Bedlington Terriers (1) 1
Tonbridge (1) 1 Allen 28 (pen)
Headcount: 80
Entrance: £2
Programme: None
Mileage: 713/955
New Ground: 288
The masterplan was to head initially for Manchester, where we would take in the National Football Museum on Thursday afternoon before heading for Tyneside on Friday morning. Unfortunately, anything that involves the M6 rarely goes to plan. Despite a short delay on the M25, by the time we reached our mid-point and a stretching of the legs at Hilton Park, we were making good time before grinding to a halt around Stafford. Previous knowledge of many a trip to Old Trafford when England were on the road stood us in good stead in coming off the motorway before Crewe and winding our way, Doris-aided, through the A roads of Staffordshire and Cheshire. Ultimately traffic consumed our time and the museum had to be put on hold until the following morning.
For any football supporter, the museum is an absolute must. We set aside a bit more than a couple of hours, but could easily have doubled our time. Fascinating memorabilia, interactive games that would engross children and adults alike and a special section celebrating our World Cup win of 50 years ago. And all, essentially, for free. A £3 donation allows you to lift the Premier League trophy for photographs and a couple of other attractions.
We were making our base in South Shields which gave us easy access to the games at Bedlington and the following day at Blyth Spartans, but also had a metro station that would transport us into Newcastle for a Saturday night of a couple of beers while watching the world go by.
The half-hour journey up to Bedlington took us through the Tyne Tunnel to the Dr. Pit Welfare Stadium home of the Northern League Division Two Terriers.
At the turnstile there were a gaggle of kids who seemed quite keen to get, but only if it was free! Which it was for them.
Once inside, the first thing that became apparent was the pitch ... oh dear. The grass was ankle height in the best places with huge clumps scattered randomly that were a couple of inches higher. An enquiry as to why it hadn't been mowed brought the sorry tale that the red mower needed repairing and the blue one broke down.
A quick word with Nick Wheeler, who said that pitch was actually worse than it looked from the sidelines.
There was a main stand that had a few seats alongside some covered terracing, and in the corner was the clubhouse and changing rooms. In one corner was a giant electronic scoreboard and screen, that was very high-tech in comparison with everything else.
Into the bar and there were a dozen or so Tonbridge supporters already on their first (or second) drinks, these were joined by several more who came up on the players coach making about 20 in all that had made the long trip north.
Now, my wife is no wine snob but she knows what she likes, she has done her share of practising! So when she asked for a Merlot, I'm afraid the choice of white or rose, didn't exactly fill her with joy. It invoked memories of a 1985 trip to Liverpool for Gillingham's famous FA Cup tie with Everton when a request for a glass of red was met with an answer of there is only white.
That be said, the welcome was very friendly. No programme for the game was issued and when I asked for any programme from last season, one of the bar staff went and found me one.
The pitch, apart from the length of the grass was rock solid and hardly conducive to good football and neither side had threatened much before a long ball into the Tonbridge penalty area was met with a free header to give the home side a 15th minute opening goal.
Tonbridge responded well and had a penalty appeal turned down after the referee had initially pointed to the spot. Luke Allen, who was head and shoulders the best player on the pitch, jinked his way into the box before being tripped leaving the official this time with no option but to awarded the spot kick. Allen, literally dusted himself down, and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way for a 26th minute equaliser.
The second half was the normal pre-season procession of substitutions with the goalkeepers largely untested.
The final whistle brought the gaggle of kids to the player's entrance and it was good to see Sonny Miles high-fiving every kid that wanted one before leaving the pitch.
So it was back to South Shields and the hotel bar in search of the wife's Merlot. She remained disappointed and had to make do with a Cabernet Sauvignon, it's a hard life.
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