My Matchday 130 - Craik Park

Morpeth Town 2v2 Chester-le-Street Town
Arngrove Northern League 1st Division
17th March 2007
att. 48
Morpeth Town FC was founded in 1894 through the amalgamation of Morpeth United and Morpeth FC and originally began life playing at Stobhill Cricket Field before a move to Storey Park in 1954.
The club were members of the Northern Alliance and were twice league champions,their second title in 1993-94 along with the Challenge Cup double coincided with a move to a purpose built stadium named after long time father and son club servants W & R Craik,who were club secretaries between 1920 and 1985.The club then gained entry to the Northern League and in their second season in 1995-96 became 2nd Division Champions and since their promotion,they’ve established themselves in the top flight equalling their best finish of 6th last season.
Craik Park itself is pretty basic,there’s a large club house coupled with the teams changing rooms,the teams walk down a small bank on to the dirt track surrounded pitch, with the standing areas cordoned off by a white barrier fence.There is a small stand with four rows of dirty grey seats and on the opposite side there is a standing shelter which looks like it would be more at home in a bus concourse than a football ground. The wooden team dugouts which are on the edge of the pitch,in front of the track look like they’d collapse with a decent gust of wind,these are tardis type dugouts because I couldn’t believe that six players managed to squeeze themselves inside the Chester one.
Today I had the company of the complete Smith family,I suggested to ‘the breadknife’ a nice run up to Morpeth with the kids and we could have a Mothers Day Eve lunch as a special treat,and…erm.. since we’re in the vicinity we may as well go to Craik Park and watch Morpeth v Chester-le-Street,of course she happily agreed as it was an offer that was too good to refuse.
The game was entertaining,played on a bitterly cold afternoon, with 2-2 a fair result,both teams lie in midtable but still have plenty to play for as both clubs have reached the finals of their respective county cups.Morpeth overcame Newcastle Benfield midweek to book their place in the Northumberland Senior Cup against Blyth Spartans,while the Cestrians reached the Durham Challenge Cup final for the first time in their history beating current holders Whickham to book a final date with Consett.

Links –
Chester match report
The day the Simple Pieman came to Town.

Updates

May 2007 -Morpeth Town won the Northumberland Senior Cup Final defeating Conference North side Blyth Spartans 3-2 in a thrilling game at Newcastle’s St James Park. Well Done!