Spennymoor Town

The forming of non-league football club Spennymoor Town followed a long and historical path. The club from the Durham coalfields in England’s north east came about when Spennymoor United folded and the new club took over from Evenwood Town who were also based at Brewery Field following the loss of their own ground.

Spennymoor United were one of the foremost clubs in the area. They were formed back in 1877. They competed in the Northern League in 1905-06 before deciding to ply their trade in the North Eastern League. Spenny went on to lift the championship on four occasions; in 1909-10, 1944-45, 1945-46 and 1956-57. In 1936-37 the club reached the third round of the FA Cup where they were defeated 7-1 at The Hawthorns against West Bromwich Albion, after Ipswich Town had been beaten away from home in the previous round.

In 1958 the club defected to the Midland League for a couple of seasons before re-joining the Northern League in 1960. They took a few seasons before honours arrived at Brewery Field in 1967-68 as Spennymoor lifted the title. A second triumph was added in 1971-72, followed by a third in 1973-74 as Blyth Spartans were defeated in a play off at Ashington.

The 1976-77 campaign saw a forth title collected, again by courtesy of a play off. This time Consett were defeated at Willington. Number five came the season after as the side came agonisingly close to reaching the FA Trophy Final at Wembley. In the semi-final Spenny lost the away leg 2-0 to Leatherhead. Despite winning the return 2-1 at Brewery Field they lost out on aggregate.

After winning the league for the sixth time in 1978-79, the success dried up. In 1990-91 Spenny decided to try and climb the non-league pyramid by joining the North East Counties League, being accepted into the Premier Division.

The league was sealed in 1992-93 as The Moors were promoted to Division One of the Northern Premier League, from where they were promoted as runners-up at the first attempt. They remained there until relegation in 2001.

After missing out on promotion via the play offs the following season, Moors didn’t miss out in 2002-03 as they returned to the Premier Division in second place. The club nearly secured a place in the newly formed Conference North, but were defeated by Bradford Park Avenue in a play off.

The 2004-05 campaign proved to be a disaster for the club and the league. Spennymoor hit severe financial difficulties, failing to fulfil their final nine fixtures and being deducted twelve points. The league committee caused turmoil by awarding the points to the opponents in the unfulfilled matches, leading to protests, appeals and a different end to the promotion and play off places.

Spennymoor United folded in the close season of 2005.

Evenwood Town were a smaller club based a few miles away having being formed in 1931. They spent the vast majority of their life in the Northern League from 1931-32, even being crowned as champions in 1948-49, 1969-70 and 1970-71.

However, they finished bottom of Division One in 1983-84. Evenwood didn’t come really close to promotion from Division Two, with a fourth place finish in 1993-94 their highest return.

After losing their ground they moved in to share Brewery Field. When United went bust it was decided to form a new club; Spennymoor Town, who took over Evenwood and their place in the Northern League.

 

It took the newly formed Town two seasons before they won promotion as Division Two champions in 2007 under the leadership of Alan Murray. Earlier in the season, the club had applied to rename themselves as ‘United’, but this was turned down by the FA.

On the pitch the management team of Jamie Pollock and Jason Ainsley had proved popular and successful. However, a new crisis hit the club off the pitch as they were evicted from Brewery Field by the local council. The intervention of Vice-Chairman Alan Courtney, the brother of top referee George, managed to negotiate a twenty five year lease of the ground after Pollock departed in the summer of 2007.

After a consolidation period in their new surroundings, investment came into the club as many players were signed on contracts. The Northern League title was secured for the first time under their new banner in 2009-10. It was retained for the following two seasons to secure a hat trick of wins.

Finally a Spennymoor side reached Wembley in May 2013 for the final of the FA Vase at a time when Northern League clubs dominated the competition. Spenny had reached the fifth round twice previously, but were not to be denied a visit to the national stadium as Tunbridge Wells were defeated 2-1 in the showpiece.

Improvements were made to Brewery Field as the club applied for promotion. They ended up as runners up to the newly formed Darlington club and were turned down. This was put right in the 2013-14 season. Newcastle Benfield halted the FA Vase campaign in round five, but the Northern League title was secured and along with it promotion to the Northern Premier League.

Spennymoor Town will play in the Northern Premier League Division One North in the 2014-15 season.

My visit

Spennymoor Town 4 Scarborough Athletic 1 (Tuesday 7th October 2014) Northern Premier League Division One North (att: 536)

My series of night shifts were at an end, so it was time to escape to a part of the world I enjoy very much. After a few hours nap, Dad met me at York on the train ready for the short journey up to Durham, where we were to stay for the evening.

It was a fine autumnal day and the old city looked so pretty. After dumping off our bags we headed back into town and did some sightseeing; visiting the cathedral and the market square. It really was a magnificent place.

Tea was taken at The Water House, a decent enough Wetherspoons establishment before we boarded the bus to Spennymoor from over the road which very handily dropped us off outside the Brewery Field.

Admission was £8, with a very good programme costing another couple of quid. Brewer Field was just my idea of how a non league ground should have looked. The turnstiles were on the corner, with open terracing behind the near goal. The far end was a covered terrace. The far side was open with a section of terracing down the significant slope at the far end. A raised barrier behind the dug outs looked a popular vantage point. The final side had open terracing and flat standing either side of a smart seated stand. At the rear divided by the press area were two enclosed bars.

I caught up with the members of the Boro fraternity I needed a word with regarding club business and enjoyed a bottle of Newcastle Brown for a fair price of £2.70. It was soon time for kick off. Dad was over the far side so I met up with him. He didn't bother with pre match libations.

Boro decided to defend with a high line as Spenny kicked down the slope. The home side played some very clever football as they stretched the Seadogs defence right to the touchlines. They created a few decent chances, but Boro held on until Liam Henderson put Moors ahead just past the half hour mark.

This seemed to spring the Boro attacking mode into life. New loan signing from Wycombe Wanderers, Nathan Evans was becoming more involved as the game progressed. Paul Robson was as ever having a fine game at right back.

With four minutes of the first half remaining Gary Bradshaw nodded home a deserved leveller at the back post from a deflected cross. Boro could have easily gone in ahead, but a linesman’s flag denied Evans a debut goal. We walked down to the cover at the far end in hopeful mood.

Sadly, it was not to be. Spennymoor obviously knew how to use the slope to hold passes up for onrushing players. Their fitness and power against a tired Boro side was decisive. Jason White somehow made two stops straight after the interval, but a long ball was put away by Michael Roberts on fifty five minutes.

Henderson added a third with a superb finish from the edge of the box five minutes later. Bradshaw hit the post for Boro soon after, when perhaps laying it back would have been a better option. The rebound was lofted over by Chris Bolder.

Ryan Williams also had a decent chance which came to nothing, while Andrew Stephenson sealed the win on seventy two minutes. Spenny relaxed a little after that, although they could easily have added more. In fairness Boro kept trying until the end, but they had been given a lesson in several departments by an excellent side.

We walked up the road on full time and awaited our bus that arrived bang on time at five to ten. The ride back took just fifteen minutes. It was time to reflect and enjoy a beer or more.

Sadly The Shakespeare was closed. We returned to the Market Tavern through the square, busy with well behaved and smartly dressed students. After a couple of moderate pints we walked to the Lloyds bar, The Bishops’ Mill, which was down some steps in a very smart area including a worded shining clock on the library wall.

The pub reminded us of a posh casino or cruise liner. The furniture was excellent as was the drinks and general ambience. It was an excellent antidote to a 4-1 away defeat.

After an excellent night’s sleep we spend the next day and night in Newcastle and the coast to round off a splendid trip. The north east really did the job for us. It was a pleasure to have spent time together up there.