Stokesley Sports Club

Stokesley Sports Club FC

Ground: Stokesley Sports Club

Capacity: 2,000

Club Founded: 1920

League: Northern League Division Two - Step 6/10th Tier (current level)

Stokesley Sports Club FC is a fine example of a small-town club that has progressed sensibly and utilised the opportunity to coexist with the local county FA using the same facility.

A Potted Club History

Early Years

The football club from the market town of Stokesley in North Yorkshire, around ten miles south of Middlesbrough, was formed in 1920. They participated in various local leagues, playing at The Bypass and Springfield and became sharers with Stokesley Cricket Club before moving out in 1963 to utilise several more venues.

The club became a member of the Teesside League in the summer of 1994, two years after returning next door to the cricket club. Stokesley joined Division Two of the Wearside League for the 1999-00 season, finishing runners-up in their debut season. 

A History-Changing Grant

In 2004, Stokesley Sports Club and the North Riding Football Association received a National Lottery grant of £894,000 to build a new clubhouse and develop the ground to meet Northern League standards as the local FA moved into the site.

The 2005-06 campaign saw the club finish as Wearside League runners-up and progress to Division Two of the Northern League, before changing their title to Stokesley FC in the summer of 2009. The team ended the following season as divisional champions, securing promotion to Division One.

Recent Years

Stokesley reverted to their original name in 2011 before being relegated to Division Two. The 2015-16 campaign saw the club finish bottom of the table to face relegation back to the Wearside League. The Wearside and Teesside Leagues combined in the summer of 2018. Stokesley were placed in the Premier Division of the North Riding League. 

The team lifted their league crown in 2025-26, winning promotion back to Division Two of the Northern League under manager James Hunter. A new artificial pitch was laid at the beginning of the following season.

My visit

Richmond Town 0 Scarborough Athletic 2

North Riding Senior Cup Quarter Final - Wednesday 25th January 2017

👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 165 🎟️ £4

Because Richmond Town's Earls Orchard home of the time didn't have floodlights, they used the facilities at Stokesley Sports Club to host Scarborough Athletic in the county cup. Additional photos and a description are available on the Richmond Town FC page.

My visit to Stokesley kicked off six days of football on the road as I used up the remainder of my annual league. The fixture was being played at the Sports Club, as ‘home’ team Richmond Town had no floodlights at their Slee Gill home ground.

My day had been fun-packed in improving weather as I headed north on the train to Darlington before I obtained a £7.80 one-day bus ticket and visited the home grounds of Darlington, Darlington Railway Athletic, Shildon, Bishop Auckland, West Auckland, Crook Town, and Willington football clubs.

After a quick look at Bishop’s old home at the cricket club, I took a train to Middlesbrough, where it was time to grab some food before catching the 28A bus through the Cleveland Hills to Stokesley.

The floodlights of the ground were visible as we approached the town. I alighted, so I never got a look at the town or its pubs, which in hindsight may have been an error. Instead, I headed straight to the ground and paid the very fair £4 admission along with a programme for another quid.

It was my first time at the ground, so I wasn’t aware that the clubhouse and bar were outside the entrance. The kind lady at the gate let me back out so I could head for the warm on what was becoming a very cold evening.

The clubhouse was neat and tidy, even though there was no real ale. I plumped for a bottle of Newcastle Brown after a warming cuppa as the room began to fill up with Boro fans. The travelling support supplied the majority of the crowd.

Once back inside the venue, I took in the scene. There was a neat seated stand down the near side with two low covers behind the goal by the entrance. The rest of the ground consisted of open flat grass and concrete standing areas.

It was lovely to catch up with old friends: Boro directors Nick Finch and Andy Troughton, along with Colin Whelan, who was giving me a ride to Scarborough after the game, and Nigel Searle, along with the unpredictably entertaining Steve Dixon.

This turned out to be my only Boro game of the season. I really should have made more of an effort, but I didn’t want to attend a home game. This was owing to not wanting to test my emotions too far. Queensgate in Bridlington, where Boro were still tenants, was the last place I’d gone to a game with my Dad before he died.

Naturally enough, I was unfamiliar with the Boro team and was interested to see what Steve Kittrick’s outfit had to offer. At the time, they were in a mid-table berth. Their opponents were riding high in the Wearside League.

It turned out to be a very testing evening for the Seadogs as underdogs Richmond flew into challenges and were not prepared to leave anything out on the pitch. Callum Robinson came close for Boro after sixteen minutes, but his drive was saved by Karl Latcham.

The visitors suffered an injury blow shortly after when full back Scott Brown was pole axed with a shocking challenge. He departed with a suspected broken leg. Scott Ryan was proving a handful up front for Town. He twice got round the back of the visiting defence but couldn’t score.

Richmond’s no-nonsense approach was rattling the Boro team, not to mention the supporters. Dan Caisley brought a good save out of Seadogs keeper Jordan Porter from distance. Bro replied with efforts from debutant Matt Lucid, Dave Merris, and Jacob Hazel.

At the break, it was time to head back to the warmth of the clubhouse before returning to take advantage of the excellently priced catering. A Bovril was only 80p, which was an excellent cheeseburger with onions, great value at £2.

We stood in the shelter behind the goal in the second period. Some of the stuff coming from the away support had to be heard to be believed. Referee Wood was having a weak game, but I still think some fans in red and white were watching a different game.

Merris had a free kick turned over the bar, while Hazel saw a volley deflected inches wide of the post. There was an amusing incident when home keeper Latcham began to limp. A teammate took over the gloves, but no substitute came on. Latcham reappeared a few minutes later, having been to the loo to relieve himself!

The match was showing all the signs of ending goalless and going to penalty kicks. Latcham wasn’t the same keeper after his adjournment, as he flapped at crosses. Boro piled on the pressure without breaching the Richmond defence.

As the game entered its final minutes, Boro went ahead when forward Benny Igiehon glanced a header towards goal. Latcham should have saved it, but he could only parry the ball into the corner of the net. It was well deserved after a period of positive football.

Home forward Ryan was shown a second yellow card as Town were reduced to ten men. Jason Newall then fouled Boro’s star man, Robinson, in the box. Hazel stepped up to score from the spot and secure a passage into the semi-final.

Richmond had played their part, if in an aggressive fashion at times. Their fans went away disappointed, but proud at the same time.

Colin drove marvelously as ever, and I was checking into the Premier Inn in Scarborough around midnight, ready for a good sleep. 

After a very pleasant morning and lunch in the town, including magnificent fish and chips at Mother Hubbard's, I headed down to Hull for the second match of my extravaganza; the EPL Cup semi-final between City and Manchester United.