By Glen Robertson
Newton Aycliffe’s latest signing Paul Robinson is looking to score the goals that will propel the club up the Northern League.
The ex-Newcastle United striker joined Allan Oliver’s side last night from recently relegated Jarrow Roofing to boost the club’s firepower. And Robinson told Aycliffe Today that he can deliver the goods on the pitch.
He said: “I love scoring goals. If I can score goals I’ll be more than happy. I’m not as quick as I used to be but hopefully I am in the head. I hope I’m coming here to score goals and help Aycliffe finish higher than what they did last year.
SEE HIS VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH US HERE
“Newton Aycliffe is 10 minutes down the road from where I live in Bishop Auckland, so it’s nice and local for me and I’m happy to be here. I just want to get playing.”
Robinson revealed that it didn’t take much for Oliver to persuade him to come to Moore Lane Park.
“There wasn’t much that needed to be said. It is just up the road from myself, Jarrow got relegated last year and I’d rather play at as high a level as I could. Allan came in and sold me the club with the way they play and I just wanted to come and enjoy my football again.
“Last season I didn’t play against them, but they beat Jarrow twice. I played against Spennymoor and Sunderland RCA and we beat them two. But by all accounts Newton Aycliffe passed the ball about and played the right way, so I’m hoping to get a lot of chances.”
EX-GEORDIE ROBINSON JOINS AYCLIFFE
The 33-year-old has vast experience in the game, having played Premier League football for Newcastle, league football for Hartlepool, Wimbledon, Burnley, Grimsby, Carlisle, Blackpool and Torquay, and also had spells at York City, Dundee, Hayes and Yeading. He’s also had spells at fellow Northern League clubs Consett, Whitley Bay and Jarrow.
The biggest game of his career came in 2000, when Ruud Gullit selected him ahead of Alan Shearer for the infamous Tyne-Wear derby. Robinson, a boyhood Mackem, set-up Newcastle’s goal and was substituted while the Magpies were winning 1-0, before Sunderland came back to win the game 2-1. Gullit was sacked the next morning.
“I got told on the Monday or Tuesday that I was playing,” Robinson recollected. “Obviously I wanted to play as well as I could and I set the goal up, I came off when we were winning 1-0, but the result went against us.
“But I think if Phillips didn’t score the winner that quick, the game possibly could have got called off cos the pitch was horrendous. But we got beat, Gullit was sacked and the rest is history.
“Playing Premier League football was fantastic. It is every boy’s childhood dream. You get up and you go to training on the morning.
“You’re getting paid to play professional football and also play in the Premier League, against people you’ve been watching play on the telly since you were knee high and it is surreal. Looking back on it now I can think it was fantastic, but when you’re doing it you think it will last forever and obviously it didn’t.”
Robinson is now preparing to face Sunderland again, as his favourite club visits Moore Lane Park tonight. And Robinson can’t wait to get started.
He said: “I’m massively looking forward to it, it’ll be a good run-out for the lads getting to play against fantastic opposition. We might be chasing shadows for a bit but it’s good practice for when our league starts. And hopefully we put on a good show for the fans.”
● Aycliffe’s game against a Sunderland XI tonight kicks off at 7.30pm, with admission £5 adults and £3 concessions. Fans are strongly urged to arrive in plenty of time to avoid lengthy queues.