Eastfield

Eastfield AFC, was an amateur football club, formed in 1952, which represented the large settlement connected to the south of Scarborough.

For many years, the club were one of the leading outfits in the Scarborough & District League at their Eastway home, picking up several honours along the way, including league title wins in 1981-82 and 1984-85. The second of which prompted the bold move to join the Teesside League for the 1985-86 season.

Scarborough FC also wanted their reserve team to play in the competition. However, reserve sides were against the league regulations, so the first incarnation of Scarborough Athletic was formed, with the Athletic Ground being the inspiration behind the name.

Craig Salt was the Eastfield player-manager.  Their first game was a 2-1 defeat at Darlington Railway Athletic. They remained in the Teesside League for six seasons, returning to the Scarborough & District League for the 1991-92 season.

The Strongwood. A base for former clubs.

Eastfield went on to win further titles in that league in 2005-06, 2007-08, and 2009-10. The club eventually folded in 2014, before other Eastfield clubs represented the area, using the Eastway Sports & Social Club as a base.

The Scarborough & District Football League discontinued after 126 years of competition, at the end of the 2023-24 season, a few years after the Sunday League also called it a day. A terrible shame and reflection on modern society, in the opinion of this author. There were divisions in both the Saturday and Sunday leagues when I left Scarborough in 1999.

My visit

Eastfield 2 Scarborough Athletic 2 (Wednesday 10th September 1986) Teesside League (att: c150)

A future Eastfield programme

Over the years, I played in many matches on several football pitches at Eastway, as well as cricket on a few occasions. Sunday League games were against Strongwood FC, with the team based in the pub next to the ground, which has also gone. The pitch for this game ran from east to west, with a rope along the nearside touchline for spectators to remain behind.

Back in the day, I was completely skint but eager to watch what promised to be a spicy local derby with much pride at stake. I walked from South Cliff over Oliver’s Mount and then the fields to Eastfield, which was over three miles, uphill and down dale. I was always fit at the time, helped by my financial irresponsibility.

How the Scarborough Evening News reported the game.

The match wasn’t a letdown as the report suggests. Plenty of niggle, aggression, skill, four goals and a sending off. It was embarrassing not to have any money to put into the collection bucket at half-time. Craig Short, at the start of a stellar career, was in the Athletic team.

I cannot remember if anyone gave me a lift back into town or if I walked back. The return match was also a classic on a cold day in icy conditions as Eastfield beat Boro 3-2, while Scarborough won away to Cheltenham on the way to the Conference title. Updated scores were announced to the decent-sized crowd.