Consett were today handed their first-ever competitive trip to Birtley Town in the 1st Round of the Durham Challenge Cup.

We will play the Northern League 2nd Division side at the Arrowmark Home Improvements Stadium on Wednesday 16 December with a 7:30pm kick off.

Until recently, the Hoops were playing behind closed doors at their Gateshead Council-owned ground, but they were recently allowed to open their gates, and can now have the same 150 spectator limit as other clubs Durham FA-affiliated clubs.

They reached the 1st Round by beating fellow 2nd Division club Brandon United 2-1 in the Preliminary Round.

Their squad includes a couple of former Steelmen, Steven Aiston and Lewis Teasdale, along with Tom Soutar, who played for our Under-21s.

We have played Birtley several times in friendlies, most recently in our first pre-season game of 2019-20, when we won 5-3 at Belle View.

But we have only met once before in a competitive match, in the quarter-final of the same competition back in 1998-99, when Consett won 8-1 at our old Belle Vue Park ground.

The rest of the 1st Round draw is as follows:

Newton Aycliffe v Darlington Town

Shildon v West Auckland Town

(Shildon have withdrawn, so West Auckland progress)

Sunderland RCA v Boldon CA

Ryton & Crawcrook Albion v Whickham

Ryhope CW v Seaham Red Star

Chester-le-Street Town v Durham United

Hebburn Town v Gateshead Rutherford

Billingham Town v Hartlepool FC

Esh Winning v Bishop Auckland

Darlington v Stockton Town

Willington v Crook Town

Jarrow v Gateshead

Wolviston v Billingham Synthonia

Spennymoor Town v Chester-le-Street United

Easington Colliery v Sunderland U23s