Newcastle Benfield 4-1 Ryhope Community Association, Wednesday 14th October 2020

Newcastle Benfield 4-1 Ryhope Community Association, Sam Smith’s Park, Northern League Division 1, att. 109

Welcome to ....

Benfield are a new team on me.  When I left the north-east for fame and fortune in that there Londontown (achieving neither), Benfield were barely out of nappies, having been founded in 1988.  Initially members of the Northern Alliance League, they joined the Northern League in 2003 and have been members of the first division for 15 years.  They won the title in 2008-09 with an 88^th minute goal at Penrith – the first time they’d been top of the table all season.  It’s all in the timing.  So, formation to Northern League champs in a little over 20 years.  In their finest season, they completed the double, winning the league cup against…Penrith.

Match programme

Fast forward to 2014-15 and ex-Newcastle forward Paul Brayson was scoring 49 goals for them, a feat he repeated in 2017-18.  He’s still there today.  Either he’s very old or time flies.  Or both.  I looked him up, he’s 43, and tonight he scored with a deft Panenka-like flick over the keeper.  Class is permanent.  (In fact, even more so, as in the following game he hit 5.)  Of course, he doesn’t have to run about these days, leaving that to the spring chickens of the side.  Benfield ran riot early doors, 4-0 up after 26 minutes.  It wasn’t that it was all one-way traffic either, as Ryhope had their chances too.  But one side could finish, one couldn’t.  Brayson even thumbed his nose up at a penalty, allowing former RCA player Reece Noble to score against his old mob.

Barriers ready at full-time for the teams.

Despite my predilection for ‘traditional’ Northern League sides (preferably from County Durham), Benfield’s Sam Smith’s Park was a real treat.  It has two proper stands, each side of the pitch, both with decent rakes for a good view.  One is bizarrely situated between the two dugouts, meaning to get into it you walk in front of the dugouts (one can be forgiven for not spotting the you can walk around the back of the stand and pop out next to the home dugout).  There’s also a couple of ‘stands’ or glorified sheds, with a raised platform and that artificial turf stuff you see in traditional greengrocers.  One also contained exercise bikes, which may be linked to the in-house gymnasium behind one goal.

Behind the goal.

The rest of the ground is also tightly enclosed, no large empty spaces behind the touchlines, while there were two (two!) refreshment areas.  One sold beer , which seemed quite popular considering the wet weather.  Though it did offer the bizarre sight of half the crowd not wearing facemasks because they were drinking or eating.  That’s one way around it.  (To be fair, we all had our temperatures taken on entry.)

The dugout touchline.

I watched the 1^st half from the nearside stand, which I thoroughly enjoyed as it became obvious a couple of the incumbents were local non-lge regulars, following anyone who was playing.  Despite being home fans, they sympathised with Ryhope’s plight at half-time, confirming they could have had a few themselves.  At half-time I grabbed a tea and swapped sides, partly to hear the wit and wisdom of the benches (usually the harshest critics of the ref), and the home manager – did I detect an Essex twang? – at one point invited the referee to join in the game.

Coronavirus seating restrictions.

Ryhope did pull a goal back on half an hour, but despite the 1^st half promise, the second half petered out to nothingness as I worried about whether my car would be locked in the carpark next door.  (I still couldn’t bring myself to leave though.)  Luckily, it wasn’t (people were still playing football at the sports centre next door).  All was well in the world.  Now to retrace my steps through the mean streets of Newcastle.  For a country boy, this was Metropolis meets Blade Runner.

The second half view.

The Damage:
£6 ent
£1 programme
£1 tea
= £8

The Tunes:
Debut (Bjork)
Geogaddi (Boards of Canada)

Benfield about to make a sub.

Tonite's teams.

The astroturfed 'terrace'.

Down the touchline.

Looking toward the dugouts.

The Tree End.

Masks ahoy!

Refreshment Bar/Gym End

Changing rooms.

 

 

 

Ryhope Community Association 4-0 Penrith, Tuesday 29th September 2020

Ryhope Community Association 4-0 Penrith, Ryhope Recreation Ground, Northern League Division 1, att. 146

Welcome to ...

With Lockdown due to hit County Durham and other areas of the north-east, I’m heading for Confusion Central: Ryhope.  Is it in Sunderland?  Or County Durham?  Or both?  Whose jurisdiction does it come under when the government are banning groups of more than 6 from mixing outdoors, or in?  Is that even the rule?  I dunno, I’m lost myself.  What I do know is that as of weekend gone, the Northern League had further reduced capacity for games from 300 to 150. 

The view upon entry.

This reduced my options somewhat.  As dad is still in hospital, I fancied an ‘outlier’, a Northern League ground far from my south-west Durham base.  Ashington looked good, but was sold out.  Understandable, given they’ve been selling out at 300.  The nearest team is Newton Aycliffe, and they never sell out (they did tonite) but I’m in no rush for that place.  Carlisle City looked a bit far (80 miles) if there were no guarantees of getting in….and besides, I’d rather visit on a Satdy, see a bit of the place.  So I plumped for Ryhope CA (not to be confused with Ryhope CW) on the edge of Sunderland and less than half an hour’s drive away.

Changing rooms.

It’s an odd little finish, driving through a brand new housing estate to get to the ground, but the website warned me in advance.  I drove into a small car park and was directed to a space they’d been holding for a Penrith fan who hadn’t arrived.  ‘But I can turn around and park in the housing estate’ I protested.  No, it was fine, they could still get him in (if he showed himself).  I was close to the entrance gate, which was great on the way in, less so on coming out and being penned in by another driver (who I think might have arrived just to pick a player up at full-time).

The Coronavirus one-way system.

I paid my 6 quid and was in.  The crowd was mainly split between either touchline, with both goals being quite sparse.  It looked very close to 150 (and indeed it was, 146, so I cut that fine).  One side housed the dugouts and fans leaning against the perimeter fence.  Ryhope had taped off every other advertising board to encourage social distancing.  There were no terraces on this side or behind the goals, but on the 4^th side was the Main Stand, which was older than I expected, as well as a couple of steps of terracing under a scaffolding roof in one corner.  I was the only one standing here 1^st half though, as fans made the most of it not raining.

The Main Stand.

I was under no illusions regarding the two teams.  Neither has ever won the Northern League and have never been great shakes.  However, Ryhope were bedazzling with some of their attacking play, particularly from wide areas and hit the woodwork three times.  The levy was breached in somewhat orthodox style with a great cross into the box and the big centre forward crashing home the header.  Unstoppable.  

The covered terrace adjacent.

That was it for the first half.  I was on the phone and not feeling it for a tea, though inbetween the Main Stand and the changing rooms was a bar (Defty’s?) and a few had a pint in hand, despite the temperatures.  I wandered behind the far goal, where the subs were warming up by missing the goal as often as possible.  I retrieved a ball, and hoofed it hard back…narrowly missing another spectator’s head.  I was either very good, or very lucky.  I didn’t kick another one back.

Behind the goal.

I settled at the net Penrith were kicking towards and for 10 or 15 minutes it was pretty even.  What had happened to Ryhope’s attacks?  However, feeling a goal was more likely at the other end, I walked around…and Ryhope engulfed the visitors with 3 goals in 10 minutes.  They were all cracking attacks or strikes too, again the wingers proving pivotal in outflanking Penrith.  I’ve seen Shildon win 5-0 and Consett 6-2, but you’d be hard-pressed to see a better front 3 at this level than Ryhope CA possess.

Looking toward the Main Stand.

It was full-time, I needed a wee, but thought I can wait…and found my car boxed in.  Great.  However, well done to the local pizza guy, who’d come bearing gifts for the players at full-time.  Now, THAT’S timing.  I’m not even sure the players are allowed a shower and change in this Covid-19 climate.  Or ‘unprecedented times’ as I’ve never stopped hearing on the radio and telly for 5 months.

Do not stand here (I).

The Damage:
£6 ent
= £6

The Tunes:
6 Music (Marc Riley/Gideon Coe)

PS, does every non-league team in the Sunderland area play in red and white stripes like their more illustrious neighbours?  Seaham did, and now it's Ryhope CA.  Anymore for anymore?

The Main Stand, showing the pitch slant.

Main Stand and covered terrace.

Looking toward the far end.

Supporters on the touchline.

Cordoned off benches.

Do not stand here (II).

Ryhope attack a corner.

The view from the entrance.

Tonite's main attraction.