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.)

Wearside League Wanderings - part one

The Wearside Football League is a single division which sits at step 7 of the Non-League pyramid system, with clubs based in the North-East and Cumbria. The league is a feeder to the Northern League and is fed by the Teesside Football League and the Durham Alliance..
The league also operates three cup competitions: the Monkwearmouth Charity Cup and the Shipowners' Charity Cup have been contested since the 1890s, and the League Challenge Cup, from the 1930s.
My previous visit’s the Wearside League grounds have been in attendance for the aforementioned cup finals, played at Teesside Athletic and Wolviston.
Here is the first instalment of my wanderings around the Wearside League.

171. Derwent Park
Annfield Plain 3v1 Hartlepool FC
Wearside League
10th May 2008

Annfield Plain is a village in the Derwentside district of County Durham, between Stanley and Consett. The club began competitive football in 1925, in the North Eastern League. At the turn of the 1960’s they became founder members of the Northern Counties League, but for only two seasons before returning to the NE League, again for only two years, before finding their true home in the Wearside League from the 1964/65 season, twice winning the league in 1986/8 and 1997/98.
The ground was difficult to find, tucked inside a housing estate, I knew I was in the right vicinity, but didn’t know the street’s end turned to a dirt track, which led into the grounds car park, entrance is through an old brick turnstile block. The first thing I noticed inside the ground was the goalposts, old fashioned square wooden frames like the ones from my junior school days, they looked as if a good ferocious volley would cause the posts to snap.
The main stand is a covered terrace, with seating accommodation via 14 plastic chairs at the back, most favoured by the villages old folk support, next to this is another concrete terrace, with the changing rooms sandwiched in between. The other sides of the ground are made of grass banks, which was ideal on a rare warm day like day, lying on the lawn, enjoying the sunshine and the football. The ground is sealed off by a corrugated iron fence, bend over forwards at the top, acting as extra shelter against the elements.
Annfield Plain were well worth their two goal lead at half time, thanks to a goal from centre forward Kirkbridge and a good move finished off by Henderson five minutes before the interval. Hartlepool vastly improved in the second half, after an early goal from Chapman, it seemed just a matter of time before the equaliser arrived, but after squandering several good chances, they were hit on the break and Annfield regained their two goal lead and thus assuring the 3 points.
The Hartlepool players became frustrated, firstly the no.9 was sent off, receiving a second yellow card for diving, yes diving! I couldn’t believe it, a Ronaldo-type in the Wearside League? Surely Not! This was followed by another receiving his marching orders for swearing, even though the lad was a good 30 yards from the ref, the offender couldn’t believe he was actually heard. I spoke to the Hartlepool dugout and they couldn’t believe the decisions, it was the last game of the season, nothing to play for and now the two young lads have to fork out and pay fines.
During the first half there was a couple of young’uns, about 10 years old, one wearing a Toon top and the other sporting a makem shirt, they stopped and spoke to me, asking me loads of questions, stuff like “Is it possible for Annfield to go all the way to the Premiership and then play in the Champions League?” “Why have the players not got their names on the back of the shirts?” and “How much do they get paid?” I answered their questions, they then came to the conclusion that if the players aren’t getting loads of money, then they’re wasting their time,. After the game I saw the lad in the sunderland top on the way out of the ground “That’s much better than that Premiership rubbish isn’t it?” I said, “Aye, it was alreet.. better than Newcastle anyway!”


Matchday stats
APFC 3(Kirkbridge 6, Henderson 40, McGhee 70) HFC 1(Chapman 47)
Att. 33 (HC)
Admission £2
Programme 30p

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176. Perth Green Community Centre
Jarrow FC 3v2 Washington
Pre-Season Friendly
19th July 2008

Jarrow FC are based at the Perth Green Community Centre, situated on the Scotch Estate with the Community Association on the site of a former school. The pitch is nicely hemmed in, within earshot of the traffic from the A194 and within sight of the Metro line with trains constantly whizzing by. The dugouts are face to face, with the near side of the ground having a grass bank for a more elevated view, there’s also an unintentional covered viewpoint, courtesy of a Perspex archway with connects both buildings of the community centre.
In damp conditions, due to a now typical July day, both teams produced a decent lively game, although a fussy referee tried his best to spoil it. After an even first half and a goal a piece, Jarrow improved after the break, taking the lead when a great cross was turned into his own net from the hapless defender, then a parry from the Washington keeper fell graciously to the Jarrow substitute to extend the lead. A second goal from Washington new signing Joe Betts, with a cracking 20 odd yard shot, was nothing but a late consolation, with Jarrow full value for the win.
The referee had earlier sent off a Washington player for constant swearing, although he allowed him to be subbed considering it was just a friendly, he later sent off an angry Washington manager. After a clumsy tackle in the box, he shouted his disbelief with the aid of a four-letter-word, although it was the challenge that upset him and not the actual non-penalty decision, the ref packed him off to the changing rooms. If this is only a friendly then it’ll be interesting to see how this ref performs when the real league action starts, I’ll hopefully get the chance to see for myself, or maybe hopefully not!
The club are very hospitable, we were all grateful to get out of the rain and go into the community centre at half time, where the offer of free tea or coffee was politely appreciated, they even went to the trouble to seek out a supplementary packet of coconut ring biscuits, nice one Jarra!

Matchday Stats
JFC 3(Barclay 20e, OG 52, Todd 83) Wash 2(Betts 25e,86)
Att. 30 (HC)
Admission and programme; none

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179. Boldon Colliery Welfare
Boldon CA 1v2 South Shields
Sam Bartram Trophy Match
2nd August 2008

Boldon Colliery is a former mining village situated in South Tyneside next to Jarrow, the club was a founder member of the Wearside League in 1892, when they were then known as Boldon Swifts.
The club have had a few name changes over the years, they became Boldon Villa in the early 20th Century, then as the local coal mine began to prosper became Boldon Colliery Welfare in 1933.
The clubs connection to the local Community Association on New Road gave them their current name, although to local folk are affectionally known as Boldon Villa, this is reflected in the match programme, with all links to the team printed as Boldon Villa.
Those of you who have visited Jarrow Roofing will know of Boldon CA, as they both share the same car park along with the Welfare Cricket ground, they must be two of the closest football grounds in the country. On entering the gate, to your immediate left is a covered tea bar and standing shelter, the dugouts face one another and the changing rooms are a separate building in the near corner, painted brick red, it has a distinctive wood panel box on the roof, resting against the chimney, with the words Boldon CA FC (The VILLA) looking outside and The Villa in bold capital letters facing inwards in white paint.
The Villa have won the Wearside League title on four occasions, the last of those in 1996/97 and became first winners of the Sam Bartram Trophy, back in February this year, beating Cleadon on penalties after a thrilling 4-4 draw.
Sam Bartram was a goalkeeper, born in South Shields, who grew up in Boldon. He was a centre forward for Villa, but due to an injury to Villa’s regular keeper, he went in goal for a game, a scout from Charlton Athletic was at this match and noticed his talents, recommending his signing, even though he was playing out of position. He went on to play in goal for Athletic for 22 years and is the Addicks all time appearance holder, playing 623 games. A bronze statue of Sam stands proudly outside The Valley, funded by donations made by Charlton’s fans, the game with South Shields marked the second Sam Bartram Trophy Match.
Hail stones the size of liggies greeted kick off time, after the players adapted to the damp conditions, Boldon created some good chances but were hit by a two goal burst after a quarter of an hour from Shields, a left wing cross saw Johnson rise highest to nod home, then within a minute Scroggins ran from deep in midfield, before finishing with a well placed shot from the edge of the box. It looked as if we were in for a high scoring game, when four minutes later Meek met a deep left wing cross with a firm header to the goalies right, to get Villa back into the game.
Unfortunately the second half failed to produce more goals, although the sky continued to provide spells of heavy rain, between bright warm sunshine. Shields had chances to kill the game off, but some poor finishing as well as some plucky Boldon defending kept the game alive. Both teams provided an entertaining game and a healthy crowd of over 100 saw South Shields become second winners of the Sam Bartram Trophy. All that was left was the presentation of the medals to the players and officials and the trophy to the winning captain, and then right on cue just as the trophy was getting handed over, the heavens opened up once more.

Matchday stats
BCA 1(Meek 19) Shields 2(Johnson 14, Scroggins 15)
Att. 110 (HC)
Admission £2
Programme; Free with admission.

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