West Allotment Celtic

West Allotment Celtic FC

Ground: East Palmersville Sports Pavilion

Capacity: 1,500

Club Founded: 1928

League: Youth Football (current level)

West Allotment Celtic, from Woolsington, Newcastle Upon Tyne, aren't the first, and won't be the last, football club to struggle and re-set, having resigned from the Northern League in the 2025-26 season.

East Palmersville Sports Pavilion

Club Background

For their first fifty-five years of existence, Celtic played in junior and local leagues. In the Northern Amateur League, Allotment won the title on four occasions, playing their home games at Farm Park until 1968, when they relocated to Backworth Welfare.

Benny Williams was a prolific goalscorer throughout the '70s before the side added another two league titles, which signalled a move to the Northern Alliance in 1983-84. Allotment won the league three times before becoming Whitley Bay FC's tenants at Hillheads Park in 1995.

Former home, Whitley Park

Northern Alliance Dominance

Three more Northern Alliance league titles were collected under the management duo of Ken Scott and Billy Hays before a move to the Blue Flames Club at Whitley Park in Benton in 2001. Terry Mitchell and Brian Latty led the side to another couple of league titles, taking the tally to eight.

West Allotment were promoted to the Northern League (NL) for the 2004-05 season, in which they reached the fourth round of the FA Vase for a second time. The team was promoted to Division One of the NL. They were relegated before returning under the tutelage of Paul Stoneman.

Former home, Druids Park

On the Move

A sharp rent increase saw Celtic depart the Northumberland FA headquarters at Whitley Park to cross the city to become tenants at Druids Park for the start of the 2016-17 campaign, where they were relegated. A degree of stability was found, ending a period when the club's existence was in doubt.

Celtic returned to action in a new home following the pandemic at the East Palmersville Sports Pavilion, near their original base after twenty-five nomadic years. The club was rewarded with promotion through its performances during the abandoned seasons. 

East Palmersville Sports Pavilion

Northern League Resignation

In November 2024, support from the local community helped save the Celtic from a perilous financial situation, and it was decided to invite joint owners to invest as the club became fan-owned. Reece Chapman was appointed as Celtic manager in May 2025. The club resigned from the Northern League in March 2026, with the team's playing record being expunged.

Social media posts indicated that the club would return. In the meantime, it concentrated on its youth section.

My visits

Druid Park

Friday 2nd October 2008

My visit to Druid Park came several years before Celtic headed west across the city. I’d been to have a look at Kingston Park, where the recently expunged Newcastle Blue Star saw out their last years.

I returned to the station and caught a train west to Callerton Parkway, as the planes flew closely overhead. Druid Park, or the Wheatsheaf Ground as it was called during Blue Star's tenure, was a short walk down a road past the Wheatsheaf pub.

Many years later, it would become the home of West Allotment Celtic. The ground was open, so I could pop inside to have a decent look. Druid Park had a relatively new 3G pitch with open spectator facilities all the way around.

The nearest side had the clubhouse and changing facilities, along with a car park. The only covered area was a small stand on the far side, which was emblazoned with 'Gosforth RFC' on the back wall.

I left the ground and took another train to the airport terminus. I hadn't taken up plain spotting, but I had a lunchtime appointment with my friend and fellow Scarborough fan, Bunner, and his good lady Anita.

He had rung me the previous evening from Jarrow, where he had been staying before their intended annual holiday to Turkey. That morning, he called me again in somewhat of a state. They had turned up to be told that their flight and holiday had been cancelled because of a lack of bookings.

They agreed to compensation for a better hotel and a later flight, after what I can only imagine were harsh negotiations. It was the least I could do to join them at the departure terminal for a few drinks!

I said my goodbyes and promised updates from Boro's game the following day, before catching the Metro back to the city to connect to a train south of the river to coninue with my afternoon adventures.

Whitley Park

Saturday 3rd October 2008

The following morning, I went on to Whitley Park, Celtic’s home at the time. I was on my way to Esh Winning v Scarborough after some heavy groundhopping the day before. I had left my less-than-luxurious B&B in Whitley Bay, ready to visit five more venues.

Alighting from the metro at Benton station, I made the short walk to Whitley Road, where I found the car park and entrance to the complex. A junior team was meeting there for a game elsewhere, so I got a few hello's as they probably thought I worked there.

I found an open gate and walked into the ground to find quite an impressive venue. I was on top of a grass bank looking down at a path by the pitch side fence. At the top of the bank was one small covered shelter.

Further along, there were two small seated stands separated by the player's tunnel before steps led down to the pitch, allowing spectators an excellent elevated view of proceedings. Many office buildings, sports facilities, and changing rooms were behind the stands on top of the bank. The pitches were in immaculate condition.

As I left, I wondered just how some clubs and grounds seem to be held to ransom by the stringent ground graders, while some get away with it. Whitley Park was very neat and tidy, but didn't meet all requirements. I looked behind me and saw a sign that may have given the game away. Whitley Park was home to the Northumberland FA after all!