Crook Town

Northern League Div One
Crook Town 3 
Whitley Bay 0

Gate: £6
Atten: 178










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View Official Crook Town Website

Ground: 8/10
Some grounds just reek history , and Millfields, home of Crook Town is one one of them. In fact it hit me in the face as soon as I reached the top of the steps and the two iconic stands first came into view. You could just feel what it had been like when 17,000+ crowd crammed in to watch a cup tie.
Crook won the Amateur Cup in the 1953 - 54 season playing in the longest cup final ever v Bishop Auckland with 200,000 in attendance over the three games. The final scores for the three games were 2 - 2 A.E.T. at Wembley, 2 - 2 A.E.T. at St. James Park and 1 - 0 to Crook at Ayresome Park. In fact, the black and golds are fives times FA Amateur Cup Winners



But the biggest gate to watch them play came in 1976 when Crook became the first English club to tour India playing six games. A gate of 100,000 watched them play the Indian national side, but they were beaten 1 - 0 in 90 degree temperatures.
 

In 1913 Crook toured Barcelona to help establish football as the main sport in the region of Catalonia instead of bullfighting. Feeling was so high against this that King Alfonso of Spain who had hoped to attend the three games but couldn't do so because of the attempts on his life. Crook man Jack Greenwell organised the tour and went on to become the first English manager of Barcelona until the mid thirties when he took over the Spanish national side until the civil war. He managed Peru in 1938 which capped off a remarkable life for the son of a miner!


 The place is superb albeit a little frayed at the edges. There is talk of them moving very soon, let us hope it is just that ..... talk, as the place is a historic gem and a must visit for any football lover.


Match Enjoyment: 8/10
They do say "Feed The Chow and he will score", but today this goal machine was firing blanks his suprising miss early in the game became the turning point. Shortly after Crook took over and were never in doubt once the first goal had gone in.


Whitley Bay were not at their best today , maybe as a result of their 'sticky' start to the new season.
It was a decent game and the Black and Golds were the more impressive. They were what the motto in the dressing room said ... "Solid Gold".

Delicious food was served at sensible prices all freshly made and very tasty - highly recommended.
The welcome by the Clubs Staff was very friendly and genuine. They deserve all the success they get as a reward for all the hard work they have had to do, to get to where they are.

The weather forecast showed heavy showers all afternoon, but they do get things wrong from time to time.
I had waited to go to Crook for over four years, there was no way i was not going to go.
Despite what barriers were put before me, i was  going to go  come what may , by hook or by CROOK !



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