‘The Blue & Whites’ quickly made an impact as they finished as
Northern League runners-up in 1912-13 before lifting the title the following
season. The second league championship arrived at Hall Lane in 1925-26.
The 1927-28 campaign saw Willington reach the semi-final of the FA
Amateur Cup, where they were defeated by Cockfield at Kingsway, Bishop Auckland
in a replay after the first game at Darlington’s Feethams home ended level.
In 1929-30 a third Northern League crown was collected before the side
went on a fine Amateur Cup run in 1938-39. Wins over Moor Green, Kingstonian
and Norton Woodseats saw Willington reach the final, where they were beaten 3-0
by Bishop Auckland at Roker Park.
The club appeared in the first round of the FA Cup in 1945-46 where they
once again fell to Bishop Auckland. The 1949-50 season saw Willington finally
lift the Amateur Cup, after dishing out a 4-0 hiding to Bishop Auckland in
front of 88,000 fans.
The 1950-51 season saw the club in the first round of the FA Cup once
again, but the appearance ended in a 3-1 defeat at Spotland to Rochdale. In
1957-58 the team ended the campaign as Northern League runners-up, before
following the performance up with a third place ending the season after.
Several lower middle table finishes were the order of the day throughout
the 1960’s before the club had a brief renaissance in the first half of the
1970’s. In 1973-74 Willington drew 0-0 at home to Blackburn Rovers in the FA
Cup first round. However, the Ewood Park replay ended in a 6-1 defeat.
In 1975-76 a fine FA Trophy run saw victories accumulated against
Lancaster City and Macclesfield Town, before the Blue & Whites bowed out
away to Nuneaton Borough. Willington ended the season as Northern League
runners-up.
In 1982-83 the team was relegated to the recently formed Division Two of
the Northern League. The following two decades were a real struggle as the town
suffered from the pit closures and depression of the period.
The team finished bottom of Division Two in 1983-84 and 1991-92 before
being relegated to the Wearside League in 2005-06. The hard times continued
with the side finishing second bottom of the league in 2008-09 and 2009-10.
The club turned itself round with a fifth place finish in 2011-12 being
followed up with ending as Wearside League runners-up in 2012-13 and gaining
promotion back to the Northern League.
The return was a struggle as Willington narrowly avoided relegation on a
couple of occasions; culminating in an eighteenth place finish in 2016-17.
Willington FC will play in the Northern League Division Two in 2017-18.
My visit
Wednesday 25th January 2017
It was a very pleasant winter’s afternoon in County Durham as I continued
to gallivant around the area using my excellent value one day bus ticket. I was
in particularly good form after visiting some cracking venues and historic
football clubs.
The X46 bus carried me from Crook to Willington. As we headed down the
hill of West Road the football ground came into view on the right hand side. I
alighted at the Commercial Street stop and walked down Hall lane Estate to the
ground, where the gates were open.
Two gents were working on the ground, of which pride of place went to
fine old seated grandstand on the far side. Covered spectators were catered for by a sturdy little roof behind the top goal, a modern build at the other end and an overhang in front of the clubhouse and changing rooms.
The main buildings were by the entrance opposite the seating, while the rest of the ground had plentiful hard standing and grass banking sloping down towards the pitch. It was another fine venue in the old heartland of amateur football.
With my photos complete I walked through the estate, getting a little bit lost before finding the Rockingham Road bus stop from where I caught the 109 service to Bishop Auckland to have a peak at Kingsway, which was now just the home of the local cricket club.
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