My Matchday - 249 Frenchfield Park

Penrith 0v0 Spennymoor Town
Northern League Division One
Wednesday 14th April 2010
“Oh to be in England now that April’s there” is a famous opening line of Victorian poetic gubbins by Browning, or is it Tennyson? (I better google it*) Spring time means we’re moving towards the finale of the season when the pots and medals are handed out, although there’s a club close to my heart who managed to achieve their goal with still half a dozen games remaining.
Anyway the reason behind this pretentious opening link is my matchday calendar has reached the month of April and the shocking revelation is that this is my first Northern League fixture of the season. However in my defence, and just in case club secretary Mr Haworth happens to be reading this and requests the acquiesce of my membership of ‘The Northern League Club’ I have attended games involving Dunston, Whitley Bay and Shildon in this seasons in FA Vase. (* Aye. It’s Robert Browning…Eddy)

Since my previous visit to Penrith at Southend Road in November 2007, the Blues went on to win Division Two that season(as I predicted at the time) and merged with Northern Alliance club Penrith United, reverting to their original name of plain old Penrith AFC. The team went on to finish 7th in Division One last season and reached the finals of both the League and Cumberland Cups.
Last seasons league title was won in Penrith when Newcastle Benfield clinched the championship with a late winner. As football has a habit of regurgitate itself it was Spennymoor Town who headed west to Cumbria needing three more points to become this seasons champions. However it wasn’t to be, as Penrith held the runaways leaders to a feisty draw after spending nearly the whole of the second half with ten men.

Played on a bobbley pitch the game got off to a poor start, Michael Rae came closest to breaking the deadlock, his effort hitting the crossbar in the 35th minute the only decent chance in an uneventful first half.
Minutes after the restart Penrith’s big centre half Robertson was shown the red card, the linesman on the far side saw something that no one else did, drawing the referees attention and grassing up the big lad for apparently picking on Spenny’s Dixon as the players lined up in the penalty area awaiting a free kick.
The leaders should have gone on and took the required three points, Graydon twice went close with free kicks while Cogdon produced a good save from the keeper. As the game progressed Penrith grew with confidence and could have won the game themselves with their best effort coming from Torres look-a-likey Michael Brown.
In stoppage time Rea had a glorious chance to clinch it, but blasted his close range effort over the bar. His reaction to missing such a glorious chance was to push a Penrith player flat on his back in a rage of frustration. It looked like the player had took the piss out of him for missing a sitter and he reacted like a kid in a schoolyard kick about.
Penrith were delighted to hold the champions elect to a draw, while Spenny still have four games and a big lead at the top to be confirmed as Northern League champions.

Due to the current financial climate the Frenchfield project was completed later than expected but Penrith finally took possession of the new premises prior to the start of the season, kicking off with a friendly with Annan Athletic on the 3rd August.
The ground is situated on the edge of the town by the A66, the complex is huge, 30 acres including seven full size pitches, when I arrived the place was a hive of activity with plenty of football taking place.
Frenchfield Park is found in the far corner of the complex. An attractive looking main stand caters for all amenities. The clubhouse is found at the top of the stand which is a like an executive suite at a big stadium, having a glass front which looks out onto the pitch with a separate area cordoned off for club officials and hospitality.
The changing rooms are underneath, both sets of players facilities are at opposite sides of the stand with the refreshment kiosk opposite the turnstile block.
The stand has a large cantilever roof with nine rows of blue seats with a capacity of around 250. The exterior of the stand is decked with wooden cladding which blends in with the grounds perimeter fence.
At the far side there’s a three stepped standing shelter named ‘The Walter Brogden Stand’ named after the life long fan and club secretary. The rest of the ground is made up of large tarmaced standing with a pair of Perspex dugouts in front of the stand.
It’s obvious that Frenchfield Park lacks the character of the previous home of 106 years, but the ground has been well designed and isn’t a quick knock-up-job as you sometimes get with new non-league grounds. The ground’s tranquil setting with the surrounding farmland and the views of the snow covered hills at Hartside Moor make Frenchfields an inimitable new addition to the Northern League and one that, in time, will become a favourable destination amongst sNL groundhoppers.

Matchday stats
PAFC 0 STFC o

att.78

Admission £5

Programme £1

Ground no.249 Frenchfield Park - Matchday Web album (19 Pictures)

My Matchday Pics - 125 Glebe Ground

Whickham FC 1v3 Spennymoor Town
Arngrove Northern League 2nd Division
27th January 2007
att. 84

Whenever conversation turns towards Whickham FC and their home The Glebe Ground, if I happen to mention that I still haven’t been there,the response is usually “Eh! yi haven’t been to the Glebe?” so I’m pleased to finally rectify this and make the short trip up to the posh end of the Gateshead Borough to see the club nicknamed ‘The Home Guard’ in their Northern League Division 2 game against league leaders Spennymoor Town.
Whickham is just west of Gateshead and to have the postal address which ends with Whickham,Newcastle-Upon-Tyne,NE16 usually means you’ve got a few bob,but I don’t see it that way,yes!there is some lovely real estate in the area,but my personal view is,well it’s just Dunston with double glazing. :-)
Whickham FC were formed in 1944,and originally called Axwell Park Colliery Welfare where they played within the Derwent Valley League,they changed their name to Whickham FC in 1962 and went on to win the Northern Combination League on three occasions after a brief spell in the Tyneside Amateur League.
They’ve been members of the Northern League since 1988 having progressed through the usual route of the Wearside League,where they played their football from1974,winning two titles and two League Cups.
The clubs biggest success was winning the FA Vase at Wembley in 1981,coming from behind to claw back a two goal deficit and beat Midlands club Willenhall 3-2 after extra time,with the backing of a good 5,000 who travelled down from Tyneside.I vaguely remember seeing the FA Vase at a match in Wallsend,when Whickham were the holders, and the trophy was on display at the side of the pitch,little was it known at the time,but that turned out to be the last ever victory for a team from our region at the twin towers.
The Glebe Ground has a capacity of 4000 and is a three sided ground due to there being a cricket pitch parallel with the touch line.The main stand is behind the goal,and is a small stand with the seated area made from black wooden beams,next to this is ‘the corner flag café’ which sells a smashing cup of tea(in a mug as well)and top quality pies(Simple Pieman,get yourself here!) all served by friendly smiling staff.
There are four proper floodlights, when I say ‘proper’I mean one in each corner of the ground and of course,a Northern League tradition,a pitch with a slope,which runs from the cricket field side towards the dug-outs,but this particular slope is not as steep as the one you’ll find at Tow Law.
So I’ve finally crossed Whickham FC-The Glebe Ground of my list and next time it’s mentioned I can say I’ve been there, it’s a friendly club which sells a lovely cuppa!

My Matchday Pics - 124 Brewery Field

Spennymoor Town 2v0 Ryton
Arngrove Northern League 2nd Division
6th January 2007
att. 144

After last weeks trip to the Wansbeck district of Northumbria,it was south this week into County Durham and to Brewery Field the home of Spennymoor Town.
The present club in Spennymoor was formed as recently as 2005, after uniting two clubs which ran into difficulties during the 2004/05 season .Spennymoor United were removed from the Unibond Premier League after being unable to complete their fixtures or pay the players wages,this resulted in the club folding,while neighbouring club Evenwood Town had completed their season in the Northern League, but were unable to continue the following year.
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 clubs name to Spennymoor Town and they took their place in the Arngrove Northern League 2nd Division for the 2005/06 season.
Evenwood Town were formed in 1931 and Northern League champions on three occasions,the last of those in 1970/71,while Spennymoor United have a longer history,formed in 1905,their list of honours includes winning the title six times the last of those in 1978/79,Durham Challenge Cup winners an impressive 15 times(remember Gateshead haven’t won it once)and they played within the seventh level of English football in the Unibond Northern Premier League.
On arriving at Brewery Field you’re greeted with an archway above the entrance gate next to the turnstiles announcing Spennymoor United AFC, a name the Moors fans will one day love to be known as again.
When entering the ground from the corner of the ground to your immediate left is the remains of the old clubhouse,which is sadly now just a burned out empty shell,but hopefully in time will be rebuilt and again become an important base for the club,behind this goal and is an open terrace which continues around one side of the pitch,where there is four floodlight pylons.
Behind the opposite goal is the very smart “tin shed” or to call it by it’s proper name ‘The Joyce Hindmarch Stand’ named after the breadknife of the chairman Barrie,this is where the Spenny Barmy Army congregate(or whatever goal the Moors are kicking towards)this 1500 capacity covered terrace was opened by the “monkeys heed” himself Peter Reid in July 1996.The Spenny fans give a good vocal support and their chant which sounds like “Moo Ass”(Moors)and my particular favourite of telling the rest of the crowd that sunderland are getting beat.
The main stand looks very nice,the seated area has five rows,decked out in the club colours of alternated black and white seats,above this is the temporary bar and lounge which serves a quality beef based drink,a cup of Bovril for 50p,not any of this oxo cube rubbish that you get at some grounds.
The players enter the arena to the sound of Mark Knopfler’s ‘Local Hero’ and with the Moors wearing the classic combination of black and white stripes,it had a very familiar feeling to somewhere I frequent on a more regular basis,there’s also another thing Brewery field has in common with St James Park and that’s the slope,while the one at SJP is a very slight slope which runs side to side,this one at Brewery Field is like an ascent which runs the full length of the field.
After refusing to let the club die the town and supporters of Spennymoor have a club to be proud of,their slogan is “With Hope No One Shall Fail” well lets hope failure is a thing of the past. match report @ http://www.spennymoorunitedfc.co.uk/

Updates-

May 2007 - Spennymoor Town went on to easily win promotion with a 20 point gap between themselves and 4th spot and also took the title by a clear 10 points from nearest rivals Seaham Red Star.
Final ANL Division Two table

The club are looking to progress even further and have the ambition to regain their previous Unibond League status.

Skif visits Brewery Field(September 2007) -http://hobotread.blogspot.com/2007/09/spennymoor-town-2-brigg-town-1.html