Chronicles of the Berkshire Pig: Jarrow March

Gateshead Storm Reserves v Cramlington Rockets

Jarrow Vikings v Durham Tigers

With the final football games of the season in the far reaches of Scotland, it was time to finally make the switch to the summer sports; cricket, rugby league and GAA.

Today it was the turn of rugby, and a double header was available in the hot bed of the game that is the south bank of the River Tyne.

So the 0841 York service off Sowerby.

Through to York and into the main trainshed.

And a shuffle across to the 'new' island for a northbound TransPennine service.

Except the Newcastle was running late so a fill in move with the Middlesbrough service as far as Northallerton.

Where a rare opportunity to get a shot of TPE services passing in the station, wasn't worth the ten minute wait in the pissing rain on a shelterless platform.

So while we are waiting, a quick overview of rugby in the north east. Rugby had a fairly popular following in the area, though not to the extent of Lancashire and Yorkshire. Come the great code split in the 1890s, it stayed with union as firstly, it didn't trust the clubs that did split, secondly, it wasn't big enough for the clubs that did split off to make overtures to lure them in, and lastly, the club and works owners weren't as tight as those in the roses, and were therefore more flexible in 'expenses' and time off for players. Moving forward to the 1990s, and the introduction of superleague, the move to summer rugby and the relaxing of the dual code law, meant there was interest in league in the north east. Gateshead Storm evolved as a professional club, though the RFL cack-handedly tried to merge them with Hull. At regional level, Durham Tigers started up, first playing friendlies, and then in the newly formed conference, which was set up by clubs outside of the ARLA heartlands. Unfortunately, for north east clubs, this encompassed clubs in their area, but also Cumbria and the north midlands, so huge travelling entailed, and this was only sustainable for a few seasons. However, a regional league had also started for reserve sides or teams looking to start up but without the resource to join at conference level. On the conferences demise, a stand alone North East Premier league was put in place with a second regional division in place. At present this has been consolidated to a single division. At various points there have been clubs from Gateshead, Jarrow, Peterlee, Sunderland, Wallsend, Catterick, Cramlington, Durham, Darlington, Carlisle, Hartlepool, Billingham, Consett, Northallerton, Scarborough, West Hartlepool and Bridlington.

So, back to the train and onward we went, across the Tyne into Newcastle.

My +22 onto a Hexham service turned into a -4, but was made as it was held for a late running East Coast.

This was taken with half the teenage population of Tyne and Wear, a couple of stops to Metro Centre.

Whilst they went off to shoplift from the SuperDry store, I headed for the impressive yet considerably underused bus station.

Have you ever designed the least efficient road network imaginable, then put traffic lights at the most impactful yet least needed locations, and phased them so that only half a car got through on each sequence? If you have answered yes to all these questions, then you are responsible for the surroundings of the Metro Centre. I can see why the bus station is so empty. Everyone instead walks to the stops on routes that don't serve it, as it takes 30 minutes to get away from the shopping traffic.

Eventually we did escape the shackles of local planning gridlock, and headed along the Tyne Valley, passing the ra-ra ground at Blaydon, which I thought was one of the few I'd ever attended. but I think it could actually be Percy Park.

I persevered on, finally reaching a rainly hillside at Winlaton.

Where I bid farewell to my bus, which being on a circular route, was off for another 40 minute battle with Metro Centre traffic.

Whilst I was heading for here, which admittedly is a kick-and-clap ground, but today was hosting proper rugby.

Gateshead Storm A 0 v Cramlington Rockets 54, North East Rugby Lrague - Premier Division

Gateshead Storm were formed in 2002 as a progression from one of the academy teams of Gateshead Thunder, the professional rugby league team for the North East. At that time, the national conference structure was still in place, but after a season, they progressed to the National League when nearby Teeside Steelers withdrew at short notice. The reserve team started up as a replacement for Winlaton Vulcans when they withdrew from the North East Conference in 2006. In 2010, Storm merged with Newcastle Knights, who were actually a renamed merger of Benfield Lions and Gateshead Panthers. The new club played as Newcastle Storm a season before reverting to Gateshead Storm. These days, the first team carry on in the conference, whilst the reserves, who I was watching today, play in the North East league.

Cramlington started life as junior side Killingworth Rockets in 2000. In 2009, the club moved north to Cramlington due to having a bigger pool of players there. In 2010, now playing as Cramlington Rockets, they started a mens team in the North East Conference, which went on to become the North East league and where they are still playing.

Winlaton Vulcans were formed as a miners team in 1896, but didn't move to Axwell View until the 1960s, and have developed the site with a couple of levelled pitches and a clubhouse complex..

A surprisingly detailed sign instructed which pitch was being used today.

The second pitch is recently enclosed from the general public, but less so from the biting wind whipping up the Tyne Valley.

On arrival, both sides were present.

The spectators and coaches were all ready.

But there was no referee. The game had been moved from the normal 1400 kick off to 1200 as the first team were playing later, but no one had informed the ref, who was somewhere in Darlington.

Normally this wouldn't be an issue, but today's game was both the league tie and a cup fixture as the teams had been drawn together but a fixture pile up meant they were running out of opportunities to get all games in so had been granted permission to double up, but the cup element requires an official ref.

In the end, with no sign of the ref appearing, one of the coaches officiated, leaving the validity of the result to the mercy of ARLA.

With the start of the game game the start of the serious rain, as it whipped up off the teams and onto the exposed hillside.

Cramlington have emerged as one of the top sides in the league, and have had a steady run of decent results.

Storm can call on some more exprienced players, but today, the promotion chasing first team were playing Dewsbury Moor Maroons so didn't have any of their players to call on.

However, I was distracted by this mystery marauder who trudged around the pitch with a selection of intriguing bags and objects.

He then held up various items, examining them with a mixture of bewilderment and despair, like Jaap Stam trying to devise a game plan to win by more than one goal.

After ten minutes of staring at them, an attempt was made to attach two posts together.

But no, failure at the first attempt.

Back to the game and despite quite a few chances, it remained scoreless.

Gateshead were playing downhill, and had a series of complete sets in the Cramlington 20 metre line.

But the game was just a sideshow, as by now, scrapheap challenge live, had attracted a second participant.

This new blood seemed to have a revised policy of activity over staring, and immediately went to work putting together the two pieces that our original builder had attempted to join through mind-power.

More resolute defending from Cramlington.

But what's this? Signs of progress, but what is being less than hastily constructed?

LAst ditch defending from Cramlington keep the game scoreless as Gateshead are held up on the try line.

But back to what we are really interested in. The furry parker hood was now up, but it appeared they had seemingly constructed a football goal.

Spurred on by the handy work of Kenny and Cartman, Cramlington were inspired enough to get out of their half and score a breakaway try.

I'd been dispatched to retrieve a wind assisted 40-20 attempt from a neighbouring postcode, but on my return there looked to be some sort of completed structure.

This was revealed to be a, ahem, 'pop-up' dugout.

This truly inspired Cramlington, as they rattled in a couple more scores. However, our hero's handywork then sat unused for the rest of the game.

There did seem to be some sort of identity crisis going on at the ground. There was a token mention of the home team, but rather tacked on the bottom of the scoreboard.

The touch flags were a remnant of the previous 13 a side tenants.

Though the corner flags were of the 15 a side variety. Probably because they don't see much use in that code as all scores are just penalties.

Cramlington carried on their scoring.

With some very proficient kicking.

Because of the late start, I had to head off slightly before the final whistle. Cramlington ran out 0-56 winners.

So it was back outside to the bus stop.

This time I chose a route that avoided the artery car park that is the vicinity of the Metro Centre, and instead headed across to Gateshead interchange.

Where a leap onto the Metro put me on a South Shields service as far as Jarrow.

Passing through Jarrow was the Bowes Railway, built by George Stephenson in 1826 to take coal from the Durham coalfield down to the Tyne, via a series of ropeways. It declined with the closing of the mines, eventually shutting in the 1980s when the coke works at Monkton shut. The former trackbed is now a cycle and foot path, but with some acknowledgement of its former use.

This conveniently took me down to the venue for my next game.

Monkton Stadium has an interesting history as it built in 1937 by returning Jarrow marchers. The area lacked recreation facilities, and as a result of the march, donations from across the nation set up a fund to pay for the materials to rebuild a rudimentary track that was previously here.

The stadium was rebuilt again in the 1980s, this time with an all weather track and a 1000 seater stand. I'd seen a game here before but when I arrived, an athletics meeting was just ending, but there was no sign of any rugby.

However, there is a second pitch out the back of the stand, and there were signs of life there.

I was delighted to find the game just getting underway as this was now a venue for me, and a lovely tree lined one at that.

Jarrow Vikings 96 v Durham Tigers 12, North East Rugby League - Premier Division

Jarrow Vikings started life in 2004 as a junior side, but quickly progressed to the senior game and the North East Division of the Conference. Rapid progress saw a rise up to the new North Premier Division, but after a season, Jarrow rejoined the North East Division, where they have been title winners.

Durham Tigers are one of the longest standing clubs in the north east, having been around since the early 1990s. They originally shared a cricket club in Durham, but the move to summer rugby meant the two sports fixtures clashed, and the Tigers had to move to a venue out of the city. They struggled in their new location, and were dormant until the demise of Gateshead Panthers left a league position and some players needing a club, and Durham, now named Phoenix, played on in the conference. They relocated to Bishop Auckland, though reverted to the Tigers name, and making use of out of season union players from their new location and Consett, they became the leading amateur league side in the north east. However, an exodus of players and coaching staff to Gateshead Storm saw Tigers revert to a junior only side, moving slightly closer to the City, this time at Shildon; the newly formed Durham Demons now being the main club in the locality. Last season saw the club rejoin the mens league, but have been the whipping boys since their return.

This pitch sits in the middle of a cinder running track, which was part of the very original stadium. For an area that is supposedly industrial and of a lower standing, the setting very much gives the impression of a gentrified establishment.