History of Haydon Bridge United Football Club

1881 | Men In The Hot Seat | Special Thanks | Honours | Clayton Cup | Photo Archive |

Introduction

This is a selection of items usually taken from past Hexham Courants and the long since departed Haltwhistle Herald. Mainly these items are match reports, but they tell more than just who kicked what or scored which goal. I’ve looked for things which had a little of something different in, a little social history perhaps, and in some occasions a lot of bias. The report from 1908 shows genuine elation from a writer somewhere – goodness knows where, but he states “100s of miles south” from us. While a report in the 50s against Kielder is so one sided that it has to be one of my favourites, even if it was towards the opposition.

The reports are copied just as written, so any bad English in there wasn’t me! Towards the end I have included a list of honours the club has collected. There may be some missing minor trophies, but the main ones are up to date. There is also a record table showing the best and worst of what and who since the club began. Only two people have ever scored 6 goals in a match for the club, Tommy Westgarth in the 50’s and Joe Worthington. So unless anyone can prove differently, they both stay in the record book. Maybe a challenge for the players of today!

The table of match reports and bits of information here are by no means all that are available, they are just a selection. If I had taken all of them this project would be a heck of a size, and I would have been divorced for spending too much time with a football in my mind.

The final report is the match report I did personally for the last game of 1998-99 season in which the Clayton Cup was won. It appeared in the Hexham Courant. I also had the honour of choosing Man of The Match from this game. You may find out who got it and, unlike the reporter from Kielder, I was not biased in the slightest.



1881

Haydon Bridge formed its first football club. The resolution to form a club had been made at a meeting when Mr Waugh, who was appointed secretary, stated that the village already had a cricket club, and that a football club seemed to be the only thing required to give the youth of the village a healthy recreation throughout the season. The newly formed club held its first practice in a field loaned by the landlord of the Anchor Inn. As the reporter stated in the evening “there being a full moon, the sky cloudless, the ball was sent rolling and a good number took part in the game”.
The next day the club received its first challenge for an inter-village game from Allenheads, but on accepting and checking our opponents, discovered their rivals only played rugby.
(Source: Haydon News)



Men in the hot seat:

1909 - ?? Mr Watson
1923 - ?? Mr Shield
1939 - ?? Oscar Wardle
1971 – 1982 Dent Oliver
Sept 1983 – May 1984 Joe Worthington
May 1984 – November 1984 No one
November 1984 – October 1985 Chris Sim
October 1985 – August 1986 Andrew Brown
August 1886 – July 1990 Alan Borthwick
July 1990 – Jun 1991 Paul Elliott
Jun 1991 – August 1999 Graham Pigg
August 199 – date Colin Banks

Special Thanks

Special thanks are due to Ralph Curry who provided me with a huge selection of photographs as well as many bits and pieces which I have included.
Also to Norman Heslop for the king load of his notes covering the 1950s, and Alan White for his notes covering the 70s.
David Walton of Corbridge saved me many hours of heavy research by picking out 100s of league and cup results and tables.
Dent Oliver for going into his loft and coming down with a box so big I could barely lift it! but it contained all kinds imaginable on HBFC.
Mitch for giving me the opportunity of putting this collection together in the first place.
(Source: Alastair Burrows September 1999)



Honours List

Champions of Hexham and North Tyne League
1996/97
1971/72

League Champions of Hexham and District League
1970/71
1954/55
1953/54
1951/52
1949/50

League Champions of Haltwhistle and District League
1930/31

League Champions of West Tyne League
1924/24
1908/09

Clayton Cup
1998/99
1995/96
1978/79
1974/75
1973/74
1972/73
1953/54
1950/51
1931/32

League Cup
1996/97
1995/96
1987/88
1979/80
1978/79
1977/78
1974/75
1971/72
1970/71
1946/47

KO Cup
1995/96
1994/95
1992/93
1988/89
1984/85

Divisional Cup
1950/51

Acomb & Alnwick Nursing Cup
1932/33

Haltwhistle League Cup
1929/30
1927/28

Haltwhistle Charity Cup
1955/56
1954/55



The Clayton Cup

In the world of multi-million pound football, with its television coverage, scary wages and camera zoom lenses that are a yard long, it’s easy to forget the very grass roots of our national game – village football. Sometimes that can be played with as much commitment and enthusiasm as their mega-rich counterparts and sometimes with more. When was the last time you watched a local derby match between two village teams? Well, take that and throw in some silverware and you have a recipe for some memorable entertainment.

Without a doubt one of the biggest and oldest football club competitions in the West Tyne area is the Clayton Cup. It began in 1903 when the league president, Major Savillle Clayton, provided the magnificent Silver Bowl. Since then it has been fought over during each football season apart from those disrupted by World Wars.

The first final played at Stanners ground, Corbridge took place in the last week of April 1904 and saw a Hexham victory over Prudhoe Castle. The event was celebrated on the 5th of May at the town hall in Hexham with the presentation of medals to both sets of players. Mr Straker of High Warden provided them for the winners and Major Clayton for the runners up.

The competition had caught the imagination of the local teams and supporters, and reports indicated large crowds attending not only the final, but also the ties leading up to them. Crowds of 1000 were not uncommon.

On the competition’s 10th anniversary, it was again won by a Hexham team, Hexham Athletic “A”, who edged past Haltwhistle with a 2-1 victory. Conroy put Hexham into the lead with only seconds gone, Boyde adding a second after 65 minutes, before Haltwhistle replied with through Hutton with only 10 minutes left bringing about a nail biting finish.

The engraving around the Silver Trophy tells a sad story. Between 1914 through to 1924 only six teams are recorded where ten could have been, but in 1924 West Tyne league champions Acomb were to carry off the cup against Cumbrian opposition. Evidence of just how highly proclaimed this final is available through reports leading up to and following the big day. Requests made were for the crowd to keep behind the ropes and not to get on the pitch, while the Hexham Excelsior Band was to entertain before the game, at half time and then to escort the winning side through the streets of Hexham.

Acomb proved far too strong for Low Row, defeating them by 4-0. They were even able to squander a penalty. Acomb also added the Haltwhistle and Local Nursing cups to their collection that year.

The final of 1934 was watched by a large but uncounted crowd and the game was decided by a late extra-time Tynedale Rovers goal (Hexham) scored by Newton against South Tyne Rangers (Haltwhistle) apparently in an ill tempered 4-3 match. The report states “Shady tactics were used”. It tells of a player picking up the ball to take a free kick then being encircled by the opposition. I’m not sure what the reason for that was though. Also some cunning distraction of the referee when a free kick was to be taken, then simply rolling the ball forward a few yards when his back was turned. Disgraceful!

Whatever the outcome, the band still played and the winners would pose for their photograph. Urwin the captain received the trophy from Miss Wallace, the matron of Hexham War Memorial Hospital, to which all of the proceeds of the competition were donated.

The competition resumed in the 1934/35 season after the War, and saw a bit of history being made as a strong Hexham Hearts side, currently playing in the Ryton and District league, went on to win the trophy 3 years in a row; a feat that has never been bettered, although it was equalled in the 1970s by Haydon Bridge, and again by Hexham in the 80s. The scorers for the Hearts were Fiori (2), Scott, Menzies and Maughan. Howden got the only Prudhoe west End goal.

In 1947 it was decided that the money raised would be directed to the Northumberland Football Association’s Benevolent Fund. This is still the main beneficiary today. The first figure donated in 1948 was £26. 1s.9d.In 1950 the sum of £25.0s.8d. was handed over after 30 teams had taken part, Corbridge Rangers being the eventual winners on that occasion.

The Clayton Cup’s 50th anniversary in 1954 was between the winners of the Hexham league, Haydon Bridge United, and third placed Kielder from the North Tyne League. The reporter seemed far from impressed with the game, complaining that it had been, “very lacklustre”. He was especially critical of the 3-1 winners, Haydon Bridge. The title to his report read, “They weren’t a cup for this final display!”. Perhaps he came from Kielder. That game was played at Barrasford in front of over 1200 people.

It was certainly an event not to be missed in the Hexham and North Tyne areas. A good committee ensured the smooth running of the tournament complete with its own rules and regulations. Everything was taken into account. Referees could command up to 15/- (75p) for covering the final, while the linesman would expect to earn 5/- less than that (50p). Raffle prizes in the late 50s were a bit unusual, although probably not at the time. First prize in the 58 final was 50 cigarettes, while 2nd prize was a 10/- box of chocolates, and of course there was the added attraction of having some prominent person from the community to present the cup, not to forget the pre-match and half time entertainment. The 50s usually saw the Haydon Bridge Silver Band provide that.

The 1964 final, staged a t Acomb, resulted in a 2-2 draw. In the replay Whitfield, who had never won a footballing trophy before this season, defeated Rochester 4-3 in an “enthralling final” to take the Clayton Cup. A KO cup and the League Championship in a treble winning year.

The benevolent fund did quite well from the 1964 final, receiving no less than £50. The entrance fee to the game was 1/- (5p) boys and OAPs 3d (1.5p). Cars were an extra 1/-.

In 1974, the middle year of three, Haydon Bridge were to win the Clayton Cup three times in succession. The first team since the 1940s to do so. They crushed Hexhamshire 6-1 with Alder getting 4, White and Armstrong 1 each and Lowery adding the odd one for the “Shire”. Entry fees by then had been raided to £1. and it was noted that it was the largest gate receipt taken at a final for 15 years. It also seems from the records that I have been able to view, that no player has scored more goals in a final than the 4 scored by Dave Alder in this one.

Bellingham and Wallington fought out the 1984 final with Murray, Atkin and Hunt(2) getting the 4 goals fro Wallington. Ex professional Nevin getting a consolation goal for Bellingham. Over £120 was donated to the NFA. The final almost didn’t take place after Wark had protested about being thrown out of the competition. This followed a complaint from an official who had received abuse in a previous round.

Ninety years after the competition had started, yet it again it witnessed a Hexham team take part in the final. But Hexham’s Border Counties ran out losers to Haltwhistle Crown Paint, beaten 3-1, Thompson, Armstrong(2), while player/manager White replied for Hexham.

Today the Clayton Cup is insured for £5000 and is in the hands of its last winners, Haydon Bridge United, who saw off Alston Town in May 1999 with a 2-0 win, bringing the silver bowl back from Cumbria to the Tyne Valley where it rightly belongs.

This competition is still very much in the forefront of West Tyne soccer and has only 4 years to run until its 100th birthday. It is still considered as one of the areas’ most coveted soccer prizes. The one every team wants their name on, just like it has been for the last 90 odd years.
(Source: Alastair Burrows)



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