Dawn of a new season

After the briefest of mid season breaks, the 100FGC returns for which will be the blog’s fourth season

There’s a lot to look forward to over the coming season. My main priority this season will be in the Conference. Gateshead make their return to the Premier of Non-League football, where I’ll be trying to take in as many games on the road with the Heed Army as possible. However after studying the fixtures, this could prove to be a difficult task. There’s some great towns and grounds that I’m looking forward to visiting, as we hope to establish ourselves in the Blue Square Premier (I’ll start using the sponsored name from now on)

I can always turn a negative into a positive, and personally the one positive thing to come out of the Toon’s relegation is I can now get to the grounds that were too far out of reach. Which I couldn’t travel to independently, but now easier to access by cadging a lift or through an organised coach party.

So there are two prolonged trips to South Wales as well as the longest journey in League football – Newcastle to Plymouth to navigate.

This will give me a chance to see United sporting their new two-tone banana kit in the company of the newly named Toongerine Army.

My lifetime work of trying to finish the 92, is a continuous crawl. A case of two steps forward, three steps back. I’ll continue to chip away at the League grounds to at least give myself a respectable running total and of course my favourable trips north of the border will again feature this season.

Local interest sees two new clubs enter the Northern League; Gillford Park and Newton Aycliffe. A new ground for Penrith and I still have to travel further west to visit Whitehaven, so I can again complete the ‘set’ of “the second oldest league in the world”.

Serial favourites ‘Around the Alliance’ and Wearside League Wanderings will again be making a reappearance during the year as well as the odd toilet block for the world renowned ’Football Bog Blog.

I’ll be taking advantage of the Appreciation Society Facebook group, which was set up with much thanks and applause by Mr. Steven Clifton. I’ll be posting more pictures as well as listing my forthcoming fixture lists, so you know where to see/avoid (delete where appropriate) me over the campaign.

So hopefully with good health and work commitments not causing too many problems, I’ve a lot to get through, so without further ado it's now officially the 2009-10 season, a new dawn fades at..

216 - Farnacres, Beggarswood Park

(Home of Rutherford AFC)

Whickham 3v0 Ashton Town

Pre-season Friendly

4th July 2009

Whickham FC share the Glebe with the cricket club. So with the sound of leather on willow in full swing, they started their pre-season programme at Beggarswood the home of Northern Alliance club Rutherford AFC.

Rutherford are actually the oldest club in Tyneside. Formed in 1878, originally as Science and Art FC, becoming founder members of the Northumberland FA in 1883.

The club change it’s name in recognition of its founder Dr.John Hunter Rutherford, originally playing their home games on the Town Moor in Newcastle.

Now based in the Lobley Hill area of Gateshead, the ground is situated west of the Team Valley, just off the A1 motorway.

The ground is found off a country lane which runs parallel to the motorway, the entrance is at the bottom of a bank, with the clubhouse and changing rooms found at the top of the hill. The pitch is opposite, enclosed with grassbanks, fully fenced off with a set of brick dugouts.

Whickham’s opponents were North West Counties League Division One side Ashton Town. The reason they travelled all the way from Ashton-in-Makerfield for a friendly was a simple one; so they could have a night out in the Toon.

Thoughts of a night in in the big city must have been playing their minds, as Whickham won the game at ease 3-0. A penalty by Pitt, a hilarious own goal and a cracking strike from Kerr (My goal of the season so far) gave the Whickham lads a good work out and it wasn't too bad a game to start off my season

Matchday facts

WFC 3(Pitt 4pen, Crompton OG 30, Kerr 75) ATFC 0

Admission and programme:none

Att. 80est.

My original visit to Whickham’s Glebe Ground.

More pictures from Rutherford from revisit in April 2010

My Matchday Pics - 125 Glebe Ground

Whickham FC 1v3 Spennymoor Town
Arngrove Northern League 2nd Division
27th January 2007
att. 84

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!