smaller clubs," said Alderson.

Billingham Town have placed striker Paul Rowntree on the transfer list at his own request. Rowntree has been one of the leading scorers in the Northern League in his career, but he has been unable to force his way into the starting line up on many occasions this season.

And Rowntree decided to ask for a move following Saturday's 2-0 win at Billingham Town.

Prudhoe have placed midfielder Neil Maddison on the transfer list at his own request. Maddison has been left out of the line up in recent matches, and asked manager Steve smith for a transfer last week.

Willington striker Michael Boumsong has been suspended by the League until he appears in front of them to answer a charge of undesirable conduct.

Boumsong was red-carded for headbutting near the end of last season and suspended for 112 days by Durham FA, but he is out of the country and has been unable to attend the last two Northern League meetings.

Washington Nissan defender Paul Robertson has turned down an approach from Bishop Auckland. Robertson was with current Bishops boss Brian Honour at Durham City, but he moved on to the Second Division club near the end of last season. Nissan boss Gavin Liddle said: "I am 99.9 per cent certain that he will be staying."

Shildon will be without striker Nigel Bolton for at least three weeks.

Bolton broke his wrist a fortnight ago, but Shildon are hoping that he'll be able to play with a light plaster.

Brandon boss Kenny Lindoe is delighted that Steve Huggins has returned from injury.

Lindoe thought that Huggins might be out for the season after picking up what was feared to be a cruciate ligament injury last month, but the injury wasn't as bad as was first feared, and he made his comeback a fortnight ago as a substitute.

"We gave him 20 minutes against Chester-le-Street, but we decided not to risk him against Billingham Synthonia the following midweek.

"We brought him back against Guisborough last Saturday when we won 4-2, and one of the differences in the game was his pace and invention. He made a big difference to us - maybe I should have played him in the midweek!"

Huggins scored one of the goals to take his goals tally for the season so far to six in the league.

Seaham Red Star chairman Tommy Goodrum has been picking the side following the resignation of Wilf Constantine.

Paul Pitman, Constantine's assistant, was lined up to be caretaker manager, but he quit last week, so Goodrum stepped into the breach until a successor could be found.

However, it wasn't to be a glorious introduction to management, as the first team he picked lost 3-1 at South Shields last Saturday.

"There is no chance at all of me taking the job on permanently!" said Goodrum.

Dunston assistant manager Perry Briggs said that the players didn't do themselves justice when they lost to Marine in the FA Cup last Saturday.

After disposing of another UniBond League side, Burscough, in the previous round, Dunston fancied their chances of progressing to the final qualifier but they were beaten 1-0.

"On some days, you can afford one or two players to have off days, but we had seven or eight. It was a great chance to go through, but we blew it.

"Marine were there for the taking, but the players let themselves down, especially after Burscough.

"We needed the big game players to shine through, but they froze. The best player in our team was an 18 year old."

Dunston turn their attentions this weekend to the FA Vase, and a trip to Nelson, who have already beaten Norton this season.

The dates have been set for the Durham Challenge Cup ties next week. They are as follows:

Tuesday: Whickham v South Shields, Horden v Crook, Willington v Ryhope CW, Spennymoor v Durham City, Jarrow Roofing v Easington, Dunston v Billingham Town.

Wednesday: Gateshead v Consett, Peterlee v Tow Law, Murton v Chester-le-Street, Bishop Auckland v Evenwood, Esh Winning v Billingham Synthonia, Eppleton v Boldon CA.

Thursday: Sunderland Reserves v Brandon

Friday: Hartlepool Reserves v Birtley Town

Saturday: Wolviston v Birtley FC

A date has yet to be fixed for the Washington v Darlington Reserves game.

South Shields striker David Hague has now scored in each of his side's last five matches after he struck in the win over Seaham Red Star last Saturday.

Shildon striker Gary Barnes was the third Shildon player to score a hat-trick this season when he scored three in Shildon's 6-0 thrashing of Peterlee last weekend. Mark Rutter, on two occasions, and Lee Ellison have also scored hat tricks this season.

Tow Law striker Andy McKenna has opened up a four goal lead at the top of the list of leading scorers.

McKenna scored his third hat trick of the season when Lawyers beat Prudhoe 4-1 at the weekend.

Leading scorers

First Division (league only)

Andy McKenna (Tow Law) 13

Andy Fletcher (Bedlington) 9

Paul Chow (Jarrow Roofing) 9

Roy Allen (West Auckland ) 9

Lee Alexander (Marske) 9

John Milner (Bedlington) 9

Craig Nelson (Jarrow Roofing) 8

Tony Wood (Billingham Synthonia) 7

Carl Chillingsworth (Billingham Town) 7

Micky Dunwell (Durham City) 6

Lee Ellison (Shildon) 6

Steve Burns (Esh Winning) 6

Steve Huggins (Brandon) 6

Paul Beavers (Morpeth) 5

Lee O'Donovan (Whitley Bay) 5

Stuart Irvine (Durham) 5

Colin Lawton (Morpeth) 5

Colin McLeod (Consett) 5

Gary Barnes (Shildon) 5

Second Division

Adam Johnston (Washington Nissan) 8

John Wightman (Washington Nissan) 7

Tommy Scott (Whickham) 7

Jamie Clark (Thornaby) 6

David Hague (South Shields) 6

Chris Taylor (Willington) 6

Chris Joyce (Hebburn) 6

Adrian Winder (Murton) 5

Kevin Hay (Whickham) 5

David Tremble (South Shields) 5

Chris Reeve (Thornaby) 5

Andrew Wright (Penrith) 5

Paul Dalton (Crook) 5

Dean Helens (Murton) 5

David Taylor (Easington, 3 for Shildon) 5

Christian Dinsley (Evenwood) 5

David Christie (Kennek Ryhope CA) 5

Lee Dixon (Easington) 5

* Any matches which have to be replayed because of the recent points deductions will mean that the scorers in the particular matches will be deleted.

So far, only Whickham have asked for their game against Alnwick to be replayed. Alnwick won the original game 2-1, their only victory of the season.

Tomorrow's fixtures

Albany Northern League Division One: Bedlington v Marske, Consett v Chester-le-Street, Durham City v Tow Law, Jarrow Roofing v Billingham Town, West Auckland v Prudhoe, Whitley Bay v Newcastle Blue Star

Division Two: Alnwick v Willington, Easington v South Shields, Kennek Ryhope CA v Crook Town, Norton v Evenwood, Seaham Red Star v Hebburn, Shotton v Eppleton, Washington Nissan v Whickham.

FA Carlsberg Vase first round: Brandon v Murton, Brodsworth v Billingham Synthonia, Cammell Laird v Shildon, Esh Winning v Mossley, Garforth v Northallerton, Horden v Ashington, Nelson v Dunston, Newcastle Benfield Saints v Morpeth, Peterlee v Ossett Albion, Pontefract v Penrith, Yorkshire Amateurs v Guisborough.

Albany Northern League Division One

P W D L F A Pts

Brandon 12 9 1 2 25 9 28

Bedlington 11 8 1 2 26 10 25

*Billingham Town 13 9 0 4 27 14 24

Billingham Synth. 11 7 2 2 22 10 23

Shildon 13 6 3 4 29 28 21

Durham City 11 6 2 3 24 14 20

Marske 13 6 2 5 22 19 20

Guisborough 10 6 1 3 16 11 19

Morpeth 11 5 2 4 19 15 17

Jarrow Roofing 12 5 2 5 20 21 17

Tow Law 10 5 1 4 22 18 16

Whitley Bay 12 4 3 5 24 24 15

*West Auckland 10 5 2 3 21 16 14

*Esh Winning 12 4 2 6 13 28 11

Dunston 9 3 1 5 13 14 10

Newcastle Blue St. 12 2 3 7 15 26 9

Chester-le-Street 10 2 2 6 11 15 8

Prudhoe 11 2 2 7 9 21 8

Peterlee 10 2 2 6 11 28 8

Consett 11 2 1 8 13 26 7

Washington 12 2 1 9 9 24 7

Division Two

P W D L F A Pts

Kennek R'ope CA 11 7 2 2 24 12 23

Washington Niss. 9 7 1 1 28 10 22

Whickham 11 6 4 1 26 18 22

Easington 10 6 1 3 26 18 19

Penrith 8 5 3 0 21 7 18

Thornaby 8 5 3 0 18 7 18

Ashington 9 4 4 1 20 10 16

Northallerton 11 4 3 4 16 16 15

South Shields 10 4 2 4 20 18 14

Murton 10 4 2 4 22 21 14

Horden 7 3 4 0 15 4 13

Evenwood 10 4 1 5 16 18 13

Crook 10 3 3 4 14 22 12

Hebburn 10 3 2 5 14 16 11

Seaham Red Star 8 2 1 5 8 15 7

Shotton 10 2 1 7 12 32 7

Willington 9 1 3 5 13 22 6

Norton 8 1 1 6 8 22 4

Eppleton 12 1 0 11 11 34 4

*Alnwick 9 0 4 5 5 10 1

*Denotes three points deducted