Wearside Shipowners Cup -1st Round
Easington
Colliery 4 Annfield Plain 0
Atten: c35
Gate:
£2 (incl free hot drink)
Day Enjoyment: 9/10
After much deliberation due to
poor weather forecasts at Bamber Bridge and Shirebrook Town i decided
to head to the North East to Easington Colliery.
Upon
arrival on Wearside I was greeted with beautiful autumn sunshine. But
the chilly wind reminded me where i actually was.I was reassured with
the knowledge that Welfare Park spectators could treat themselves to
a panoramic, picture postcard vista of the Durham coastline and the
North Sea should the standard of football slip. Today's competition
was the beautifully named Wearside Shipowners Cup.
The
Shipowners' Cup was inaugurated in the 1898-99 season by Alderman
Ralph B. Annison. The money raised from the competition went to the
Boys' Orphanage on the edge of Sunderland's Town Moor.The Orphan
Asylum was built in Sunderland's East End at a cost of £4,000. It
opened for 'inmates' on October 17th, 1861. The boys in the Asylum
were from the homes of lost seaman.
On average there were 40 boys
at the Orphanage at any one time. Their education had a strong
nautical flavour. There was a sailing ship in the grounds for
instruction in rigging etc. It was not surprising, therefore, that
many of the boys went to sea. Between 1901 and 1902 alone, one old
boy received the freedom of the borough for service in South Africa,
one passed as Extra Master, one as First Class Engineer, one as Mate
while another was appointed Master of a Workhouse in Northumberland.
The
entrance to the ground is reached by a long walk on foot down a
tree-lined lane which provides a lasting and poignant memorial to one
of the worst mining disasters in British history. Easington Colliery
was the main employer in the village from late Victorian times and in
1951 an explosion occurred in an area of the mine known as the ‘Duck
Bill,’ thought to have been caused by sparks from a mechanical coal
cutter which ignited a pocket of gas. Thousands of tons of rock and
earth came crashing down into the coal seam, trapping the miners some
900 ft below the surface. Many of the casualties died instantly,
others from carbon monoxide poisoning and a total of 81 miners lost
their lives with the final death toll rising to 83 as two rescuers
gave their lives selflessly trying to save others
A
disaster fund was set-up for the widows and children of the deceased
and donations poured in from world-wide, the fund total eventually
reaching £180,000. A Garden of Remembrance was built in Easington
Colliery Cemetery for those who lost their lives in the disaster and
a Memorial Lane leading down to the Welfare which remains a well
maintained and poignant symbol of remembrance for the Village. The
Colliery finally closed in 1993, leaving the village to become one of
the unemployment black-spots in the UK . This was more recently
highlighted by the Channel 4 Documentary “The Secret
Millionaire”.
Easington
Colliery Band was founded in 1913. Players with band experience were
encouraged by the management to come from the West of Durham to work
at the colliery and play in the band. The band was supported
financially and run by the joint board of unions, until the start of
World War II.
In
1956 the Public Band and the Colliery Band amalgamated to become the
Easington Colliery Band as it is today. April 1993 witnessed the end
of an era when Easington Colliery finally closed. The band is now
totally self-supporting and relies on the work put in by the band
members at concerts throughout the year to raise the funds to keep
the band alive. The band is still based in Easington Colliery in the
old colliery pay office opposite the Memorial Gardens, which is on
the site of the old colliery. The building is the last remaining
evidence of the pit.
Easington's
other recent claims to fame was that it the chosen setting for the
hit film Billy Elliot. The film is set during the miners'
strike in the mid 1980s. The less appealing one was that during the
National Census of 2001 , Easington was voted the most “white”
town to live in England.
The
hard working, multi-tasking and loyal Staff somehow keep this club a
float often performing a thankless task. When I arrived today the
wrinkly's were already in action on the adjoining pitch in the
Welfare Park moments later the committee were cleaning out the
changing rooms in preparation for the first teams arrival in a few
minutes, reminiscent of an airline cleaning staff turning around a
jumbo jet at Heathrow airport. The football ground is lovingly
maintained, the terraces along the nearside smart and neat, an
immaculate small seated stand. The well run tea bar must have one of
the finest views from their serving window of any sports stadia in
the country.
With
the embarrassingly cheap £2 entrance which included a free hot
beverage,a most tasty Steak Pie , Hot Dog, all washed down with an
enjoyable coffee , all served with a friendly smile and a thick
Mackem accent and I still had change for a five pound note.
On
a bright and mercifully dry afternoon, the winds had abated and both
sides were able to put on a good display of football for the thirty
to forty faithful on the terraces and in the stand. It was then it
hit me, I was so pleased to finally be here today and my choice could
not have been any better as I looked as far as the eye could see
across the calmy waters of the unforgiving North Sea. The
game itself was competitive from the start but gradually the hosts
took control and ran out comfortable 4-0 winners to send them
through to the next round of this locally historic cup. The
clubs colours are Green & White stripes but today they sadly
played in dark blue. The Chairman had gone on holiday and forgot to
inform anyone as to where he had left the clean kit.
As
I said my farewell , I was immediately invited back by the friendly
locals and I assured them that I will pass by again some time in the
future but only if it was warmer that what I had witnessed today “nae
lad, …. today has been like a summer's day” came he quick witted
response. I actually believed them , as there was I , bedecked in my
warmest winter overcoat and scarf and they were just in their shirts
and jeans ….. short sleeved shirts of course !.
Northern Premier League 
