My Matchday Pics -126 Kingston Park

Newcastle United Res. 1v2 Whitley Bay
Northumberland Senior Cup 2nd Round
29th January 2007
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Kingston Park has been the home of Newcastle Falcons RUFC since 1990,but it isn’t just a venue for egg chasers,it’s also the venue for Newcastle United’s second string.
Tonights game is the quarter-final of the Northumberland Senior Cup,a competition with a long tradition stretching back 126 years,with current holders Newcastle up against previous season winners Whitley Bay.
This was surprisingly my first visit to Kingston Park,with my time taking up with supporting the first team,watching Gateshead whenever I can and continuing my ‘Groundhopping’ exploits,I suppose NUFC reserves is way down on my list of football priorities,but with this being a competitive match,instead of a basic reserve team v reserve team game,I earmarked this fixture as a definite new ground opportunity.
Kingston Park is North-West of the Toon and the area is known for it’s large retail park,which I’m quite familiar with,as ‘the breadknife’ likes the occasional jaunt up to the nearby Tesco extra.
The ground itself is very stylish and a lot of progress has been made since the John Hall Sporting Club dream,which saw the old Newcastle Gosforth Rugby Club transform into the Falcons with star names and a rise to Rugby Union’s top tier.
The ground was previously called ‘The Newcastle Chronicle & Journal Sports Ground’ and when the Rugby club took over the site there was only the East Stand surrounded by three open ends,just like this. This stand still remains and has a standing terrace in front,where the team dug-outs are and a very impressive club house.
Opposite is the all dark grey seated West Stand which runs the full length of the ground,which has plenty of matchday corporative hospitality it also houses the press box and stadium control area.
Behind each goal are terraces,the South end is the ‘John Smith Stand’ which is covered and to the North is a similar size and capacity which at the moment is uncovered but there are plans to resolve this in the future and so complete the work on Kingston Park.
The match itself was a huge disappointment to those with black and white eyes,but a good following from the Bay saw their team thoroughly deserve their place in the semi-finals and yet again another disappointing cup result for the Toon,their grip on the only trophy in their possession gone,but wait a minute…I’m wrong…I’m forgetting we won the Intertoto Cup.

full match reports from Newcastle United & Whitley Bay

update-March 2008

Newcastle Blue Star at Kingston Park

My Matchday Pics - 125 Glebe Ground

Whickham FC 1v3 Spennymoor Town
Arngrove Northern League 2nd Division
27th January 2007
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Whenever conversation turns towards Whickham FC and their home The Glebe Ground, if I happen to mention that I still haven’t been there,the response is usually “Eh! yi haven’t been to the Glebe?” so I’m pleased to finally rectify this and make the short trip up to the posh end of the Gateshead Borough to see the club nicknamed ‘The Home Guard’ in their Northern League Division 2 game against league leaders Spennymoor Town.
Whickham is just west of Gateshead and to have the postal address which ends with Whickham,Newcastle-Upon-Tyne,NE16 usually means you’ve got a few bob,but I don’t see it that way,yes!there is some lovely real estate in the area,but my personal view is,well it’s just Dunston with double glazing. :-)
Whickham FC were formed in 1944,and originally called Axwell Park Colliery Welfare where they played within the Derwent Valley League,they changed their name to Whickham FC in 1962 and went on to win the Northern Combination League on three occasions after a brief spell in the Tyneside Amateur League.
They’ve been members of the Northern League since 1988 having progressed through the usual route of the Wearside League,where they played their football from1974,winning two titles and two League Cups.
The clubs biggest success was winning the FA Vase at Wembley in 1981,coming from behind to claw back a two goal deficit and beat Midlands club Willenhall 3-2 after extra time,with the backing of a good 5,000 who travelled down from Tyneside.I vaguely remember seeing the FA Vase at a match in Wallsend,when Whickham were the holders, and the trophy was on display at the side of the pitch,little was it known at the time,but that turned out to be the last ever victory for a team from our region at the twin towers.
The Glebe Ground has a capacity of 4000 and is a three sided ground due to there being a cricket pitch parallel with the touch line.The main stand is behind the goal,and is a small stand with the seated area made from black wooden beams,next to this is ‘the corner flag café’ which sells a smashing cup of tea(in a mug as well)and top quality pies(Simple Pieman,get yourself here!) all served by friendly smiling staff.
There are four proper floodlights, when I say ‘proper’I mean one in each corner of the ground and of course,a Northern League tradition,a pitch with a slope,which runs from the cricket field side towards the dug-outs,but this particular slope is not as steep as the one you’ll find at Tow Law.
So I’ve finally crossed Whickham FC-The Glebe Ground of my list and next time it’s mentioned I can say I’ve been there, it’s a friendly club which sells a lovely cuppa!

My Matchday Pics - 124 Brewery Field

Spennymoor Town 2v0 Ryton
Arngrove Northern League 2nd Division
6th January 2007
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After last weeks trip to the Wansbeck district of Northumbria,it was south this week into County Durham and to Brewery Field the home of Spennymoor Town.
The present club in Spennymoor was formed as recently as 2005, after uniting two clubs which ran into difficulties during the 2004/05 season .Spennymoor United were removed from the Unibond Premier League after being unable to complete their fixtures or pay the players wages,this resulted in the club folding,while neighbouring club Evenwood Town had completed their season in the Northern League, but were unable to continue the following year.
The two parties affiliated when the Spennymoor United fans formed a supporters trust with the intention of forming a new club in the town,meanwhile a consortium behind Evenwood Town were looking at the prospect of continuing at the now vacant Brewery Field,both groups made bids on the lease and after a meeting between both parties they decided to join forces and support Evenwood’s bid for the lease and the transfer of a new club.
The FA granted permission for Evenwood Town to change the clubs name to Spennymoor Town and they took their place in the Arngrove Northern League 2nd Division for the 2005/06 season.
Evenwood Town were formed in 1931 and Northern League champions on three occasions,the last of those in 1970/71,while Spennymoor United have a longer history,formed in 1905,their list of honours includes winning the title six times the last of those in 1978/79,Durham Challenge Cup winners an impressive 15 times(remember Gateshead haven’t won it once)and they played within the seventh level of English football in the Unibond Northern Premier League.
On arriving at Brewery Field you’re greeted with an archway above the entrance gate next to the turnstiles announcing Spennymoor United AFC, a name the Moors fans will one day love to be known as again.
When entering the ground from the corner of the ground to your immediate left is the remains of the old clubhouse,which is sadly now just a burned out empty shell,but hopefully in time will be rebuilt and again become an important base for the club,behind this goal and is an open terrace which continues around one side of the pitch,where there is four floodlight pylons.
Behind the opposite goal is the very smart “tin shed” or to call it by it’s proper name ‘The Joyce Hindmarch Stand’ named after the breadknife of the chairman Barrie,this is where the Spenny Barmy Army congregate(or whatever goal the Moors are kicking towards)this 1500 capacity covered terrace was opened by the “monkeys heed” himself Peter Reid in July 1996.The Spenny fans give a good vocal support and their chant which sounds like “Moo Ass”(Moors)and my particular favourite of telling the rest of the crowd that sunderland are getting beat.
The main stand looks very nice,the seated area has five rows,decked out in the club colours of alternated black and white seats,above this is the temporary bar and lounge which serves a quality beef based drink,a cup of Bovril for 50p,not any of this oxo cube rubbish that you get at some grounds.
The players enter the arena to the sound of Mark Knopfler’s ‘Local Hero’ and with the Moors wearing the classic combination of black and white stripes,it had a very familiar feeling to somewhere I frequent on a more regular basis,there’s also another thing Brewery field has in common with St James Park and that’s the slope,while the one at SJP is a very slight slope which runs side to side,this one at Brewery Field is like an ascent which runs the full length of the field.
After refusing to let the club die the town and supporters of Spennymoor have a club to be proud of,their slogan is “With Hope No One Shall Fail” well lets hope failure is a thing of the past. match report @ http://www.spennymoorunitedfc.co.uk/

Updates-

May 2007 - Spennymoor Town went on to easily win promotion with a 20 point gap between themselves and 4th spot and also took the title by a clear 10 points from nearest rivals Seaham Red Star.
Final ANL Division Two table

The club are looking to progress even further and have the ambition to regain their previous Unibond League status.

Skif visits Brewery Field(September 2007) -http://hobotread.blogspot.com/2007/09/spennymoor-town-2-brigg-town-1.html

Ground Image Of The Month

This month 'Ground Image Of The Month' features the Caledonian Stadium,the home of Inverness Cally Thistle,this picture was taking by Ewan Clydesdale for his website Pixec in 2004,and shows the ground before it was redeveloped to match the criteria needed after their promotion to the SPL.
The ground sits next to the North Sea,so I can image it'll be brass monkey conditions for supporters at this time of the year.