✓979.Wingate Welfare Park

Shotton Colliery Res. 1-1 Billingham Synthonia Res

Wearside League Third Division

Saturday 7th March 2026

Wingate Grange Colliery was in operation between 1839 and 1962 with up to 1500 employees.  In 1930 a welfare park was built to provide recreation facilities for the miners, their families and the wider community. The Parish Council bought the park from British Coal in 1994, facilities include a wooded area and pond, a bowling green, play equipment and two football pitches.

There’s been a number of clubs in Wingate throughout the years which have played at the welfare, but the current team in the former pit village - Wingate AFC, play Wearside League football at nearby Wellfield School. However, the ground is back in use, with Shotton Colliery FC having their reserve team playing there in the WL Third Division. The ground still has signs of where the stand was, with the old terrace and a remaining dugout.

Shotton Colliery Reserves 1 Billingham Synthonia Reserves 1

Wearside League Third Division matchday 20/22  (14th v 10th) 2pm ko Att.43hc

The Yakkas looked to have the match won courtesy of a Peter Johnson penalty, but the visitors snatched a point in the last minute.

0-0 half time 1-0 Peter Johnson 52’ pen 1-1 #2 (tbc) 90’

#Heedhopper 24 mile drive door-to-door 

Current Wearside League grounds visited 43/45

A double mission down to Wingate today, not just the ground to tick, but also RPMdiscs record shop,where I picked up some good bargains.

✓977 Dewsbury Moor Sports Club

Dewsbury Moor 2-5 Headingley Reserves

West Yorkshire AFL Division 2

Saturday 24th January 2026

Dewsbury Moor Sports Club opened in 1968, providing a base for 500 amateur Rugby League players across all ages. In 2020 the clubhouse was refurbished and remodelled adding first class facilities to the hub.

 

The football club formed in 2022 and joined the Wakefield & District League.The club switched to the Yorkshire Amateur League and from the start of this season, play in Division 2 of the West Yorkshire Association Football League.

Dewsbury is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, The West Yorkshire town is sited on the River Calder and on an arm of the Calder and Hebble Navigation waterway. It sits in between Wakefield and Huddersfield and south of Leeds and forms part of the Heavy Woollen District, of which it is the largest town. (population: over 63,000)

The Domesday Book of 1086 records the name as Deusberie, Deusberia, Deusbereia, or Deubire, meaning  "Dewi's fort", Dewi being an old Welsh name (equivalent to David) and "bury" coming from the old English word "burh", meaning fort. 

Dewsbury Moor Sports Club

229 Heckmondwike Rd, 

Dewsbury 

WF13 3NU

The social club is on the main road, but the football ground, two rugby pitches, the changing rooms and the Community Cafe (which was closed) are at the bottom of the bank, at the foot of Carr Lane. The ground is enclosed, partially railed off with a brick dugout on each side. 

Dewsbury Moor 2 Headingley Reserves 5

West Yorkshire AFL Division 2 matchday 17

8th v 11th

2pm ko

Att. 36hc

Headingley came back from a two goal deficit to take their chances in the second half and record an impressive away win.

2-0 Andrew Wood 9’,39’

2-1 Favour Omoruyi 39’ (HT)

2-5 Gregorio Barnett 56’ 

       Jacob Hemsworth 67’, 85’

    Oli Limburn 88’

#Heedhopper

106 miles door-to-door

A really nice day out in West Yorkshire. I started the morning with the express bus to Houghton-le-Spring for the 8.30 pick up from Katie & Lee, then it was on to Micklefield to pick up Dave from the train station. We then headed to Crossgates to tick off another ‘Spoons, the Charles Henry Roe was the only one in this part of Yorkshire I hadn’t been to. We arrived in Dewsbury just before 1pm, which allowed time for me and Dave to visit the impressive West Riding Beerhouse before the last leg of the journey to Dewsbury Moor for the footy.

✓976. Gosforth Academy

Wallington 0-3 Gateshead Rutherford

Kwik Fit Challenge Cup 3rd Round

Saturday 17th January 2026

Another fixture relocation meant another caged “all weather” ground tick. This time it was Wallington, moving their home Northern Alliance Challenge Cup tie with Rutherford from Oakwood Park to Gosforth Academy  The ground is at the north end of Gosforth. The 4G pitch runs parallel with the Great North Road. 

The fixture was due to take place at the end of November, so after a long wait it was Rutherford who progressed to the next round, with three first half goals booking their place in round four.

Wallington 0 Gateshead Rutherford 3

Ben Ridley 27’ Ashton Wright 43’ Ajay Oyindamola 45+1’

Kwik-Fit Challenge Cup 3rd Round

1.35ko

Att.25hc

✓975 Persimmon Park

AFC North Kilworth 1-1 AFC Bridgnorth

Midland Football League Division 1

Saturday 13th December 2025

North Kilworth is a village in the Harborough district of south Leicestershire, between Leicester and Coventry. The population of the civil parish is about 600 with the village consisting of a mix of old and new housing, a primary school and the parish church of St. Andrew's dating from the 13th century. There are no shops, just a petrol station that serves the basic needs. The White Lion pub serves food and is popular with people attending Kilworth House hotel theatre. Also there's an all weather tennis court area, the cricket club and of course, the football ground which is home to AFC North Kilworth.

The village has had several teams who have plied their trade in the Leicestershire Senior League. The current set up with the AFC suffix, joined the same league in 2020. In their first full season they were Division 2 champions, then followed up with promotion to its Premier Division after a third place finish. Last season’s top three placing saw them accepted into the Midland League for the 2025-26 season. 

Persimmon Park 

North Kilworth Sports Ground

South Kilworth Rd, 

North Kilworth, 

Lutterworth LE17 6HF

The ground has a covered enclosure on one side, with the team benches opposite. The clubhouse and changing rooms are at the ground entrance, behind the goal. 

AFC North Kilworth 1 AFC Bridgnorth 1

The Capelli Sport MFL Division 1 matchday 25v21 (9th v 10th)

1500ko

Att.86

Admission. £6

A bad tempered affair saw the away side hold the lead with a Cooper direct free kick, until Matt Hart equalised with twenty minutes remaining. The final whistle was greeted with a full on scrap with just about every player, including substitutes, involved. The MC played 'I Predict A Riot' by The Kaiser Chiefs after the hoo-ha, and I congratulated him on his song choice.

0-1 Issac Cooper 31’

1-1 Matthew Hart 71’ 

#Heedhopper

203 miles door-to-door

I got an early bus down to Houghton-le-Spring to meet Katie & Lee for an 8.30 departure. On route we picked up Hull Dave at Micklefield station, arriving in Market Harborough at 12.30. Lunch was partaking in the Sugar Loaf (new Spoons ✓) then me and Dave called for a pint in the GBG listed Beerhouse. It was a 20 minute drive along to North Kilworth, so we arrived with time to spare before kick off. A good day out for our final foray of 2025.