Chairs Missing

Seaton Carew 0 AFC Newbiggin 3

With Percy Main playing a low key friendly against Jarrow Reserves (won2-1) and me not being required for Tynemouth 3s at home to Monkseaton 2s (won by 83 runs), I decided that an afternoon’s ground collecting was in order. It’s mad enough that the Northern Alliance starts on August 1^st, but it is almost beyond comprehension that the Northern League kicked off a week earlier on July 25^th. As one of my targets, Kendal Town, were away to Carlisle City, the opportunity presented itself for me to visit the other unvisited club in the Northern League, Seaton Carew, on the occasion of their debut fixture at this level, at home to Newbiggin.

Having used my Old Bugger’s Railcard to book cheap train tickets, I decided on the Metro down to Central. Of course, I had to pick probably the busiest Saturday of the summer for this journey. With it being Pride weekend, Ladies’ Day at the Races and Newcastle playing a pre-season friendly at Gateshead that kicked off at 12.30, the Metro at around 11 was heaving. Loads of happy, joyously attired revellers heading for Pride and a similar number of nervous looking replica shirted NUFC fans in unseasonal black North Face and bad jeans meant it was standing room only. Once I escaped into daylight, it got no quieter as a tsunami of bright young things, blokes in skinny linen suits and party frocked women in fascinators and heels, heading for Gosforth Park, flowed from the station. At least, I was heading away from the traffic, as I was able to nab a 4-seater for myself on a sparsely populated rattler down the East Durham coastline.

With my nose in Ellroy’s latest, Red Sheet, I hardly noticed the time passing until we left Hartlepool and so I collected my belongings for the next stop. I can recall being in Seaton Carew once before as a kid, well over 50 years ago, but had no memory of the place. From what I saw, it was like the decent bits of Redcar. Primarily 1930s semis on wide roads. Indeed you only need to walk down 2 streets (Station Lane and Elizabeth Avenue) for a total of 10 minutes to find Hornby Park. Nobody told my phone that, as my journey from the station involved half a dozen turns in a new estate, that brought me slap bang against the standard issue green, metallic perimeter fence. A further twenty minutes of traipsing round the edge of the complex brought me to Seaton Carew CC, where I watched their 1s flaying the bowling of Marton 2s in NYSD Division 2, from a comfortable boundary bench.  Not a bad little ground with a functioning scorebox and an impressively large pavilion. The home side would win by 130 runs, but I didn’t see more of it once I’d effected entry to the football ground, which involved passing both a rugby pitch (we’re in Hartlepool; the English Limerick) and a Sunday league pitch.

To be on the safe side, I paid my very reasonable £3 concession entry at 2.45 and immediately realised that Seaton Carew have a hell of a lot of work to do to maintain their status at this level for more than just a season. The pay box was a Portakabin that was split with a tea bar. I got myself a coffee and a flapjack, before taking my ease at the only seats in the whole ground; a picnic bench next to the petrol generator that powered the boiler. Next to that was a metal covered terrace behind the goal, that offered the only shelter available. Despite the game being played in blustery wind off the sea, it was a warm and dry day. I’d not like to visit here in the depths of winter. Indeed, I probably won’t visit ever again.

Seaton Carew have been promoted from the Wearside League, and their facilities remain at that level. As well as a lack of seats, there were no floodlights. Presumably these will be in place for the March 31^st deadline, or they’ll be compulsorily relegated. At least, that is how things used to operate. If this is Northern League Division 2 standard, then at least half of the Alliance teams could go up without a doubt.

I took in the first half on the top side of the ground, towards the entrance end where the home side were defending, on the opposite touchline from the dug outs. With no programmes, team sheets or tannoy, it was impossible to know how the sides lined up. Newbiggin were in a light blue away kit, while Seaton Carew boasted a vibrant claret and amber number, halfway between Bradford City and Partick Thistle. The crowd wasn’t announced and still hasn’t been reported, but I’d wager it was about the 150 mark, augmented with the usual smattering of groundhoppers.

Seaton Carew started at a bit of a lick, hitting the bar in the opening minutes, but were soon pushed back by a more organised Newbiggin side, who had the stiff breeze at their backs. They’d already hit the bar when they took the lead from a clever bit of interplay in the Seaton Carew box. A second, headed, effort followed soon after and at 2-0 up at the break, the visitors had seemingly secured the points in what had been a poor game.

Wandering round at half time, I saw my old pal Gary Bell, down with Newbiggin, and had a good catch up, before inspecting the facilities. The bottom goal is fringed by more Portakabins; another snack bar (no food other than crisps or chocolate), changing rooms and toilets. Nipping into the accessible one, I was delighted to see the bar had been raised for improbable things in Northern League netties. Perhaps not as bizarre as the cement mixer at Ryhope CA, but intriguing to see a washing machine in there anyway.

I took in the second half from diagonally opposite where I’d watched the first, again seeing Newbiggin attack. They made and missed several chances, before getting a deserved third in injury time, while the home side huffed and puffed without looking remotely dangerous. Perhaps they won’t need those ground improvements if the season continues in this fashion.

At full time, I briefly paused to see Marton 2s were in a bit of trouble (77/4), before taking a quicker and more direct route back to the station. My train was 5 minutes delayed, so I had time to ponder on the irony of Seaton Carew station not having any seats either. Once on board another empty train, I made it home without delay, with the Metro enabling me to avoid the crush of humanity out on the batter in the city centre.