Norton & Stockton Ancients - Norton Sports Complex

Norton & Stockton Ancients FC

Norton Sports Complex

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Norton

Stockton-on-Tees 

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Ground Number: 1346

Sunday 15th September 2024
Norton & Stockton Ancients 5-3 Doncaster Rovers Belles

Women's National Plate Preliminary Round

NORTON & STOCKTON ANCIENTS FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

The club was established in 1959 as Norton Cricket Club Trust by members of Norton Cricket Club seeking a winter pastime and joined the Teesside League. In 1975, Stockton FC who played in the Northern Alliance went bust and in the following years, the two clubs joined forces and became Norton & Stockton Ancients. This gave them the impetus and facilities to join the Northern League in the newly established Division 2. They remained there for many years, finishing in the top half more often than not. In 2009, they finished as runners-up to Horden Colliery Welfare and earned promotion to Division 1. The following year, 2010, saw the best finish in the club's history when they finished 8th in Division 1. The club were relegated in 2013 but would return two years later after a 3rd place finish. The joy was short lived however as they were relegated in their first season back. Worse still, financial issues would cause the club to fold part way through the 2016/17 season. A few seasons were spent out of football before they returned to football in the Wearside League in 2020. They've been there ever since, finishing as runners-up to Darlington Town last season.

Norton & Stockton Ancients had their best FA Cup in 2010, reaching the 3rd Qualifying Round against FC United of Manchester. This game provided them with a record attendance of 1,526. They also reached the FA Vase Quarter Final in 2010. They won the Durham Minor Cup in 1968 and went on to win the North Riding Amateur Cup three times and the Teesside League Cup once. Their women's side were established around 2014 and play in the tier 4 FAWNL Division 1 North where they have played since 2017. Their best finish of 7th came in 2023. Prior to that. they were in the North East Regional Womens Football League, coming up from the Premier Division when they finished as runners-up to Barnsley.

MY VISIT

Originally on this Sunday, the plan was to go to Stockton Town Women as it was one of the few that I needed to finish down to step 3 of Non-League. This was to be doubled up with something in the Stockton Sunday League, although at the time, I didn't know what the fixtures were . Much changed in the six weeks since I made the booking, not least the dwindling number of new grounds in the FA Cup. Stockton and after a bit of deliberation, I decided to visit on Saturday instead and visit Norton & Stockton Ancients on Sunday. Having originally planned to be up in the Newcastle area on Saturday, it would be an early start and I managed to book a good value train ticket on the Trip.com app. It also tallied with my train home, having left plenty of time after in case of any changes.

I also wanted to take in a Sunday League game, the choice was huge. They were all at basic fields though and so I selected Coxhoe Club, halfway between my hotel and the afternoon game as I thought it was being played at Coxhoe Athletic FC. The club were nice and helpful but informed me that they now play at a local leisure centre. This was my plan for a few days but it was quite tight making kickoff for the main course. I also could't be arsed with doing another blog. With that in mind, I decided to revisit Thornaby FC, a ground that I had gone to in 2017 for a Sunday League team called Fox Covert. It would be a nice chance to get some daytime photos and I might even give the blog a quick spruce up.

I awoke at 6 on the day of the game and had a bit of time in bed before my 6.25 alarm. I had a nice shower and got dressed before going down for breakfast. It was an impressive spread for before 7 on a Sunday and I had egg, beans, bacon, black pudding and sausage, totally filling me up. I left at 7.05 and was at the Metro station ten minutes later. I got the 7.25 to Newcastle. The unlimited travel for £5.90 was good yesterday but the £4.50 for an 8 mile journey not as good value. I could have got a smart card to make the journey cheaper but it's only available by post and I didn't realise until the day before. It's a shame they've not adopted contactless payment yet like the London Underground. It's also wasted money as my ticket is not checked and there are no barriers. Still, better to be honest. I'm in Newcastle and have walked to the station, well in advance of my 8:31 train. There's time to stop at Sainsbury's for a bottle of Irn Bru and then I'm still on the platform with 20 minutes to spare despite the unusual layout of platforms at Newcastle. It was certainly wise to leave time to spare.

The train departs on time, my advance ticket cost me £4.30 initially, unusually I was able to swap it to a train two hours earlier for a 99p fee with my trip.com app when I opted for an earlier train.The £7.50 on the day fare is quite reasonable too. I get into Stockton at 9:36 and as the walk only takes marginally longer than waiting for a bus, I decide to make the journey to Thornaby FC on foot. It's not the nicest of walks along busy roads, plus the lane to the ground is longer than expected. I'm there bang on kickoff and am glad I came. The ground is much better than I remember it and there is so much to take photos of. Fox Covert lead convincingly 2-0 at the break. Middleton pull back through a penalty but the two goal lead is restored within a minute. However, Middleton fight back to share the points in an entertaining 3-3 draw. From there, it was 20 minutes walk to the bus stop where I miss the bus by a couple of minutes and have to wait 15 minutes for the next one. It was a few minutes walk to the Wetherspoons, The Highland Laddie. Still full from my breakfast, I settled on a pint of Strongbow for £2.25. From there it was just over 20 minutes to the ground, arrival bang on kickoff. £5 entry was a fair price and the ground was nice.

Norton were sitting bottom of the table and were yet to win. Their last game was a 3-2 loss at home to York and they'd also lost 6-5 to the same opposition in a cup game. Their other loss had come 3-0 at Stockport County. They'd gained a respectable 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough and also drawn 2-2 at Huddersfield Town. Doncaster Rovers Belles were one of the pioneers of modern womens football and sat 6th in the table. They'd beaten Barnsley 3-2 in their latest game. They'd also won 2-1 at York City. They'd lost 4-1 at Huddersfield Town in the cup, 2-1 at Chorley and 3-2 to Durham Cestria. It was a fairly even opening, the best chance came when a Doncaster player headed narrowly wide after 8 minutes. They were well on top, hitting the outside of the post on 21 minutes from a free kick. Norton hit the post soon after, still in the game. The second half saw Donny dominate again and it was only a good save and a bit of luck on Norton's part that saw it stay goalless. Finally the deadlock was broken on 61 minutes, an excellent corner from McWilliams and a firm header home by Ruby Barnes. Norton levelled on 67 minutes through Bianca Owens but less than a minute later Donny retook the lead through Jess Rugby-Andrew. Both goals were down to less than stellar defending and were preventable. Once again though, Norton came back and it was a decent strike by Owens for hers and her team's second on 76 minutes, a low shot into the net from 15 yards. The game was raining goals by now, a Jasmine Saxton header putting the Belles back ahead on 83 minutes. A minute from time, Owens equalised with a low shot similar to her second. Strangely, extra time was needed when most have stopped this nonsense. Just before the break, it was Norton who led for the first time, Louise Atkinson held off the defender and set up Annie Mitchell who finished well. The outcome of the game was seemingly decided on 109 minutes, Owens with her 4th, heading in off the bar. That was that, probably the best Women's game I've been to.

Sustenance at the game came via a brownie and a can of Irn Bru, a snip at £1.50 the pair. I'd learned over my pint that part of my journey had been cancelled by Northern Rail and I'd have to take an alternative train to Darlington. I also fancied a visit to Billingham Wetherspoons. Wherever I came from, a long layover in Thornaby was going to be required. Using a bus from Wetherspoons, I reckoned I could have nearly an hour in there, enough for a steak meal and a drink or two. However, extra time put this in doubt and I was disappointed that it didn't go straight to penalties. My planned visit to Billingham is scuppered, we are too tight for time. However, the Thomas Sheraton, a decent Spoons is 15 minutes walk from Thornaby where I need to be by 6.29 provided this train actually runs. I have steak, chips, onion rings and an Aspalls for just over £15 and it's great. A pint of Stowford Press completes my drinking for the weekend, it's been a far more sensible day than the past two. It's a 15-minute walk to Thornaby and I get to my platform with 8 minutes to spare. It's a dead area, the Dubliner pub that I was considering visiting closed a month ago. Now there's nothing around the station that I can see. A change at Darlington and hopefully a trouble-free journey home was hoped for.

THE GROUND

NORTON SPORTS COMPLEX is a smart and tidy ground. There are two areas of cover, a stand holding around 150 and a covered standing area for 50. There is a tea bar which offers a decent range of drinks and snacks, but food is restricted to Pot Noodles. I assume the bar is somewhere else on the sports complex. The ground is around 15 minutes from Norton Village which is very pleasant and has a Wetherspoons. 

Stockton Town - Bishopston Road West

Stockton Town Football Club,

The Map Group UK Stadium

Bishopton Road West,

Stockton-on-Tees

TS19 0QD

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Ground Number: 1345
Saturday 14th September 2024
Stockton Town 3-2 Marine

FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round

STOCKTON TOWN FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

The club can trace its roots back to 1979, established as a five-a-side team called Hartburn Juniors, switching to 11-a-side two years later. They were predominantly a youth side, changing their name to Stockton Town in 2003. Senior football returned in 2009, following a 26-year absence, a previous incarnation of Stockton Town met it's demise in 1983. A single season in the Teeside League saw them finish 4th before they joined the Weardside League in 2010. It would take them a couple of seasons to get adjusted but when they did, they won the title four times on the trot between 2013 & 2016. Legal battles with a local school halted their plans for ground improvements but finally, in 2016 they were able to take promotion to the Northern League. They were Division 2 champions in their first season and then results over the two pandemic seasons were good enough for promotion to the NPL D1 East. Three seasons were spent here with 4th place finishes and playoff heartbreak in the last two. Finally last season, a second-place finish saw them win promotion to the NPL Premier for the first time.

Today's game could see the club have their best-ever run in the FA Cup, previous progress to the 2nd Qualifying Round saw them lose 1-0 at Guiseley in 2019 and 4-0 at Curzon Ashton in 2022. The FA Trophy has seen little progress but they did reach the FA Vase Final in 2018, losing to Thatcham Town at Wembley Stadium. Local cup wins include two Wearside League Cups, two Monkwearmouth Charity Cups and the Shipowners Charity Cup in 2015. The town of Stockton On Tees is located in County Durham and has a population of around 85,000. At the centre of the High Street stands Stockton-on-Tees Town Hall, dating from 1735, and the Georgian-style Shambles Market Hall. Around the town hall, the largest outdoor market in North East England, which has been in existence since the 1300s, continues to be held every Wednesday and Saturday. A number of famous people were born in the town and these include footballer Lee Cattermole, actor James Gaddas and Auf Weidersehen Pet creator Franc Roddam.

 

MY VISIT

Back when I arranged my North East trip, it was initially with a view to going to the Stockton Town Women's game on Sunday and I booked my train home with that in mind. £30 was a great price to avoid the overnight coach and get back at a reasonable hour. I also booked a non-refundable hotel in Whitley Bay thinking that I'd be doing something up there on Saturday. It turned out to be a bit of an error when I changed my mind to do Stockton Town v Marine in the FA Cup on Saturday. I'd initially dismissed it as they play in the same division but I decided carry on my run of seeing a game in every round of the FA Cup. There was no chance of me even seeing a replay due to being away the following midweek. The whole trip had been a bit disrupted towards the end what with fellow hopper Colin deciding not to come late on and also me losing my game at West Auckland due to Crook Town's FA Cup progression. It was what it was though, at least by going up to Whitley Bay I'd be able to visit some of my favourite haunts in Newcastle, the whole reason for me initially booking was because Middlesbrough and Stockton were quite limited in pubs that did real cider.

From my game in the Sunderland Over 40s League, it was a ten-minute walk to the bus stop, then another ten minutes wait for the bus. I was dropped a few minutes from the Thomas Sheraton Wetherspoons, my 354th in the chain. It was a good one, three bag-in-box ciders, although none were included in the meal deal sadly. I wanted to work up an appetite, so I ordered a pint of Cockeyed Pear Mania at £3.52. Two early goals made the Northampton Town v Wycombe Wanderers game 1-1. Wycombe commentator Phil Catchpole was as excellent as ever. It was appropriate to be watching the Chairboys, given the history of the pub name. Thomas Sheraton (1751 – 22 October 1806) was a furniture designer, one of the "big three" English furniture makers of the 18th century, along with Thomas Chippendale and George Hepplewhite. He was born in Stockton, hence the pub taking his name, his speciality was chairs.

Fish and chips are on the specials menu so I opt for that with a bottle of Angry Orchard for £9.61. Wycombe are well on top of Northampton but it's all square at the break. The fish and chips are excellent, and very well cooked. Wycombe take the lead too, a real mess-up between the Northampton keeper and defender allows Richard Kone to slot home. That's how it stays until full-time, a further pint of Stowford Press for £2.10 keeps me lubricated. I leave at 2.30 and although the bus is late, I am still scheduled to make kickoff despite a driver change. Stockton looks like a fairly pleasant town, a shame I have to leave soon after the final whistle. There are further delays due to the large number of passengers on the bus. I get to the ground with five minutes to spare and am in before the teams come out.

Stockton are by far the better side early on, they take the lead through Glen Butterworth's excellent free kick on 23 minutes. Marine hit the corner of post and bar on 39 minutes as they seek an equaliser. They'd hit the woodwork ten minutes earlier too before the ball was cleared. Pressure told and Marine levelled it with the last kick of the half, Owen Robinson taking down a long ball well before blasting into the net. A well poised match, Tom Coulthard heads home to regain Stockton the lead on 59 minutes. They put the game seemingly beyond doubt on 64 minutes, Michael Fowler finishing after an initial powerful shot is parried. Marine wouldn't lie down though and they pulled it back to 3-2, initially hitting the post before Chanka Zimba followed up on 77 minutes. That was it as far as scoring was concerned and upon checking the scores, exits for Truro, Willand Rovers and Morpeth meant that I've visited every ground left in this season's FA Cup.

It was a bus back to Stockton, then a long bus to Heworth. I gave myself the mammoth task of inputting all of the divisional winners of the Sunderland Over 40s League which took me the entire journey. It was a seamless change onto the Metro and another lengthy journey. I was in Whitley Bay at 7.15 and at my room ten minutes later. I dumped my bag and put my stuff on charge before going out. It was a nice evening and I had a couple of places in mind. First up was The Mean Eyed Cat, a short walk from Haymarket Station. No new cider tries that I could see, I settled for a pint of Hogan's Panking Pole which was pleasant. It had been a boozy few days so I got on my way following that. I was expecting to head out of Newcastle but the Spoons app notified me of an unticked pub. The Luther's Bar was strange, didn't give the best impression being understaffed. But I got to try an excellent Student brewed cider called Corbridge which was delicious and dry. Not really in my comfort zone mind, full of youngsters. But it was a great drop. There was one more Wetherspoons on my radar. The Job Bulman was awkwardly located for Metro users but it wasn't going to tick itself. Back to Haymarket and the green line to Regent Centre. It's a short walk to the Spoons for a Shawarma Wrap, chips and a pint of Dark Fruits for £6.31. From there to South Gosforth station where there is a 14-minute wait for the train to Whitley Bay. Once I get there, I'm parched. To the Spoons then for a double Captain Morgan Spiced rum. with Cranberry Juice as I watch the dying embers of Match of The Day. So much for a quiet night, I am back at midnight and climb straight into bed and to sleep.

THE GROUND

BISHOPTON ROAD WEST is a smart and modern setup for the level. There's not much character in the pre-fab stands but at least there is plenty of colour. There's two seated stands holding around 300 and a small terrace holding around 50. There's a decent amount of parking and well served by buses. Otherwise, it's 30 minutes walk from the pleasant town which has a good Wetherspoons. At the ground, cans are available. There's also a hospitality bar and apparently a supporters one too but I didn't come across it. There's a good selection of food, sadly the Parmo burger had sold out by halftime.