Horden Colliery Welfare

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Wearside League

Horden CW 2 
Hartlepool 1

Atten 45

Gate £3

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Horden Welcome 11/10 !

Ground Enjoyment 8/10

Match Enjoyment 6/10

I struggled to get the car door open upon arrival in County Durham outside Horden Colliery Welfare as the biting wind was so strong. Suddenly I heard a voice “Welcome, ya wanna cup o' tea ?” It was the Manager calling me from top of his ladder whilst putting the nets up. What a great welcome ? And it got even better as he gave a personal tour and then invited me out down the road at the nearby cafe  for a bacon and sausage sandwich !.Manager Keith is a top guy with a great attitude and a thick Geordie accent. He has only been in charge for ten games and has achieved seven wins already. His passion for the game is clearly evident and I wish him well.

 From 1975 until 2013, Horden CW were members of the Northern League, but were relegated to the Wearside league at the end of the 2012-13 season. Horden Colliery was once one of the largest mines in the Country but fell on hard times and finally closed in the late 80's. The population of the Village has fallen and it is now sadly an area of high unemployment.

 In recent years Horden has benefited from the removal of mining spoil heaps and the redevelopment of its Welfare Park which today was a hive of activity with the local rugby club hosting a fixture in the Durham & Northumberland Northen Division where they sit proudly at the top. 

The impressive floral display in the park looked wonderful even in the biting wind coming in off the unforgiving North Sea. The Welfare Park is today used for families to relax and to enjoy the activities within the Park.

The focal point of the football club is the impressive main stand which overlooks the ground like a Headmaster. Although frayed around the edges it still holds a certain charm. The Club has spent a lot of time and effort doing up the fascilities and the results inside the maninstand are most impressive. From the top end of the ground you can get glorious views of the Sea through gaps in the terraced housing, The welcome given by all the volunteers was wonderful. Todays visitors were Hartlepool who at the moment despite some recent decent performances find themselves at the foot of the table.But judged on todays perfomance should soon be moving up the league.

Horden got off to a great start and scored within the first couple of minutes. Hartlepool hit back forcing the goalie to make some great saves.Then in the second half shooting down the slope Hartlepool equalised with a 40 yard wonder goal over the goalie's head. Then in the dying minutes Horden got a debatable penalty which was brilliantly saved and just as you thought it would end in a draw the Ref gave Horden another penalty from which they scored to grab a late winner. Both teams battled well in the strong winds which definitely had an effect on the quality of the game.

If anything i was pleased that Horden had won the game if only for Manager Keith as i know he had put so much work behind the scenes and he deserves every good thing that will come his way as he is such a decent guy. Typically as i said my goodbye he 'apologised' for the strong winds and hoped it had not spoilt my visit to Horden CW - if anything he had made my trip memorable for all the right reasons.

For me, today was not about the long journey, the weather, the place ,the football. It was about the local people. The genuine warm 'from the heart' welcome , the willingness to share what they have and what they are proud off and a place they call their home.

A very memorable day out.



Photos from history 

Every day life had to continue , despite heavy police presence.

Miners meeting at the Welfare Hall to decide their votes

View of the Collieries along the Durham Coastline

Day Out Enjoyment