Four ‘lost’ homes of Newcastle United
NEWCASTLE United has been celebrating its 125th birthday lately. And by any standards, it’s been a rollercoaster century and a quarter.
The highs of the Edwardian-era multiple trophy winners, Hughie Gallacher’s 1920s title-winning exploits, the 1950s FA Cup kings, and the Fairs Cup boys of 1969 have been balanced by repeated bouts of mediocrity and misery over the decades.
And it’s not too hot at the moment, you might have noticed.
Returning to the club’s sepia-tinted formative years, writer Paul Brown is an authority on the early history of Newcastle Untied.
The Toon season ticket-holder’s first book, All With Smiling Faces, looks at the earliest years of Newcastle United, revealing forgotten games, unsung players and, fascinatingly, four ‘lost’ early grounds.
His recent book, Savage Enthusiasm: A History of Football Fans, traces the story of those of us who, for our sins, follow our respective clubs through thick and thin.
As for the life and times of Newcastle United, Paul reckons the club predates the generally accepted 125 years it’s said to have been in existence.
“Many people assume Newcastle United was founded in 1892 but, in fact, that’s not true,” he says.
“The club has been around since 1881, as Stanley and then East End. There was no merger between the East End and West End clubs, and it was East End that changed its name to Newcastle United, just as Newton Heath changed its name to Manchester United, and Sunderland & District Teachers changed its name to Sunderland AFC.”
In 1892, Newcastle West End folded following financial difficulties, and the lease became available on their city centre ground. Newcastle East End took over the lease – and moved to St James’ Park.
Paul added: “But while other clubs celebrate their early history, somewhere along the line Newcastle United’s has been forgotten. As a result, few people know about the early Byker and Heaton grounds.
“Sunderland’s early grounds are marked with blue plaques, but Newcastle’s have been forgotten. That’s a shame as, given how important the football club is to the city, they’re very significant historical locations.”
Paul’s first book takes us back to a vanished world where the fledgling game of football was taking root among the smoking terrace chimneys and clanging factories of industrial Newcastle. And it recalls how Newcastle played at four other home grounds before famously moving to St James’ Park in 1892. Although the club has long been located at the heart of the city centre, it began its life in Byker and Heaton. Today nothing remains at those original locations in the East End of Newcastle to suggest they were once home to a famous football club. Newcastle United was
Many people assume Newcastle United was founded in 1892, but in fact that’s not true Paul Brown
founded in 1881 as Stanley FC, named after Stanley Street in South Byker.
Stanley Street no longer exists, but it was part of what is now Walker Road, at the bottom of Raby Street.
The team played on open ground near where St Peter’s Social Club now stands.
As the club grew, it changed its name to East End, and moved to a new ground behind St Michael’s Vicarage, near Bothal Street, inside what is now the Byker Wall estate.
Within a couple of years the club had moved again, to a pitch next to the railway line at Dalton Street.
But things really began to take off after East End moved to Heaton in 1886.
The new ground was at Heaton Junction, just off Chillingham Road, near to Hartford Street.
Heaton Junction was regarded as one of the best grounds in the country, with a good pitch, a large wooden pavilion, and one of football’s first press boxes.
East End played many big matches at Heaton Junction, including derbies against Sunderland and cross-town rivals West End, and attracted boisterous crowds of up to 5,000 fans.
So there we have it. Is Newcastle United 125 years old? Or did the Magpies, in fact, begin life 136 years ago? ■■All With Smiling Faces by Paul Brown, is available from good bookshops and Amazon online. ■■Savage Enthusiasm by Paul Brown, is available from good bookshops and Amazon online. ■■Paul White photographed the ‘lost’ grounds of Newcastle East End.