Our Friends in the North

 Warm Welcome.

Now that the end of the season is here, for the majority of the leagues, I thought I’d mention my first competitive game of the season. There’s very few Northern League grounds I’ve ticked off, in fact Mike Amos, former Northern League Chairman, once told me my extremely low number of Northern League grounds visited was “piss poor” for someone who calls himself a “groundhopper”. He was right, there isn’t many I’ve been to so in order to add to the total I decided to go up to Tow Law Town for their opening game of the season.

The Northern League were one of the first competitions to get underway this season, starting on Friday 28^th July, it was the following day when I visited the wonderful Ironworks Ground. When telling my north-east based work colleagues I intended going to Tow Law they mentioned I’d need my “big coat”, “Tow Law has its own climate” they said. It seems to be what it’s most famous so, big coat in the boot, hat and gloves in the camera bag I set off on the 137 mile drive to one of the Northern League’s most famous clubs.

Neighbours.

As I had set off early I called at Shildon to see if I could get some photos of the ground, as, on my only previous visit, when Bishop Auckland were sharing the ground, it was a night game and the pics weren’t great. Shildon were away at West Allotment Celtic but, luckily for me, a guy who was a Shildon fan was walking by, he was also the secretary of the Shildon Sunderland’s Supporters Association and was on his way to watch his team. He actually telephoned a lady up who had keys to the ground and when she wasn’t available got in touch with another volunteer who lived on an adjacent road to the Dean Street ground and he came and opened the ground up for me, giving me a tour.

 

Dean Street, Shildon

The guy was so proud of his club, showing me the dressing rooms which had been refurbished and had Shildon “Hall of Fame” personnel on the walls. The “Blue Diamond” Social Club was also adorned with old posters and team photos helping give that historic “our club” aura. The ground had changed since my visit 20 years previously, the Pagoda stand is still there, it wouldn’t be Shildon without that, but there’s now another more modern stand opposite and an area of covered terrace to the right of the Pagoda stand.

 

Shildon's Blue Diamond Social Club

The iconic Pagoda Stand at Shildon.

The tour over we went our separate ways but not before he told me that Bishop Auckland was only 2 miles away, so off I went to Heritage Park. This is a ground I’ve not seen before, I was lucky enough to go to Kingsway, Bishop’s former home and that was even further back than the Shildon visit, being 29 years ago. The new ground is on a retail park so there was somewhere close by for some lunch before heading to the main game. That was after nipping into Bishop’s ground and getting a few photos. A typically modern ground in one respect, a large stand with all the amenities within and a covered terrace behind the goal. What isn’t typical was the uncovered seating section behind the far goal. Given the north-east weather it was either unfinished or an optimistic move by the club.

 

Bishop Auckland's uncovered stand

Modern facilities at Bishop Auckland.

So, 2 famous old Northern League clubs, a bonus on this particular trip, after a spot of lunch in the March Hare, near the Bishop’s ground it was off to Tow Law to see what weather I would encounter.

The historical bit.

 

First view of Tow Law Town.

The Ironworks Ground is beautiful. Tow Law itself is on a plateau above the Wear Valley, the club’s been around since 1890, it’s history personified, this area of County Durham laced with famous old clubs whether amateur, shamateur or professional. Tow Law Town one of the “names” in this famous old league.

Moving from Church Lane, just over the main road running through the town, now the A68, within a couple of years of its formation the ground was built up by miners during the strike of 1892 which lasted from March to June. The miners borrowed trucks to transport ballast from a nearby drift mine stone heap. Soon afterwards the pitch was lengthened following a protest by Shankhouse after an FA Cup tie.

Though the area is more well known for its pits, it is the Ironworks, after which the road off which the club resides is named, why the pits were sunk and how the town expanded in the 19^th century.

After the 2^nd World War the ground had deteriorated and upon starting up again it was the supporters club that put up the first stand and made improvements to the dressing rooms. Around 1969 the present stand was built by Jimmy Gibson and others.

 Arriving at the ground well before kick-off gave me the chance to take some photos uninterrupted as well as introducing myself to legendary club secretary Steve Moralee. A lot of Northern League folk are well known in non-league football circles thanks to the time when Mike Amos was Chairman of the League and produced the excellent League magazine, Northern Ventures Northern Gains, giving snippets of information about Northern League clubs and personnel.

 

The clubhouse from inside the ground.

It was sunny in Tow Law and warm, with being so high up a breeze can easily cool you down but I’d obviously chosen a good day to visit. “Good job you didn’t go in December” was just one comment I got during a conversation about north east football grounds.

 The ground today is a classic old football ground with some modern touches.

 Ground tour.

We start the tour via Ironworks Road, there is a clubhouse and turnstiles here. To the right, is a hatch from the clubhouse building where you can buy food and drink from the tea bar. With it being such a nice day some people took advantage and ate and drank on the raised terracing which also had a section of seats and benches. To the left is a building which included the player changing rooms and toilets.

 

Picnic time.

Carry on to the side and the main stand is the centrepiece, straddling the half way line with the Wear Valley and the Pennines behind providing a picturesque backdrop. Containing 4 tiers of seats the back wall of the stand is painted black and white stripes with the club name. In the middle of that is a large club badge, part of the art work that adorns the ground and enhances the appearance. Another nice touch is the painting of an anvil with "Ironworks Ground" written in on the front wall of the stand. Either side of the main stand is a small strip of hard standing.

 

Tow Law's main stand with the Wear Valley beyond.

The main stand at Tow Law.

Artwork in the main stand.

The anvil artwork in the main stand.

Behind the far goal, which is to the right as you look at the main stand, is a full length covered terrace. Three thin strips of terracing with a small seated section at each end. Little additions that make this so personal to the club are the the club initials and year of formation on the fascia, another version of the club badge on the back wall and a notice about standing in front of the seats. This covered terrace is on three levels, as this end of the ground slopes upwards and the cover is raised to compensate.

 

The full length covered terrace at Tow Law.

Tow Law Town's cover behind the goal.

Artwork at Tow Law Town.

Tow Law Town's badge on the covered terrace.

Tow Law proudly displaying their Northern League membership.

The view of the covered terrace from the dug outs.

Opposite the main stand is an uncovered terrace, this is on a raised banking and half of it has 7 steps of terracing and the other half had 3. A patch of grass behind this with a car park behind the perimeter of the ground.

 

The pitch width uncovered terrace.

Plenty of cover and some old school terracing but also lots of art work that puts the club’s identity on it’s structures. A supporter does the art work for the club and as a whole I’d say that helps make Ironworks Road a true gem in the world of Non-League football.

 

Another view of the main stand.

The wonderful main stand.

Black & White stripes everywhere.

The Ironworks Ground.

The opening day fixture is against Carlisle City and in his programme notes Steve Moralee explains perfectly the issues clubs have in keeping afloat. Relying on sponsorship to keep the money coming in that’s needed to provide a team at this level of football. The club couldn’t afford the same budget as last season and so the manager felt he couldn’t work with that and left as did all but 1 of last season’s squad. A difficult situation for any club so the 1-1 draw they got when I visited was a positive start. Unfortunately for Tow Law that was the only point they had until March 8^th when they had a 3-1 win at Northallerton Town.

 

Benji Urwin scores the opening goal for Tow Law.

Benji Urwin's header goes over the line.

Photos from Town Law Town 1 Carlisle City 1

Tow Law have finished next to bottom of the Northern League Division 1 with a total of 4 wins and that draw I saw. Mike Amos reported in a recent blog that there may only be 1 team relegated from Division 1 this season and Sunderland RCA occupy that position.

Hopefully, whatever division the club are in for 2024/25, they will find it an easier ride than this one’s been. The people who run our non-league clubs deserve all the praise and help they can get.