Tow Law Town 0-2 Sunderland West End, Tuesday 8th September 2020

Tow Law 0-2 Sunderland West End, Northern League Division 2, Ironworks Road, att. 125

Welcome to ......

Only two games into my Northern League Odyssey and I have found the team for me: Tow Law.  High up in the North Pennines, down a track and there’s the Ironworks Road ground, perched on the hill.  This is what I’m looking for, a piecemeal but well kept ground that shows its age yet exudes pride, from the small chunk of terracing behind one goal to the modern seated stand on the halfway line, bedecked in the club colours of black and white and announcing who they are: the Lawyers.  You fought with the Law(yers) and….well, in Ryhope’s case tonite, won.

What a grand Grand Stand.

Tow Law as a place was bigger than I imagined, though it’s still not much more than a village.  I’d previously imagined a ground and a pub, such was the legend of how wild it was (wild, as in it was famously open to the elements.)   I drove from the direction of Durham City, across a ridge with panoramic views of the surrounding countryside and parked up.  I remember seeing a pub nearby, the Newmarket Tavern or somesuch.  Definitely ‘Newmarket’ something or other, as my partner’s from Newmarket.  Anyway, I parked up…and realised I had no money on me.  I took a walk towards a Co-op I passed, on the offchance it had a cash machine.  It did.  I gave myself a pat on the back for my intuition.

The covered end.

The ground was another 5 minutes away.  Again, I’d imagined I’d see the ground and its floodlights from way away.  Instead, it’s tucked behind terraces on the side of a hill.  Cutting it fine for kick-off, I walked into the social club, thinking entry would be via that.  I signed in, as per Covid-19 precautions, asked where the entrance was and was re-directed to the turnstile next door.  My contact details taken again, I was in.

The roof may give away the slope...

Upon entry, the nearest standing area is an oddly shaped little terrace behind the nets, but I walked past the social club for a perch on the terrace which stretched the length of one side.  This was a perfect view, helped in no part by the pitch rising up about 3 feet on this side, so you;fre already way above the players even if you stand at the front.  However, I obviously upset one local keen to social distance, as he moved as soon as I stood nearby.  I was near the halfway line, where the away side had brought a vociferous few.  This brought the first half highlight as a to-do on the pitch led to The Mouthy One calling the Tow Law left back a ‘fat b******’ and being offered out.  (‘Offered out’ being north-eastern for ‘How would you like to have a bout of fisticuffs?’  Or does everywhere use this term?  I’ve never heard it in London where I live….though I tend not to frequent circles where pugilism is popular.)  Anyway, something else was said before the left back retorted ‘and that’s why I’m here and you’re up there’ before the game re-started and a Tow Law committee man came along to smooth things over.  The art of diplomacy is not dead in the Northern League.

Are they the away seats???

Mild as the evening was, in this, the late summer, I mused how Tow Law were in division 2.  Surely, with being used to the huge slope of the pitch (from side to side) and the openness of the hilly surrounds, this place must be awful for visiting teams.  However, despite a few promising moves from a mature centre forward, no-one else looked like joining in the attack.  Half time arrived goalless and I went for a wander.

1st half view from the long side.

At the far end is a small terrace with roof, perfect for escaping the usual weather.  It’s also a great place to assess the slope, as the level terracing needed steps every so often to keep (sort of) in line with the pitch.  And having miskicked a ball from the subs, I engaged in contact with another spectator.  Turned out, like me, he was a north-east exile recently returned and watching a bit of Northern League would help the acclimatisation.  He was also at the cracking Darlington Railway Athletic – Esh Winning friendly the week before. 

Beyond perfect.

Leaning against the fence behind the goal, we seemed as far away from what little action there was.  And as we discussed our own teams (Middlesbrough/Barnsley) conversation turned to this being our first goalless draw of the season.  So it came as some relief that a fine 20 yard finish into the bottom corner opened the account…for West End.  This was followed by a similar finish for a hard fought 2-0 win for West End, a side I’d never heard of till tonite.  I’ve been away a long time.

Ironworks Road panorama.

Afterwards, I had a cheeky Coke in the social club.  Got chatting to a local.  Wife had left him and it’d cost him 92 grand…but he wasn’t bitter.  Not much.  He pointed amazedly at a couple of middle aged balding blokes.  ‘They’ve come from Manchester.  Staying in Durham.  They’re groundhoppers or something.’  Imagine.

The Damage:
£5 ent
£1 Coca-Cola
= £6

The Tunes:
La Radiolina (Manu Chau)
Encore (The Specials)

The long side terrace.

The odd little terrace at the social club end.

Looking towards the social club.

You're higher up than it looks, believe me.

Welcome to ....(II)

The covered end.

Welcome to ...(III)

Thou shalt not pass...fencing at the covered end/main stand corner.

Inside the social.

The open terrace behind the goal.

Welcome to the North Pennines.