Newcastle Benfield

Although Newcastle Benfield FC have only been on the go since 1988, they have certainly had an interesting history.

Their history started at Brunswick Village FC but changed their name to Heaton Corner House FC after just one season. After one season they moved to their current home at Sam Smith's Park from Walker Park and changed names to Newcastle Benfield Park a year later. At this time the club were members of the Northern Alliance and remained there until 2003 when promotion was won to the Northern League after they had merged with North Shield's club, St. Columbas and renamed themselves Newcastle Benfield Saints. In 2005 they changed their name again, this time to Newcastle Benfield Bay Plastics after their sponsors. 2007 saw the club change names to their current moniker.

Newcastle Benfield FC will compete in the Northern League Division One in season 2014-15.
 

My visit

Saturday October 4th 2008 

I was out and about on a wet morning before heading off to Esh Winning v Scarborough Athletic. I had been to two previous grounds and was under the impression that I needed to get a bus so I could then connect with a train to Walkergate Metro station before taking a ten minute walk to Sam Smith's Park. Although my plans would have been spot on if I'd have come from the centre of Newcastle, I realised I had been with fifty yards of Cherrywood, the road that leads to the ground on the earlier bus and wasted at least thirty minutes.

I continued undaunted and found the grounds entrance. The ground is at the end of a smart residential street and not somewhere you'd generally expect to find a football ground. I took some photos over the perimeter wall before realising that the small entrance gate was unlocked so I went inside. Entrance was by a corner flag and to my right was flat standing behind the goal with some facilities housed in what looked like green storage containers. The far touchline were made up of a mixture of open hard and grass standing apart from what looks like the start of the construction of a small stand. I saw some tip up seats stacked next to the clubhouse so I presumed they would be fitted at a later date. To my immediate right was the clubhouse and changing rooms. Further up the touchline was a covered seated stand with a covered shelter next to it for those wishing to stand up.

I left the ground and walked further up Benfield Road away from the station which led me to the main Coast Road from where I caught a bus into town for a very large brunch!