Alnwick Return
This week sees us returning to Alnwick, just a couple of weeks since we watched the Shrove Tuesday football game there.
Alnwick is a lovely little town, and I don’t need the excuse of a new football ground to return. It will be a new ground, which is a bonus, on top of a good day in Northumberland.
However, I am hoping for a drier surface and a slightly less chaotic game than my previous experience of football in Alnwick.
The opponents will be Billingham Synthonia, which will be another first for me.
The Synners currently groundshare with Stockton Town, meaning that while I have been to their ground, I haven’t previously been to a Synthonia game.
I look forward to correcting that, and it will leave just two teams I have yet to watch in the Northern League. Those being Redcar Town, whom we visit soon, and Yarm & Eaglescliffe, who also groundshare with Billingham Town.
All in all, my Northern League journey is getting ever closer to completion, but that won’t be the end of it for me. I love the clubs in this league and their hospitality.
I’ve developed a genuine fondness for a few of them and have no bad words for any of them.
However, there are one or two clubs that need to step up their social media game and engage with fans, but that is my only gripe.
Yes, I mean you, Penrith AFC and Newcastle University…
Alnwick – The Journey
Saturday began by catching the 08:30 X1 to Newcastle bus station.
The day was sunny, but with a wintry chill still in the air. Compared to January and February’s constant rain, it was a welcome change.
As we crossed from Gateshead to Newcastle over the River Tyne, I got my first real sight of the Fog on the Tyne. I’ve seen it foggy before, of course, but this was localised to the river itself, hanging like a pall of smoke over the Tyne.
We arrived at Eldon Square at 09:25, and I headed to the Haymarket bus station, which is adjacent to it.
The connecting X15 bus to Alnwick arrived at 09:38, and I settled in for the journey.
There is a brilliant TNE Day Saver ticket available on the Northeast public transport, which allows unlimited use of GoNorthEast, Stagecoach, Arriva and Metro services for £7.50.
This ticket allows someone to travel from the southern edge of County Durham, all the way up to the Scottish border at Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Slower than the train, yes, but we save money where we can to allow for more trips, and that is what I used for today’s outing.
I arrived in Alnwick at 11:02, with the sun now giving off a steady warmth to keep off the chill.
While I walk to my first chosen watering hole of the day, why not have a read about Alnwick?
Alnwick
Alnwick is a market town in rural Northumberland.
It is located 33 miles north of Newcastle Upon Tyne, 87 miles southeast of Edinburgh, 29 miles southeast of Berwick-upon-Tweed, while Hetton-le-Hole is 49 miles south.
At the 2021 census, it had a population of 8,681, up from 8,036 in 2011 and is the county town of Northumberland.
The settlement existed during the Anglo-Saxon period and appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as ‘Alnewic‘, taking its name from the River Aln and the Old English word ‘wic‘, meaning (in this case) dairy farm.
Its position near the Scottish border gave the town strategic importance during the medieval period, when England and Scotland were frequently at war.
Alnwick Castle
Agriculture was the town’s main industry, though the defining feature is Alnwick Castle, which dominates the town. Built shortly after the Norman Conquest in 1096, the castle made Alnwick a strategic place during the Anglo-Scottish wars, including battles fought nearby in the 11th and 12th centuries.
For centuries, it served both as a military stronghold and a symbol of the powerful Percy family’s influence in northern England since the early 14th century.
Throughout the Middle Ages, Alnwick developed as a market town. Traders and farmers gathered there to exchange goods, and its markets became central to life in the surrounding rural communities.
By the 18th and early 19th centuries, Alnwick had become an important regional centre for agriculture and trade. Coaching inns, shops and markets served travellers moving along the Great North Road between London and Edinburgh.
Unlike many northern towns, Alnwick did not experience heavy industrialisation during the Industrial Revolution. Instead, it remained closely tied to farming, market trade and the estates of the Percy family. The arrival of the railway in the mid-19th century improved connections with the wider region and brought visitors to the town.
The Victorian period saw the development of several civic landmarks. Among them was Alnwick Garden, originally created as part of the castle estateby the famous landscape architect, Capability Brown. The gardens became famous for their grand layout and the famed poisonous plants that are a part of it, attracting tourists.
By the early 20th century, Alnwick remained a busy rural market town serving the surrounding countryside. Shops, markets and small industries provided employment, while the castle estate continued to shape the town.
Post War
Like many smaller market towns, Alnwick changed gradually after the Second World War. Traditional industries declined, but the town retained its importance as a local centre for services, retail and education.
Tourism grew in importance during the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Visitors came to explore the historic streets, the castle and the fabulous nearby Northumberland coastline. Alnwick Castle gained international attention after appearing in several films and television productions, most famously as Hogwarts in the early Harry Potter films. This is where Harry took his first flying and Quidditch lessons.
The redevelopment of Alnwick Gardens in the early 2000s created a major visitor attraction, bringing new life to the castle grounds and drawing tourists from across the world.
Today, Alnwick sits at the heart of a wider rural area that includes coastal villages, historic sites and national park landscapes. It remains a gateway to Northumberland’s castles, countryside and coastline.
Despite its modest size, Alnwick has a strong sense of identity shaped by centuries of history. From medieval border conflicts and noble estates to modern tourism and heritage preservation, the town has evolved while keeping its own character.
Today, tourism plays a big part in Alnwick’s economy, partly thanks to the Harry Potter connection, but even without Potter, this town has much to offer visitors.
You can find out more by visiting the Official Tourism Association website for Alnwick.
Notable People from Alnwick
Executive chairman of the Sky Media Group, Jeremy Darroch – Actor, Kris Deedigan – Scottish monarch, Malcolm III of Scotland – Members of the very influential Percy family, including, Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, Henry ‘Harry Hotspur’ Percy, Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland, and Henry Percy, 5th Earl of Northumberland – Horse racing trainer, Nicky Richards – Artist, Stella Vine, and eccentric darts commentator, Sid Waddell.
Arrival in Alnwick
After leaving the bus at Alnwick’s Playhouse bus stop, I passed the Hotspur Tower at Bondgate and walked to Greggs for a quick snack.
After leaving Greggs, I carried on, along Bondgate, into Narrowgate, where I found my first watering hole of choice.
Of course, I had to take the obligatory photographs of the Harry Hotspur trophy across the road first.
The Dirty Bottles
The Dirty Bottles occupies both buildings in the photograph above and stands opposite the statue of Harry Hotspur.
Inside, it is spacious, with several rooms, and the bar is to the right as you enter.
I ordered a pint of Guinness, costing £5.30 and took a seat in Liar’s Corner. I’m not sure why it’s called that, but it was quite an ironic place for me to sit, as I’m not a good liar, and neither do I aspire to be.
Although it was a nice, snug place to sit, it was a little gloomy, and I decided to move on around to the front of the pub.
Much better, and if the windows had been clean, I would have had a great view of all the tourists posing for photographs and selfies with Harry.
Despite the name, The Dirty Bottles is a very clean pub, apart from the front windows. Indeed, I sat thinking The Dirty Windows would be a more apt name.
The pub’s actual name is Ye Olde Cross, and it has a fascinating story of a curse and some dirty bottles that changed its name. Should you wish to find out more, you can read the story here.
After finishing my pint, I headed to another bar a few yards back in the direction I had come from.
Harry’s Bar
Named, of course, after Harry Hotspur, Harry’s Bar is a smaller pub with a more intimate feel.
I ordered a pint of Guinness, costing £5.50 and took a seat at a corner table.
The music was very 80s-oriented, and I mentioned it to the barmaid, which led to a conversation about music tastes. We clearly had similar tastes in music and exchanged a few band names.
In particular, I would like to thank her for putting me on to Hung Like Hanratty, a punk band with a sense of humour.
I also found a band called The Tuckers, who are from Alnwick, while researching the town. I quite like this tune from them, a little mix of folk music and punk, with an almost Pogues feel to it.
See what you think.
After enjoying a conversation with my pint, I headed off for the third and final watering hole.
Queen’s Head Hotel
The Queen’s Head Hotel has more of a local-boozer feel and, again, is quite spacious, with several rooms.
I bought a pint of Guinness, the cheapest of the day at £5.00, and took a seat in the back room.
Here, the Mansfield Town v Arsenal FA Cup tie was on several TVs on the wall, and I was just in time to see the Stags equalise.
Absolutely nothing wrong with this pub, but I did prefer the other two. The Fleece and the Tanners Arms are also excellent, and I visited them during my visit to the Shrovetide football game.
Alnwick has an excellent choice of pubs!
With my pint finished, it was time to head off to St James’ Park, around a mile to the south.
A few more pics of my walk through Alnwick, below.
Alnwick Town – St James’ Park
Getting In
Entry into St James’ Park is at the north end of the ground via a turnstile next to a larger gate.
Admission costs £6.00, with cash or card accepted.
I also purchased a pin badge and a programme at the turnstile, with the badge costing £3.00.
Programme
The programme was being issued free of charge, with donations accepted. I added the usual £1.00 cost to my entry fee and badge, bringing the total to £10.00.
A glossy paper cover with 12 pages of matt paper content, a total of five of which are adverts.
Photographs show 8 Alnwick Town teams from the past, a club history, player profiles, and team line-ups.
There are two pages on the visiting team, one of which is a player profile list.
Upcoming fixtures and the league table complete the list.
This is a decent effort from Alnwick, and the fact that they were distributing them for free is commendable for a club with such limited resources.
I hope people paid at least the normal amount for a copy if they took one.
North End
After entering the ground, you find yourself in a small car park, overlooking the pitch.
This is really the only feature at this end of the ground.
East Side
Moving on to the left, we come to the east side, which contains a lovely old wooden stand with a gantry on top, presumably for filming games.
The technical dugouts and four LED floodlights are also located on this side of the ground, with the dugouts on either side of the old stand on the halfway line.
South End
The south end of St James’ Park contains one of the temporary stands that most non-league clubs at this level have.
A fifty-seater covered stand that helps bring the ground up to the required seating capacity.
The rest of this end is made up of a flat standing area, between the boundary fence and the pitch fence.
West Side
The west side contains the players’ entrance, the dressing rooms and the clubhouse.
There are four more LED floodlights on this side of the pitch.
Clubhouse
Inside the clubhouse, there is a small bar and two rows of seating on either side of the room.
I noticed a box on the bar, stuffed full of old Alnwick Town programmes. It also had a few Newcastle United programmes, and I bought four, each priced at 50p.
One of them was a Bedlington Terriers programme. A club that has sadly succumbed to the financial pressures of grassroots football, and whose ground is now scheduled for demolition.
No doubt the council (which had a massive hand in their demise) will make a fat profit from selling the land to property developers!
It would be worth these people who supposedly serve their community to realise that a football club is the beating heart of a community, containing memories of generations.
All they care about is money!
Anyway, rant over, the clubhouse seems a nice place for a pre-match pint, though I didn’t have time for one before the match began.
Alnwick Town – St James’ Park Gallery
Alnwick Town Tidbits
The Alnwick Town Football Club was founded in 1879.
Originally established as Alnwick United Services, the team competed in local competitions and gradually developed a regular fixture schedule within regional leagues.
Alnwick joined the North Northumberland League, where it achieved its first significant honour, winning the league title in 1898/99.
Around 1900, the club adopted the name Alnwick United Juniors and moved to its current home ground, St James’ Park, where it has remained ever since.
During the early twentieth century, the club continued to compete locally before joining the East Northumberland League in 1923.
The club’s next development came in 1935, when it entered the Northern Alliance, one of the region’s most competitive amateur leagues. The following year, the club adopted the now familiar name of Alnwick Town.
Early Success and Later Domination
The club quickly established itself in its new surroundings, and in 1937/38, ‘Wick won the Northern Alliance title, securing the first major honours under its new name.
After football was interrupted during the Second World War, Alnwick resumed competition and continued to develop through the post-war decades. The club gradually strengthened its squad and infrastructure, laying the groundwork for the most successful period in its history.
Alnwick Town enjoyed a prolonged period of success during the 1960s and early 1970s, particularly in the Northern Alliance. After finishing as league runners-up in 1959/60 and 1961/62, the club began an extraordinary run of championship victories.
Between 1962 and 1972, Alnwick Town won the Northern Alliance title eight times, claiming championships in:
- 1962/63
- 1963/64
- 1965/66
- 1967/68
- 1968/69
- 1969/70
- 1970/71
- 1971/72
During the same era, the club also achieved notable success in cup competitions. Town won the Northern Alliance Challenge Cup on five occasions: 1961/62, 1965/66, 1967/68, 1968/69 and 1970/71.
This sustained dominance represented the most successful period in the club’s competitive history and established Alnwick Town as one of the strongest amateur sides in the region.
Northern League
A significant structural change occurred in 1982, when Alnwick Town joined the Northern League Division Two. The move placed the club within the structures of the world’s second-oldest league.
After several seasons consolidating its position, the club achieved promotion in 1988/89, finishing runners-up in Division Two and earning promotion to Northern League Division One.
Alnwick Town finished eighth in its first season in the top division, showing that it could compete at the higher level. However, the following season proved more difficult, and the club finished second from bottom in 1990/91, resulting in relegation back to Division Two.
During the 2000s and 2010s, the club continued to adapt to changes in the non-league football structure. In 2015, Alnwick Town returned to the North Northumberland League, reconnecting with one of the competitions that had formed part of its early history.
In subsequent years, the club operated development and reserve teams in regional competitions. A development squad competed in the North Northumberland League before moving to the North East Combination League when the former competition temporarily ceased operations. When the North Northumberland League was revived in 2020, the development team rejoined and achieved immediate success.
The development side won the North Northumberland League title in 2020/21, earning promotion to Division Three of the Northern Alliance before eventually being dissolved ahead of the 2023/24 season as the club restructured itself.
Alnwick Town has also competed in national non-league tournaments. Its best performances include:
FA Cup: Third qualifying round (1951/52 and 1957/58) – FA Trophy: Third qualifying round (1990/91) and FA Vase: Second round (1975/76 and 2014/15)
The Magpies are currently managed by Richard Latimer.
Alnwick Town – Pre-Game View of St James’ Park
Alnwick Town v Billingham Synthonia – The Game
Form
Coming into today’s game, Alnwick Town stand in 9th place.
After playing 34 games, they have won 14, drawn 9 and lost 11, scoring 64 times while conceding 58.
During February, they played three league games, losing all three, at Yarm & Eaglescliffe, Tow Law Town, and at home to Ryton & Crawcrook Albion. They also conceded 12 goals in those three games.
March began with a credible 0-0 draw at home to Park View AFC in midweek, and they will hope to rebuild shattered confidence on the back of this.
The Synners enter today’s contest 20th of 22, though it should be noted that they have had 6 points deducted.
They have also played 34 games so far, winning 9, drawing 4 and losing 21. They have scored 57 goals and conceded 78 in that spell.
In February, Synthonia have played three times, all at home, and have won one and lost twice. Last time out, they lost 3-1 to Ryton & Crawcrook Albion.
Given all the above information, I can foresee plenty of goals, with both sides scoring.
Pre-match prediction: Alnwick Town 4 Billingham Synthonia 2
No doubt that means a 0-0 incoming! 👀
Kick-Off
Summary
With six goals predicted, I was hoping for goals early.
The first one came along in the 13th minute.
A through ball from the middle of the park fell beautifully into the path of Ryan Smith, who deftly tucked it past Adam Claxton in the Synners goal.
Fast forward to 02:11 to see the goal.
Synners equalised in the 26th minute, through Daniel Dryden, and it was looking hopeful of more goals to come.
Town retook the lead just six minutes later through Lewis Fairbairn, in what was almost a carbon copy of the first goal.
During the halftime interval, I visited the toilets adjacent to the clubhouse.
I got talking to an Alnwick fan called Lewis, who invited me to come and stand with him and his mates.
I happily obliged, and I spent most of the second half talking to them. A great bunch of lads who were enjoying the game and a few beers.
If you get around to reading this, Lewis, send an email to hoppersguide@hotmail.com, and I will send you that photograph. Your Facebook privacy settings won’t allow me to send it that way.
Second Half
If Alnwick had been the better team in the first half, then it was also true that Billingham Synthonia had the edge in the second half.
There were handbags flying at one stage after a tackle resulting in a yellow card.
This seemed to spur on the Synners, and they deservedly equalised in the 80th minute, through Josh Hodgkinson.
The goal came about from a throw-in in front of us. The Billingham player almost knocked over a pint of beer, which caused a bit of banter from my new friends towards the player.
As his throw-in resulted in the equaliser, he was keen to return some of this banter in the form of a two-fingered salute (or two).
It was all taken in good spirit.
If anyone was going to go on and win it from here, the odds were on the away side.
However, it was Alnwick who nicked it, via the penalty spot.
It was coolly tucked away under pressure by Philip Bright in the 89th minute.
So, just one goal away from a perfect prediction, but I will take that.
Slightly harsh on Billingham Synthonia, I felt, but they will take heart from their second-half performance.
Overall, I think a draw would have been a fair reflection, but take nothing away from Alnwick’s win.
They may not quite make the playoffs this season, but this will be a welcome victory nonetheless.
If and when a Match Report becomes available, I will post it here.
Full-time – Alnwick Town 3 Billingham Synthonia 2
Attendance – 66
Entrance Fee – £6.00
Programme – Free
Alnwick Town v Billingham Synthonia – Match Highlights
If and when match highlights become available, I will post them here.
League Table After Today’s Game
Up Next
With just 7 fixtures left to play, Alnwick will travel to Newcastle University for their next game on 14th March.
They then host both Prudhoe YC Seniors (17th) and Billingham Town (21st), before ending the month with a visit to Seaham Red Star on the 28th.
For the Synners, they will look to pull away from the relegation battle in the coming weeks.
That will be no easy task, though, with games against Park View AFC (14th) at home and Yarm & Eaglescliffe (21st) away.
An already doomed Esh Winning awaits them on the 25th, before hosting Newcastle University on the 28th.
Alnwick Town Thoughts
Alnwick Town is not the most spectacular ground you will see.
However, it is welcoming, friendly and in a fantastic town to visit.
There is a large variety of pubs to pop into in the town centre, or, if you prefer, the clubhouse at the ground is also decent.
The wooden stand is a quirky feature that we groundhopping types love to see. Give me that over the ‘temporary’ stands anyday.
Although they have one of those, too!
The programme box in the clubhouse is a great idea. Not only does it keep collectors like me engaged, but it also helps bring a bit of extra money into the club from old issues.
Speaking of programmes, it was good to see Alnwick trying out an initiative with the free programmes. I hope they didn’t lose too much money on the idea, and hopefully, they even made a little.
The pin badges are good value at £3.00, putting some other clubs to shame, charging up to £6.00.
I’d also like to thank the guys who made me welcome and stood talking to me through the second half of the game. Lewis and his buddies made me feel very welcome, thank you!
If you haven’t yet visited Alnwick Town, do so. Make sure you have time to visit the town before or after the game.
You won’t be disappointed.
Alnwick – After the Game
Following the final whistle, I said my goodbyes to the fine bunch of lads I’d been standing with and exited the ground.
Just a short walk up the road is the bus stop, and from here, I caught the 17:03 #415 bus to Morpeth, arriving at 17:44.
The connecting X14 bus to Newcastle arrived at 18:00, with plenty of people wearing Newcastle United colours on board.
Of course, the Magpies were hosting Manchester City at the Northeast’s other St. James’ Park at 20:00 that evening.
We arrived at Newcastle’s Haymarket bus station at 18:45, and I made my way to Eldon Square, next door.
As I got closer, I noticed the X1 was already in the station, so I put on a quick(ish) spurt and jogged the last bit.
I got to the doors just as the bus driver decided to pull away with a shake of his head.
Cheers, pal!
Oh well, the next one arrived twenty minutes later, at 19:05, and I was home, through my front door by 20:05.
Another successful Hop in the books!
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Next Up for Hoppers Guide
Next week sees us continue our Northern League odyssey, with a trip to Mo Mowlam Park, home of Redcar Town.
Redcar is a town with two teams that are flying this season.
Redcar Athletic are dominating the Northern Premier League Division One East, after winning the Northern League Division One title last season.
Meanwhile, Redcar Town are sitting atop the Northern League Division Two, with games in hand.
This could well be a season that will live in the memory of the town’s football fans, especially with nearby Middlesbrough second in the Championship, too.
I look forward to tapping into the energy and buzz flowing through Redcar next Saturday.
The other visitors will be Chester-le-Street Town.
Onto the next!
EDIT: Redcar Town’s game was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. I headed instead to Redcar Athletic for their NPL Division One East game against Ossett United.
