Twelve weeks ago Blyth Spartans were putting the jitters up a Premier League side who, in their next game, thrashed Newcastle United out of sight. Tonight they will be embroiled in a Conference North relegation dogfight.
Three months after Croft Park hosted Blackburn Rovers, a six-pointer against Redditch United seemed a million miles away.
Two goals difference is all that separates 19th-placed Blyth from Redditch in the relegation zone.
Last week's poll on the Your Place Northumberland sites asked people to vote for their favourite natural beauty spot in the county. We celebrate the winner, the Farne Islands, with a gallery of photos showing some of the islands' inhabitants:
You've picked Northumberland's top castle and its top beauty spot, but now we're asking you for your views on the county's best building.
Our choice of 12 impressive structures ranges from the Royal Border Bridge in the north to Seaton Delaval Hall in the south, from the 12th century Hexham Abbey to modern buildings like Woodhorn and Alnwick Treehouse.
You can also pick from Morpeth Chantry, Howick Hall, Belsay Hall, Wallington, Brinkburn Priory, Cragside or Biddlestone Chapel - or add your own choice if we've missed it.
You can vote by clicking your choice on the Local Poll section at the bottom of this home page. The voting will be open for the next two weeks, with the winner announced on April 10.
Green events for all the family will now be on offer at two more nature reserves.
Northumberland Wildlife Trust has added two more reserves to its list of venues for its programme of 2009 events offered as part of the SENSE (South East Northumberland Sustainable Environments) project.
At the time of the launch, the five sites chosen were Holywell Pond, Big Waters, Newsham Pond, Ha'Penny Woods and East Cramlington Pond and Local Nature Reserve.
Now Choppington and Plessey Woods have been added to the list and a series of community events, education opportunities and volunteer days will be held at the two sites throughout the forthcoming year.
The Northumberland Sea Fisheries Committees have prosecuted three people for capturing undersized lobsters.
Mr D McLaughlin from New York, North Tyneside, was fined £100 and ordered to pay £200 costs after admitting catching four undersized lobsters at Seaton Sluice while John Brown of Amble was fined £115 and £200 costs for landing 27 undersized animals at Amble last October.
Steven Marston, of North Seaton, admitted landing 23 undersized lobsters and was fined £115 and £200 costs. Robert Baxter, from Blyth denied obstructing a fishery officer but was found guilty, fined £10 and ordered to pay £200 costs.
Seven people who have worked for Blyth Valley Council from its creation to its end were among 132 staff honoured with long-service awards.
David Nesbit started work on the first day, April 1, 1974, along with Helen Coulson, Ed Crutchley, Jimmy Henderson, Malcolm Norris, Ken Pooley, and Brian Wright.
In all, 132 staff who worked for the council for 20 years or more, attended a buffet lunch and were presented with a commemorative gift.
Children and toddlers joined councillors to have fun at the opening of a new play park.
Blyth Valley councillors were celebrating the official opening of the new park near the Isabella Community Centre in Blyth.
Opening of Isabella Play area in Blyth- from left: Alex Hume, Jake Clark, Georgia Hume and Bethany Hume
It complements the existing play area, a previous project of the Blyth community assembly.
It was a case of two points lost rather than one gained when Blyth Spartans could only draw at bottom-of-the-table Hucknall Town who look doomed in Blue Square North.
Spartans are also involved in a fight against relegation and recent form suggests they could escape, but they will be disappointed not to have seen off the basement side.
Hucknall could easily have taken an early lead but Blyth goalkeeper Marc Bell turned a powerful header from Adrian Hawes over the crossbar.
A tree planting ceremony will take place next week to celebrate the inauguration of the new Northumberland County Council.
Council leader Jeff Reid and chief executive Steve Stewart will be planting an oak tree in the grounds of County Hall, Morpeth, on Wednesday at 1pm.
They will also be officially raising the new county council flag.
Meanwhile, residents across the county can still give their opinions on how they would like the new-look authority to tackle problems in their community.
Blyth beach was the setting for a slice of history when 20 brightly coloured beach chalets were officially handed over to the town.
For older residents it brought back memories of the stretch of sand in its 1950s heyday when its vibrant promenade and beach chalets attracted hundreds of visitors.
The former chalets were built in the 1950s and families from across Northumberland spent much of their family time there, whilst on Sunday evenings Blyth's young couples would meet outside the buildings for romantic walks along the promenade.
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Journal Extra, Northumberland's free weekly, is inside copies of The Journal across the county every Thursday, and can also be picked up from these locations around Blyth »
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