Spennymoor Town

Ground: The Brewery Field

Capacity: 4,300

Club Founded: 2005

League: National League North - Step 2/6th Tier (current level)

Although Spennymoor Town FC was formed in 2005, football is ingrained in the town, as the successor club continues to make the locals proud.

Club History

Spennymoor United FC

Spennymoor United was one of County Durham's foremost clubs. Formed in 1877, they competed in the Northern League in 1905-06 before joining the North Eastern League. Spenny went on to lift the championship on four occasions. 

In 1936-37, the club reached the FA Cup third round, where they lost 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. 

The Golden Era

In 1967-68, Spennymoor lifted the title, then repeated the feat in 1971-72, before a third title win a couple of seasons later after defeating Blyth Spartans in a playoff at Ashington. The club added two more Northern League titles before the decade was out in a period of dominance at the Brewery Field.

The 1977-78 campaign saw the side come agonisingly close to reaching the FA Trophy Final at Wembley. In the semi-final, Spenny lost the away leg 2-0 to Leatherhead. A 2-1 win at Brewery Field wasn't enough. The success dried up after winning the league for the sixth time a year later. 

Financial Turmoil and Closure

In 1990-91, Spenny joined the non-league pyramid, successfully applying to join the North East Counties League (NCEL), where they were placed in the Premier Division. Two seasons later, the Moors were promoted to Division One of the Northern Premier League (NPL), from where they were promoted as runners-up in their debut campaign. 

They were relegated before returning to the Premier Division and nearly secured a place in the newly formed Conference North, but Bradford Park Avenue defeated them in a playoff. The 2004-05 campaign proved to be a disaster for the club and the league.

Spennymoor hit severe financial difficulties and failed to fulfil their final nine fixtures. The league committee caused turmoil by awarding three points to the opponents in the unfulfilled matches, leading to protests, appeals, and a different end to the promotion and playoff places. Spennymoor United FC folded in the close season of 2005.

Evenwood Town FC

Evenwood Town was a smaller club based a few miles away, having been formed in 1931. They spent most of their life in the Northern League from 1931-32, and were crowned champions three times. 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 began to share Brewery Field. When United went bust, it was decided to form a new club, Spennymoor Town, which took over Evenwood and their place in the Northern League.

Spennymoor Town in Born

It took the newly formed Town two seasons to win promotion as Division Two champions in 2007 under Alan Murray. Earlier in the season, the FA rejected the club's request to rename itself ‘United’. 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. The local council evicted them from Brewery Field. Vice-Chairman Alan Courtney, the brother of top referee George, intervened and negotiated a twenty-five-year lease of the ground. Ainsley took sole control. In 2009-10, the Northern League title was won for the first time under their new banner.

Wembley Winners

The league title was retained twice more, securing a hat-trick of wins. Finally, a Spennymoor side reached Wembley in May 2013 in the FA Vase final at a time when Northern League clubs dominated the competition. Spenny reached the fifth round twice before Tunbridge Wells were defeated 2-1 in the showpiece.

The Brewery Field was upgraded, allowing the club to apply for promotion. They finished runners-up to the newly formed Darlington club and were turned down. In the 2013-14 season, Spennymoor won the Northern League title and were promoted to the NPL.

More Promotions

In 2015-16, Burscough and then Northwich Victoria were seen off in the playoffs as Spennymoor won promotion to the Premier Division a year after falling short at the same stage. The following season, Nantwich Town and then Stourbridge for Moors to reach the National League North. 

2018-19, Chorley defeated Spennymoor on penalties in the playoff final. Tommy Miller and Ainsley had short spells as manager before Ainsley returned to his role as Head of Football. Jamie Chandler was named as the new boss. He resigned within a few months and was eventually replaced in January 2025 by Graeme Lee.

Recent Seasons

Lee's side went on a tremendous run in the FA Trophy, including away wins against Sutton United and Rochdale, to reach the Wembley final, which ended in defeat to Aldershot Town. Surprisingly, Lee was dismissed and replaced by the returning Miller, who was replaced by Peter Hartley early into the 2026-27 season.

My visit

Spennymoor Town 4 Scarborough Athletic 1

Northern Premier League Division One North - Tuesday 7th October 2014

👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 536 🎟️ £8

My series of night shifts was over, so it was time to escape to a part of the world I never tired of visiting. After a few hours' nap, Dad met me at York on the train, ready for the short journey up to Durham, where we were staying 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. We ate at The Water House, a decent enough Wetherspoons pub before we boarded the bus to Spennymoor from over the road, which dropped us off outside the Brewery Field.

I bought a very good programme for a couple of quid. Brewery Field was my idea of how a non-league ground should look. 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, while flat standing was on either side of a smart seated stand on the fourth side.

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 about 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 defended with a high line as Spenny kicked down the slope. The home side played some very clever football, stretching 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.

Boro's attacking mode was awoken. Nathan Evans, a new loan signing from Wycombe Wanderers, became more involved as the game progressed. Paul Robson was, as ever, having a fine game at right back. Gary Bradshaw nodded home a deserved back post leveller from a deflected cross four minutes before half-time. 

Boro could have easily gone in ahead, but a linesman’s flag denied Evans a debut goal. We were in a more hopeful mood. Sadly, it was not to be. Spennymoor knew how to use the slope to hold passes up for onrushing players. Their fitness and power against a tired Boro side proved to be decisive. 

Jason White somehow made two stops straight after the interval, but Michael Roberts scored from a long pass after 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. Perhaps laying it back would have been a better option. Chris Bolder lofted over the rebound.

Ryan Williams also had a decent chance, while Andrew Stephenson sealed the win in the seventy-second minute. Spenny relaxed a little after that, although they could easily have added more. In fairness, Boro kept trying until the end, but were given a lesson in several departments by an excellent side.

We walked up the road at full-time and awaited our bus, which 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 pub 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 Lloyds Bar, The Bishops’ Mill, down some steps in a very smart area, including a worded, shining clock on the library wall.

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

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