Wearside League Wanderings - part four

220. Leyburn Grove
Houghton Town 0v3 Guisborough Town HC
Wearside League
Wednesday 12th August 2009

Ambitious club Houghton Town took the step up from the Durham Alliance and along with Scarborough Town are this season’s newcomers to the Wearside League.
The club formed as recently as 2006, originally as The Board Inn FC, playing in the Wearside Combination League for two seasons, before a successful season as the renamed Sunderland South FC last season.
The club is based in Houghton-le-Spring, a small town approximately 6 miles south-west of Sunderland town centre.
Home matches are played at Leyburn Grove which is part of the Houghton Sports Complex. The pitch is in the far corner of the cricket field, fenced off with eight sets of beanpole floodlights and a set of ‘site safe’ fold away dugouts.
The clubhouse is the Houghton CW pavilion with a separate changing room block, both found at the main entrance next to the car park, where access is gained at the bottom of the housing estate.

Houghton Town made their Wearside League debut the previous Saturday with a 2-0 home victory over Coxhoe Athletic, but unfortunately were unable to continue their winning start against Guisborough Town HC, their opponents enjoying a comfortable 3-0 success.
The visitors took an early lead when Sharkey got on the end of a free kick, finishing with a fine volley from close range, he then doubled their lead five minutes before the break, his shot taking a slight deflection giving the goalkeeper no chance.
Houghton’s best chances came in the second half, a couple of free kicks from the edge of the box going narrowly wide, then on 76 minutes they were awarded a penalty after a handball incident.
After a lengthy delay due to strong Guisborough protests which resulted in the referee dishing out a few yellow cards, Matthew Raine eventually stepped up only to see Guisborough’s keeper pull off a fantastic save to retain their two goal lead.
The match was finished as a contest five minutes from time, Sharkey got on the end of a left wing cross to complete his hat-trick and secure the away victory.

Houghton Town also have access to the FIFA approved 3G pitch at Houghton Keiper Sports College, which is floodlit and available during bad weather. So I may be revisiting Houghton Town again at another ground during the winter months.
Matchday stats
HTFC 0 GTHC 3(Sharkey 10,40,85)
Admission £2
Programme £1
Att. 33(H.C.)

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224.Grayfields Enclosure
Hartlepool FC 1v2 Annfield Plain
Wearside League
Wednesday 2nd September 2009

Hartlepool origins began in the 1980’s playing in a local church league initially as the Fens Hotel and then under the name of Arriva FC.
The club moved on to the Teesside League, winning cup honours and the Second Division title under the new name of Teesside Arriva.
On the eve of the 2004-05 season the club became Hartlepool FC, going on to win the Teesside League and the Durham Trophy that season, the move to the Wearside League came in 2006-07.

Grayfields Enclosure is a large area of playing fields on the outskirts of the town, the complex has several pitches, including an all weather surface.
Access to the main pitch is via the pavilion, where you walk through the building’s reception, then along the corridor passing the changing rooms and like the players and staff you gain entry to the pitch through a set of double doors, where a couple of young lads are waiting to take your admission money.

The game with Annfield Plain was played in good spirit, with no nasty tackles and the referee not receive too much stick, a rarity indeed.
Annfield took the lead in the first half when a 25 yard shot from Gordon went in off the post. That lead was extended on 68 minutes when Henderson latched on to a through ball, the keeper saved the initial shot but the rebound fell kindly for him to knock the ball into an empty net.
Hartlepool halved the deficit a few minutes later with a well placed shot from Ross, shooting past the keeper into the far corner from a tight angle wide on the left.
Annfield finished the game more stronger, looking more likely to extend their lead than concede an equaliser.
Then on 80 minutes the referee blew the whistle and called both captains together. It had been raining for most of the day and dark rain clouds meant the visibility was getting worse.
As Grayfields has no floodlights facilities, the referee and both skippers decided to play five more minutes instead of the allotted ten. A desperate last five minutes saw no further goals but Annfield Plain deserving their victory on the number of chances created over the 85 minutes.
The match kicked off five minutes later than the scheduled 6.30pm start, due to the Annfield Plain team turning up late, so if they had of been on time there wouldn’t have been such a problem, so maybe in the end they may have benefited by their late show.
Matchday stats
HFC 1(Ross 70) APFC 2(Henderson 28, Gordon 68)
Admission £1.50
Programme:none
Att. 28(H.C.)

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230. Gurney Street
New Marske 1v3 Ryhope CW
Wearside League
Saturday 24th October 2009

New Marske is a village in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland. The village was originally a miners settlement, having a cluster of miners terraced houses, with the old mine works found nearby in Errington Woods.
New Marske Sports Club became members of the Wearside League in 1998-99 season, finishing runners-up in the newly reformed Division Two in their debut season.
The clubs most successful season to date was in 2007-08, winning the league title with only two defeats in 36 games and scoring 120 goals. They also added the Monkwearmouth Cup and I was in attendance to see them completing the treble, when winning the Wearside League Cup at Wolviston.

The Gurney Street ground is found at the beginning(or end - depending which way you came) of the village. The New Marske Sports Club is situated in the car park, the spacious lounge bar looks out onto the pitch.
The players changing rooms annex the clubhouse next to a separate building for the match officials, which also has a refreshment bar. The home dugouts are also on the nearside with some partial hard standing. The other three sides are grass banks with the away dugout opposite, from here you can see panaramic views of the North Sea, covering the coastline from Redcar down to Marske.
The club have ambitions to eventually step up to the Northern League. Planning permission has been giving to develop the ground and install floodlights, but unfortunately the much needed grant from the FA is currently on hold.
New Marske’s opponents Ryhope CW have had a fantastic start to the season, winning 10 and drawing one of 12 games, however this still isn’t enough to claim top spot, leaders Scarborough Town have a two point lead winning 11 from 12.
Ryhope dominated the game but found themselves in the unfortunate position of trailing at half time. Looking at the New Marske players, I think you need to be at least six foot tall to get a game. The goal coming from the big number eleven Michael Mackin just before the interval, nodding the ball high into the top corner after a good cross from the overlapping right-back.

Ryhope took control early in the second half. Butler equalised chipping the goalkeeper with a nice finish and then Jordan rounded the keeper to make it 2-1 in the 54th minute.
New Marske were giving an opportunity to equalise. A free kick from the edge of the box was blocked and adjudged as a handball. Howe stepped up and young keeper Atkinson made a terrific save, diving low to his left to palm the ball out for a corner.
Ryhope were finally guaranteed the three points on 71 minutes, Butler beating the offside trap before nonchalantly knocked the ball past the keeper, his manager’s half time prediction of a 3-1 win proving to be correct.

Footnote; This win for Ryhope, coupled with Scarborough Town's suprising 3-5 home defeat to Kirbymoorside saw them leapfrog them into top spot.

Matchday stats

NMFC 1(M.Mackin 42) RCW 3(Butler 49,71 Jordan 54)
Admission £2 - which included programme and a raffle ticket for the half time meat draw.
Att. 46(H.C.)

My Matchday - 158 King George V Stadium

Guisborough Town 0v1 Penrith Town
Arngrove Northern League 2nd Division
12th january 2008
att.66

After a wee break from the intrigue and splendour of the Arngrove Northern League, I’m back on the road in my pursuit of finishing off the northern goalfields with a trip to North Yorkshire and my 39th of the current ANL 42.
Guisborough is a market town in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland, pronounced locally as ‘Gizbrah’ the towns early football history goes back into the 19th century although records and history have become more a mystery, competitive football from such clubs like Guisborough Red Rose, Guisborough Celtic, Guisborough United, Guisborough Brigantes, Guisborough Boys Club as well as another Guisborough Town who played one season in 1945, all until the arrival of the present club, formed in 1973,when the club proudly declared “a new era of football was born”
The current Guisborough Town starting life successfully in the Middlesbrough & District League before joining the Northern Alliance in 1977, winning the title in their third season, the same season as their glorious achievement of reaching Wembley in the FA Vase, plotting their way through eight rounds including a record gate of 3,112 at the King George V Ground for the semi-final against Hungerford, before losing 2-0 against Stamford in the final.
The 1979-80 Northern Alliance title lead to promotion and a brief spell in the Midland League before becoming founder members of the North Counties East League in 1982, the club moved over to the Northern League 2nd Division in 1985, winning promotion in their second season and stayed in the 1st Division for the next eighteen seasons before the Priorymen were relegated in 2004-05.
To give the ground it’s shortened name, the KGV was developed in the late ‘70’s, the ground has two stands, one on each side with open standing behind each goal, the turnstiles are in the corner with the changing rooms in a separate building. The Main Stand runs along one half of the field with a high pitched white roof with red walls, fitted one half with two rows of red and white flip seats and the other with two red benches, split in between by the press box which unfortunately is out of use at the moment due to vandalism. The seats are set back allowing spectators to stand in front causing no obstructions, with the refreshment bar built into the side of the stand, the social club is at the rear and was reopened in 1997 after the original club house, opened by the clubs prestigious vice-president Selina Scott was damaged by fire. The far side of the ground has a covered standing enclosure, running centrally along a third of the pitch, it has a red and white frame and walls with white supporting pillars, the opposing managers are kept apart with one dugout in front of each stand.
Guisborough Town currently lie fifth, just off the promotion places, but title chasers Penrith came away with maximum points with a typical performance that you’ll see from any club in any league, who are sitting at the top.
The Priorymen started the game lively and created several chances, but the Blues weathered the storm and slowly took control as the half progressed, taking the lead on the half hour with a goal from big centre half and man of the match Wayne Robertson, who after an initial corner and a spot of ping-pong in the box, took advantage when the ball fell kindly at his feet, ramming the ball home from 12 yards.
The second half saw a spirited performance from the home side but the Penrith defence were solid and looked more likely to get another and secure the victory rather than concede, it’s obvious that Guisborough are lacking a good finisher and they’ll have to rectify this if they have ambitions to gain one of the three promotion spots this season, but they did nearly snatch a point deep into injury time, but the foot of the post came to Penrith’s rescue after their defence had been seriously breached for the first time.
Another good ground and day on Teesside plus another Northern League ’tick,’ it’s a shame there isn’t more than 42 clubs in the ANL because i'll miss these 'Northern Ventures' when i've completed the set.
Ground no.158 - KGV Stadium – Matchday Web album (15 pictures)

My Matchday 134 - Seaham Town Park

Seaham Red Star 3v1 Guisborough Town

Arngrove Northern League Division Two

14th April 2007

att.81 A trip to the seaside but without bucket and spade or egg and tomato sandwiches,instead it’s pen and note paper,camera and a ‘scabby eye’ at half time,it’s a Saturday afternoon,which of course means football,so with seaside weather I headed towards the coast to Seaham as Red Star go in search of three points to clinch second spot and promotion to ANL Division One.
The Red Star pub formed a football team in 1973, playing on Sunday mornings,the following season they changed to the traditional Saturday’s playing in the Northern Football Alliance League,by 1979 they were plying their trade in the Wearside League under the handle of Seaham Colliery Welfare Red Star and in 1982 they won a league and cup double and took the step up into Northern League Division Two.
In 1984 they changed to their present shorterened name,winning promotion after finishing runners-up to Stockton in 1987-88,this was followed by four good seasons in Division One including a runners-up spot in 2000 before they were relegated in the 2001-02 season.
Seaham is 6 miles South of sunderland via the A19, they also play in red and white striped shirts like their illustrious neighbours,the ground is easy to find as Seaham Town Park is found on arriving into Seaham with the Red Star pub located on the main road.
The pub now acts as the club house and is near the entrance to the park,the football ground is at the top of the park up a slight hill,past the kids playground and the war memorial.The entrance is in the corner of the ground and when arriving the sight of the building next to the stand is pleasing on the eye,this is the club changing rooms,refreshment area and toilets,it has white walls with red trimmings and a salient blue roof,the main stand next to it has only three rows of seats,cheekily divined by being marked rows A,B and C. The other three sides of the ground are grass standing areas with three large floodlight pylons on each side of the pitch,the team dugouts are in front of the red,white and blue building and look like roller shutters but made with blue congregated iron.
Many of the grounds at this level in the football pyramid don’t have a public address system, but this ground has,they make use of it by blasting out a couple of tunes as the teams enter the pitch,firstly there’s a slight blast of Carmina Burana followed by Telstar by the Tornadoes,both tracks come to a sudden abrupt end,as if they’re playing a vinyl record and somebody knocked the needle.
Before the match there was a one minute silence observed prior to kick off in honour of Jimmy Cahill,who was a former committee man and a great supporter of the club who sadly died on Good Friday,he did an excellent job in raising funds which went a long way towards the building of the main stand,that eventually assured there application into the Northern League.
The match itself was a lot closer than the final score suggests,Red Star took a two goal lead but failed to put Guisborough to the sword,who then pulled a goal back just before half time.During the game there was a woman sat not far from where I stood,she was giving the home team plenty of encouragement,she shouted “C’mon Lads,Ha’way Seaham”..5 second pause..”C’mon Lads,Ha’way Seaham"…5 second pause…C’Mon Lads,Ha’way Seaham "(I could go on) The second half was more nervy on Seahams part. ”C’mon Lads,Ha’way Seaham” the game could have gone either way but was finally settled in the last minute “C’mon Lads,Ha’way Seaham” with Lanky centre forward Andy Jennings getting his second notch of the afternoon,and so clinching the three points ”C’Mon Lads,Ha’way Seaham”…5 second pause…”C’mon Lads,Ha’way Seaham” so now promotion is guaranteed for Red Star. I had walked away from the nice lady by the end of the game,but I guess her match summary would have been "Good job Lads,Well played Seaham"
LINKS-
Red Star Match Report