Around The Alliance - part 28

Apart from plenty of  reserve teams, there are four newcomers to the Northern Alliance this season. There's Cramlington Town Independent playing at the Sporting Club,  Great Park based up at Druids Park, plus two clubs playing at previous uncharted grounds - Westerhope United and Walkergate. I ticked off these two Newcastle based clubs for their early season midweek fixtures, as well as a visit to Amble AFC. 

 

885. Lemington Football Centre

Westerhope United 7-1 Cramlington Blue Star Inter

Northern Alliance Division 3

Wednesday 16th August 2023

Lemington Football Centre is home to two grass pitches on the former site of Lemington Middle School. The facility opened in November 2018, made possible by the Newcastle United Football Foundation, with the site gifted by Newcastle City Council. 

Westerhope raced into a three goal lead, with a side footed volley from Jack Pickering before Martin Matus had an easy finish after an initial effort came back off the foot of the post. In the 35th minute Sonny Branighan toe poked the ball home from the edge of the box for their third, then Crammy Blue Star hit back before half time. Kia Bell rounded the ‘keeper in the 42nd minute, then he should have reduced the arrears just before the break, but was denied with a fine save from the United keeper. 

The hosts were even better in the second half with Ryan Pickering adding the fourth and Micheal Strachan tapping in number five with still a quarter of the game remaining. The match finale saw a super-sub appearance from manager Steve Taylor, who missed a penalty but netted the rebound, then rounded the ‘keeper to grab his second and make it 7-1 on full time.

Westerhope United 7(J.Pickering 7 Matus 25 Branighan 35 R.Pickering 65 Strachan 68 Taylor 85,89)

Cramlington Blue Star Inter 1(Bell 42)

Matchday 4/2

6.45pm ko

Att.11hc 

887. Amble Welfare

Amble 2-1 Blyth Town Reserves

Northern Football Alliance Division 2

Wednesday 23rd August 2023

Throughout the years there have been several teams playing in the Northern Alliance based in the Northumberland seaside town of Amble. The latest are Amble AFC, who finished fourth in their debut season in Division 3 last season, which was good enough to elevate them into the Second Division for this campaign. 

The club plays at Amble Welfare, which I visited back in September 2012 when matches were played on the running track pitch at the far side of the welfare. There's a new football ground there now, fully fenced in where the cricket pitch one stood, with the old pavilion giving a facelift and used for the changing rooms. 

Amble trailed at the break to a Kieran Robson penalty, then Blyth Town Reserves wasted several good chances with tame efforts at goal. The match turned upside down with two goals from the home side in the space of three minutes. A lovely through ball was matched by an equally good finish by Josh Baston, then moments later the ball fell to Joe Henderson, who lashed in a first time half volley, which proved to be the decisive goal. 

Amble 2(Baston 62 Henderson 64)

Blyth Town Reserves 1(Robson 18pen)

Matchday 4

6.45pm ko 

Att.38hc 

The third part of this blog was meant to be tonight's game at Walkergate against Great Park. Everyone was at the Fossway in good time and raring to go apart from one person - the referee. After an in vain attempt to contact him the match was postponed. 

I'll add Walkergate FC to this post when I eventually tick it off later this season. 

edit - 24th September

892. Fossway Recreation Ground

Walkergate 1-2 Wallsend Boys Club U-23

Northern Football Alliance Division 3

Saturday 23rd September 2023

Walkergate are based at the Fossway Recreation Ground on the A187 road from Byker to Wallsend. The ground has a changing room block, a small car park and two pitches, with the main pitch running alongside the Fossway. 

The home team sit top of Division 3, winning 7 of their opening eight fixtures and scoring 56 goals in the process. Their opponents - Wallsend BC U-23,  have also had a great start, sitting just three points behind them with a game in hand. 

The first period was littered with injuries and stoppages with the three goals coming late in the half. Walkergate took the lead when a free kick floated to the back stick was nodded back across goal for the number 8 to head home. 

The visitors hit back with two goals in the eleven minutes of added on time. Owen Kennedy placed a free kick from the edge of the box into the corner of the ‘keepers left hand post, which also resulted in the home goalie injuring himself and having to be replaced. The sub goalkeeper’s first job was to pick the ball out of the net, when a quick Wallsend break was finished off by Stephen Siganbola to give them a 2-1 half time lead.

Walkergate pushed for an equaliser in the second half, but their opponents always looked dangerous on the break. The hosts' frustration showed late in the game when they were reduced to ten men with a red card for dissent, as the young Wallsend side held on for the win.  

Walkergate 1(#8 42)

Wallsend Boys Club U-23 2(Kennedy 45+3 Siganbola 45+8)

Matchday 9/8

2.30pm ko

Att.30hc

Kirkley Park 3G

Wallsend Boys Club U-23 2-3 Rothbury

George Dobbins League Cup 1st round

Saturday 7th January 2023

Kirkley Park has been totally transformed with a new 3G surface, made possible with an investment of over £300,000 from Wallsend Boys Club and a grant of £564,799 from the Premier League, The FA and the Football Foundation. Former players Alan Shearer and Michael Carrick officially opened the new era for Wallsend Boys Club in October 2020. The new ground has four floodlight posts on each side and a covered seated stand, which holds approximately 200 spectators. The new pitch has been moved from its original plot, relocated further to the north west of the site, away from the existing houses on Alderwood Crescent, so the neighbours won’t be affected by the floodlights.

There are several grass pitches behind the stand and the club believe the new facility will support the recruitment of more than 300 new players across 21 teams at the club, including a growth of female and disability football, with more than 100 girls expected to be playing affiliated football at Kirkley Park by 2024.

Also,a new community hub is currently under construction which includes a physio room, classroom, changing rooms, kitchen, office and meeting room. The hub will focus on activities for younger people but will also cater for everyone in the community. The club are also seeking funding for an indoor 3G Futsal arena.

The staff at Swan Hunters Shipyard founded Wallsend Boys Club in 1904 to provide recreational activities for the apprentices and young people in the area.

The club was originally based on Station Road, in wooden huts erected by workers from the shipyard, which was destroyed in a fire in 1964. The more recent club building was opened in December 1966 and over the years, it survived fires and weather damage, but the club has strived to survive.

In 1975, the club opened seven days a week and formed a separate sub-committee for 11-a-side football.The club was awarded the Freedom of the Borough of North Tyneside in 2008, in recognition of what the deputy mayor called the club's "factory line of talent", and for its community work. Wallsend BC opened its first dedicated football centre at Kirkley Park in 2011.

I finally got the opportunity to visit the new Kirkley Park for the U23's League cup tie with Rothbury. Whenever I’m in Wallsend it makes me wonder about the mystery football match I attended in this area of North Tyneside in 1981. Following Whickham’s triumph in the FA Vase at Wembley that year, I attended an end of season friendly where the trophy was proudly displayed.(I stupidly kissed it and got metal polish all over my lips) I’ve no idea where the match took place and who actually played in the game, meaning there should be another ground on my list and another match registered. If anyone was at this “mystery match” then please, please, please get in touch.

(maybe the match was played at Wallsend BC old Station Road ground… Ed)

 

Wallsend Boys Club U-23 2(Stirk 73 Macpherson 85OG)

Rothbury 3(Coe 34 Dunn 68 Macpherson 78)

George Dobbins League Cup 1st Round

2.30pm ko

Att.36hc 

Rothbury led at the break when Chris Coe ran on to a through ball and finished well. The visitors went two up midway through the second half after a free kick from the edge of the box eventually fell to Paul Dunn to fire in. Wallsend pulled one back when Jack Stirk timed his run to stay onside and score, but the comeback was short lived, as Tom Macpherson headed in from a right wing corner to make it 1-3. 

The home team kept plucking away and reduced the arrears again when a free kick was turned into his own net by Macpherson, but unfortunately they ran out of time to grab an equaliser and take it to penalties.

Pitch Neighbours

788.Riverside Sports Complex (Athletics pitch)

Chester-le-Street United 0-1 Gateshead Leam Rangers

Wearside League

Saturday 14th August 2021

I've visited the Riverside Sports Complex on a few occasions but always at the 3G enclosure on the east side of the complex. Until last Saturday, I hadn't seen a game on the main pitch, which is situated in front of the pavilion stand and used for athletics with a surrounding running track.

Ambitious Wearside League side Chester-le-Street United are currently using this pitch and have further aspirations to move to a new venue in the town. The club formed in 2020 and has a large junior set up covering all age groups for boys and girls.

The match was somewhat disappointing considering the large crowd in attendance. The contest was too stop/start, littered with bad fouls, only three yellow cards and decided by a Rob Houghton goal for the Leam early in the first half.

Chester-le-Street United 0

Gateshead Leam rangers 1(Houghton 16)

Att.155hc

789.Northumbria University Campus(Greenlee Drive)

Newcastle Independent 5-1 Wallsend Boys Club

Northern Footballl Alliance Division 1

Wednesday 18th August 2021

On Wednesday night I intended on ticking off another neighbouring ground beside the Coach Lane Sports Ground. The former home of Team Northumbria is now a Rugby ground, but the all weather pitch at the north end is home to Northern Alliance side Newcastle Independent. The Goat have a cracking young team, who I witnessed in action at the end of last season, when they lifted the Northumberland Minor Cup.

When I arrived there were only four other people around and no players. We found out that the match was taking place  through the woods and over the stream on Greenlee Drive at the Northumbria University Campus pitches. The ground is just along the road from the Newcastle United Academy at Little Benton, so a totally unexpected tick.

The match saw the home team take the lead through Wilson Kneeshaw, then miss several good opportunities to have the game wrapped up by half time. They were punished for their poor finishing when Wallsend equalised with a waxer from Rob Ene from a good 30 yards out.

Independent were more clinical in the second half and once Andy Hall fired them into the lead in the 52nd minute, they took full control with Luke Theobalds, Dan Bennett and Alex Cole adding to the score to make it 5-1 on the night. 

Newcastle Independent 5(Kneeshaw 14  Hall 52 Theobalds 64 Bennett 72  Cole 84) 

Wallsend Boys Club 1(End  39)

Att.23hc