Eslington Park, Teams, Gateshead
Date of First Visit: Saturday 2nd August 2025
Gateshead Redheugh 1957 0 Walkergate XI 2
Northern Alliance Division 3 (Level 14 in the footbaall pyramid)
Attendance: 25 (Estimated)
With non of me fave teams in action last Saturday, aa decided to gan to watch a grassroots Northern Alliance game at Haltwhistle Jubilee to continue mee quest to see just how many teams , who play in towns on the banks ‘o’ the Tyne that aa could visit! (Haltwhistle iz on the River South Tyne!)
However! on the day of the game there were black clouds ower towards the west and az Haltwhistle’s groond had nee cover, aa decided not to risk it! (Most Alliance groonds have nee cover)
The weather woz OK on central Tyneside, so aa heeded for Gatesheed Redheugh for their Tyne derby v Walkergate who hail from the east end of Newcasil!
Gatesheed Redheugh iz famous az 'one' Gazza (Paul Gascoinge) started off here, playin for Redheugh Boys Club, before joining NUFC in 1985!
Anyway! the kick off woz billed az ‘2🔔bells’ and I arrived to see the game kick off 5 minutes orly, at precisely 1:55🛎️bells’ instead?
The Eslington Park groond iz simply a grass pitch with a metal fence aroond it, with anly taall trees for cover on 2 sides of the groond (behind the south goal and on one side)--and 2 huge tower blocks at the other end, which dominated the skyline behind the north goal!
By this time the old 'current bun' had made an appearance through the clouds and so aa took shelter beside the trees near the halfway line, az it woz startin to 'heat up' by this time!
It woz aall Walkergate from the start az they attacked 'The Taall Trees End' (sic!) and they took the lead through their number 8 with a fine finish after aboot 15 minutes play!
Redheugh just wornt in it and conceded again when their keeper made a great save, but, unfortunatly for him, the baall fell nicely to Walkergate's number 10 (I Fink?) who scrambled the baall ower the line to double their lead!
It woz aall Walkergate again in the 2nd half az they attacked 'The Tower Blocks End', (wot else?) but they couldn't find a way to forthaa increase their lead!
(Redheugh Park, where Gatesheed FC once played Leegue futbaall, used to be on the other side of the tower blocks, across the duel carriageway) (Now demolished and replaced by a 'Pitz Super Soccer' 5 a side pitches!)
The ref woz fcukin' useless and sent a Redheugh player off for an innocuous challenge late in the game-- and one of the linesmen bellowed oot instructions to the Redheugh team az he ran doon the line!!! (Nee neutrals here!)⬇️
In the end it woz an eazy win for 'The Toon East Enders', played in front of approximitleee 25 fans, includin aboot 6 from Walkergate, 5 dogs of various breeds, 4 bairns in pushchairs, 3 blind mice (honest!), 2 cyclists (one of which woz a little kid who furiously peddled hiz little bike aroond the perimiter track several times!) and ONE sendin' off!
It woz boilin hot by this time and on the final whistle aa heeded for 'The Teams Social Club' up the road, to quensh mee thorst! (Az yih dee!)
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