Shildon 5-0 West Auckland, Northern League
Division 1, att. 300
It is the perfect storm: my dad is having health issues up in County Durham (I live in London), I’m inbetween work and there’s no watching any football above the 7th tier. Thus, it’s a perfect opportunity to do what I never did when I actually used to live in County Durham: go and catch some Northern League action!
The Northern League is the second oldest in the world and represents an untapped mine of stadia. I’ve cast my eye on it over the years…famous old names like Bishop Auckland, or Crook Town…teams coming and going (a constant theme of the league)…some teams going bust (like my own town’s team, Ferryhill Athletic). So, with 40 teams across 2 divisions, where to start?
Well, despite the north-east being a ‘hotbed of soccer’, that interest these days tends to be focused on the Big 3: The Mackems, the Mags and the Smoggies. In the meantime, teams in the Northern League often survive with crowds of under 200. Looking at the excellent ‘attendance grid’ on the Northern League website, I could see 3 teams bucked this trend and regularly brought in over 300: Stockton, Consett and Shildon. I was keen to see a game at one of the older grounds, and with capacity capped at 300 throughout the league, the Shildon-West Auckland derby caught the eye. I applied for a ticket online, was one of the first 300 and received confirmation. Turn up on the day, give my name, they’ll check their list and charge me £7 accordingly. Good job I did, it was sold out. (Most of the first division was sold out on opening day.)
Shildon is about 5 miles from Ferryhill, and I’d been once, ever. A mate and I were drawn away in some local CIU pool tournament (we lost). I was actually pleasantly surprised at Shildon (the place) as they certainly made an effort with monuments to their railway heritage. Though everything from cafes to guesthouses to pubs seemed to be named after Timothy Hackworth, a local railway engineer from the 1800s, ironically, the one thing NOT named after him is the local railway museum, ‘Locomotion’. But I bet that was still ‘The Timothy Hackworth Museum’ of my youth. Anyway, if steam trains are your thing, you could double up with a visit.
The Ground, Dean Street, is right in the heart of town, so nowhere near the railway station. The entrance, on Dean Street (!), is opposite a north-eastern terrace typical of mining villages throughout this part. The surrounding wall of the football stadium takes me back to Ferryhill Athletic’s old Darlington Road ground (minus the ‘Ferryhill Ath.’ in black paint on a white background), hewn from the same brick as the terraces which surround it. Straightaway, a blast from the past.
Once inside, you’re met by a beautiful old stand on the half way line to your right, high and very handsome, but sadly closed to the public. Hopefully this is not permanent. It also houses the social club (closed due to Covid-19) and the dressing rooms (though Shildon were housed in a portacabin adjacent). If any Northern League sides would like to know what the Shildon manager is telling his players at half-time, simply stand next to the open window of said structure. The pre-match PA announced there’d still be refreshments available at the kiosk, including ‘tins of beer’. A particularly weather-beaten trio of middle-aged women took advantage of the Fosters.
Opposite the old stand is it’s modern equivalent, the kind of small stand that was probably hoicked there in parts on the back of a lorry and put up over a weekend. Tidy, unspectacular, and not a patch on its older sibling. Half the crowd were seated here, but with an aging father at home, I was keen to socially distance. Sorry, I meant…as a miserable ba5tard, I was keen to socially distance (but this Covid-19 gives me the perfect excuse).
In a refreshing change for the Northern League, the Shildon manager professed the aim for this season was promotion. Out on a geographical limb, most non-league sides in the north east eschew promotion, fearing financial meltdown. Plus, oddly, they have more trouble attracting players as away games in Greater Manchester aren’t conducive to being home for tea. When last season was curtailed, Shildon stood in the second promotion spot, behind Stockton.
The home side’s intentions were laid bare as they went nap, winning 5-0 with five different goalscorers. Impressive stuff considering the undulating pitch. Almost as impressive as the conversation I overheard between a middle aged bloke and a younger female discussing the relative merits of Jamaica versus the Dominican Republic. THERE was a conversation I wouldn’t have had money on taking place at Dean Street. Poor bloke, he’s getting a bit fed up of Jamaica. Bless.
The Damage:
£7 ent
= £11
Programme: ‘Online’. Does anyone over the age of 20 bother to read an ‘online programme’?
The Tunes:
5 Live in the car.
No comments:
Post a Comment