An almost blast from my childhood today as I ventured to Sunderland West End. Turns out it’s near to the rundown suburb of Pennywell, where I had my first drag of a cigarette a week before my tenth birthday. It was my worldly-wise cousin’s 12th birthday and he was a hardened smoker already. It was Halloween, 1983, and we carried our lamps (made from turnips) around the estate, as we asked ‘Penny for Halloween?’ Basically, legalised begging, which has since evolved into the industry that is ‘trick or treat?’ We made four pence between the seven of us. I said the area was rundown.
The Ford Quarry Hub is the opposite, a smart, new sporting complex encompassing a leisure centre and 3 3G pitches, the main one of which is West’s home. Enclosed and floodlit, it’s like a larger version of an outdoor 5 aside venue. I’d expected as much. Seating was provided by two 50-seater stands identical to those I saw at Redcar Athletic the other week. 4 rows of 6 seats either side of steps, with two additional seats on the 4th row, at the top of the steps. A very handy (cheap) design for any club needing to up their seating quota to attain league membership.
Sunderland West End are a Northern League second division team from….you guessed it…the west end of Sunderland. They’ve a brief history, forming in their current guise in 2011, playing up through the Wearside League and gaining promotion to the Northern League after coming 2nd in 2018-19. Tonight, 8 games in, they’re amongst the leaders in division 2 and face a local derby against Boldon CA, a few miles north. Certainly, the crowd appeared boosted by a few travelling away fans.
Otherwise, there’s not a lot to distract the eye. No covered standing, and you have to access the ground through the leisure centre behind one goal. Initially, the lady on reception was demanding QR codes (that pesky Coronavirus again) but establishing that nobody in the queue had one, she let us in anyway, telling us we’d better have one for next time or we’re not getting in. That’s ok, I can’t see myself returning.
Once through the leisure centre, there’s a large mesh fence and the turnstiles. Save yourself a fiver and watch from here! There’s also a large café-bar at this end, handy for Sky Sports if the entertainment on the pitch isn’t up to scratch. I paid my fiver and entered. Hurrah! One team is playing in the red and white stripes of Sunderland. Please tell me it’s West End, following the local habit of playing in the colours of the local professional ‘giants’ (see also: Seaham Red Star and one of the Ryhope teams). It was.
I was intrigued by the West End #5…he looked older than me. So he ran everything from centre half/sweeper. Although not fast, he look assured, could pass, and was never flustered unlike his colleagues. He also never stopped telling his teammates what to do. Is he an ex-professional? (Sort of. Keith Graydon, 38 years old and formerly of Gateshead and Ireland Under 20s, amongst others.) He doesn’t look a day under 50, but a class act on the pitch.
The game was a cracker, 4-2, including the killer 4th from the halfway line, as the Boldon keeper went pushed up to be a Manuel Neuer-esque sweeper-keeper. Problem was, no-one told his teammates who cheaply lost it. Still, it’s not easy punting a ball 50 yards, never mind getting it on target. There were still 20 minutes left, so no excuses for the keeper, though his side still couldn’t get back into the game when West End had a man sent off for a bad challenge. The scorer had earlier had an on-field argument with Graydon…’you’re telling me to do one thing and the manager another.’ I can understand his problem, but I don’t think either had told him to lose the ball cheaply, which he had been doing till then.
2nd half, I’d been standing behind the goal at the leisure centre end after a half time cuppa (served by the lady who’d earlier been in reception). Sadly, I couldn’t walk around the 4th touchline, which was kept for the dugouts and spare goalposts, though I was ‘lucky’ enough to hear a father telling his son he was ‘a f***ing pouf.’ I know not what said offspring had done to deserve his moniker.
The Damage:
£5 ent
£1.40 tea
= £6.40
The Tunes:
BBC6 Music (Marc Riley / Gideon Coe)
