Hebburn Town

Hebburn Town FC is a non-league football club based south of the River Tyne in the town of Hebburn. They were formed as Reyrolles FC back in 1912 after an engineering works of that name next door to the ground on South Drive.

Over the years the club played in several different leagues. In 1927 they entered the Tyneside League before joining the North Eastern League around World War Two and until 1960 when they moved into the Wearside League.

The club entered the Wearside League for the 1960-61 season, becoming champions in 1966-67 before changing names to Hebburn Reyrolles in 1981, Hebburn in 1988 before adding ‘Town’ to take their present name in 2000.

Hebburn had became members of the Northern League in 1989, winning promotion to Division One in 1991-92. In 1994-95, the club was relegated because of issues over the Hebburn Sports and Social Club which was primarily hosts to Hebburn Cricket Club.

In 1999-00 the side regained their elevated status but were relegated after just one season back in the top flight. The 2011-12 season brought success to 'The Hornets' as they reached the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round, where local rivals Gateshead ended their run.

Town did end the season in third place in the league to secure promotion under manager Paul Bennett. Hebburn's run in the top division lasted for two seasons before they were relegated in 2013-14 after Bennett departed to Jarrow Roofing, taking most of the squad with him.

The Hornets hit a period of decline by 2016-17, with attendances dropping to around the 30 mark and the clubhouse in desperate need of repair. The club decided to launch a campaign called “Save Hebburn” gaining the club a lot of publicity.

Newcastle United and Sunderland both sent sides to Hebburn which gained awareness and much needed funds. The 2017-18 campaign saw a Division Two runners-up berth and promotion back to the top flight of the Northern League.

New owners took over with local businessmen investing in the club. Manager Scott Oliver took the team to the fifth round of the FA Vase in 2018-19, going out to West Auckland Town, as well as league runners-up, prior to the appointment of Kevin Bolam as the new team boss.

The Hornets sat third in the league in 2019-20 and top in 2020-21 when both seasons were abandoned early owing to the outbreak of C-19. However, the FA Vase was completed in both campaigns.

In 2019-20, Town battled through the early rounds before seeing off Plymouth Parkway in the last eight before defeating Corinthian of Kent to reach Wembley. The match was held over until May 2021 and resulted in a 3-2 win against Consett with goals from Michael Richardson, Olly Martin and Amar Purewal, whose twin Arjun lined up for Consett.

Sadly, the final was played behind closed doors, but was shown free to air on BT Sport. Hebburn were unable to return with fans a few weeks later in the 2020-21 competition as they went out in the quarter finals to eventual winners Warrington Rylands.

However, consolation came when the club was awarded promotion to the Northern Premier League by virtue of their performances over the pandemic hot seasons.

Hebburn Town FC will compete in the Northern Premier League Division One East in the 2021-22 season.

My visits

Friday 3rd October 2008 

I was nearing the conclusion of a long days groundhop when I alighted at Hebburn Metro station. I set off on a longer than anticipated walk to the ground past a housing estate and some light industrial works before emerging on the main Victoria Road which is behind one of the goals. 

I couldn't get inside but I once again received some interested glances from passers by as to why a man was leaning up to the high fence of a football ground with a mobile phone in hand. I use my mobile to take photos now that the technology is so advanced.

The Sports and Social Club seemed quite a basic venue. It is flat standing on three sides consisting of a narrow path and grass, with the fourth given over to the cricket ground. On the opposite side to this, which backed onto North Drive, was a stand which has blue seats and a small area for standing. 

At the far end near the corner flag on the cricket field side is a two story building containing the clubhouse and changing rooms.

I walked away from the rather pleasant area near the ground, back through the estate to the station giggling at some of the phone calls being taken on Talksport about recent Newcastle's recent appointment Joe Kinnear and his four letter tirade against the media.

Hebburn Town 1 Whitby Town 3 (Tuesday 13^th July 2011) Friendly (att: 175)

My plans for the week I booked off work had changed dramatically after the match between Yorkshire and Lancashire was moved away from Scarborough owing to crowd restrictions imposed owing to the Cornavirus pandemic.

Instead, I decided to have a jaunt around a large part of the country on what I called my Zigzag Tour. Park of which saw me staying in Newcastle for two nights. The weather had improved as the day got on, which had included a few hours up the coast at Berwick.

Refreshed from a shower and siesta, it was time for some refreshment. Sadly, the Posada pub next door to my Easy Hotel on Side leading down to the Quayside had shut down, so I needed somewhere for an hour.

One of my pals had messaged me with a recommendation of the Bridge Hotel. After taking some photos on the waterfront I climbed the steps back up and entered the majestic wood panelled pub. It was just what I was after.

The lads behind the counter were superb with prompt table service, even putting the England v Pakistan ODI on TV for me. The ales were excellent. I sampled some from Wallsend and Cumbria before it was time to head off.

Other matches that interested me in the area were the possibility of staying in Berwick and going to a game in the Charity Cup at the atmospheric Stanks ground, along with a friendly at Newcastle Benfield and the clash between Dunston UTS and Gateshead, but Hebburn's rejuvenation deserved a look in my view.

The number 27 bus service from the north end of the bridge, by Newcastle Castle took me over the Tyne and through Gateshead, Heworth and Pelaw. I was meant to alight at Hebburn College, but the stop didn’t come up on the display, despite it being on the timetable.

Fortunately, I saw the warning signs, albeit much later than I should have as we headed east away from the main shopping area of Hebburn. I alighted near The Clock pub, leaving over a mile to walk back along Victoria Road East.

I was receiving a warm welcome as I went through the corner gate to the ground as the teams came out to Belinda Carlisle’s “Heaven is a place on earth” which of course the locals refer to Hebburn being that place. Admission was £5. No programmes had been produced. I made my way round to the clubhouse in the opposite corner in search of food.

A small mince pie, chips and gravy set me back £3, which I thought good value. I didn’t venture into the clubhouse, instead securing a position near a wall by the pitch to enjoy my fodder while watching the early exchanges of the match on a warm sunny evening.

The Sports & Social Ground looked pristine in the conditions. The pitch was like a carpet and the whole place had received some care and attention since my previous visit, with new signage and fencing plus additional open seating to satisfy the ground graders along with a small cover at the road end.

The cricket square looked like it had been dispensed with, as the area now had the dug outs plus a tower for filming matches along with hard standing for spectators. A second pitch remained behind it.

Whitby started off proceedings firmly on the front foot against their hosts who had been promoted to the second tier of the Northern Premier League during the close season. The Seasiders scored twice in the first ten minutes.

Bradley Fewster broke and saw is low cross diverted into his own net by a Hebburn triallist. Soon the lead was doubled when former Scarborough forward Jacob Hazel received a through ball and half volleyed with his left foot. The stunning drive beat keeper Mark Foden all ends up.

Hazel came agonisingly close to extending the lead with a free kick before Foden made a superb save to keep his side in the game. The Hornets gradually got themselves going with Michael Richardson firing just wide of the Whitby net.

Hebburn weren’t to be denied halfway through the first period as a Tom Potter shot was too hot for keeper Shane Bland who couldn’t prevent the ball from going in. The home pressure continued forcing Bland into a superb stop via the crossbar from an Olly Martin effort.

The jet heeled Nelson Ogbewe and then Martin both had shots wide of the post before the end of the first half. After plenty of wandering about I decided to take up a position on the back row of the stand under shelter from the sun during the break.

Jameel Ible saw his volley saved by Foden five minutes after the restart before Bland pulled off a tremendous double save to deny Richardson and then Potter. On seventy four minutes, the stopper pulled off an even better stop as Martin seemed certain to score from close range.

The Seasiders continued to look dangerous on the break, but it was against the run of play when Marcus Giles found himself in front of goal to extend the lead. Richardson headed just wide in reply before I headed away to catch the Metro back to the city.

Several pals had been charting my travels on social media and were ever helpful with suggestions. One told me his uncle used to run the Old George Inn on High Bridge. Unfortunately, orders were only available via the App, and I was dealing in cash only owing to fraudulent actions on my card back in London.

Instead, I headed back to the Bridge Hotel, which was now quieter after the post work crowd had departed. I decided to go down the steps and finish off in The Quayside, a Wetherspoons establishment where I was probably the eldest punter.

The following morning, I had more time to kill taking photos and wandering around the city centre, buying a book at The Front Page and having a beer to Dad in The Mile Post, which was one of his favourite pubs, before I took the train, ironically enough, to Whitby for another overnight stay.