Northern League 'Double' 20th & 21st march 2009

From the sprawling outskirts of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne to a tiny woodland outpost in County Durham (above) ... A Northern League Double:
Whickham v Brandon United and Esh Winning (The Stags) v. Jarrow Roofing

Part 1 - The Northern Lights
Friday night football, under the lights, what a smashing way to start the weekend.
Tonight I get to visit Glebe Park, Whickham, for the first time ever and witness a cracking game of football between two teams who both want to play to win.
For sure there are a few firm but (borderline) fair challenges, but Lord help us all if football ever stops being a contact sport and all the competitive edge is removed from the game.
Get stuck in, enjoy the game, respect the referees decisions as much as possible and shake hands and have a pint afterwards.
Whickham FC were formed in 1944 as Axwell Park Colliery Welfare.
In 1981, after coming from 0-2 behind, Whickham beat Willenhall 3-2 after extra time to win the FA Vase at Wembley. To date, they are still the last ever North Eastern team to win a cup final at Wembley - although Whitley Bay have reached the semi final stage this season and will be going all out to re write history.
Above. The view from Whickham's Glebe Park social club facing the pitch. Note reflection of a drum kit in the window. I did fancy bashing out a solo or two but I don't like to show off in public.
First rate hospitality awaits visitors to Glebe Park, everybody was really friendly.
The 'player profiles' in the programme were very funny, i.e:
David Fairless - David is a part time gardener and model, who was brought in to add some glamour to the team photo. It's the only logical reason I can think of.
Graeme Jackson - Experienced full back in his second spell at the club. He's a fireman so he'll be used to sleeping and playing with his hose.
Tony Dowson - Club coach and utility player. Player/Coach, lucky he's a great coach.
Brandon United have been experiencing difficulties both on and off the pitch in recent years, particularly last season when they finished rock bottom, so its great to see them recovering and going from strength to strength this term.
Formed as 'Rostrons' a Sunday League side linked with the local waste paper company of the same name, they became Brandon United in 1972-73.
I haven't seen Brandon United since 1988, when I was at Belle Vue to see them narrowly lose an FA Cup 1st Round replay v Doncaster Rovers.
They also reached the first round proper in 1980 while still in the Northern Alliance and lost that time 1-0 to Bradford City at Spennymoor United's ground.
Mark Odea put Brandon ahead after about 20 mins, but though they went on to win by virtue of a second half strike from sub Chris Toye after he latched on to a rebound off the keeper, it would be fair to say Whickham were the better side. When Andy Wilson equalised just after the half hour it looked to all intents and purposes that a home win was on the cards.
But given their recent fortunes, it would seem that Brandon revel in battling their way out of tight corners and tonight was no exception.
A very decent game of football ... and even the Whickham supporters didn't begrudge a resurgent Brandon United their victory.
(Above) The spectre of a ghostly linesman pounding along the touchline, or 'possibly' my camera got damaged worse than I thought during the recent deleuge at Clipstone MW v. Ollerton Town.

Friday 20th March 2009
Whickham (1) 1 Wilson
Brandon United (1) 2 Odea, Toye
Northern League Division 2
Attendance 140

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Part 2 - Northern Uproar
Esh Winning FC.
In keeping with the friendliness at Whickham last night, everybody at "The Stags" couldn't do enough to extend a warm and genuine welcome.
To make sure I had my bearings right I had arrived with plenty of time to spare and the bloke unlocking the ground gave me freedom to roam with my camera.
After a couple of pints and some friendly banter it became apparent that to gain access to the West Terrace ground, one is supposed to pay the guy sat up the road on the woodland track that approaches the ground. I had arrived before him and as a consequence was in for free. But it was such a friendly place, manned by really pleasant people I felt compelled to walk back towards the entrance and pay my way.
It would have been rude and sneaky not to under the circumstances.

Local football pull outs from the Northern Echo, old programmes with club histories and various other kindnesses were bestowed upon me, for which I was very grateful. The people at the club are all obviously very fond of their club and were gladdened that somebody had travelled quite so far to take a genuine interest.
There are hundreds of grounds all over Europe I've visited only once but I can safely say, though this was my first visit to Esh Winning, it certainly won't be my last.
Special mention merited for EWFC programme editor Lee Stewart, cheers I owe you one ;-)
Above. A female referees assistant. That ought to curb some of the bad language and harassment match officials often have to endure.
Well, at least I would have hoped so.
Of course there is the polar opposite camp who would argue that a female should be treated no differently to a man out on the field of play.
Maybe I'm just a bit old fashioned then.
Esh Winning play just outside the small village of Waterhouses which is a mile or so from Esh Winning itself, a few miles off the beaten track to the west of Durham in the road atlas.
120 years old, the club have previously been called both Esh Albion and Esh Winning Rangers. They have disbanded and reformed a couple of times, the current Esh Winning being reformed in 1969.

Jarrow Roofing FC. Hmm, I suppose I could post a short, potted and truncated history, but fuck 'em!
From what I saw of them in a cup game v Retford United in 2004 when they were a rough arsed excuse for a football team and especially today when there were many aspects of their conduct that were beneath contempt ... I don't have the time or inclination.
When they start behaving like a football team I might give them credit for being one, until then ... I won't!
Above. Why on earth would anybody behave that way when they have been awarded a free kick in a great position?
The Esh players retreat to defend a free kick, Jarrow Roofing have the initiative, they are on the cusp of a set piece move that if they make the most of it will put them firmly in charge of the game, because during the opening exchanges they have been coming out well on top.
So what happens next?
With just twenty minutes gone, Jarrow's number 9 is dismissed for persistent foul and abusive language cum threatening behaviour.
Persistent after just twenty minutes!
And from my vantage point near the halfway line, the lad wholly warranted it.
I could hear his constant abuse and threats from that distance so the referee had no other option. There is always going to be a certain level of menace, winding up, taunting and industrial language in any game, but this was OTT.
Yes, the centre forward, the teams focal point of attack, sent off when his team are about to take a free kick in a dangerous position.
When the Jarrow captain was sent off just before half time, for retaliating to a heavy challenge on him shortly after he had been booked, one could argue that the Esh player who squared up to him could have gone too ... but he was only booked.
And there were two other Esh players who appeared to be seeing how far they could push the atmosphere with a string of fouls and bad language who went unpunished too.
But although Esh should have been bought to book as well, their transgressions were made to look insignificant by a team of very able footballers from Jarrow who had obviously been briefed to spoil the game and rough the opposition up and not bother playing like they could - where is the logic in that!?
I chatted to the Jarrow captain later on, he was very friendly, but at that point he didn't have his gaffer shouting "Kick the lad in the Hearts t-shirt and make sure you go in studs up!" at him.
I seriously hope some of Roofing's better players move on at the end of the season so they can play football instead of indulging in this thuggery week in, week out.
When the Jarrow full back was dismissed in the last minute after conceding the penalty Esh netted for their 3rd goal, he wanted to go and confront the ref because "Fuckin' hell man, he took that fucker when I was still on the pitch". Maybe he should have said "Fuckin' hell man I was loitering by the touchline and deliberately trying to waste time, because that is the kind of mentality that our manager Wes Saunders hammers into us".
I was amused to hear the blinkered response from the Jarrow dug out of "Leave it, he's obviously a homer this one!". D'oh!!!
(Above) In between the four red cards for Jarrow Roofing (3 players, 1 manager), they are actually capable of some decent football, especially the number nine who was dismissed. But their other antics were quickly killing the game off as a spectacle from halfway through the first half onwards.
(Above) "No Elvis, Beatles or the Rolling Stones in 2009" - "Rock, rock, Esh city rockers!!!" - "Rock the Esh bar, Rock the Esh bar"
Hmm, I wish I was going.
Saturday 21st March 2009
Esh Winning (2) 3 Coates , M Fort 2 (1 pen)
Jarrow Roofing Boldon CA (1) 1
West Terrace, Waterhouses
Northern League Division 2

I won't bore you with my account of the game, check out the links below to read what people more knowledgeable than myself about the Northern League circuit had to say.

(Above) 'Thug On The Tyne' ... Mr Rathband the Referee, explains in expletive free language to the Jarrow Roofing manager Wes Saunders why he is about to produce a red card from his pocket and send him off from the technical area.
Saunders left the bench having been sent off, but continued his tirade of abuse from just behind that bit of white fencing you can see in the photo between the blonde haired woman and the dug out.
It is little wonder his team have such a thug boy siege mentality when they are led by such a piss poor example from their ex pro manager, you would kind of hope that somebody who has played at the very top level and actually managed a football league club could have picked up some professionalism and perspective on what good and proper conduct is.
Alas he hasn't.
I'm scheduled to have visited all the Northen League grounds by the end of next season, however if Wes Saunders is still in the hot seat at Jarrow Roofing, I will be giving the trip there a miss for the foreseeable future.
Such behaviour is unacceptable at any level, but in the friendly environs of a place like Esh Winning on a beautiful sunny afternoon, in a competition where pride, honour and respect do still actually exist, Saunders Jarrow team stand out like an ugly eyesore.

Esh Winning deserved to win and at the time of writing could still win promotion, I hope they do. Jarrow Roofing Boldon C.A. deserved to loose, I'm REALLY glad they did.

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Below. Links to the Non League Zone forum, appertaining to the two games I saw this weekend, they make very interesting reading.

Whickham v Brandon United detail (Whickham)
http://www.nonleaguezone.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=62904

Whickham v Brandon United detail (Brandon United)
http://www.nonleaguezone.com/viewtopic.php?=101&t=62900

Esh Winning v Jarrow Roofing indiscipline and disrespect 5 page thread (Northern League) http://www.nonleaguezone.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=62925