Ryton and Crawcrook Albion 1-1 Birtley
Town, Kingsley Park, Northern League Division 2, att. 53
Welcome to ....
With crowds in the Northern League limited to 150 in the light of recent Coronavirus measures, I had to find another of those teams where this wouldn’t be a problem. West Allotment Celtic looked ripe, barely getting three figures anyway as they continue to play miles from West Allotment at Newcastle Blue Star’s old ground near the airport. A cursory check found….they weren’t playing there tonight anyway. It was being played at Newcastle Benfield’s ground. Well, I thought I’d leave that to when Benfield were playing, so I looked elsewhere. Ryton and Crawcrook Albion were at home, and it I knew the journey – a couple of miles further on was Prudhoe, where I saw Newcastle University play a fortnight back.
Welcome to...(II). Is the stadium shared?
I certainly need not have worried about the capacity. It'd been a filthy day, soon to be evening and 53 of us paid entry, several of those being late – Newcastle’s league cup game against Newport had gone to extra time and pens. (The scoundrels won.) I parked up outside the ground, a country lane on the edge of Crawcrook. In the pitch black I imagined there were simply fields (and the Tyne) beyond. The turnstile was also my first experience of using the new NHS Coronavirus app…I scanned the QR code and it told me here I was, at Ryton and Crawcrook Albion. I paid my fiver and was mugged for another pound for a raffle ticket. Alan Shearer always said you don’t win a prize if you don’t buy a ticket. ‘What do I win?’ A pack of Sol. I looked forward to being magnanimous enough to hand it back.
Today's teams.
On entering the ground, there was a social club to the right, with picnic tables outside. Only there were barriers across as if to prevent any spectators from entering (though it was open and there were a few at the tables). I couldn’t understand whatever system they purported to have, but it was cold and beer wasn’t on my mind. Where was the tea hut?
To the left was a succession of reconstituted bus stands. What better re-use than Northern League stands? Someone had written up the teams on a whiteboard inside one. ‘I pity the bloke who had to write all that’ I said. ‘That was me’ said a young bloke in front of it. It was much appreciated, I told him, especially with there being no programmes. Have Ryton & Crawcrook ever produced programmes?
A most excellent re-use of bus stands.
The tea hut was a little further on and here’s the real highlight…you got your cuppa in a proper cup. I could take it anywhere I liked, but would I mind handing it back before full-time? Lovely. Turned out the tea ladies were the wife and daughter of the gateman. It was nice to be asked how I’d like it too: strong, not much milk and no sugar. Carried out to instruction.
'Scran'...north-eastern for...guess!
One advantage of the bus stands were they were perched on a small bank, allowing a nice overview of the pitch. So I walked behind the goal to the only stand Kingsley Park has. 160 seats, if some weren’t missing. (I later noticed what looked like brand new replacements, so hopefully this’ll be rectified.) As the match kicked off I had the stand to myself, but was soon joined by the away subs. I can’t say what I overheard them say about the manager’s teamtalks, but I was amused to hear one say he’d never been sent off. ‘I’m not surprised, if you’re on the bench’ I didn’t say out loud. Well done on the coach for telling them to put their face masks on though. ‘Are you putting them on or what?’
The subs' bench.
Early doors was one-way traffic as Birtley had a few goalmouth scrambles. These subs were never going to get a game…but then a defensive mistake put Albion one up and the match became more even. The second half was a scramble, as neither side looked able to hold onto the ball for more than a couple of passes. I’m not sure either side will trouble the promotion places this season, but late pressure brought Birtley the reward they deserved, the keeper making a mess of an injury time corner and the ball somehow squirming in. A pity for the keeper, who’d impressed throughout and saved a penalty around 10 minutes before.
Where's the missing seats?
I should have kept my eyes on the subs though, because as I’d gone to stand on my own in the rain on the halfway line, I wondered if I had more touches than them, retrieving the ball. Mind, that was nothing to what a home player picked up at half-time and threw off the pitch. ‘Christ, I thought that was a mouse’ I said. ‘It was.’
Oh, and I never did win the raffle. The poor bloke who sold me the ticket did a lap of the ground at half-time looking for the owner of the winning ticket, but no-one stood forth. Will it go to a rollover jackpot next game?
Found them!
The Damage:
£5 ent
£1 tea
£1 raffle ticket
= £7
The Tunes:
The Boy With The Arab Strap (Belle and Sebastian)
Spirit of Eden (Talk Talk)
Ready for KO.
Cover for those standing on the touchline.
The scran van/bus shelter/pavilion side.
Looking from behind the goal to the pavilion.
The Thompson's of Prudhoe Stand.
Down the touchline.
Looking towards the Prudhoe End.
The penalty save....it was all a blur.
Full-time inquests.
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