✔Eskdale School

The two Whitby based clubs in the North Riding Football League, both use facilities within Eskdale School. The school was awarded a grant from the Premier League, The FA and Government's Football Foundation, to install a new floodlit 3G pitch, which officially opened in May 2021. The ground is a typical 3G cage with spectators standing on one side.

Whitby Fishermen’s Society uses the Eskdale Community 3G Pitch, while Fishburn Park plays on the grass pitch at the top end of the school known as Broomfield Park. The ground is fully railed off with dugouts on one side and from one side you can see the 3G pitch at the bottom of the bank. 

I travelled down to Whitby with Katie and her mam Pauline on Saturday morning. After a few hours in Whitby town centre we arrived at the ground at 1.45pm. 

I chose to watch the pre-season fixture between Fishburn Park and Redcar Town, while the Wallace’s took in the Whitby Fishermens v Sunderland RCA Reserves game, as Katie has already seen a match at Broomfield Park.

The club celebrate their 75th anniversary this season and began their campaign against Northern League opposition with a goal right at the start. Their first attack on goal was finished off with a clever overhead kick from Adam Warrilow. Redcar quickly responded, equalising with a penalty from Sam Webber and took a half time lead through Connor Smith. Ardalan Ameen grabbed another goal for Fishburn in the second half but a Jack Cairns strike proved to be the winner for Town. 

Meanwhile on the 3G surface Whitby Fishermans scored two goals in each half. They twice got on the scoresheet late in the first half and were four goals to the good by the 70th minute, with a brace from man of the match Sam Russell and goals from Jordan Purvis and Jack Cairns.  The visitors pulled two goals back through substitute Tom Bell to make it 4-2. 

Fishburn Park 2 (Warrilow 2 Ammen)

Redcar Town 3 (Webber 20pen Smith 30 Reader)

Att.16hc

 

Whitby Fishermans Society 4(Purvis 38 Russell 40,69 Cairns 66)

Sunderland RCA Reserves 2(Bell 71,85)

Att.20hc

 

#Heedhopper

62 mile drive  door-to-door.

Current North Riding Football League grounds visited 28/33

✔666 Grangetown YCC

Grangetown BC 3-1 Redcar Town

North Riding Football League - Premier Division

Wednesday 3rd April 2019

Grangetown is a township in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland in North Yorkshire, approximately 3 miles east of Middlesbrough town centre and 4 miles from the coast in Redcar.

The birthplace of Roy Chubby Brown, born Royston Vasey in 78 Broadway, Grangetown in February 1945. The stand-up comic act consists of strong blue humour, a free speaking style and lack of concern for political correctness. (as this is ground number 666 the only tenuous link I had was this mucky old devil)

Grangetown Boys Club formed in 1941.

Teesside League champions on four occasions in 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2002-03 and 

2010-11

MacMillan Bowl winners four times in 1964, 2000, 2001 and 2003

Grangetown YCC,

Trunk Road,

Grangetown,

TS6 7UP

The pitch is fully railed with home and away dugouts on one side. The changing rooms are in the community centre, which includes refreshments facilities behind the goal.

#HeedHopper

40 mile drive door-to-door down the A19.

Current North Riding FL Premier Division grounds visited 10/16

Grangetown Boys Club(4th) v Redcar Town(6th)

NRFL - Premier Division matchday

6.15pm ko

Att.42hc

The Tigers came back from an unfortunate own goal deficit to hit back with three second half goals. The hosts cancelled out the 22nd minute opener when #8 equalised straight from the restart. A few minutes later Ben Martin just managed to stay onside before placing his shot wide of the keeper into the far corner. The points were guaranteed when John Stott hit a sweet 20 yard effort with twenty minutes remaining to cap off a good second half display.

Matchday Facts

GBCFC 3(OG 46 Martin 53 Stott 69)

RTFC 1(#4 22OG)

Admission:none

Tea £1

✔639 Mo Mowlem Memorial Park

Redcar Town 4-1 Bedale

North Riding Football League - Premier Division

Wednesday 17th October 2018

 Redcar is a seaside town in North Yorkshire, just over seven miles east of Middlesbrough on the North Sea coast. (population over 36,000) Following  the opening of the Middlesbrough to Redcar Railway in 1846, it became a popular tourist destination, with regular holidaymakers from Scotland and the rest of Yorkshire.

Redcar Town formed in 2014. The club joined the second division of the Teesside League, winning promotion as champions and also lifting the MacMillan Bowl and Burness Plate in 2014-15. Redcar also enjoyed success in the JV Madden Trophy in 2015-16 and the following season the Lou Moore Trophy. The club became founder members of the North Riding League in its Premier Division last season. The club run an array of junior teams at all age levels as well as a senior Ladies side.

 I nipped down to Teesside for this midweek fixture with Lee, Katie and Jadey-bot. When we arrived there were a few southern based Groundhoppers in attendance, who had travelled up from Ipswich and Cheltenham. 

Mo Mowlam Memorial Park is named in honour of the late labour politician who served as MP for Redcar between 1987 and 2001. The ground is very impressive for Step 7 level, as the club look well set up to progress to the Northern League, with a full set of floodlights already up and working.

The entrance is at the back of the ground, around by the car park and not on the Trunk Road (as we learned the hard way) The clubhouse is quite spacious, with hot food and drinks available, plus a good selection of club souvenirs. The pitch is fully railed off with dugouts at the far side, with a selection of chairs and picnic tables in front of the clubhouse and changing room block.  There is plenty of room for progression with space on each side for a stand or two. 

Redcar Town(5th) v Bedale(8th)

NRFL - Premier Division matchday 11v10

7.30pm ko

A hat-trick from Ryan Bennions set up a convincing league win against Bedale. He broke the deadlock just after the half hour mark, nipping in at the near post to steer in a right wing cross, before a good strike on half time to make it two-nil. The number nine grabbed his third on 65 minutes with a first time effort inside the box, then Andrew Porritt got on the scoresheet to make it 4-0 with just over ten minutes remaining. Bedale grabbed a late consolation when a Jack Stapley effort was spilled into the net by the home ‘keeper in the last minute.

Matchday Stats

RTFC 4(Bennions 31,45,65 Porritt 77)

AFCB 1(Stapley 90)

Att.44hc

Admission & programme:none

Coffee £1

✔594 Conyers School

Yarm & Eaglescliffe 1-1 Redcar Town

North Riding Football League Premier Division

Saturday 27th January 2018

Yarm and Eaglescliffe are small towns in North Yorkshire on the banks of the River Tees. Yarm is on the south bank, the name deriving from the Old English  - gearum or yair - which translates as a 'pool for catching fish'. Yarm was first mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, originally a chapelry in the Kirklevington parish and historically part of the North Riding of Yorkshire.

The name of Eaglescliffe is believed to be derived from a misspelling of the name of the nearby village of Egglescliffe, the common myth being that in the Victorian times, the sign for the new railway station turned up incorrect after the signwriter thought that Egglescliffe was a mistake and altered it. The stone bridge which divided the two towns, marked the furthest reach of tidal flow up the River Tees until the opening of the Tees Barrage in 1995, which now regulates river flow above Stockton. As the last bridge on the river before the sea, it was succeeded by a new toll bridge opened in Stockton in 1771. The oldest part of Yarm is situated in a loop of the river, and the newer parts of the town extend to the point where the River Leven meets the River Tees.

Yarm & Eaglescliffe FC are based at Conyers School on Green Lane. It was founded in 1594 as 'the Free Grammar School' by Thomas Conyers, then following the change to comprehensive education, it was renamed to reflect its founder. Matches are played on the 4G pitch in the school grounds, which is fully caged, with dugouts and spectator area on one side.

The club joined the newly formed North Riding League for this, its debut season, and after a terrible start, losing every game in August and September, the team has showed great improvement with the recruitment of new players to the squad.

I set off at 12.45 for the 45 mile drive, but stupidly decided to go via the A1/A689/A177 route, which meant I lost my way at one point, but luckily I arrived at the ground just as the teams kicked off at 2.05. I stuck with the reliable A19 on returning back to Gallowgate View.

Yarm & Eaglescliffe (10th) v Redcar Town (2nd)

North Riding FL Premier Division matchday 14

2.05pm ko (kicked off 5 minutes late)

The “Y and E” made a positive start and took a well deserved lead in the 15th minute when a Craig Norman corner was met by debutant Dion McGrother at the near post, his touch went in off the post to give him a fab start at the club.

The home team had chances to increase their lead, but were denied by a couple of outstanding saves by the Redcar ‘keeper. The visitors pushed for an equaliser before half time and they were rewarded when a long pass saw Stuart Poulter beat the ‘keeper to the fifty-fifty ball and fire into an empty net.

The swirling wind which got stronger in the second half, somewhat spoiling the game, with a lot of mistimed challenged and passes, meant the teams had to settle for a share of the points.

Matchday Stats

Y&EFC 1(McGrother 15)

RTFC 1(Poulter 39)

Att.10hc

Top Bloke - Dion McGrother (Yarm & Eaglecliffe)

Entertainment 6/10

North Riding League grounds visited 3/13

✔589 Laurence Jackson Sports Village

Guisborough United 2-4 Redcar Town

North Riding Saturday Challenge Cup
Saturday 14th October 2017

Guisborough Three Fiddles joined the Teesside League in 2016, playing home games at the King George V Playing Fields. This season they joined the newly formed North Riding League, which is a new step 7 division covering North Yorkshire, County Durham and Redcar & Cleveland. The new setup has a Premier Division, First Division, plus a Under 19s Sunday league.

Prior to this season the club changed their name to United and a new home at the Sports Village, within The Laurence Jackson School. The sports centre has a main hall, squash court, fitness suite, activity room, athletics track and a 3G football pitch which opened last September. The pitch is a basic 3G cage, with a separate standing area down one side. In November 2016, Middlesbrough Academy manager Dave Parnaby and Boro defender Ben Gibson officially opened the new pitch, with funding provided from the Premier League and FA Facilities Fund.

Guisborough United v Redcar Town

North Riding Saturday Challenge Cup 1st Round

2pm kick off

Att.8hc

Weather:windy

Redcar Town came back from a two goal deficit to reach the next round of the cup. The home side made a cracking start, taking the lead in the third minute through Lewis Reeve, then quickly doubled their advantage when Liam Cooper dribbled his way into the box before producing a neat finish.

Redcar finished the half strongly and got themselves back in the tie, when a right wing cross was fired home by Ryan Bennions from close range. The visitors bossed the second half, grabbing an equaliser just before the hour mark when a corner kick was nodding in by Jordan McDonald. In the 74th minute good work from Bennions set up Stuart Poulter, then just before the final whistle a right wing cross was headed back to Bennions to poke home his second and his side’s fourth.

Matchday Stats

GUFC 2(Reeve 3 Cooper 14)

RTFC 4(Bennions 32,89 McDonald 59 Poulter 74)

Entertainment 7/10

Top Bloke - Ryan Bennions (Redcar Town)

 #HeedHopper

49 miles door-to-door via the A19

Made this a double ticked trip by also marking off another Wetherspoon pub(#337) The Ironstone Miner opened earlier this year and completes the 43 ‘Spoons pubs in the north-east of England.