✔896 Evenwood Welfare Ground

Evenwood Town 4-0 Gateshead Redheugh 1957

Durham Minor Cup 1st Round

Saturday 7th October 2023

Evenwood is a former mining village in County Durham, situated by the River Gaunless and located about 3 1⁄2 miles south-west of Bishop Auckland and 8 miles north-east of Barnard Castle. Evenwood with Barony was a township in the ancient parish of St. Andrew Auckland. (population:approx 2,400)

The major pit in the village was Randolph Colliery with its associated coke ovens, which worked between 1893 and 1962, and at its peak, employed over one thousand men.

The original Evenwood Town joined the Northern League in 1931. They were league champions for the first time in 1948-49 and later won it two years running in 1969-70 and ‘70-’71. At the end of  the 2004-05 season the club had completed their fixtures in the Northern League, but were unable to continue the following year and at the same time, Spennymoor United were removed from the Northern Premier League after being unable to complete their schedule or pay the players wages, which resulted in the club folding.

The two parties affiliated when the Spennymoor United fans formed a supporters trust with the intention of forming a new club in the town, meanwhile a consortium behind Evenwood Town were looking at the prospect of continuing at the now vacant Brewery Field. Both groups made bids on the lease and after a meeting between both parties they decided to join forces and support Evenwood’s bid for the lease and the transfer of a new club. The FA granted permission for Evenwood Town to change the club's name to Spennymoor Town and they took their place in the Northern League 2nd Division for the 2005/06 season and that club has gone from strength-to-strength ever since.

The Evenwood Town name was rekindled with the club playing in the Crook & District League. They still play at the Welfare Ground but it's not what it once was, with the two stands long gone. The changing rooms are in between the cricket and football pitches, with dugouts on the same side. The only traces of the old ground is the perimeter fence, floodlights and some hard standing.

Welfare Ground

Stones End

Evenwood

DL14 9RE

#Heedhopper

35 mile drive door-to-door

Evenwood Town 4(Worthy 25,35 McMahon 29,59)

Gateshead Redheugh 1957 0

Bob Strophair Durham Minor Cup 1st Round

1.30pm ko

Att.45hc

Evenwood strolled into the next round of the Minor Cup with an easy win over Northern Alliance club Gateshead Redheugh. They were three goals up at half time, even though they were kicking up hill and facing a strong breeze. They took the lead in the 25th min when Robert Worthy fired in from a right wing cross, before a good finish from Gareth McMahon. The goalscorers both grabbed a brace with Worthy grabbing the third and McMahon rounded the 'keeper to slot home the fourth.