Back to Grassroots (Atchoo!)
The 2025/26 Hoppers Guide season starts with a friendly game between Brandon United and Esh Winning.
Not the sort of glamour tie that kids dream of, maybe, but two local sides where community means more than money. After my successful avoidance of the horrendous Club World Cup, while players should have been enjoying their between-seasons break, it’s good to get back to ‘real’ football, away from the money-induced madness of FIFA.
Of course, there is another damn good reason for me to stay local at this time of year… POLLEN!
The mere mention of the word gives me Gollum’s “We hatesss it” vibes. Since the first summer of suffering, back when I was 14, I have become almost a hermit during June and July. If it were just the itchiness of the eyes and nose (and even ears!) that most people get, it wouldn’t be so bad.
For me, hay fever also means a potential asthma attack, and I still remember sitting on the stairs of my home, struggling for each breath while my ex-wife called 999. Not an experience I hope to repeat anytime soon.
Since moving to the Northeast nearly seven years ago (wow, time flies!), my symptoms have eased considerably, and asthma hasn’t been a problem (touch wood). Hopefully, that remains the case today!
Let’s get on with it and find out, shall we?
Brandon – The Journey
The day started at a leisurely pace, with Brandon being close to home.
I arrived at the bus station with time to spare before boarding the 11:45 #65 bus to Durham.
Things went incredibly smoothly, as I arrived at Durham bus station at 12:10 and stepped straight onto the connecting 12:10 #49A bus to Brandon. Twenty-five minutes later, I was at my destination.
At this point, I realised a brain fart had made me forget to withdraw cash before I set off.
No problem – after a quick check of Google Maps, I headed into the Co-op building, with a post office and an ATM inside.
Potential crisis averted, I set off to find the Welfare Ground, home of Brandon United. What a pain it was to find. Easy when you know how, but I didn’t, and Google Maps wasn’t much use.
I walked out the back of the Co-op, through the car park and up a grassy bank to the first unnamed road.
My progress went something like this… Walk up the second unnamed road, bringing me to Brandon Lane. Turn left, cross the road, and proceed up Deerness Heights. Turn back after realising that is the wrong way, and instead, turn up the driveway of Brandon Community Hall.
Through the car park and onto a path that appears to end in the direction where I need to go. I persist and pick up the trail at the end of the car park. Down the path, I finally come across a side gate entrance to the Welfare Ground. I can see people inside, but I find the gate locked.
Further down the path, I finally found the correct entrance, the grounds car park, and the clubhouse.
While I find the entrance, have a read about the town of Brandon.
Brandon
Brandon is a village in County Durham, situated three miles southwest of the county’s administrative capital, Durham.
Along with Brandon Village, Meadowfield and Langley Moor, Brandon forms a small conurbation. Brandon United Football Club is in the northern sector of Brandon, east of Brandon Village and west of Langley Moor.
Historically, a thinly populated agricultural area, Brandon grew alongside most of the Northeast following the discovery of coal.
In 1801, the population of the area was just 522, but by 1891, it had risen to 14,240. By the 2021 Census, the conurbation’s population had shrunk to 9,506.
Newcastle-based firm Straker and Love bought the site that became Brandon Colliery and sank the first ‘A’ shaft in 1856. They created two further shafts and, by the century’s end, employed 1,150 men and boys at the site. The mine remained operational until its closure in March 1968.
Brandon is the first place I have ever come across where TripAdvisor lists the number of things to do as zero!
Notable People from Brandon
Cricketer Stephen Ball – publisher and union leader; David Coates – children’s author; Frederick Grice – engineer and author; Thomas Tredgold.
Several footballers hail from Brandon, including Stoke City’s Joe Mawson, Bob Young, Billy Bertram, George Bertram (brother of Billy?), and probably the most well-known of all, Stephen Pears of Middlesbrough.
Brandon United – Welfare Ground
Getting In
I asked at the turnstile if I could return to the clubhouse after paying, and was told that it wouldn’t be a problem.
Entry was £5.00, which I paid with cash. I also purchased a pin badge, which cost me a further £3.50.
The entrance turnstile is on the east side of the ground, and that is where we will start our ground review.
East Side
Climbing the steps beyond the turnstile brings you to the east touchline.
This side of the ground contains the technical dugouts and three of the six floodlights.
The clubhouse and the car park are at the bottom of the bank.
North End
The north end of the ground has nothing of note other than a continuation of the path that surrounds the perimeter of the pitch.
West Side
The western side houses the sole structures inside the Welfare Ground.
There is a storage container in the northwest corner and some shallow terracing that stretches along this side of the ground. Wheelbarrows, mowers and other assorted maintenance equipment lie in front of the container.
A covered structure featuring terracing in front and bench seating above sits at the centre of the shallow terracing.
The bench seating more than meets the criteria of accommodating 100 seated spectators, should Brandon achieve promotion back to the Northern League in the future.
Beyond the stand, there is more shallow terracing and a picnic table area for people to enjoy a pint in the sunshine while they watch the game.
There is a small hut selling snacks and drinks between here and the covered stand, though I didn’t use it as I had a couple of sausage rolls on the journey here.
Music emanates from a loudspeaker beside the hut, and at one point, a couple of tracks from my favourite band, Madness, played.
The other notable feature on this side of the ground is the players’ and officials’ dressing rooms, which also serve as a toilet facility.
Players enter the pitch here, at the southwest corner.
South End
Again, there is nothing of note at the south end of the ground.
A metal fence marks the boundary, and beyond this and the trees is the path that brought me to the ground.
Brandon United – Welfare Ground Gallery
Brandon United – Pre-Game View of the Welfare Ground
Clubhouse
After finishing my lap of the pitch, I headed for a very welcome pint. It was a hot sunny day, and my tongue was hanging like a leather strap.
I passed the young lad on the gate and gave him a thumbs-up to make sure he remembered I’d paid, and went inside.
It was a large room with a bar in the corner near the door. A pool table and dartboard are opposite the bar, while beyond this section are tables and chairs. It appears to double up as a function room, with a stage and room for dancing, etc.
The friendly lady at the bar served me a pint of Guinness, which cost me £4.50. I felt it was quite expensive, considering it was one of those ‘draught’ cans that isn’t draught at all.
Given that this was a relatively low-key friendly, it wasn’t too surprising that there weren’t many folks in the club.
I passed the time scrolling on my phone, and as the kick-off approached, I headed back outside.
Brandon United Tidbits
The Brandon United Football Club was formed in 1968 (as was I).
Known initially as Rostrons FC, they were the works team representing the waste paper company of the same name.
Starting in Division Three of the Durham & District Sunday League, they won the division in their inaugural season.
The following year, they backed up the previous season’s success by winning Division Two. During the following decade, they won the Division One title on four occasions before joining the Northern Alliance League in 1977.
Success was coming easily to the club at this time, as they won back-to-back titles in their first two seasons in the Alliance. They added the League Cup to the trophy cabinet in that first 1977/78 season, too.
After finishing fourth in 1979/80, they entered the FA Cup for the first time and reached the 1st Round Proper. They drew Division Four side, Bradford City, and moved the tie to nearby Spennymoor United’s (now Spennymoor Town) ground at Brewery Lane.
Although they lost the tie 3-0, they comforted themselves by winning the Alliance League Cup for the second time.
1980 also saw the Hogs leave the Northern Alliance to spend a solitary season in the Northern Amateur League (defunct since 1988).
Northern League Status
After their election to the Wearside League, they achieved promotion to the Northern League Division Two in just two seasons.
Their first season in NL Division Two saw them finish 4th, but they continued the upward trajectory with promotion to Division One the following season (1984/85).
In 1988/89, United made another FA Cup 1st Round appearance, playing twice against Doncaster Rovers. The first tie, played at Belle Vue, Rovers’ old ground, ended in a 0-0 draw. The replay, at the same venue, resulted in a 2-1 win for Rovers.
The Hogs tasted their first disappointment in 2002/03 with relegation to Division Two. They regained Division One status by winning the Division Two title in 1999/00.
They won the Division One title in 2002/03 but suffered a second relegation just two years after this success.
Brandon suffered a further relegation at the end of the 2023/24 season, finding themselves in the Wearside Premier Division, where they remain.
John Humphrey is the man currently in the hot seat as Brandon’s manager.
They Played for Brandon United
Several future professional footballers have donned the Brandon shirt over the years, including:
Paul Butler, Derek Craig, Paul Dalton, Dave Hawker, Alan Lamb, Phil Owers, and Neil Richardson.
The most notable ex-Hog is the current Reading star, Lewis Wing.
Brandon United v Esh Winning – The Game
Form
Coming into today’s game, there is no current form to note. Instead, we will look at last season’s performances.
Brandon United finished twelfth of seventeen in last season’s Wearside League Premier Division, where they will compete once more this year.
After managing just 11 wins from 32, drawing 5, the Hogs will hope for a much improved 2025/26.
Visitors, Esh Winning, had a decent season, finishing sixth in the Northern League Division Two, narrowly missing out on the playoffs.
With just one division separating the two teams, it should be a reasonably competitive fixture, although Esh has to be considered favourites.
Pre-match prediction: Brandon United 1 Esh Winning 2
Kick-Off
Summary
After leaving the clubhouse, the players were entering the pitch as I went back inside the ground. I decided to walk around to the covered stand opposite, to help keep the sun at bay.
I took my place just in time for kick-off, with the home side in their all-red kit, getting the game underway.
The visitors were wearing a snazzy green and yellow combination that fits well, considering they were once known as Esh Winning Pineapple… yes, seriously.
The first 45 minutes had little action, so I won’t waste time talking about it.
If anyone knows why the referee blew his whistle to call the play dead during the Esh Winning free kick in the following video, please let me know. I can’t see an infringement despite watching it several times.
Brandon had the best chance of the half from a corner but failed to direct the resulting header on target, squandering the opportunity.
Second Half
The Hogs took the lead in the second half through Leo Garbutt and a Stags defender.
A corner swept in beyond the back post was met by Garbutt, who headed it across the face of the goal. It hit an unwitting Esh defender and dropped over the goal line to put Brandon ahead.
The Stags restored parity through Brandon’s poor defending.
A mix-up at the back allowed the (unknown) Esh forward an easy run on goal to put the ball into an unguarded net.
The players continued to work hard, but no further goals came. Both teams had a good workout, and I’m sure both sides will be happy with the legwork put in ahead of the upcoming season.
I thought Brandon was the slightly better team overall on the day, though a draw was a fair result.
My man of the match would go to Brandon’s number four. Unfortunately, I don’t know the players’ name as there were no programmes or team sheets.
He played as centre-back and looked calm and composed on the ball, always finding time to pass to a teammate when in possession.
If and when a Match Report becomes available, I will post it here.
Full-time – Brandon United 1 Esh Winning 1
Attendance – 72
Entrance Fee – £5.00
Programme – N/A
Brandon United v Esh Winning – Match Highlights
If and when match highlights become available, I will post them here.
Up Next
I couldn’t find any upcoming league fixtures for Brandon United, so maybe the Wearside League haven’t announced them yet?
For Esh Winning, they will start their league campaign with a trip to Grangetown Boys Club on 26th July.
The first home game at West Terrace sees newly relegated Tow Law Town as the visitors (30th).
The Stags enter August with a trip to FC Hartlepool on the 2nd, before returning home to face Sunderland West End on the 6th.
Brandon United Thoughts
It’s always hard to judge a club based on a friendly game, but Brandon United seems like a decent setup that can fit straight back into Northern League football, should the team earn promotion.
A little love and care could have the Welfare Ground looking good. Tidying up the excess items left around the pitch, repairing the tumbledown breeze block wall on the east side, etc.
Volunteers are vital for any club at this level, but if people can be found to carry out these tasks, it will undoubtedly improve the aesthetics of the place.
Given the amount of vandalism and theft that have taken place at non-league grounds around the country, I would advise the club to find a more secure place to protect their expensive equipment, like the pitch mower.
Someone may have simply left it there before putting it away later if the pitch had been freshly cut.
As always, while visiting grounds in these parts, the people are friendly, and while in short supply today, I’m sure the fans will be back if Brandon can reclaim their place in the Northern League.
I wish them much luck in doing so and look forward to returning at some point to see it.
Brandon – After the Game
Following the final whistle, I made my way out of the ground and car park and turned left.
There was surely an easier way out than the route I had taken to get here!
There was, and it took just five minutes to find myself at the Brandon bus turning circle… literally how it sounds.
In the centre of the circle is a statue by County Durham sculptor Ray Lonsdale called ‘Heritage Blues’. It depicts a miner kneeling on the ground, holding a safety lamp.
Ray’s work is superb, and wherever I go in the Northeast, there is one of his statues. You can read about this particular one by clicking the link.
After five minutes, the #49A to Durham arrived, and I climbed aboard. We arrived in Durham at 16:25, leaving a fifteen-minute wait for the #65 bus home.
It too arrived on time and public transport had been especially kind to me today.
We arrived back in Hetton at 17:05, and after picking up a loaf from Tesco, I sneezed my way home by 17:15 with another successful Hop in the books.
Atchoo!
Next Up for Hoppers Guide
Next week, I will make the ever more familiar trip to Millfields, the home of Crook Town and one of my favourite Northern League grounds and clubs.
They will host the National League North side, Spennymoor Town, who sit three tiers above the Black and Ambers.
There probably won’t be a review of this, as there are already two from previous visits, so the next expected Hoppers Tale will come from Morpeth Town for the July 19th friendly against Hartlepool United.
I look forward to reacquainting myself with the good folks of Crook and Morpeth.
EDIT: Morpeth’s game with Hartlepool was cancelled on the Thursday prior to the game, so I chose to go to Spennymoor Town instead.
