Neighbourhood Watch

 Groundhopping on my doorstep...

The weather’s rancid isn’t it? Snow in May, I ask you. Hailstones hitting the ground on a daily basis. Incessant deluges washing out an entire week’s cricket with the worry of more downpours to come. I suppose the good news is that Tynemouth’s Midweek Social XI remain unbeaten, but that’s of no consequence when you can’t watch or play the greatest game.

So, last Saturday, I was forced to find alternative entertainment. I suppose the most prestigious contest in the area was the Falcons at home to London Irish, but no fans were allowed access to a well-deserved and long-awaited home triumph, what with it being elite sport. Down a few levels, Hebburn Town were taking on Rylands in the quarter final of the 2021 FA Vase, but the contest took place not on South Tyneside but in Warrington, where the Hornets surrendered their crown after a whole 6 days of being reigning champs. A 1-0 defeat was probably a game too far for them, following the pulsating 3-2 victory over Consett at a deserted Wembley the Monday previous in the 2020 final. With a quartet of ex-Benfield players in their ranks, I’d sided towards the Steelmen, but I’m sure the loss will help Terry Mitchell, a fine football man, to lead the side from Belle View to promotion next season. Meanwhile Shildon and Stockton will join Hebburn, who only a few years ago were on the edge of oblivion, in the Northern Premier next year. Good luck to them all, though as Benfield lost every league game at Stockton by a 4-0 margin, I’ll not miss them.

Slightly less prestigiously, Hebburn Under 23s are now in the semi-final of the Durham FA Minor Cup, where they’ll travel to Ryhope CW Under 23s on the last Saturday in May. They were at home in the quarter finals last weekend, where they saw off the challenge of Darlington Deacon Arms 2-1. I didn’t consider this as an option as it was being played at Hebburn Sports Club and not at Clegwell on the 4G, where the Junior Hornets have turned out a few times and I’ve yet to visit. Another game I didn’t consider was the Northern Alliance Neville Cowey Cup final at Seaton Delaval between Heaton Stan A and Cullercoats Reserves, which Russ Ward’s side won by 1-0 and so massive congratulations to him. The reason for my disinclination to visit Wheatridge Park, despite Neville Cowey being our devoted secretary and treasurer back in Tyneside Amateur League days (even if neither of the participants soiled their boots in the TAL) being the unequivocal statement on the Alliance website, rigorously reiterated on their social media posts that spectators would not be admitted under any circumstances. This is presumably what is known as the Ponteland Defence, making it clear from the outset that orders will be obeyed without question.

Grudgingly, I’ll admit that’s fair enough under Covid regulations, as is the decision to avert the prying eyes of the great unwashed from the Amateur Cup final between Cramlington Town and Newcastle Independent at Forest Hall on May 12^th and Burradon & New Fordley against Whitley Bay Reserves back at Delaval in the Challenge Cup on Saturday 15^th. What really puzzles me is why Wednesday 19^th’s Combination Cup final between Cramlington United and Prudhoe YC at Forest Hall is similarly being held behind closed doors, especially as there is nothing in the Covid regulations to forbid it. The relaxation of May 17^th is why both the Durham and Northumberland FAs have organised their two cup competitions to be played after that date, with the lesser cups coming to a conclusion in June.

I inquired of @nfalliance1890 on Twitter why they had decided on such an appallingly short-sighted decision, to which I received this bemusing, tautological response; A decision was made that all finals are behind closed doors. Dates available for finals are limited and it's not right to have one game with when the other 3 are without therefore all stay behind (cl)osed doors unfortunately. It's not something we wanted. But they did it anyway; absolutely baffling and a public relations disaster, if mildly pissing off 250 middle aged blokes in bad trainers can be regarded as such.

Thus, I decided to to delve into the North East Combination League (NCFL) for the first time ever. Following the TAL’s amalgamation with the Alliance, the only place where adult Saturday afternoon football is played at a lower level on Tyneside is in the NCFL, which is effectively a parallel synthesis of the North Northumberland League (I’ll get to Embleton one day, I promise you) and the Newcastle Corinthians League, a kind of former Varsity competition that co-existed with the TAL. For a few years we’d reached out to the Corinthians to try and organise some kind of merger or even a cup tournament. They never once replied to our emails or letters. I don’t think it was ignorance or snobbery, just woeful administration that kept the two of us leagues apart (geddit?). However, the relaunched and rebranded competition seems to have undergone a Renaissance and has three divisions I know of, plus the North Northumberland scion.

Looking at the weather, the big derby between Fawdon and Fawdon Park, reffed by the ageless and immobile Ken Redfearn, looked promising, but as it was at Druid Park on 4G, it was kept for emergencies. Instead, I decided to visit the closest ground to my High Heaton house for a game of adult 11-a-side for the first time ever; Manor Park, home of Heaton Hawks, for the visit of Redheugh B in a quarter final of the NCFL Knockout Shield.

Now, this is where I have to be careful, as the bloke who does Redheugh first team’s Twitter gave me a right coating after my last blog, when I didn’t describe their 1-1 draw with Newcastle Independent as being the modern equivalent of France 3 Germany 3 at the 82 World Cup. When I pointed out Redheugh may wish to employ a Press Officer to write screeds of purple prose, they became somewhat sniffy. Well, what can I say? Their B team play better football than the A team and the two lads up front, a stocky bloke with a close crop and a Patrick Bamford lookalike who finished marvellously to tie the game up at 3-1, look very impressive.

What I liked about this game was not only could I leave home at 1.25 and see the kick off at half past, I could also nip home for a tinkle and a coffee, in a travel mug obviously (the coffee I mean), and still be back for the second period. Of course, I was forced to watch the game on the patch of grass where I used to train Ben when he kept goal for East End U7s through to U11s, through a wire fence, because of Covid regulations, rather than mingling with the crowd 6 inside the fence. I’d still say negotiating the brambles, thistles and rose bushes in the hedge beyond the fence was more welcoming experience than trying to get sight of the Alliance Cup final taking place 8 miles east.

The final score was 3-1. Heaton, to my surprise, were a proper adult team and not just youngsters that had made their way through the junior ranks. In some ways it would have been better if they were kids, as the perspiration of the game home triers lacked the inspiration to trouble the coarse-tongued visitors. Redheugh outplayed, outfought and outswore their hosts to deservedly book a place in the semi-final. I’ll certainly watch NCFL games again, with Walkergate’s bucolic Fossway home very top of my bucket list. Let’s see what the weather brings eh?