Newcastle Blue Star

Newcastle Blue Star FC begin life in 1930, competing in the Newcastle Business Houses League two years later. Blue Star played in this league for six seasons before moving onto the North East Amateur League. Later spells would follow in the Tyneside Amateur League and Northern Combination.

A change of title to Blue Star Welfare followed in 1973, saw the club admitted into the Wearside League. Around this time the club moved to the Wheatsheaf Ground, out near the city's airport at Woolsington to the west of the city. 

The club took to its new status, winning the league title at the first attempt in 1973-74 and regaining it in the 1975-76 season. The following season saw the side end as league runners-up, prior to a huge season in the clubs’ history.

A visit to Wembley in the FA Vase after dispatching Almondsbury Greenway in the semi-final arrived, as Barton Rovers were defeated 2-1 in the final of the 1977-78 competition with their opponents featuring Kevin Blackwell in goal. Barry Dunn equalized for the Geordies before Ian Crumplin scored a last minute winner.

The same season saw another league runners-up finish before the early part of the following decade saw three more Wearside League titles added in 1982-83, 1983-84, and 1984-85. The final of the triumphs coincided with the team reaching the first round of the FA Cup, where they went down 2-0 to York City at Bootham Crescent.

In 1985 the club progressed to Northern League status, winning promotion to the top tier at the first attempt in 1985-86. The following year the club changed their name back to Newcastle Blue Star as they ended as league runners-up in 1987-88.

In 1992 a controversial bid was made by local businessman John Waugh to buy financially strapped Maidstone United and merge them with Blue Star to form a new club to play in Tyneside in the Football League and to be called Newcastle Browns FC, but Waugh was strongly rebuffed by the League.

Two years later the club was renamed RTM Newcastle after a sponsorship deal. In 1998 the club reverted to their previous title. The team was relegated in 1998-99 but bounced back at the first attempt to regain Division One status. 

The Wheatsheaf Ground
Former home to Blue Star, later becoming Druids Park and base of Gosforth RFC until 2014

They dropped down a level again in 2002-03 but made a dramatic return in 2004-05 as the following campaign saw the side completed a Northern League and Cup double, but they were unable to accept promotion as the Wheatsheaf Ground did not meet the ground grading requirements.

The FA were keen on Northern League clubs progressing further up the pyramid for some time. There had been resistance from clubs owing to the lack of local matches and travelling expenses that would be incurred, but Blue Star were keen to progress. 

They were accepted into the Northern Premier League for the 2007-08 season after agreeing to move to Kingston Park to share with Newcastle Falcons Rugby Club. The Blue Star Chairman Dave Thompson also owned The Falcons. 

Kingston Park in readiness for a Blue Star game

At the same time the club were given a £65,000 grant by the Football Stadia Improvement Foundation to lay a new 3G pitch at the Wheatsheaf Ground, even though the club had moved out by this point.

Thompson took a twenty-five-year lease out on the ground from the owners and then renamed it Druid Park and used it for Falcons training purposes as well as subletting it to Gosforth Rugby Club as prime tenants.

The move to the higher division was not a success financially and the club asked in March 2008 if they could rejoin the Northern League. This request was turned down and the 2008-09 season under the managership of Paul Baker, who had taken over from Tommy Cassidy, saw The Star win promotion in the play-offs after defeating Colwyn Bay and then Curzon Ashton.

The Main Stand at Kingston Park

Thompson was not impressed with crowds of under 100 for some home games and he withdrew his funding. At the same time FSIF wanted their £65,000 back as Blue Star were not using the ground it was spent on. They allowed time for the repayments, but rather than going down that route the club folded in June 2009.

Local businessmen decided to re-form the club in time for the 2018-19. A new base was found at Grainger Park in Scotswood, in the west of the city, which was gradually developed as a home for the new clubs’ many age group sides. The first team ended third in the seventh tier Northern Football Alliance.

The following two seasons were aborted owing to the Covid-19 pandemic prior to finishing third once again in 2021-22. Brian Smith arrived as manager with an experienced coaching team and led the Star to the league title in 2022-23 to win promotion to Division Two of the Northern League.

A further promotion as runners-up led to promotion to Division One of the competition in 2023-24 after Marc Nash had replaced Smith in November 2023.

Newcastle Blue Star will play in the Northern League Division One in the 2024-25 season.

My visits

Kingston Park

Friday 2nd October 2008

I was visiting the north east for a few days before attending Scarborough Athletic's FA Vase tie at Esh Winning on the Saturday. I stayed at a cheap but not massively cheerful bed and breakfast on Whitley Bay sea front the previous evening and indulged in the culture of a Thursday night out in the town.

After hazy visits to the homes of Whitley Bay, Blyth Spartans and Bedlington Terriers I took a bus back towards Newcastle to join the Metro at South Gosford to head out initially to Kingston Park. I alighted at the station of that name and walked through a modern housing estate for ten minutes or so before finding myself outside the impressive stadium.

The near Brunton Road End had a large covered terrace. To the left was a full length covered seated stand. Opposite this was a decent sized stand on the half way line with the clubhouse and offices built into the back of it. 

Flat open standing bordered this structure. The final part was behind the far goal/posts. This was an open terracing. All the structures were neat and tidy and looked like that they had been recently added.

Wheatsheaf Ground

Friday 2nd October 2008

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. The ground was open so I could have a decent look.

Druid Park had the relatively new 3G pitch with open spectator facilities all the way around. The near 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 a further train to the terminus at the airport. I hadn't taken up plan spotting, but I had a lunchtime appointment with 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 was cancelled because of lack of bookings. After what I can only imagine to have been harsh negotiations, they agreed to compensation for a better hotel but a later flight. It was the least I could do to join them in 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 onto a train south of the river to carry on my afternoon adventures.

I enjoyed my day out, and if truth be told I could see troubles ahead for Blue Star at the time. Playing in a large stadium with all the overheads was never going to satisfy an owner of both clubs. Only one would suffer, and I didn't have to be a genius to work out which one it would be.