Dale leaves the club as Spartans’ all-time record appearance holder on 719, and second in the scoring charts to Brian Slane, with 219 goals for the club over a remarkable 18 seasons.

It is no exaggeration to say the Dale is the greatest ever to wear the green and white shirt, with the forward an integral part of some of the most iconic moments in Spartans’ history.

Dale helped fire Spartans to the FA Cup Third Round in 2009 and again in 2015, where he scored a brace against Championship side Birmingham City.

Alongside a pair of Northern Premier League titles, and a Northumberland Senior Cup success, Dale has won a whole host of individual honours during an unprecedented career at the club.

After retiring on the eve of the 2020/21 season, the forward made a sensational return at the beginning of this campaign and successfully helped the club avoid relegation and racked up yet another milestone in the process – reaching a remarkable 700 appearances for the club in December.

Blyth manager Terry Mitchell said: “Robbie has been a fantastic servant to the club. It’s rare to see loyalty such as this in football, and to play more than 700 games and score so many goals is truly incredible.

“Robbie has been an integral part of the squad since I’ve joined and he’s chipped in with some vital goals, and assists. He has been a huge part of us staying in the league this season.

“I want to thank him for everything he has done for myself and the club, and I can’t think of a more fitting way to sign off in front of the Blyth fans than at a cup final at St James’ Park.”

Dale will depart the club following Spartans’ National League North fixture away to Gloucester City on Saturday, meaning Thursday night’s Northumberland Senior Cup match at St James’ will be a last chance for many Blyth fans to see the forward in competitive action for the club.

Stephen Burton