ROBERT BRIGGS DEPARTS THE CLUB

After 11 years at the club, 457 games, 92 goals, and 4 promotions, Robert Briggs will depart the club with immediate effect.

Briggs rejoined the club in 2015 after his first spell at the club as a teenager, and has since been a key player throughout the years, being part of the quadruple-winning team during the 2016/17 season, when the Mariners went unbeaten for 42 games, including the famous FA Vase win at Wembley.

The versatile midfielder has been named club captain twice, notably during the season in which South Shields reached the First Round Proper of the Emirates FA Cup against Forest Green Rovers during the 20/21 season.

A player with an eye for goal, Robert Briggs, has scored 92 goals for the Mariners. You may remember some of his most famous ones…his stunners from the centre circle against Sunderland RCA and Bamber Bridge, his free kick against Tow Law Town, or his winning goal against Runcorn Linnets in added time, which saw the Mariners win 2-1 when he scored at the factory end.

Briggs marked his 100th appearance against Morpeth Town in a replayed fixture in the FA Vase competition.

After 10 years at the club, Briggs has been there through it all and has played a key part in seeing the club into the position it currently stands in, from the Northern League Division Two, Northern League Division One, Northern League Premier Division (North), Northern Premier League, and the National League North.

Over this time, Robert has made 457 appearances for the club and is the club's all-time appearance maker. He took over the last record, which was held by Terry Linney, who had made 363 appearances for the club, a record that had stood since the 1980s. Briggs broke the record to make it 364 appearances against Warrington Town during the 22/23 season, and he marked that game with a goal, a very special occasion with all of his family in attendance.

Robert Briggs is the only South Shields player to play in five different leagues for the club, and the only player to score a goal in five different leagues. His penalty kick against Warrington Town in the club's first season in the National League North gave him the fifth goal he needed to break the record.

Most recently, Briggs marked his 400th appearance for the club against Spennymoor during the 24/25 season, with a 2-0 win at home, a season where he was the only player in the squad to play every single game during the season.

Briggs has scored three hat-tricks for the Mariners during his 10-year stint.

We cannot thank Briggsy enough for his services, his loyalty, and his dedication to the football club, and we wish him well moving forward.