North Shields

North Shields FC from Tyneside are a famous old name in amateur and non league football. They were formed in 1896 as North Shields Athletic, moving into their Appleby Park home on Hawkeys Lane in 1900. They started out in the North Eastern League and changed their name to Preston Colliery in 1918. They became North Shields FC in 1928.

A year later the club were promoted to Division One of the North Eastern League. After being crowned as league champions in 1949-50 the club ventured further afield by joining the Midland League in 1958-59 and going on to a second place finish in their second season.

'The Robins' returned to a competition nearer home as they became founder members of the Northern Counties League in 1960. Two years later Shields joined the re-formed North Eastern League. Their spell in that league lasted a further two years before the club joined the Northern League in 1964.

The 1968-69 season proved to be a golden one in the clubs history as they lifted the Northern League crown and going on to win the FA Amateur Cup after defeating Skelmersdale United in a semi final replay before beating Sutton United 2-1 at Wembley.

North Shields had an excellent FA Cup run in 1982-83 as they reached the first round proper where they beat League side Halifax Town 1-0 at The Shay. Walsall ended the run with a 3-0 win at Appleby Park.

In an attempt to climb the non league pyramid Shields made the move to the Northern Counties East League in 1989. After finishing runners-up twice they landed the championship, but the move was to prove disastrous.

North Shields had played at Appleby Park until 1992 when debts and subsidence at the ground forced the club into selling the land. The ground was one of the finest non-league stadiums in the country and disputedly the fourth best in the North East after St James', Roker and Ayresome Park's. After two years of playing at various grounds around the Wallsend area the club finally reached an agreement with North Tyneside Council and a new ground known as Ralph Gardner Park was built in the Chirton area of North Shields.

The club by then had dropped down to the Wearside League and had a short spell under their old name of North Shields Athletic between 1995 and 1999. Shields won the Wearside League title in 2001-02 and then again in 2003-04 and promotion back to the Northern League.

After nine years in Division Two, Shields won Division Two with former Blackburn Rovers and Aston Villa striker Graham Fenton as team manager in the 2013-14 season.

North Shields FC will play in the Northern League Division One in season 2014-15.

My visits

I first visited North Shields when the club were housed in the summer of 1984, when myself and my brother Nick, took advantage of a cheap shopping coach to Newcastle to do some shopping and have a general look around while riding on the newly installed Metro.

We walked to Appleby Park but couldn't find a way in. I was shy in those days, much to my regret now. There was a packed clubhouse which looked out onto the pitch but we didn't go and ask to have a look.

It was a shame as the ground had a Main Stand on the far side with covered terracing behind either goal. It was obviously very impressive. It was used for an episode of Supergran at the time.

Forwarding to Friday 3 October 2008 as I took the ferry across the Tyne from South Shields to make my final call of the day after a wonderful jaunt to many grounds in the area. Ralph Gardner Park was quite a walk from the town centre. On approaching the ground I noticed a bunch of youths were in the Main Stand, obviously up to no good.

I took my photos by hanging over the lowish perimeter fences.

Unfortunately the new place doesn't compare in any way with Appleby Park. It is an open venue with a mixture of hard standing and grass apart from a small Main Stand and small cover opposite. The clubhouse and changing rooms are behind one of the goals.