Washington 2-5 Northallerton Town
Northern League Division Two
3.12.2011
Admission: Adults: £4 Concessions: £2
Programme: £1
Attendance: 45
Capacity: 1,100
Seated: 200
Covered: 400
Town: Sunderland, Tyne and Wear
Shop: No
Floodlights: Yes
4. That is the number of changes I would have to make in order to get to the Nissan Sports Complex a mile outside of Sunderland in order to watch my beloved Northallerton Town play Washington in a Northern League Division Two. Had Northallerton not been involved I may not even have bothered. Thank God I was still paying child fares on the trains and had an Arriva North East bus pass. Despite the number of modes of transport I would need to use, I didn't need to leave until 10:20 when I caught a bus to Richmond followed by a connection to Darlington where I caught a train up to Newcastle. Although I believe you can get buses to the Nissan Factory from Market Street in Newcastle, the excellent Andy of Kent website informed me that it would be easier to get a short Metro over the Tyne to Gateshead Interchange where direct buses ran from. The Bus Station at the interchange is nothing less than a rabbit warren with very little signage as to where to go. Thankfully my stand was at the end of a corridor so the stand letter was clearly visible. Although the buses were supposed to be every nine minutes it took fifteen minutes for one to arrive and when it did, the bus driver dropped people off and completely ignored those waiting to get on and drove off, how rude! However the next bus was not delayed and therefore arrived just minutes later. It seems that the bus stops at Nissan Factory are seldom used at that time of day especially on the weekend and the bus driver seemed surprised that I wanted to go there, asking me again just to make sure he had heard correctly. The journey was without problems and I arrived at the complex with 45 minutes until kick off. From the bus stop you have to enter the facility, go past a security barrier, walk through a car park (all Nissan Cars), go past another security barrier before going through another car park to finally reach the ground.
Admission is payed at a pay hut, from where the colourful programme can also be purchased. To your left are some buger vans that were closed today (do they open at all for football) and to your right is the imposing sports centre. To reach the clubhouse you have to go up the stairs once inside and through a set of doors. It was very warm and welcoming inside, particularly on a cold day like today. There is also a window at the far side which you would be able to watch the match through if a cardboard Nissan advert were not in the way. You reach the pitch behind the east goal. This is open hard standing, with a couple of picnic tables. The side to your left contains the dugouts and more hard standing, as does the far end. The side to your right has the main stand which features three steps of terracing at the bottom and 200 blue plastic seats in the top section.
Perhaps Washington experienced better support at their previous ground, which they had to vacate due to vandalism, or maybe it was just the cold that was keeping people away. Either way, only 45 turned up to watch this fixture with half making the trip from North Yorkshire. The level of support showed as well, as any that were supporting Washington stayed in the main stand, although in terms of health they were the sensible ones. We took our place behind the east goal in the freezing cold as the match kicked off. We were all instantly warmed up though as Peter Bulmer lobbed a brilliant shot over the home keeper (who was making his first appearance today) to give Northallerton the lead in the first two minutes. It was all uphill for Washington as Steve Butterworth made it 2-0 5 minutes later. Washington hit the bar with a freekick on 20 minutes but Northallerton made it 3-0 when Chillingsworth headed across the keeper after 26 minutes. Washington pulled a goal back through Tate on 37 minutes, but Northallerton regained their 3 goal advantage on 44 minutes when Bulmer scored a penalty. With 20 minutes to go in the match Anderson made it 5-1 as the ball tricked over the line as Washington failed to clear. Washington made it 5-2 with 4 minutes to go when Dan Young found the net. As soon as the final whistle went I dashed into the rain to catch a 17:00 bus back to Gateshead, hoping I could make a 17:51 train from Newcastle back to Darlington. Unlike previous away days though I wouldn't have a defeat hanging over me this time as I made my way home.
The programme for me had the appearance of a Chinese takeaway menu, with text dotted around the front cover and an image of the social club in the background. The programme has 36 pages of which 17 are ads. The programme includes a page to write team lineups next to a page with a list of players and officials, a welcome from the club, match report from the last game, Northallerton player profiles, league results grid, league table, club results and appearances chart, First Division table, Northern League news, history of Northallerton Town, history of Washington and general information about the club. An average programme for level 10 and fair value for £1.
Washington matchday pictures
Saturday, 14 July 2012
Sunday, 1 April 2012
38. Daren Persson Stadium-North Shields
North Shields 2-0 Northallerton Town
Northern League Division Two
19.11.11
Admission: Adults: £4 Concessions: £2
Programme: £1
Attendance: 111
Capacity: 1,700
Seated: 135
Covered: 220
Town: North Shields, Tyne & Wear
Shop: Yes
Floodlights: Yes
Northallerton own hadn't made the best start to the season, however we hoped we could rack up an importnat 3 points at North Shields today. I left the house at 11:20 and was on the 13:00 from Darlington to Newcastle. Upon arrival I decided that rather than take a 2 minute Metro from Central Station to Monument where I would chang, I would instead walk to Monument, from where there is a Yellow Line service to South Shields (via the Coast). Alight at Meadow Well from where it is a 10 minute walk to the stadium.
North Shields is an area of Tynemouth in Tyne and Wear. It is 8 miles east of Newcastle city centre and is well associated with fishing. The town's history started in 1225 when a fishing port was created to provide fish for the local area. In 1847 a rail link was created to Newcastle. In the 17th century, Clifford's Fort was built as defence against the Dutch. North Shields also contained a number of ship yards. The Meadow Well area has recently been built and experienced 3 days of riots in 1991. As a result housing has been improved in the area. Ralph Gardner is a hero in the town. When North Shields was forbidden from allowing ships to dock there he refused to close his brewery which was used to provision the ships. He was imprisoned and in 1655 he petitioned Parliament against the unfair demands of Newcastle.
From Meadow Well station walk up Ripley Avenue before turning right down Waterville Road. It is then a left up Silkey's Lane with the ground on the right. You walk through the car park to get to the pay hut which doubles up as the club shop. At this end are a number of portacabins housing toilets and a tea bar with plenty on offer. the side to the left has 3 steps of terracing up to the half way line where there is red brick stand containing 5 rows of benches with each row holding about 27. The far end is hardstanding while the side to the right has two small shelters holding about 40 each. The dugouts are in front of these.
North Shields FC were founded in 1896 as North Shields Athletic playing in the South Shields & District League. In 1900 the club moved to Appleby Park. In 1908 the side moved to the North Eastern League. After World War I the side continued to play in The North Eastern League under the name Preston Colliery. In 1928 they were relegated to Division Two and changed their name to the current North Shields. In 1936, 12,800 packed Appleby Park for the local derby with South Shields. In 1950 the side won the North Eastern League.In 1958 the side joined the Midland League. But rejoined the North Eastern League in 1962 before joining the Northern League two years later. 1969 will no doubt be seen by many as North Shields Football Club's greatest ever season. The side won the Northern League and the FA Amateur Cup. They beat Sutton United 2-1 in the final at Wembley. In 1989 the side joined the Northern Counties East League. They won this in 1992. They then joined the Wearside League Division Two and were promoted in their first season. In 1995 they changed their name back to North Shields Athletic and won Wearside League Division One in 1999 before changing back to North Shields. They won the Wearside League in both 2002 and 2004 resulting in rejoining Northern League Division Two. In 2009 Anthony Woodhouse arrived as player-manager from Whitley Bay. Since then the club have challenged for promotion every season.
This match saw the two best supported sides in the league do battle. I arrived early to an empty ground. However 15 minutes before kick off the North Shields supporters arrived with about a dozen flags. I then heared the singing of Northallerton supporters coming up the road and good bit of banter ocurred between the Northallerton 'Casuals' and 'Red Ultras' over the fence as the away supporters waited to pay admission. For the first half the Red Ultras stood on the terrace while Northallerton supporters were behind the entrance goal. However the supporters realised that this was the league's only chance for a real atmosphere at a game. So, as the ref blew for half time, the Northallerton supporters moved over to the other end of the terrace and a banter competition ensued throughout the second half. However me and a few others Town supporters weren't interested in this so we switched ends as usual. North Shields started strong and took the lead with a good shot from the edge of the box into the top right corner. Colin Anderson then hit the post for Town not long before half time. It was then that I realised the posts were cuboids and not cylinders. If they had been cylinders the ball may well have deflected into the goal. The score was 1-0 at half time and the Northallerton supporters still had plenty of hope. It looked as though the equaliser would be scored when a penalty was given. However it was a weak attempt from Peter Bulmer and the home goalkeeper made a comfortable save. Not long after North Shields went on the attack and found a gap in the Town defence meaning the ball was comfortably slotted past Stephen Craggs into the net. The game finished 2-0 and the Town supporters went home wondering how different the scoreline could have been had they taken their chances.
The programme is a good 40 page effort. The cover is full colour with match details and an action shot. The programme includes a view from the editor, pen pics, club history, club honours and merchandise, match report, player sponsorship,'on this day', groundhoppers section, the chairmans blog, centre spread of club results/fixtures, visitors history, visitors pen pics, next away game, football news story, club lottery, league news, player statistics, recent results, top scorers, league tables, team lineups and form tables. The issue also features 13 pages of ads.
North Shields is a great club to visit for the atmosphere and people. However the ground is very plain and is pretty pathetic when you compare it to Appleby Park. However it serves its purpose so that is good enough. No doubt the club will want to expand it in the future.
North Shields matchday pictures:
https://picasaweb.google.com/117159223503887715169/NorthShields#
Northern League Division Two
19.11.11
Admission: Adults: £4 Concessions: £2
Programme: £1
Attendance: 111
Capacity: 1,700
Seated: 135
Covered: 220
Town: North Shields, Tyne & Wear
Shop: Yes
Floodlights: Yes
Northallerton own hadn't made the best start to the season, however we hoped we could rack up an importnat 3 points at North Shields today. I left the house at 11:20 and was on the 13:00 from Darlington to Newcastle. Upon arrival I decided that rather than take a 2 minute Metro from Central Station to Monument where I would chang, I would instead walk to Monument, from where there is a Yellow Line service to South Shields (via the Coast). Alight at Meadow Well from where it is a 10 minute walk to the stadium.
North Shields is an area of Tynemouth in Tyne and Wear. It is 8 miles east of Newcastle city centre and is well associated with fishing. The town's history started in 1225 when a fishing port was created to provide fish for the local area. In 1847 a rail link was created to Newcastle. In the 17th century, Clifford's Fort was built as defence against the Dutch. North Shields also contained a number of ship yards. The Meadow Well area has recently been built and experienced 3 days of riots in 1991. As a result housing has been improved in the area. Ralph Gardner is a hero in the town. When North Shields was forbidden from allowing ships to dock there he refused to close his brewery which was used to provision the ships. He was imprisoned and in 1655 he petitioned Parliament against the unfair demands of Newcastle.
From Meadow Well station walk up Ripley Avenue before turning right down Waterville Road. It is then a left up Silkey's Lane with the ground on the right. You walk through the car park to get to the pay hut which doubles up as the club shop. At this end are a number of portacabins housing toilets and a tea bar with plenty on offer. the side to the left has 3 steps of terracing up to the half way line where there is red brick stand containing 5 rows of benches with each row holding about 27. The far end is hardstanding while the side to the right has two small shelters holding about 40 each. The dugouts are in front of these.
North Shields FC were founded in 1896 as North Shields Athletic playing in the South Shields & District League. In 1900 the club moved to Appleby Park. In 1908 the side moved to the North Eastern League. After World War I the side continued to play in The North Eastern League under the name Preston Colliery. In 1928 they were relegated to Division Two and changed their name to the current North Shields. In 1936, 12,800 packed Appleby Park for the local derby with South Shields. In 1950 the side won the North Eastern League.In 1958 the side joined the Midland League. But rejoined the North Eastern League in 1962 before joining the Northern League two years later. 1969 will no doubt be seen by many as North Shields Football Club's greatest ever season. The side won the Northern League and the FA Amateur Cup. They beat Sutton United 2-1 in the final at Wembley. In 1989 the side joined the Northern Counties East League. They won this in 1992. They then joined the Wearside League Division Two and were promoted in their first season. In 1995 they changed their name back to North Shields Athletic and won Wearside League Division One in 1999 before changing back to North Shields. They won the Wearside League in both 2002 and 2004 resulting in rejoining Northern League Division Two. In 2009 Anthony Woodhouse arrived as player-manager from Whitley Bay. Since then the club have challenged for promotion every season.
This match saw the two best supported sides in the league do battle. I arrived early to an empty ground. However 15 minutes before kick off the North Shields supporters arrived with about a dozen flags. I then heared the singing of Northallerton supporters coming up the road and good bit of banter ocurred between the Northallerton 'Casuals' and 'Red Ultras' over the fence as the away supporters waited to pay admission. For the first half the Red Ultras stood on the terrace while Northallerton supporters were behind the entrance goal. However the supporters realised that this was the league's only chance for a real atmosphere at a game. So, as the ref blew for half time, the Northallerton supporters moved over to the other end of the terrace and a banter competition ensued throughout the second half. However me and a few others Town supporters weren't interested in this so we switched ends as usual. North Shields started strong and took the lead with a good shot from the edge of the box into the top right corner. Colin Anderson then hit the post for Town not long before half time. It was then that I realised the posts were cuboids and not cylinders. If they had been cylinders the ball may well have deflected into the goal. The score was 1-0 at half time and the Northallerton supporters still had plenty of hope. It looked as though the equaliser would be scored when a penalty was given. However it was a weak attempt from Peter Bulmer and the home goalkeeper made a comfortable save. Not long after North Shields went on the attack and found a gap in the Town defence meaning the ball was comfortably slotted past Stephen Craggs into the net. The game finished 2-0 and the Town supporters went home wondering how different the scoreline could have been had they taken their chances.
The programme is a good 40 page effort. The cover is full colour with match details and an action shot. The programme includes a view from the editor, pen pics, club history, club honours and merchandise, match report, player sponsorship,'on this day', groundhoppers section, the chairmans blog, centre spread of club results/fixtures, visitors history, visitors pen pics, next away game, football news story, club lottery, league news, player statistics, recent results, top scorers, league tables, team lineups and form tables. The issue also features 13 pages of ads.
North Shields is a great club to visit for the atmosphere and people. However the ground is very plain and is pretty pathetic when you compare it to Appleby Park. However it serves its purpose so that is good enough. No doubt the club will want to expand it in the future.
North Shields matchday pictures:
https://picasaweb.google.com/117159223503887715169/NorthShields#
37. Glebe Sports Ground-Whickham
Whickham 1-2 North Shields
Northern League Division Two
12.11.11
Admission: Adults: £4 Concessions: £2
Programme: £1 (40pp)
Attendance: 118
Capacity: 1,400
Seated: 200
Covered: 200
Town: Whickham, Tyne & Wear
Floodlights: Yes
Shop: No
With the rest of the family booked on a tour of the Sage today, I decided to go elsewhere. The game I decided upon was Whickham v North Shields in the Northern League Division Two. The ground is well served by public transport with bus 97 from Gateshead Metro Interchange stopping on front Street, from where it is a 10 minute walk to the ground.
Whickham is a middle class town that consists of the ancient townships of Winlaton and Stella. The population is 16,000 and the town has Gateshead to the east, Blaydon to the west and Newcastle to the north.
From Front Street it is a walk west along Front Street before turning left into Rectory Lane. It is then a right into Holme Avenue before a left into Rose Avenue. The ground is at the end. A pay box is in the southeast corner of the ground where you pay admission and can pick up the programme. As you enter the changing rooms are to your left while the near side is grass standing only. The far end and far side are hard standing. The facilities are all behind this goal with a 200 seat stand to your right consisting of benches. This was occupied by the vocal North Shields supporters and their many flags today. At the far side of this end is the Corner Flag Cafe where a number of hot and cold drinks and snacks can be purchased.
Whickham were founded in 1944 as Axwell Park Colliery Welfare and played in the Derwent Valley League. In 1974 the club joined the Wearside League as Whickham FC. They won the league in 1978 and in 1979 the side were semi-finalists in the FA Vase where they were knocked out by Almondsbury Greenway. In 1981 they made it to the final where they beat Willenhall Town 3-2 at Wembley whilst finishing as runners up in the Wearside League. In 1984 they were semi-finalists in the Vase again where they lost to Stansted. In 1985 they were runners up in the Wearside League. They then won the league for a second time in 1988. They joined the Northern League Division Two the next season where they won promotion to Division One. In 1992 they were relegated back to Division Two, only to win the league in 1995 and return to Division One. They were relegated back in 1997 and have remained there ever since.
Going into this game, North Shields looked like promotion favourites while Whickham had their own ambitions of returning to Division One. However it was Whickham who struck first through Wrightson. North Shields were then left with an uphill battle. However they were not going to let it get to them and goals from Paul Gordon and Scott Blandford gave the Reds three points and sent the 25 Shields supporters happy.
The programme is 40 pages long and is part-colour. The cover features match details and a photo of the stand. The programme includes details on North Shields and Whickham, a message from the secretary, a history of Whickham FC, pen pics, player statistics, team lineups, a centre spread with fixtures/results, player sponsorship, history of North Shields, North Shields player profiles, juniors information, northern league history, league fixtures, form table, league review, league table and more sponsorship. There are 16 pages of ads.
It was an enjoyable day in Tyne & Wear, although it may be better visiting in the Summer as the ground is very exposed at the top of a hill.
Whickham matchday pictures:
https://picasaweb.google.com/117159223503887715169/Whickham#
Northern League Division Two
12.11.11
Admission: Adults: £4 Concessions: £2
Programme: £1 (40pp)
Attendance: 118
Capacity: 1,400
Seated: 200
Covered: 200
Town: Whickham, Tyne & Wear
Floodlights: Yes
Shop: No
With the rest of the family booked on a tour of the Sage today, I decided to go elsewhere. The game I decided upon was Whickham v North Shields in the Northern League Division Two. The ground is well served by public transport with bus 97 from Gateshead Metro Interchange stopping on front Street, from where it is a 10 minute walk to the ground.
Whickham is a middle class town that consists of the ancient townships of Winlaton and Stella. The population is 16,000 and the town has Gateshead to the east, Blaydon to the west and Newcastle to the north.
From Front Street it is a walk west along Front Street before turning left into Rectory Lane. It is then a right into Holme Avenue before a left into Rose Avenue. The ground is at the end. A pay box is in the southeast corner of the ground where you pay admission and can pick up the programme. As you enter the changing rooms are to your left while the near side is grass standing only. The far end and far side are hard standing. The facilities are all behind this goal with a 200 seat stand to your right consisting of benches. This was occupied by the vocal North Shields supporters and their many flags today. At the far side of this end is the Corner Flag Cafe where a number of hot and cold drinks and snacks can be purchased.
Whickham were founded in 1944 as Axwell Park Colliery Welfare and played in the Derwent Valley League. In 1974 the club joined the Wearside League as Whickham FC. They won the league in 1978 and in 1979 the side were semi-finalists in the FA Vase where they were knocked out by Almondsbury Greenway. In 1981 they made it to the final where they beat Willenhall Town 3-2 at Wembley whilst finishing as runners up in the Wearside League. In 1984 they were semi-finalists in the Vase again where they lost to Stansted. In 1985 they were runners up in the Wearside League. They then won the league for a second time in 1988. They joined the Northern League Division Two the next season where they won promotion to Division One. In 1992 they were relegated back to Division Two, only to win the league in 1995 and return to Division One. They were relegated back in 1997 and have remained there ever since.
Going into this game, North Shields looked like promotion favourites while Whickham had their own ambitions of returning to Division One. However it was Whickham who struck first through Wrightson. North Shields were then left with an uphill battle. However they were not going to let it get to them and goals from Paul Gordon and Scott Blandford gave the Reds three points and sent the 25 Shields supporters happy.
The programme is 40 pages long and is part-colour. The cover features match details and a photo of the stand. The programme includes details on North Shields and Whickham, a message from the secretary, a history of Whickham FC, pen pics, player statistics, team lineups, a centre spread with fixtures/results, player sponsorship, history of North Shields, North Shields player profiles, juniors information, northern league history, league fixtures, form table, league review, league table and more sponsorship. There are 16 pages of ads.
It was an enjoyable day in Tyne & Wear, although it may be better visiting in the Summer as the ground is very exposed at the top of a hill.
Whickham matchday pictures:
https://picasaweb.google.com/117159223503887715169/Whickham#
Tuesday, 21 February 2012
36. Hebburn Sports & Social Ground-Hebburn Town
Hebburn Town 2-2 Northallerton Town
Northern League Division Two
5.11.11
Admission: Adults: £3.50 Children: £2
Programme: £1 (20pp)
Attendance: 57
Capacity: 900
Seated: 150
Covered: 150
Town: Jarrow, Tyne & Wear
Floodlights: Yes
Shop: No
Step: 10
After a number of Saturdays visiting new grounds as a neutral I was back to supporter duty with my first Northallerton away game of the season. Today we were at Hebburn Town whose FA Cup run I had seen ended at Gateshead the previous week. Hebburn itself is a town of little significance with about 15,000 inhabitants, although technically it is part of Jarrow. Hebburn metro station is well served and has Yellow Line trains running every ten minutes to South Shields, St James and Central Station. The ground is a ten minute walk from the metro station. I caught a 13:00 service from Darlington to Newcastle before directly catching a Metro to Hebburn. From here I walked through Hebburn 'High Street'. I must say I was surprised at how clean the town was despite featuring the typical fast food chains and discount stores. You then turn right into Victoria Road West where you can see the ground's fllodlights in the distance. You pass a tall block of flats which looks completely out of place in a town of small council estate houses. Upon reaching the ground you go right down North Drive until you reach a gap in the fence where you pay admission. Not even a pay box here however the gateman was very friendly and we discussed football in Richmond, North Yorkshire particularly the town's two clubs recent applications to the Wearside League.
There is not much to say about the ground. To your right as you enter is a step of terracing running for about 10 metres. After this is the main stand. This consists of two rows of wooden plank seating running for about 50 metres. Both ends are hardstanding while the far side is out of bounds. In the southwest corner of the ground is a clubhouse.
Hebburn Town were founded in 1912 and joined the Wearside League as Reyrolles in 1977. They played here until 1986 when they changed their name to Hebburn Reyrolle. They played two seasons in the Wearside League before changing their name to Hebburn. In 1989 they joined Northern League Division Two and were promoted to Division One in 1992. In 1995 the side were demoted to Division Two due to ground gradings. However in 2000 the side were promoted back to Division One and changed their name again, this time to the current Hebburn Town. The side were relegated back to Division Two after one season and have stayed there ever since. As I've already said this season saw the club's best ever FA Cup run as they reached the 4th Qualifying Round where they lost 3-0 at Gateshead.
Due to the cup run Hebburn had a number of games in hand and certainly had their eyes on the promotion places. It was they that started best, scoring an early goal through a good header. However just minutes later Northallerton equalised with a low free kick into the bottom right corner. The sides went in at half time with the scores level. Once again it was Hebburn who started the better side and a long shot found the net with half an hour to go and left Northallerton with lots of work to do. However deep into stoppage time a mix up in the Hebburn box allowed subsitute Stuart Dunn to lash the ball into the roof of the net to send the 6 visiting supporters beserk (including me)!
The programme is 20 pages long with 5 pages of ads and a glossy cover with a picture of the ground and match details. The content is very wordy and consists of match reports and news. However it is still a very good effort and unusually the inside pages are yellow.
Although not a favourite of mine, Hebburn certainly has charm and very friendly staff at the ground. I personally think it's a shame that a side that played in front of 1,200 the previous week only attracts 57 the next.
Hebburn Town matchday pictures:
https://picasaweb.google.com/117159223503887715169/HebburnTown#
Northern League Division Two
5.11.11
Admission: Adults: £3.50 Children: £2
Programme: £1 (20pp)
Attendance: 57
Capacity: 900
Seated: 150
Covered: 150
Town: Jarrow, Tyne & Wear
Floodlights: Yes
Shop: No
Step: 10
After a number of Saturdays visiting new grounds as a neutral I was back to supporter duty with my first Northallerton away game of the season. Today we were at Hebburn Town whose FA Cup run I had seen ended at Gateshead the previous week. Hebburn itself is a town of little significance with about 15,000 inhabitants, although technically it is part of Jarrow. Hebburn metro station is well served and has Yellow Line trains running every ten minutes to South Shields, St James and Central Station. The ground is a ten minute walk from the metro station. I caught a 13:00 service from Darlington to Newcastle before directly catching a Metro to Hebburn. From here I walked through Hebburn 'High Street'. I must say I was surprised at how clean the town was despite featuring the typical fast food chains and discount stores. You then turn right into Victoria Road West where you can see the ground's fllodlights in the distance. You pass a tall block of flats which looks completely out of place in a town of small council estate houses. Upon reaching the ground you go right down North Drive until you reach a gap in the fence where you pay admission. Not even a pay box here however the gateman was very friendly and we discussed football in Richmond, North Yorkshire particularly the town's two clubs recent applications to the Wearside League.
There is not much to say about the ground. To your right as you enter is a step of terracing running for about 10 metres. After this is the main stand. This consists of two rows of wooden plank seating running for about 50 metres. Both ends are hardstanding while the far side is out of bounds. In the southwest corner of the ground is a clubhouse.
Hebburn Town were founded in 1912 and joined the Wearside League as Reyrolles in 1977. They played here until 1986 when they changed their name to Hebburn Reyrolle. They played two seasons in the Wearside League before changing their name to Hebburn. In 1989 they joined Northern League Division Two and were promoted to Division One in 1992. In 1995 the side were demoted to Division Two due to ground gradings. However in 2000 the side were promoted back to Division One and changed their name again, this time to the current Hebburn Town. The side were relegated back to Division Two after one season and have stayed there ever since. As I've already said this season saw the club's best ever FA Cup run as they reached the 4th Qualifying Round where they lost 3-0 at Gateshead.
Due to the cup run Hebburn had a number of games in hand and certainly had their eyes on the promotion places. It was they that started best, scoring an early goal through a good header. However just minutes later Northallerton equalised with a low free kick into the bottom right corner. The sides went in at half time with the scores level. Once again it was Hebburn who started the better side and a long shot found the net with half an hour to go and left Northallerton with lots of work to do. However deep into stoppage time a mix up in the Hebburn box allowed subsitute Stuart Dunn to lash the ball into the roof of the net to send the 6 visiting supporters beserk (including me)!
The programme is 20 pages long with 5 pages of ads and a glossy cover with a picture of the ground and match details. The content is very wordy and consists of match reports and news. However it is still a very good effort and unusually the inside pages are yellow.
Although not a favourite of mine, Hebburn certainly has charm and very friendly staff at the ground. I personally think it's a shame that a side that played in front of 1,200 the previous week only attracts 57 the next.
Hebburn Town matchday pictures:
https://picasaweb.google.com/117159223503887715169/HebburnTown#
Sunday, 1 January 2012
35. International Stadium-Gateshead
Gateshead 3-0 Hebburn Town
FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round
29.10.11
Admission: Adults: £4 Children: £2 (cup match prices)
Programme: £2
Attendance: 1,198
Capacity: 11,800
Seated: 11,800
Covered: 7,000
Town: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear
Floodlights: Yes
Shop: Yes
Step: 5
The Northern League is not very well known for FA Cup success. It is usually sides from the midlands and south of the country that celebrate success due to more players wanting to be at clubs that can progress through the pyramid. However this season saw two Northern League sides, Ashington and Hebburn Town reach the last qualifying round. Ashington earned a trip to former Championship side Grimsby while Hebburn travelled 3 miles down the road to Tyne and Wear rivals Gateshead. Chances are that many Gateshead supporters had only heard of Hebburn because it is on the Yellow line of the Metro and would never have considered them to be rivals, this match surely must change that.
Gateshead NER were formed in 1899 and played in the Northern Alliance for 4 years. Gateshead Town were formed in 1905 and joined the North Eastern Counties League. The side disbanded before World War I. A new Gateshead Town was formed after the war but folded in 1924. In 1930 Football League Division Three North side South Shields moved to Gateshead and changed their name to that of the town. They competed at this level until 1958 before being placed in Division Four during re-orginisation. They then left the Football League in 1960. In 1962 they joined North Regional League which they won in 1964. In 1968 the side joined the Northern Premier League but left after two seasons. In 1971 they joined the Midland League but again left after two seasons. The first edition of Gateshead folded in1973. The first Gateshead side reached the Quater Finals of the FA Cup in 1953. They knocked out Crewe Alexandra, Bradford Park Avenue, Liverpool, Hull City and Plymouth Argyle before losing 1-0 at home to Bolton Wanderers. A new Gateshead Town only managed one season in the Northern Combination. Gateshead United managed three seasons in the Northern Premier League. Gateshead reformed in 1977 in the Northern Premier League. They won the league in 1983 and joined the Alliance Premier League. However they rejoined the Northern Premier League two years later and won the title for a second time. In 1986 the side joined the new Conference. Once more they rejoined the Northern Premier League after one season but were back in the Conference in 1990. In 1998 they were relegated back to the Northern Premier League. In 2003 the side were relegated to Division One but were promoted back after one season. Since then the side have climbed through the NPL Premier and Conference North to reach the Conference National where they are mounting a promotion challenge.
The International Stadium is on the south bank of the Tyne and about a 10 minute walk from Gateshead Stadium Metro Station. The stadium itself serves a number of sports including Athletics, Football and Rugby League. The turnstiles are located along the West Stand and upon entering you climb a staircase to the concourse. Here there are food vendors and, through a set of doors, the steps leading to the stand. The main stand holds around 3,500 covered seats. Should an away side bring less than 200 supporters they will be in the north west corner of this stand. Should the away side bring more than 200 supporters they will be housed in the opposite east stand which has recently had a cantilevier roof installed. The ends behind the goals are not used. The north end holds 1,750 open seats while the south end holds around 3,000 open seats.
No doubt everyone everywhere had written Hebburn off well before the match. Upon kick off Hebburn were clearly struggling against the professional Gateshead. However the Northern League side defended well and went into half time at goaless. However Gateshead upped their game in the second half and Jon Shaw put them in front 8 minutes in. 8 minutes later he added Gateshead's second. With twenty minutes to go Nathan Fisher added Gateshead's third to seal the win. The Heed Army stand at the back of the stand and create quite an atmosphere. Unfortunately, because the supporters were all kept in one stand this atmosphere could not spread and wasn't as great as it could be.
Looking at the programme I got the idea that it would usually be a lot longer. There was very little on Hebburn and the match and seemed to focus on recent matches and news. Personally I think £2 was a bit too expensive.
Gateshead Matchday Pictures:
https://picasaweb.google.com/117159223503887715169/Gateshead#
FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round
29.10.11
Admission: Adults: £4 Children: £2 (cup match prices)
Programme: £2
Attendance: 1,198
Capacity: 11,800
Seated: 11,800
Covered: 7,000
Town: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear
Floodlights: Yes
Shop: Yes
Step: 5
The Northern League is not very well known for FA Cup success. It is usually sides from the midlands and south of the country that celebrate success due to more players wanting to be at clubs that can progress through the pyramid. However this season saw two Northern League sides, Ashington and Hebburn Town reach the last qualifying round. Ashington earned a trip to former Championship side Grimsby while Hebburn travelled 3 miles down the road to Tyne and Wear rivals Gateshead. Chances are that many Gateshead supporters had only heard of Hebburn because it is on the Yellow line of the Metro and would never have considered them to be rivals, this match surely must change that.
Gateshead NER were formed in 1899 and played in the Northern Alliance for 4 years. Gateshead Town were formed in 1905 and joined the North Eastern Counties League. The side disbanded before World War I. A new Gateshead Town was formed after the war but folded in 1924. In 1930 Football League Division Three North side South Shields moved to Gateshead and changed their name to that of the town. They competed at this level until 1958 before being placed in Division Four during re-orginisation. They then left the Football League in 1960. In 1962 they joined North Regional League which they won in 1964. In 1968 the side joined the Northern Premier League but left after two seasons. In 1971 they joined the Midland League but again left after two seasons. The first edition of Gateshead folded in1973. The first Gateshead side reached the Quater Finals of the FA Cup in 1953. They knocked out Crewe Alexandra, Bradford Park Avenue, Liverpool, Hull City and Plymouth Argyle before losing 1-0 at home to Bolton Wanderers. A new Gateshead Town only managed one season in the Northern Combination. Gateshead United managed three seasons in the Northern Premier League. Gateshead reformed in 1977 in the Northern Premier League. They won the league in 1983 and joined the Alliance Premier League. However they rejoined the Northern Premier League two years later and won the title for a second time. In 1986 the side joined the new Conference. Once more they rejoined the Northern Premier League after one season but were back in the Conference in 1990. In 1998 they were relegated back to the Northern Premier League. In 2003 the side were relegated to Division One but were promoted back after one season. Since then the side have climbed through the NPL Premier and Conference North to reach the Conference National where they are mounting a promotion challenge.
The International Stadium is on the south bank of the Tyne and about a 10 minute walk from Gateshead Stadium Metro Station. The stadium itself serves a number of sports including Athletics, Football and Rugby League. The turnstiles are located along the West Stand and upon entering you climb a staircase to the concourse. Here there are food vendors and, through a set of doors, the steps leading to the stand. The main stand holds around 3,500 covered seats. Should an away side bring less than 200 supporters they will be in the north west corner of this stand. Should the away side bring more than 200 supporters they will be housed in the opposite east stand which has recently had a cantilevier roof installed. The ends behind the goals are not used. The north end holds 1,750 open seats while the south end holds around 3,000 open seats.
No doubt everyone everywhere had written Hebburn off well before the match. Upon kick off Hebburn were clearly struggling against the professional Gateshead. However the Northern League side defended well and went into half time at goaless. However Gateshead upped their game in the second half and Jon Shaw put them in front 8 minutes in. 8 minutes later he added Gateshead's second. With twenty minutes to go Nathan Fisher added Gateshead's third to seal the win. The Heed Army stand at the back of the stand and create quite an atmosphere. Unfortunately, because the supporters were all kept in one stand this atmosphere could not spread and wasn't as great as it could be.
Looking at the programme I got the idea that it would usually be a lot longer. There was very little on Hebburn and the match and seemed to focus on recent matches and news. Personally I think £2 was a bit too expensive.
Gateshead Matchday Pictures:
https://picasaweb.google.com/117159223503887715169/Gateshead#
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