el Queso Grande's Groundhopping Tour 2007-8

           TEAM NAME                          NAME OF GROUND                    COMPETITON

1	24th Royal Signals Regiment	Catterick Camp	Wearside League
2	AFC Leamington	The New Windmill Ground	FA Vase
3	Annfield Plain	Derwent Park	Wearside League
4	Arsenal	Highbury Stadium	Football League
5	Aston Villa	Villa Park	Football League
6	Bedlington Terriers	Welfare Park	Northern League
7	Berwick Rangers	Shielfield	Friendly
8	Billingham Synthonia	Central Avenue	FA Vase
9	Billingham Town	Bedford Terrace	Northern League
10	Birtley Town	Birtley Sports Complex	Northern League
11	Bishop Auckland	Kingsway	Unibond League
12	Bishop Auckland	Dean Street	Northern League
13	Blackburn Rovers	Ewood Park	Football League
14	Blackhall Colliery	Welfare Ground	Wearside League
15	Blackpool	Bloomfield Road	Football League
16	Boldon CA	Boldon CA Sports Ground	Wearside League
17	Bolton Wanderers	Burnden Park	Football League
18	Brandon United	Welfare Ground	Northern League
19	Bristol Rovers	Eastville Stadium	Football League
20	Bury	Gigg Lane	Football League
21	Carlisle United	Brunton Park	FA Cup
22	CF Malgrat	CD Malgrat de Mar	Spanish Third
23	Charlton Athletic	The Valley	Football League
24	Chelsea	Stamford Bridge	Football League
25	Chester le Street Town	Chester Moor Park	Northern League
26	Consett	Belle Vue	Northern League
27	Cup Finals	Wembley Stadium (Old)	FA Cup
28	Darlington	Feethams	Wearside League
29	Darlington RA	Brinkburn Road	Northern League
30	Dawdon CW	Welfare Park	Wearside League
31	Derby County	Baseball Ground	Football League
32	Dover FC	The Danes	Southern League
33	Dunston Federation	Federation Park	Northern League
34	Durham City	Ferens Park	Northern League
35	Durham City	Archibalds Stadium	Northern League
36	Easington Colliery	Welfare Ground	Wearside League
37	Edinburgh Hibernian	Easter Road	Scottish League
38	Eppleton CW	Welfare Ground	Wearside League
39	Esh Winning	West Terrace	Northern League
40	Evenwood Town	Welfare Ground	Durham County Cup
41	Folkestone Town	Cheriton Road	Friendly
42	Fulham	Craven Cottage	Football League
43	Gateshead	Gateshead Stadium	Durham County Cup
44	Glasshoughton Welfare	The Welfare	Northern Counties East League
45	Grimsby Town	Blundell Park	Football League
46	Guisborough Town	King George V Ground	Northern League
47	Handen Hold CW	Welfare Park	Wearside League
48	Hartlepool United	Victoria Road	FA Cup
49	Hearts of Midlothian	Tynecastle	Scottish League
50	Hebburn Town	Hebburn Sports & Social	FA Cup
51	Herrington CW	Herrington CW	Wearside League
52	Horden C.W.	Welfare Park	Northern League
53	Huddersfield Town	Leeds Road	Football League
54	Hull City	Boothferry Park	Football League
55	Hylton CW	Colliery Welfare, Castletown	Wearside League
56	Jarrow Roofing Boldon CA	Boldon CA Sports Ground	Northern League
57	Langley Park	Welfare Ground	Wearside League
58	Leeds United	Elland Road	Football League
59	Luton Town	Kenilworth Road	Football League
60	Maine Road	Manchester County FA Ground	FA Cup
61	Manchester United	Old Trafford	Football League
62	Marske United	Mount Pleasant	Northern League
63	Meadowbank Thistle	Meadowbank Stadium	Scottish League
64	Middlesbrough	Ayrsome Park	Football League
65	Middlesbrough	Riverside Stadium	Football League
66	Morpeth Town	Craik Park	Northern League
67	Murton CW	Welfare Ground	Wearside League
68	Newcastle Benfield Bay Plastic	Sam Smiths	Northern League
69	Newcastle United	St. James' Park	Football League
70	Nottingham Forest	The City Ground	Football League
71	Notts County	Meadow Lane	Football League
72	Oxford United	Manor Ground	Football League
73	Penrith Town	Southend Road	Northern League
74	Peterlee Town	Eden Lane	Northern League
75	Pyrex Social Club	Pyrex Sports Ground, South Hylton	Wearside League
76	Rossington Main	Welfare Ground	FA Cup
77	Ryhope CW	Ryhope Recreation Ground	Wearside League
78	Ryton	Kingsley Park	Northern League
79	Seaham Red Star	Seaham Town Park	Northern League
80	Selby Town	Flaxley Road Stadium	FA Vase
81	Sheffield Wednesday	Hillsborough	FA Cup
82	Shildon	Dean Street	Northern League
83	Silksworth CW	Silksworth Welfare	Wearside League
84	South Shields	Simonside Hall	Wearside League
85	South Shields	Filtrona Park	Northern League
86	Stanley United	High Road	FA Cup
87	Stockton FC	Victoria Ground	Wearside League
88	Stoke City	Victoria Ground	Football League
89	Sunderland AFC	Roker Park	Football League
90	Sunderland AFC	Stadium of Light	Football League
91	Sunderland Nissan	Nissan Complex	Northern League
92	Team Northumbria	Coach Lane	Northern League
93	Thornaby	Teesdale Park	Northern League
94	Thornley CW	Welfare Ground	Wearside League
95	Tipton Town	Tipton Sports Academy	FA Vase
96	Tow Law Town	Ironworks Road	Northern League
97	Washington	Albany Park	Northern League
98	West Auckland Town	Darlington Road	Northern League
99	West Bromwich Albion	The Hawthorns	Football League
100	Whitburn CW	Croft Park	Wearside League
101	Whitley Bay	Hillheads	Northern League
102	Wingate	Wingate Welfare	Wearside League
103	Wolverhampton Wanderers	Molineux	Football League
104	York City	Bootham Crescent	Football League
105	Whickham	The Glebe Sports Ground	Northern League
106	Spennymoor Town	The Brewery Field	FA Carlsberg Vase
107	North Shields	Ralph Gardner Park	Northern League
108	Ashington	Portland Park	Northern League
109	Sunderland Ryhope CA	Meadow Park	Northern League
110	Northallerton Town	The Regency Stadium	Northern League
111	Crook Town	The Mill Field	Northern League
112	Stokesley Sports Club	Stokesley Sports Centre	Northern League
113	Prudhoe Town	Kimberley Park	Northern League
114	West Allotment Celtic	Blue Flames Sports Ground, Whitley Park, Newcastle-Tyne	Northern League
115	Cup Finals	Wembley Stadium (New)	FA Vase
116	Whitehaven Amateurs	Focus Scaffolding Sports Complex, Coach Road, Whitehaven	Northern League
117	Ashington	Woodhorn Lane	Northern League
118	Newton Aycliffe	Moore Lane Sports Centre	Wearside League
119
120	.	.	.

I began watching football when I was about 9-10, back in the late 1950's. My Dad took me to my first match, which was at Roker Park, Sunderland Reserves being the first team to have the honour of my presence. When I was 13, Dad decided that I was old enough to go along with him to a first team game and Roker Park became my regular haunt on matchdays. My first "away" game was at Leeds Road, Huddersfield, in 1962, which I remember as if it was yesterday: Huddersfield were the Division 2 (old) leaders and were favourites to win. Their constant attacks and shots at goal were repelled by the Sunderland defence, especially goalkeeper Jimmy Montgomery, who was the popular choice for Man of the Match. Sunderand scored 3 times, through Brian Clough (2) and George Mulhall whose goal was the first I ever saw scored direct from a corner kick. Cloughie's first was his 250th. career goal and was a bullet header from another Mulhall corner kick.

In the mid 1960's, I began to watch Wearside League football and was invited along with Dad to join the Committee of Hylton Colliery Welfare Football Club and I was given the position of Assistant Secretary at the age of 17. This lasted for 3 years and I had to give up the post as my work commitments took priority. My proudest moment at Hylton was in 1965 when Hylton beat Ryhope CW 2-1 in the final of the Sunerland Shipowners Cup, a magnificent trophy indeed!

The Sunderland Shipowners' Charity Cup.

My watching took a bit of a back seat when I was married and my family came along, but I resumed my interest in 1972-3 when I went back to Roker Park in time for Sunderland's amazing FA Cup run and subsequent victory over Leeds United in the Final.

Sometime around 1997, I resumed my interest in non-league football with particular interest in the Northern League.

I have only recently compiled this list and have had to do it from memory, as it never occurred to me to take notes. Therefore, I can provide no proof of having been at most of these football grounds, a lot of which are sadly now defunct.

One of my favourite matchdays was at the old Victoria Ground, where Hylton CW were roundly thrashed 7-0 by Hartlepool United Reserves, featuring a MOM performance by the then 17 years-old John McGovern. As Assistant Secretary I had to exchange team sheets with the opponents' manager who at the time was my idol Brian Clough!

Another fond memory is from Old Trafford; my grandson's football coach, Johnny McKinstry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnathan_McKinstry , had been voted Junior Coach of the Year by visitors to the MUFC Soccer Schools web site and Johnny, my grandson Liam and I were invited to the United v Middlesbrough match in May 2006 where Johnny and Liam met Sir Bobby Charlton, who presented Johnny's trophy on the pitch at half time. We received full VIP treatment in one of the magnificent hospitality boxes, food, drinks, souvenirs, the works!. Oh! The game finished up as a 0-0 bore draw!