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Whickham Football Club
The club was formed in 1944 under the name of Axwell Park Colliery Welfare, although they were colloquially termed the "Home Guard Team"! In the early days they played in the Derwent Valley League, before switching to the Northern Combination and, in 1974, to the Wearside League. Whickham enjoyed quite a degree of success at this level before joining the Northern League Second Division in 1988.
It was in 1981 that Whickham had their finest hour, going all the way to the Twin Towers in the final of the FA Vase, after a titanic struggle, to overcome Windsor & Eton at the penultimate stage. An estimated 5,000 fans followed Whickham to Wembley . Willenhall, a Midlands Club, awaited Whickham on the big day, but there were problems. Paul Allon, who had notched the crucial injury- time winner in the semi, suffered injury before the Final and had to be content with a place on the bench. Ironically, this made room for lan Diamond, who had suffered the same fate whilst with Blue Star in 1978.
The Final began horribly, with Willenhall going 2-0 up in the opening ten minutes. The task of winning the Vase appeared to be a forlorn one, but the gloom was partially dispelled when fullback Alan Scott quickly halved the deficit. Then, an accidental collision with Cawthra led to the Willenhall goalkeeper being stretchered off. Was the tide turning?
Twelve minutes into the second half, and Whickham were level, thanks to Ronnie Williamson. 2-2 it was, and 2-2 it stayed till the 90-minute mark. Who could dig that bit deeper, and find the extra reserves of strength needed to lift the trophy? The answer was supplied in the dying seconds of the first half of extra-time. Billy Cawthra broke away and launched a potent shot which, though blocked, ricocheted off a hapless Willenhall defender into the net. 3-2, and the FA Vase was heading back to Whickham!
It is a bit difficult for Whickham to prosper when they live so closely under the shadow of Newcastle United. Urban clubs rarely benefit from the same degree of community spirit that village clubs can sometimes- but not always- draw upon.
Club Honours
FA Vase Winners 1980/81
FA Vase Semi-finalists 1978/79
Wearside League Cup Winners 1986/87
Wearside League Winners 1977/78
Northern Combination Winners 1969/70, 1972/3, 1973/4
Northern Combination League Cup Winners 1960/1, 1973/4
Northern League Div 2 Champions 1994/5
Vaux Challenge Cup Winners 1986/7
Record attendance : 3,165 v Windsor & Eton (Vase semi-final 1981)