Skelmersdale United

Skelmersdale United FC is a non-league football club from the Lancashire town of the same name that was formed in 1882 as Skelmersdale Young Rovers after the team was brought together by teachers of Skelmersdale Wesleyan Day School.

Under the football enthusiast and head teacher, Mr. Forster of St Helens, the club changed its title to Skelmersdale Wesleyans. The church minister expressed disapproval of this, so the name was changed to Skelmersdale United.

‘Skem’ became a founder member of the Lancashire Combination in 1891-92 before departing after a couple of seasons; before re-joining the newly founded Division Two for the 1903-04 season. In 1907, the club left the competition once again.

The club competed in the Liverpool County Combination from 1909, going on to win the title ten times; the first triumph coming in 1910-11. The reserve side took up the position in that particular competition for a short while as the first team competed in the Lancashire Combination once more from 1921 to 1924.

A further re-admittance saw United being crowned as Lancashire Combination Division Two Champions in 1955-56 and winning promotion to Division One. A golden era was about to commence at the club as Skelmersdale was designated as a new town in 1961.

This led to an increase in industry and population, as many people migrated from Merseyside. In August 1961, Wesley Bridge was made Secretary/Manager of United and began the radical restructuring of the club.

The 1966-67 season saw Skem go on a terrific FA Amateur Cup run as youngster Mickey Burns started to bang in the goals. Wins against Wealdstone and Slough Town, which attracted a record gate of 7,500 to White Moss Park. Hendon were defeated in the semi-final, which saw the team reach Wembley, where they faced Enfield.

The final in front of 75,000 fans ended 0-0 after Alan Bermingham missed a last-minute penalty before Enfield won the midweek replay 3-0 at Maine Road in Manchester in front of a crowd of 53,000. The following campaign saw United’s first FA Cup first round appearance as they went down 2-0 away to Scunthorpe United.

In 1968-69, the club joined the Cheshire League, becoming champions in their debut season; while victories over Oxford City, Whitby Town, and Enfield led Skem to the semi-final of the Amateur Cup, where they lost out to North Shields in a replay at Southport’s Haig Avenue.

The team also reached the first round of the FA Cup once again, where they were defeated by Chesterfield. Skem retained the Cheshire League title as well as reaching the last four of the Amateur Cup in 1969-70 as Steve Heighway was starring with the team. Enfield once again spoiled the party, with a 1-0 win at the Baseball Ground.

Skelmersdale were not to be denied their Amateur Cup glory. In 1970-71, they defeated Sutton Coldfield Town, Tow Law Town, Wycombe Wanderers, and then Leatherhead at Burnden Park to reach Wembley for a second time. This time there was to be no mistake for the team led by Ron Rees as Dagenham were defeated 4-1 as Ted Dicken netted a hat trick with Andy Windsor adding the other goal.

Skelmersdale moved to the semi-professional Northern Premier League for the 1971-72 season, as well as being defeated by Tranmere Rovers in the first round of the FA Cup. The move to the new league created financial issues through player payments and travel expenses.

The team's highest finish in the league was eleventh in their debut season. After finishing in eighteenth spot in 1975-76, the club moved to the Lancashire Combination, lasting there for two seasons before dropping down to the second tier of the Cheshire County League.

In 1982, the Cheshire County League and Lancashire Combination merged to form the North West Counties League. Skem were placed in Division Two. Five years later, the league was reconstructed following the addition of a second division in the Northern Premier League. United benefited from being moved up to Division One of the NWCL.

The team was relegated back to Division Two after three seasons of struggle. Russ Perkins was appointed as manager and led the side to promotion in 1997-98 as runners-up. Stuart Rudd began to bang the goals in before the club left White Moss Park in 2002.

The new ground was officially titled the Westgate Interactive Stadium in a sponsorship deal, although it was generally known as Stormy Corner by the locals. Paul Gallagher took over as manager and led the side to a second-place finish in 2005-06 and promotion to the second tier of the Northern Premier League.

Experienced manager Tommy Lawson arrived at the club as the team looked to build on their momentum. In 2007-08, Curzon Ashton were defeated in the playoffs before FC United of Manchester denied Skem promotion by winning the final. The following season, Curzon Ashton exacted revenge as they ended Skelmersdale’s season with victory in the play-off semi-final. 

In 2009-10, Lancaster City ended promotion hopes with a semi-final playoff win. In 2010-11, Skem ended the regular season as league runners-up. AFC Fylde left Stormy Corner victorious after inflicting a defeat in the play-offs. Lawson led the team to the Division One North title in 2012-13 as United won the league by sixteen points.

Skem finished just outside the playoff positions in 2013-14 and 2014-15 before financial worries once again reared their head. The club managed to finish the season only through the efforts of players, supporters, and sponsors.

The playing budget was affected for the 2015-16 campaign at the West Lancashire College Stadium, as the ground had been renamed, as the team finished in sixteenth position. Long-serving manager Lawson was sacked in January 2017 with the team in the relegation places.

Former Tranmere Rovers, Nottingham Forest, and Leicester City defender Alan Rogers was appointed as the new manager. He installed a young and inexperienced side that battled against the odds. Problems continued off the pitch as stadium landlords Chequer Properties failed to negotiate a new lease with the club.

The team was relegated in March 2017 with fears that the club may cease to exist. However, the directors announced in April 2017 that a deal had been done to ground share with neighbours Prescot Cables from November 2017.

In September 2017, Rogers announced that he’d be stepping down from the role, as Dave Powell arrived as his replacement. The side avoided relegation before being placed in Division One West of the restructured competition, with Paul McNally arriving as the new manager in November 2018.

United were relegated a few months later to the North West Counties League before eventually moving into JMO Sports Park back in their hometown. The side went on to reach the first round of the FA Cup in 2020-21, losing to Harrogate Town. This was the first time the club had reached that stage since 1971.

The 2021-22 campaign saw Skelmersdale qualify for a one-off playoff game, in which they defeated Cinderford Town to return to Division One West of the Northern Premier League. However, problems with the artificial pitch at the JMO meant that the club had to become tenants of Burscough FC at The Community Ground, but were demoted back to the NWCL.

In September 2022, McNally stood down to be replaced by Matt Potter, before Premier League star Pascal Chimbonda was appointed just over a year later. Not surprisingly, the plan didn't work out. Skem were relegated from the Premier Division, with former boss Tommy Lawson returning in May 2024.

The 2024-25 season was another disaster, with United already relegated by February. They went down to the Liverpool County Premier League while becoming tenants of Marine FC. Lawson resigned in July 2025 to be replaced by Nick Matthews. He lasted just a few months before being succeeded by former player Andy Barlow.

Skelmersdale United FC will play in the Liverpool County Premier League in the 2025-26 season.

My visit

Skelmersdale United 1 Scarborough Athletic 4 (Saturday 24th September 2017) Northern Premier League Division One North (att: 221)

It was time once again for a long weekend away from work, and plans had been hatched a few months in advance. I was to be Liverpool-bound to meet up with my pal Karl Theobald for a couple of days and nights of socialising with football thrown in.

My alarm call on Saturday morning saw me rise with a heavy hangover after meeting up with various friends in London the previous evening, including the Shaw family, who I’d enjoyed so many happy times around the Yarrambat side in Chiang Mai over the years.

The train was pretty full on the way up, and with Virgin Pendolino trains not offering much room, I was delighted to grab a window seat and a little bit of kip once I’d had a bite to eat. I was beginning to come around on reaching Lime Street.

Karl was already getting stuck into his first ales of the day in the magnificent Great Western Wetherspoon pub. My first beer seemed to have nails in it, but I actually felt better for it. We obtained Saveaway tickets for £5.20 and took the Merseyrail service to James Street to drop off our bags.

My geography was a bit rusty around the city, but we soon located Dale Street to enjoy beers in both Thomas Rigby’s and Ye Hole In Ye Wall. With time getting on, we rushed around to where I thought Moorfields station was located, only to go up the wrong street.

There was nothing we could do apart from enjoy another fine pint, when I only really wanted half, but the landlord thought otherwise, in the brilliant Lion Tavern. It was a fantastic boozer, which Karl would enjoy the following afternoon while I was on my travels.

We got talking to a City of Liverpool FC fan, another non-league side that had cropped up as fans feeling disenfranchised by ‘big’ football. He was on his way to his side's FA Vase game at Marine against AFC Liverpool. We bid our farewell all too soon and jumped on the train to Ormskirk, chatting to a lovely middle-aged lady. 

We discussed the city, the upcoming Saturday night, and how football used to be when the FA Cup semi-finals were on neutral grounds, and fans could all afford the admission price. At Ormskirk, a taxi took us to Skem. The driver eventually found the ground after originally trying to drop us at a community facility, while complaining about the ridiculous health and safety regulations imposed on drivers to deal with troublesome customers.

Admission was £9 into Stormy Corner, with the programme an extra couple of quid. We joined our pals and directors in the bar. Everyone was in a great mood. Chairman Trevor Bull laughed and shook the hands of the visiting supporters.

Boro were on a fine run of form, and it was obvious that the whole club was heading in a forward trajectory. There was a tremendous vibe and positivity around, one I hadn’t experienced for several seasons. The turnout of away fans was well into three figures.

My double cheeseburger and chips were much needed and represented decent value for £4.50 as the game got underway. Fans enjoyed their beers behind the goal as both sides went for it. Skem were without a manager, although a local fan told us that there had been many applicants for the job. Andy Mutch was at the game, so possibly he was among them?

We were also told that the club was hopeful of another plot of land for a new ground. It seemed such a shame, as it was a decent set-up at Stormy Corner, with the entrance end having a decent cover and most of the facilities around that part of the ground. The Main Stand had been cleverly erected on a raised platform to give fans a decent view of proceedings. 

The rest of the ground was open flat, standing backed by grass banking, which was deemed out of bounds by the fastidious FA ground graders. In the opening exchanges, both sides tested each other without anything much in the way of goalmouth action, before Boro’s on-loan winger from Grimsby Town, Max Wright, latched onto a flick on before rounding Skem keeper Jack Simms and slotting home.

Wright looked like a class act. I felt sorry for the lad trying to mark him. A fine passing move from the back sent the ball out wide to Wright, who tormented the full-back and ran along the by-line before butting the ball back to Michael Coulson, who fired home in cool fashion.

Coulson had returned to his boyhood club after a fine career with Barnsley, Grimsby Town, York City, and St Johnstone. 

He had started the season in fine style with his football brain standing out, alongside another local lad, Billy Logan, who had come on in leaps and bounds. The home players had been given a bit of a lesson, with one or two losing their rags and collecting yellow cards. We swapped ends for the second half as the Blues almost got a foothold in the game. Boro keeper Tommy Taylor flicked over a deflected effort from Lewis Codling.

The Seadogs extended their lead as Coulson made a fine run again to the goal line before rolling the ball into Logan, who’d taken up an intelligent position before finishing with his side foot. It was simple but brilliant football.

It became 4-0 when Logan held the ball up wide on the right, before playing an intelligent ball inside to Wright, who once again progressed along the by-line before picking out Coulson, who took his time before scoring with his shot going in off the post.

Shortly afterwards, manager Steve Kittrick made changes to rest Wright and Logan, who were both excellent. I gave Logan my man-of-the-match vote. Inevitably, the pressure on the home goal eased off a little, despite Athletic remaining in control.

As the game entered its closing stages, unimpressive sub Craig Nelthorpe lost possession with Skem putting together a decent move which was finished well from outside the area by Remi Howarth. The Boro team received a fine ovation from their travelling support a minute or so later.

We headed back to the exits. I’d enjoyed my brief stay at the club, which had a few passionate, loyal fans whose patience had been tested. Everyone had been friendly and keen to chat. I really hoped that they could sort out their issues surrounding their ground.

On leaving the ground, Karl and I were approached by a small man I’d seen but forgotten about from Euston. He was a groundhopper who was a Brentford fan. When he heard me ask a cab driver if he could send another car around, he asked if he could share it with us.

It was an ‘interesting’ ride, both in the cab with our companion, who the driver couldn’t believe our new friend had travelled to such a game as a neutral, and on the train as he waffled away without hardly taking a breath. Karl didn’t look too upset when we reached Moorfields! The match had been excellent, but that was only part of the reason we’d headed to Merseyside. 

After a short siesta and a wash and change, we were ready to see what Liverpool offered on a Saturday night. We weren’t to be disappointed in any of the destinations: The Excelsior, The Ship & Mitre, Doctor Duncan's, The Crown Hotel, The Dispensary, or The Richard John Blacker. 

The city was vibrant, but I was done and had to call it a day around midnight, while my pal carried on. We’d had a magnificent day out, and we were ready to do it all again the following day!

1874 Northwich

1874 Northwich FC is a non-league football club who were formed on November 15th 2012, at a meeting at Lostock Social Club in Lostock Gralam, near Northwich, held by the Northwich Victoria Supporters Trust.

Northwich Victoria had been formed in 1874; hence the new club name, and had been suffering from all kinds of issues; which can be read about here. The Trust members decided that enough was enough and voted to create their own new club.

The words Victoria or Vics were omitted from the options in the potential club name presented to members to avoid further legal issues. The motto ‘Ever Glorious’ was chosen as it was one used by the Cheshire Regiment, who had links to the old Drill Field ground of Northwich Victoria.

The club was registered with the Cheshire FA in January 2013 and accepted as members to the North West Counties League for the 2013-14 season, a few months later, in Division One. A groundshare agreement was agreed with Winsford United for 1874 to use the St Luke's Barton Stadium.

Ian Street was appointed as the first team manager of the club, as his side finished their debut season in third place and missing out on promotion. However, Formby resigned from the league, so ’74 went up to the Premier Division in their place.

Third and fourth place finishes in the Premier Division followed, before Street resigned in March 2017. He was replaced by coaches Wayne Goodison and Paul Bowyer, who became joint-managers as the side lifted the Mid Cheshire Cup by beating Northwich Victoria, as well as a fifth-place league finish.

The 2017-18 campaign saw a magnificent run all the way to the FA Vase semi-finals, beating the likes of Tow Law Town and Chichester City on the way before losing 4-2 on aggregate to Thatcham Town, along with a seventh-place league finish.

1874 were clear at the top of the Premier Division when the 2019-20 season was abandoned owing to the outbreak of Coronavirus after they had moved to share Townfield with neighbours Barnton FC. They were also handily placed for a crack at the title when the 2020-21 campaign was halted early.

The club was placed in Division One West of the Northern Premier League for t021-22 having been moved up a level on past performances. After a couple of mid-table finishes, they went down in 2023-24. A miserable season saw Bowyer and Goodison being replaced by Damian Crossley.

Chris Herbert was appointed manager in the summer of 2024 as the ’74 began life in the Premier Division of the Midland League. The side reached the playoffs in their debut season, defeating Atherstone Town before being defeated in the final by Shifnal Town. Promotion was won through the playoffs in 2025-26 after wins against Winsford United and Northwich Victoria to return to the Northern Premier League.

1874 Northwich FC will play in the Northern Premier League Division One West in the 2026-27 season.

My visit

1874 Northwich 1 Congleton Town 1 after extra time (Sunday 25th September 2017) FA Vase Second Qualifying Round (att: 313)

I’d kept a close eye on developments in football in Northwich for a year or so before ’74’s formation, when there was real upset at the way that Vics had been run. I’d seen Northwich Victoria several times take on Scarborough in the past, so I knew just what fans were going through.

The story had an almost perfect symmetry with what had happened in Scarborough; only our old club went bust, and those who defended its running formed Scarborough Town to oppose the Trust run Scarborough Athletic.

I could see the same regrettable arguments taking place the other side of the country. It was an enormous shame that football supporters once united in their loyalty and support could be split by mismanagement of a historic club.

I’d written a post for the online forum in support of those on the side of the Vics Trust and kept in touch of developments through social media. As luck would have it, I was in Liverpool for a long weekend as ’74 were to play a home game on the Sunday.

Karl, my travelling companion, understood my eagerness to head to the match, probably knowing full well I’d be in bed early if I drank with him all afternoon! We’d enjoyed a good walk around the superb city before enjoying lunchtime ales in The Vernon Arms and Excelsior.

The train from Lime Street to Winsford took just over half an hour. The walk was a good fifteen minutes from the station. I went straight to the ground and paid my £6 admission, where I received a warm welcome. The programme was another couple of quid with the draw ticket £1.

Barton Stadium once staged greyhound racing, with the track now redundant, with one or two outbuildings still in evidence. The place had character to it, but needed some serious money spending to update the facilities.

The Main Stand had a few rows of seats with a glazed area behind part of the cover, with a bar behind. The far side had a long, low cover for standing spectators. The rest of the ground consisted of open flat standing areas around the curve of the old track.

My pre-match fodder came courtesy of Deb’s Café, where an excellent steak pie, chips and gravy was a very reasonable £3.50. I could think of several other non-league venues where such value would have been appreciated.

Visitors Congleton played in the same division as their hosts, and were led by former ’74 boss Ian Street. I expected that it would add a little bit of extra edge to the game. Northwich were in fine form having dumped North Ferriby United out of the FA Cup seven days earlier.

The home fans were certainly an enthusiastic bunch of all ages. There was plenty of encouragement and chants for the ’74 and Northwich. It took me back to Scarborough Athletic’s fledgling days while sharing at Bridlington Town.

The home side nearly went ahead early doors, but visiting keeper Andy Jones managed to keep out a miscue from his defensive colleague Jonah O’Reilly. ’74 forced several corners in quick succession before their keeper Greg Hall made a good save from former Northwich player Neil Chappell.

Hall nearly gifted the Bears the lead with an awful clearance, before retrieving the situation with a good save. However, on thirty-six minutes, the visitors took the lead when a low cross from Declan Fletcher was clumsily put over the line by Emini Adegbenro.

Northwich were stung into action and equalised just a few minutes later as an excellent low drilled corner from Adam Whitlock was turned in neatly by Jake Parker as the Congleton defenders stood around seemingly transfixed by the move.

At the interval, I caught up with Twitter buddy and loyal 1874 fan Mark Riding, who gave me the lowdown on the difficulties of trying to get a ground in their home town and their hopes for the following week's FA Cup tie at home to Ossett Town.

Town nearly regained the lead soon after the break as Adegbenro went close once again. They were the more direct of the two sides. ’74 played some decent football along the deck on a sometimes tricky surface.

The impressive home striker Scott McGowan bore a resemblance to Jamie Vardy in his style of football and build. He rounded Jones but saw his finish go wide of the far post. He also missed a really good opportunity when he didn’t connect properly with a header.

Chances were at a premium as the half entered its closing stages. Whitlock was played in with a lovely ball from Parker, but his touch was missing, allowing Jones to prevent a late winner. The match finished level and went into extra time.

The game was end-to-end as players tired. McGowan went close once more as 1874 forged out the better of the chances. Just after half time in the second period I headed back so that I could definitely catch my train. The game apparently ended with Jones keeping the score level.

I’d enjoyed my afternoon out in new surroundings, and it was great to see the fans doing the right thing. The club was well organised and friendly. It was also good to have a chat with Mark. I’d certainly be keeping an eye on how 1874 progressed.

Back in Liverpool, I got changed as the rain fell and met Karl for a magnificent if blurry evening including visits to the Cavern Club, The Grapes, White Star, Flanagan’s Apple before finishing off in the Cavern Pub, where The Jailbirds performed.

The band from Manchester played covers from the 1950s and 60’s and were magnificent. It rounded off a simply brilliant two days in the city and the surrounding area. I’d done two new grounds; Skelmersdale and Winsford, as well as seeing two great vibrant clubs, 1874 Northwich and Scarborough Athletic in action.

West Auckland Town

West Auckland Town FC is a non-league football club from the old mining community of West Auckland in County Durham in the northeast of England, who were formed in 1893 as West Auckland FC.

A fascinating history of competitive football began in 1896 as the club competed in the Wear Valley League before moving to the South Durham Alliance in 1900 and then the Mid Durham League in 1905.

The club had yearned to join the Northern League for a few years, and they eventually became members for the 1908-09 season. However, a far greater adventure was to befall West Auckland later that campaign.

Businessman, tea magnate, and sports enthusiast Sir Thomas Lipton wanted to hold a football tournament featuring the leading clubs of Europe. The Italian, German, and Swiss FAs complied, but the English FA refused to send a team.

Sir Thomas selected West Auckland, a team of coal miners, to represent England. The reasons for their selection have never been established, although there have been a couple of theories.

One was that an invite was mistakenly sent to the northeast when it was meant for Woolwich Arsenal. The other was that the businessman had received a touching letter from a young member of the West Auckland team and decided that they deserved an opportunity.

The team travelled to Turin in April 1909, with several players having to raise the money themselves. Despite the long trip, Auckland defeated German side Sportfreunde Stuttgart 2-0 with goals from Whittington and Dickinson.

The final ended in a 2-1 victory over the Swiss club FC Winterthur as J. Jones and Bob Jones scored the goals. West Auckland were awarded the magnificent trophy to become the unofficial champions of the world.

West Auckland returned to Turin in 1911 to retain the trophy following wins against Zürich and then host club Juventus, who were hammered 6-1 to keep the trophy in perpetuity. The cost of the trip took its toll, so the trophy was pawned to the landlady of the local hotel on the team’s return.

The club folded in debt and left the Northern League in 1912, before being reformed in 1914 as West Auckland Town FC. After competing in regional league football, the club was admitted to the Northern League in October 1934 to replace Esh Winning.

The 1950s were a boom time in the area as neighbours Bishop Auckland dominated the first half of the decade in both the Northern League and the FA Amateur Cup. ‘West’ followed on with a golden period of its own.

In 1956-57 and 1958-59, the team finished as league runners-up. However, West Auckland weren’t to be denied in the 1959-60 season as they were crowned Northern League champions as well as reaching the FA Cup first round, before retaining the league title the following season.

In 1960, a village appeal managed to raise enough money to buy back the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy for the football club. The 1960-61 season also saw a magnificent season in the Amateur Cup as Penrith, Walton & Hersham, and Leytonstone were defeated to set up the final at Wembley against Walthamstow Avenue, which the Londoners won 2-1.

The 1961-62 season saw West reach the first round of the FA Cup once again, where they went out to Barnsley in a replay. The team also reached the semi-final of the Amateur Cup before being defeated by Crook Town at Ayresome Park.

Following this, the club became a middle-table Northern League club before being relegated to the recently formed Division Two in 1982-83. The 1990-91 campaign saw West crowned as Northern League Division Two champions and win promotion.

The famous Lipton Trophy was stolen and never recovered despite a £2,000 reward being put up on offer. A replica was later made thanks to sponsorship from Unilever, the owners of the Lipton brand.

In 1996-97, the team finished bottom of the table and were relegated, but they recovered twelve months later to regain their Division One place after ending the season as league runners-up. The 1998-99 season saw West Auckland reach the FA Cup first round for a third time. 

On this occasion, they went out in a replay at Darlington Road to Yeovil Town following a penalty shoot-out. Several managers, such as David Bayles, Lee Ellison, Phil Owers, Brian Fairhurst, and Ray Guthrie, all had spells at Darlington Road. The team finished in the relegation places in 2008-09 but were saved from the drop after Sunderland Nissan pulled out of the league.

Former Hartlepool United legend Brian Honour was appointed as the new team manager, while the club embarked on a dream journey to commemorate the centenary of the Lipton Trophy win with a trip to play Italian giants Juventus. However, the trip didn’t quite work out as expected. Read the report from the Northern Echo here:

Honour and then Wilf Constantine both left after brief spells as manager, with Peter Dixon arriving to steer the side away from a relegation battle. He continued to build a fine side which finished as Northern League runners-up in 2011-12.

The same season saw the club reach the FA Vase final at Wembley after a fine run which culminated in an aggregate victory over Herne Bay in the semi-finals before West went down to fellow Northern League side Dunston UTS in the final.

West Auckland returned to Wembley in 2014 after defeating St Andrews of Leicester in the FA Vase semi-final. In the final at the national stadium, Dixon’s side were defeated 1-0 by Sholing.

Dixon resigned as West Auckland manager in August 2014. Steve Skinner and Darren Williams had a spell as joint managers before Skinner took on the role alone. He departed in January 2017 to be replaced by the former Shildon boss Gary Forrest, who led the team to safety at the end of the 2016-17 campaign.

Fifth place was achieved in 2017-18, which was repeated in 2023-24, leading to the playoffs, where Shildon were defeated before Heaton Stannington won the final. However, promotion was won through the playoffs in 2025-26 after Whitley Bay and Shildon were defeated, as West Auckland went up to the Northern Premier League Division One East.

West Auckland Town FC will play in the Northern Premier League Division One East in the 2026-27 season.

My visit

Wednesday 25th January 2017

The start of my week on the road had begun well, especially now that the sun had broken through the fog. I’d visited two clubs in Darlington as well as the homes of Shildon and Bishop Auckland before a bus deposited me in the centre of West Auckland.

The statue commemorating the ‘World Cup’ win on the green separating Front Street was the first thing that caught my eye. It never failed to captivate me how a small mining town could achieve such a magnificent thing.

It was just a short stroll down Darlington Road to the entrance to The Wanted Metal Stadium, as the ground had been renamed in a sponsorship deal. Unfortunately, the gates were locked, but I hadn’t travelled all that way to be disappointed. I wandered down Oakley Manor, a new cul-de-sac with neat housing. 

Towards the bottom of the road, the housing gave way to allow me a view for photos. I also straddled a gate to enter a field at the bottom end to enhance my options. The ground was neat and tidy, but mainly open flat standing, apart from along the roadside, where there was a seated stand with a players' tunnel in the middle, and a small covered standing area.

I’d been keeping an eye on bus times towards Crook via Bishop Auckland, which was my destination. I was also trying to work out how much time I had to fit in all my plans. I managed to find a spare thirty minutes. I entered the quiet West Auckland Working Men’s Club & Institute, where the friendly lady behind the bar served me a pint of Sam Smith’s Sovereign Bitter.

I asked if I could see the famous trophy. It was no problem! The replica was kept in a secure cabinet in the club since the original had been stolen. The lady put the lights on for me so I could have a proper look. She said it was a fairly regular request from visitors.

The club was pretty typical of many such places in the northeast. The no-nonsense punters said what they thought while watching the Racing Channel on TV. I enjoyed listening to them relate tales about the price of ale in London. I kept silent!

My visit to West Auckland had been relatively short, but it ticked all the boxes. I really needed to return for a match at some point.

Willington

Willington AFC is a non-league football club from the former mining town of the same name, which is located in the northeast of England in County Durham. The club was formed in 1906, playing in local football before joining the Northern League in 1910.

‘The Blue & Whites’ quickly made an impact as they finished as Northern League runners-up in 1912-13 before lifting the title the following season. The second league championship arrived at Hall Lane in 1925-26.

The 1927-28 campaign saw Willington reach the semi-final of the FA Amateur Cup, where they were defeated by Cockfield at Kingsway, Bishop Auckland, in a replay after the first game at Darlington’s Feethams home ended level. In 1929-30, a third Northern League crown was collected before the side went on a fine Amateur Cup run in 1938-39. 

Wins over Moor Green, Kingstonian, and Norton Woodseats saw Willington reach the final, where they were beaten 3-0 by Bishop Auckland at Roker Park. The club appeared in the first round of the FA Cup in 1945-46, where they once again fell to Bishop Auckland. The 1949-50 season saw Willington finally lift the Amateur Cup, after dishing out a 4-0 hiding to Bishop Auckland in front of 88,000 fans.

The 1950-51 season saw the club in the first round of the FA Cup once again, but the appearance ended in a 3-1 defeat at Spotland to Rochdale. In 1957-58, the team ended the campaign as Northern League runners-up, before following the performance up with a third-place ending the following season.

Several lower-middle table finishes were the order of the day throughout the 1960s before the club had a brief renaissance in the first half of the 1970s. In 1973-74, Willington drew 0-0 at home to Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup first round. However, the Ewood Park replay ended in a 6-1 defeat.

In 1975-76, a fine FA Trophy run saw victories accumulated against Lancaster City and Macclesfield Town before the Blue & Whites bowed out away to Nuneaton Borough. Willington ended the season as Northern League runners-up.

In 1982-83, the team was relegated to the recently formed Division Two of the Northern League. The following two decades were a real struggle as the town suffered from the pit closures and the depression of the period.

The team finished bottom of Division Two in 1983-84 and 1991-92 before being relegated to the Wearside League in 2005-06. The hard times continued with the side finishing second bottom of the league in 2008-09 and 2009-10.

The club turned itself around with a fifth-place finish in 2011-12, followed by ending as Wearside League runners-up in 2012-13 and gaining promotion back to the Northern League. The return was a struggle as Willington narrowly avoided relegation on a couple of occasions, culminating in an eighteenth-place finish in 2016-17.

Stephen Skinner was appointed as manager in May 2019 but stepped back before the season began, with Ibby Hassan coming to the rescue, carrying out a sterling job during the turmoil caused by the worldwide pandemic, helping the side to fourteenth place in 2021-22.

Daryll Hall then took over as player-manager before departing. Micky Weston was appointed as the new team boss in May 2022. His side was relegated to the Premier Division of the Wearside League in 2022-23 before Nathan Beadle was given the job in October 2023.

Willington went down to the First Division of the competition in 2023-24 before the appointment of new manager Steve Howe in May 2024, who led his side to promotion at the first attempt.

Willington AFC will play in the Wearside League Premier Division in the 2025-26 season.

My visit

Wednesday 25th January 2017

It was a very pleasant winter’s afternoon in County Durham as I continued to gallivant around the area using my excellent value one-day bus ticket. I was in particularly good form after visiting some cracking venues and historic football clubs.

The X46 bus carried me from Crook to Willington. As we headed down the hill of West Road, the football ground came into view on the right-hand side. I alighted at the Commercial Street stop and walked down Hall Lane Estate to the ground, where the gates were open.

Two gents were working on the ground, of which pride of place went to the fine old seated grandstand on the far side. Covered spectators were catered for by a sturdy little roof behind the top goal, a modern build at the other end, and an overhang in front of the clubhouse and changing rooms.

The main buildings were by the entrance opposite the seating, while the rest of the ground had plentiful hard-standing and grass banking sloping down towards the pitch. It was another fine venue in the old heartland of amateur football.

With my photos complete, I walked through the estate, getting a little bit lost before finding the Rockingham Road bus stop from where I caught the 109 service to Bishop Auckland to have a peek at Kingsway, which was now just the home of the local cricket club.