Bedlington Terriers

Bedlington Terriers is a non-league football club that was formed in 1949 as Bedlington Mechanics FC, playing in the former colliery town ten miles north of Newcastle Upon Tyne, and becoming members of the Northumberland Miners Welfare League.

The team won the North Section in 1951-52, prior to joining the Northern Combination, where Bedlington were crowned as champions in 1954-55, which saw progression to the Northern Alliance. The initial incarnation of the club folded in 1963, before returning as Bedlington Colliery Welfare FC in 1965. 

Back in the Northern Alliance, the side became league and cup winners in 1966-67, prior to runners-up finishes in 1967-68, 1969-70, and 1971-72. The club changed title to Bedlington United, playing in the Tyneside Amateur League in 1979-80.

The name Bedlington Terriers was adopted in 1980, rejoining the Northern Alliance before becoming founder members of Division Two of the Northern League in 1982-83. Second place was enough to seal promotion to Division One in 1983-84. Where Terriers ended as runners-up in 1985-86.

However, Bedlington dropped back down in 1986-87, before recovering to regain their previous status as Division Two champions in 1993-94. This was to ignite a period of sustained success after nearly going out of business just a year earlier because of financial troubles. 

The club were saved by local businessmen Dave and Keith Perry. A runners-up place followed in 1995-96, before the team got down to serious business. Keith Perry became team manager as the Terriers became Northern League champions in 1997-98.

This was backed up with another title in 1998-99, a season which also saw Colchester United hammered 4-1 in the FA Cup at Welfare Park, before the side went out 2-0 away to Scunthorpe United. This having entered the competition at the first qualifying round stage.

The club also went on to reach the FA Vase at Wembley where they lost by the only goal of the game to Tiverton Town. They could console themselves twelve months later as they were crowned Northern League champions for the third successive season in the 1999-00 campaign. 

Title number four followed in 2000-01, as Bedlington also reached the semi-final of the FA Vase, where they were defeated by Berkhamsted Town. A fifth successful Northern League crown was lifted in 2001-02. Another Vase semi-final was reached in 2004-05 after Dave Perry left the club.

By this time Tony Lowery had become joint manager, as AFC Sudbury ended any dreams of a return to Wembley. The 2005-06 campaign saw Terriers end as league runners-up before then owner Keith Perry decided to end his association with the club which led to another financial crisis.

Mel Harmison took over as player coach as the club was in real danger of folding. The club appointed a new committee who somehow got the club back on an even keel with Keith Perry returning as team manager. He brought back some familiar old favourites to the club as the team gradually rebuilt. 

In November 2010 an American called Robert Rich who was the 488th richest man in the world at the time, found that he had ancestral roots in the area. His company became shirt sponsors, and he announced the shipment of a £30,000 scoreboard to The Welfare Ground.

Rich owned the Buffalo Bisons and Jameson Jammers baseball clubs and in June 2011 arranged for the team to tour the USA where they played matches in Ontario, New York and Buffalo. An annual match for The Lord Bedlington Cup, named after the title Rich's wife, had bought for him, was inaugurated with a game against FC Buffalo.

However, the investment that many thought would keep arriving at the club didn’t materialise. Again, the club found themselves in financial woes and faced a winding up order over unpaid bills at the start of 2013. 

Gary Innes took charge of the team for part of the 2014-15 season before being replaced in May 2015 by Andy Ferrell who lasted a year or so. The team was relegated in 2015-16, staying in the second tier of the competition for several years.

October 2021 Dave Perry returned as chairman prior to Andy Ferguson arriving as manager. He led the side to the play-offs, which ended in defeat to Billingham Town in the semi-final.

Bedlington Terriers FC will compete in the Northern League Division Two in the 2023-24 season.

My visit

Friday 3rd October 2008

I called in at Doctor Pit Welfare Park as the ground had been rebranded through a sponsorship deal on a chilly autumnal morning. Bedlington had no railway station so I scheduled my visit so as to catch a bus from Blyth with plentiful buses going into Newcastle after for my further stops.

I managed to work out where the ground was from my google map which I'd downloaded in advance. I walked the short distance down Park Road from the main road into town to find the main gates locked. I quickly found an open gate that officials use on matchdays. 

The clubhouse, changing rooms and offices are at the Park Road End behind the goal. The spectators stand on open concrete at this end as they do behind the other goal. The same applied on the far touchline while the fourth side was made up of open standing and a combination of stands containing terracing and seats. 

A neatly kept park and bowling green stood behind this side. The Terriers, named after a local breed of dog, were unlikely to move further up the footballing pyramid but Dr Pit Welfare Park served their needs adequately. It's somewhere I wouldn't mind visiting for a game, not least to visit the picturesque main street and some of the enticing pubs on offer.

Once I had my photos I returned to the main street and caught a bus towards the city and headed out towards the airport for my next venues and to catch up with an old mate.