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Post by pooliehopper on May 15, 2024 12:28:36 GMT
Per The Northern Echo
""Next Tuesday, the Crook and District League will meet at Crook Cricket Club to discuss the future of the league. Unless there are new teams coming forward ahead of the start of next season, the league will fold.
Formed in 1956, the Crook and District League is the last remaining grassroots adult football league playing on a Saturday afternoon anywhere in County Durham.
In its heyday, the league could boast almost 30 teams – now, 68 years on, it finds itself trying to survive with just six teams.
“We have reached the absolute minimum number” said the league’s vice-chairman and treasurer, Clement O’Donovan, who attended his first league meeting in the mid 1970s.
O’Donovan, who is also the chairman of Stanhope Town Sports and Social Club, a team that will celebrate its 50th anniversary in the league this year, has battled hard to try to keep the league going, but accepts the end could be nigh unless there is new interest.
The league have issued a rallying call in an attempt to secure some new sides for next season.
“If there are any groups out there aged 16 plus who want to keep the rich tradition of local football going on a Saturday afternoon, then I’d urge them to contact me at Stanhope Sports and Social Club,” added O’Donovan.
“Adult grassroots football has so much to offer a community and has the potential to bring much-needed finances to revitalise local organisations. Winning games is always welcome, but wellbeing from taking part is just as good and perhaps even more so.”
In 1957, Bankfoot Sports Club from Crook lifted the league trophy for the first and only time – this year, Middlestone Moor reigned supreme, not only winning the league but also the County Cup for grassroots teams"
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Post by pooliehopper on May 15, 2024 12:30:48 GMT
The tragic irony is, in reading (let alone pasting) that article I had to wade through at least 6 sky sports pop ups. Tottenham this, arsenal that, on a page about the decline of grassroots football, as Bart Simpson once said, the "ironing" is delicious.
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Post by sikirk on May 16, 2024 5:26:50 GMT
Suprised it ran last season with only 6 teams
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Post by windy1970 on May 16, 2024 11:22:01 GMT
If they gained another couple of clubs, is there still any point in continuing? If you were one of the remaining clubs, would you want to remain loyal to a league that may fold halfway through next season(if they decide to continue). Or would you move over to the healthier Wearside League. Most of the clubs have already done that in the past few years and it’s honourable that the remaining ones have stayed loyal.
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Post by kentrebel on May 21, 2024 16:51:54 GMT
I'm told that Stanhope Sports and Social have decided to move over to Sunday football in the last 2 days
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Post by pooliehopper on May 21, 2024 22:37:22 GMT
Seems Coundon are advertising for players next year, no indication of what league they're in however.
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Post by windy1970 on May 22, 2024 9:00:44 GMT
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Post by kentrebel on May 22, 2024 11:33:57 GMT
That's my very local football gone then.
A sad loss
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Post by spennyfanchris on May 22, 2024 11:50:06 GMT
Very sad to see the loss of the Crook & District League - from 1956 to 2024 is a great achievement by every single person on that board and the teams that was in that league in the history
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Post by sikirk on May 22, 2024 18:14:29 GMT
Sad but no shock. Surely the remaining teams that carry on in saturday football join the wearside league? Nowhere else for them to go
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Post by windy1970 on May 23, 2024 9:26:25 GMT
Would any of these teams fall into the North Riding League footprint, instead of the Wearside League footprint
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