Back on the Trail
This weekend saw us back after a two-week hiatus and we chose a local game between Boldon CA and Seaham Red Star.
It’s the time of year when FA competitions start to swing into gear for the lower-league teams and this was an FA Vase Qualifying First Round tie.
Next week sees the FA Cup begin the First Round Proper and we will hopefully be taking in one of those games, too.
This game would allow us to take in another Northern League team ground, in our mission to tour them all.
So, let’s see how we got on at Boldon…
The Journey
Our day began at 11:50 with a dilemma.
Although just ten miles away from our home, the journey takes over an hour on the bus(es). We were faced with a choice of two buses, costing £8.00 and one hour five minutes, or one bus costing £4.00 and a journey time of one hour thirty-five.
So, having paid my four pounds (shhh I’m not mean!) we boarded the number 35 bus to Boldon.
Along the route, we passed Sunderland’s Stadium of Light, where they were preparing for a big game against Burnley.
Arriving around 13:30, I was regretting my choice. It felt like we had dropped off every elderly lady in Wearside by the time we got there.
Never mind, GoNorthEast would still get my money eventually…
Hello Boldon!
Boldon
Boldon is actually ‘the Boldons’.
It comprises three villages; East Boldon; West Boldon and Boldon Colliery.
Boldon CA football club is based on the eastern extremity of the latter, Boldon Colliery.
Originally a part of County Durham, Boldon now comes under the jurisdiction of South Tyneside.
Boldon is located between Gateshead seven miles to the west and Sunderland seven miles to the southeast. South Shields is a little under five miles to the northeast.
Between them, the three villages have a population of 13,271 according to the 2001 Census.
The two villages of East and West Boldon date back to at least the 12th century and the name derives from the words ‘Botl’ (building) and ‘dun’, a Gaelic word meaning hillfort.
Boldon Colliery Village was the result of yet another northeast colliery, discovered in the 1860’s. The mine began production in 1869 and the village sprung up around it.
The mine was closed in 1982, under the Thatcher government.
Eighteen years after the mine’s closure, 2,500 trees were planted on the wasteland to create Colliery Wood. Despite being a built-up, urban area, the Boldons are completely surrounded by a green belt and are considered a desirable area to live in, particularly East Boldon.
The Metro system connects Boldon with Sunderland, Newcastle and the rest of the Tyne and Wear area via a stop in East Boldon.
Upon arrival, we headed straight for the ground, with the intention of getting a drink there.
We got off the bus beside a large Asda and made the short walk to the ground.
Notable People
Z-Cars actor, Ian Cullen; cricketers, Andy Robson and Don Hardy; footballers, George Wall, Ray Middleton and brother Matt, Colin Nelson and Wes Saunders.
Lioness, Jill Scott started her career playing for the Boldon Girls team.
Boldon Colliery Welfare Ground
Getting In
We headed for the entry gate set in the fence and spoke to the gateman.
Yesterday, I messaged Boldon’s Twitter (X) account to ask for a few details about pin badges, cash or cards etc. and I was told to make myself known upon arrival.
We paid £5 entrance money each and bought a programme from the gateman.
Programme
A fine effort from Boldon CA and costs just £1.00.
Sixteen glossy pages that feature four full pages of adverts.
There is a double-page spread on the visitors, FA Vase history, a previous match report, fixtures/results and words from club officials.
A fantastic effort for the price, well done!
Having paid our money, we were pointed in the direction of Steven Clifford, a volunteer and resident club historian.
We had a good chat with him about the club’s history and their present-day issues.
For instance, it was interesting to hear that the club had spent most of their budget on the ground this year, as opposed to the playing budget. These are issues that people just don’t consider at this level.
The prize money for winning today’s fixture wouldn’t even cover the cost of paying the matchday officials.
If you can offer assistance to a local team, for these very reasons, please do. You will probably be welcomed with open arms!
I asked Steven if there were any pin badges for sale and he disappeared inside the catering hut behind us and came back with a big bag full of them. After offering us two badges free of charge, we gratefully took one and gave him the other back.
It now sits proudly on my latest badge pennant awaiting the last six to finish it off.
If you would like to help them empty that bag, they cost £3.00 and I’m sure they would be happy to post them to you.
East Side
After thanking Steven, we set off for a wander around the pitch, starting with the side we had entered the ground.
Apart from the entrance gate, there is a catering hut which doubles up as the club shop, three of the six floodlights and the Sam Bartram Terrace.
Sam Bartram was a goalkeeper who holds the record number of appearances for Charlton Athletic.
Normally a wing-half or centre forward, Bartram went in goal for Boldon Villa, as they were without one for the South Tyne Alliance Cup Final. He played so well in his new role, that watching Charlton Athletic scout, Angus Seed (brother of Jimmy, Charlton’s most successful manager) recommended him to the club.
Having joined the Division Three South team in 1934, he helped them become runners-up in the top division just three years later.
In 1947, Bartram was in goal as Charlton won their only-ever FA Cup Final. He was also in goal for three other Cup Finals on the losing side.
Twenty-two years after joining the Addicks, Bartram hung up his gloves and entered ‘legend’ status at The Valley.
A nine-foot statue of Bartram was unveiled in 2006 and stands outside The Valley Stadium.
Of course, to most of us, Sam Bartram was the erstwhile character in one of football’s funnier tales.
Why Wasn’t He Mist?
The tale occurred on a foggy Christmas Day at Chelsea‘s Stamford Bridge.
I will let Sam tell the story in his own words, taken from his autobiography (Sam Bartram: By Himself).
“Soon after the kick-off, fog began to thicken rapidly at the far end, travelling past Vic Woodley in the Chelsea goal and rolling steadily towards me. The referee stopped the game, and then, as visibility became clearer, restarted it. We were on top at this time, and I saw fewer and fewer figures as we attacked steadily.”
A long period of silence and nothing happening as the fog grew thicker than ever followed…
“After a long time,” he wrote, ‘a figure loomed out of the curtain of fog in front of me. It was a policeman, and he gaped at me incredulously. “What on earth are you doing here?” he gasped. “The game was stopped a quarter of an hour ago. The field’s completely empty’. And when I groped my way to the dressing room, the rest of the Charlton team, already out of the bath and in their civvies, were convulsed with laughter.”
Brilliant!
North End
The northern end of the ground backs onto the trees that curve around the north and east of the sports complex.
A net and a fence stand behind the goal.
West Side
The western side of the ground houses the other three floodlights and the technical dugouts.
There are a few benches on the southern side of the dugouts.
These are all that remain of the stand that used to be on this side before stormy winds blew it down.
The photographs below were kindly supplied by Boldon CA Football Club.
They show the damage done to the stand, which was subsequently raised again, only to be blown over once more, by another storm.
Steven Clifford tells me there are plans afoot to add a new fifty-seater stand on the east side of the ground.
South End
The southern end of the ground is a grassy bank with a path and a net to help stop footballs exiting the area.
There is also the club dressing rooms in the southeast corner.
These are backed by a chimney and a square tower structure proclaiming ‘The Villa’ in bold white letters.
More on why they are nicknamed the Villa later.
There are a couple of picnic-style benches in front of the dressing rooms and this is also where the players enter the pitch from.
The playing surface is natural grass and a metal rail fence runs around the perimeter.
Boldon Colliery Welfare Ground Gallery
Boldon CA Sports Club
We asked the gateman if it was ok to go back out and head to the clubhouse adjacent to the cricket pitch.
He said it wasn’t a problem (after pretending he wouldn’t remember us) and we headed across the car park.
The clubhouse is shared between the football and cricket clubs.
Inside there are tables and chairs and some comfortable-looking sofas, too. We bought a bottle of Newcastle Brown and an Old Moult berries cider for £6.50 and took a (comfortable) seat.
In 2008, Boldon hosted the inaugural Sam Bartram Cup. Charlton Athletic donated a signed goalkeeper’s shirt, which still hangs in the clubhouse, although I only found this out during later research.
There are no draft drinks in the club and everything is either bottles or cans.
Cash or card is accepted.
Boldon CA Tidbits
The Boldon Community Association Football Club was formed in 1892, becoming a founding member of the Wearside League in the same year.
The club was originally known as Boldon Star before folding in 1898, and returning as Boldon Villa.
Boldon Villa became Boldon Colliery Welfare in 1947/48, before changing to its present name in 1976/77.
In its different guises, Boldon won the Wearside League title in 1953, 1955, 1975 and 1997.
They were promoted from the Wearside League to the Northern League Division Two for the very first time as recently as 2021.
In their first-ever season in the Northern League, Boldon were denied promotion in the playoffs, falling 2-0 in the semi-finals at the hands of Tow Law Town.
In 2011, York City were the visitors as the club turned on the Sam Bartram floodlights for the very first time.
Ahead of the 2023/24 season, long-serving manager David Crumbie was replaced by incumbent manager, Gary Henry.
Boldon still calls themselves Villa, which is taken from Boldon Village, as opposed to any links to the Birmingham-based club or Spanish holiday homes.
As well as Sam Bartram, Charlton also took full-back, Jack Shreeve from Boldon. He too was in the 1947 FA Cup winning side.
Boldon CA – Pre-Game View of Boldon Colliery Welfare Ground
Boldon CA v Seaham Red Star – The Game
Form
Coming into today’s game, neither side had hit their stride in the league, so this would be a welcome break for one of the sides, come the end of play.
Boldon sits twentieth of twenty-two in the Northern League Division Two, with zero wins, four draws and four defeats in the eight games played so far.
They have scored six goals and let in three times as many in that span.
Last time out, they managed a 1-1 draw with Newcastle University.
With a replay not being an option, extra time and a potential penalty shootout were awaiting if the tie couldn’t be settled in ninety minutes.
Before that game was a horror showing against Yarm & Eaglescliffe, with the visitors leaving Boldon seven-goal to nil victors.
Visitors, Seaham Red Star haven’t fared much better, albeit in the division higher.
Currently seventeenth of twenty-two, Star have won two, drawn none and lost five of the seven games played.
They lost their last two matches, both at home, 1-2 against Northallerton Town and 0-4 against Shildon.
Both teams would be looking for better things today.
Given all this information, my pre-match prediction was a 1-3 win for the visitors.
Kick-Off
Summary
It didn’t take long for the game to burst into life!
With just two minutes on the clock, the home side swung in a corner and a free header was dispatched at the far post by Jonny Young.
I managed to catch this one on video while we were still heading for the shady spot in the northwest corner.
Red Star equalised in the 36th minute, through Liam Wright and it was probably a fair scoreline going into the break.
Half-Time
We decided to head for the toilet facilities adjacent to the dressing rooms during the half-time interval.
Before we got there, we ran into Steven Clifford again, who was standing in that corner watching the game with the gateman.
Having made a joke about me having something on my chin (no, not that one), I have no compunctions at all in pointing out to anyone who may be reading, that this guy (also club secretary?) looked just like railway trade union (RMT) leader, Mick Lynch.
I do hope that nickname doesn’t stick with him (no, not that one!) 🤣
Second Half
We decided to stay with the two guys and watch the second half and it flew by.
I have very little video or memory of what happened until the last few minutes.
It was a tight game, I do remember that but the conversation kept coming and the game went by.
One of the things I love about groundhopping is these random encounters with fellow football enthusiasts.
As the game looked to be heading towards extra time, Seaham took the lead with 82 minutes on the clock via Mason Burton’s free header. Very reminiscent of the opening goal for Boldon and one they will wish they could defend again.
The game was all but wrapped up seven minutes later when Bradley Chisholm scored a third for the visitors.
There was still time for Boldon to get a late consolation goal from the penalty spot, just to ruin my pre-match prediction…
Still, closer than usual. Maybe this is the season where I get one spot on?
I will add a full Match Report here, if and when one becomes available.
Full Time – Boldon CA (2) Seaham Red Star (3)
Attendance – 95
Entrance Fee – £5.00
Programme – £1.00
Up Next
Next up for the Villa is an away trip to Billingham Synthonia on August 27th.
This is followed by two home games against Esh Winning (31st) and Ryton & Crawcrook Albion on September 3rd.
Red Star face another away game next, as they travel to Redcar Athletic (27th) before two consecutive home games.
First up is Whickham to finish August (31st) before starting September against Newcastle Blue Star (3rd).
Both clubs will be hoping to raise their game and climb their respective divisions after a disappointing start.
Boldon CA Thoughts
Yet another former Colliery town football club and yet another friendly welcome from all involved with the club.
There are rivalries amongst certain teams and yet there is a pervading sense of brotherhood that overpins it all among the Northern Leagues clubs.
They have all gone through the same miserable times together, seeing their livelihoods destroyed and for the most part, slowly come back again.
Money is a major issue at this level of the game and even paying the match officials is a big outlay.
It’s wonderful, therefore, that people remain welcoming to the likes of us as neutrals and are keen to show off their football club in its best light.
The Boldon manager was away on holiday for today’s game and even the stand-in manager (and programme producer) Jimmy Malloy, stopped to introduce himself and say hello.
It’s a shame that they lost their west stand to storms and I can only hope there was some kind of insurance in place, but possibly not.
Steven Clifford was a credit to the club and kept us entertained and informed throughout. A big thank you for the pin badge, too, mate!
One thought we had that may help, is to have a can bar inside the ground, similar to the one at Birtley and other places.
The clubhouse feels very separated from the ground and it may help sales if people can get a drink inside the ground itself.
Boldon – After the Game
We said our goodbyes to Steven Clifford and Mick Lynch and headed off to catch the bus home.
Upon realising it would take three buses to get home, we bought a day ticket for the first one.
Had I known, I could have saved money and bought one of these on the way there. Oh well.
The 17:07 from Asda in Boldon dropped us off at Concord. A short wait and we jumped on the next bus that took us the short distance to Washington Galleries.
We got off and the X1 was immediately behind the one we had just got off… great timing.
This meant we were home by 18:10 and the three buses had been twenty minutes quicker than the one bus headed to Boldon.
Next Up for Hoppers Guide
Next week, we will be back in the Midlands for some family time.
This won’t prevent us from getting to a footy match and the plan is to head to Belper town for their FA Cup 1st Round Qualifying game against Bromsgrove Sporting at the Raygar Stadium, in Derbyshire.
I’m hoping to run into a couple of our long-time Twitter followers while we are there, so I am looking forward to it.
Onto the next!
Another fun read Ian. These clubs are the lifeblood of the game, a million miles away from Liverpool, City, United or Rangers and Celtic.
The volunteers that put so much time and effort into keeping clubs alive deserve huge respect.
Thanks, Iain, always appreciate your feedback pal!
I couldn’t agree more and a lot of these clubs are almost completely ignored by people who live in the area, which is a massive shame because they could make all the difference by attending a few games.