Shildon FC

 I was looking forward to this one, to the current Northern league leaders, I was expecting big things and the ground didn't disappoint. They've built a brand new seated stand along one side, they've a new toilet block in one corner and a new set of changing rooms for the players, along with an excellent traditional stand along the other side. The pitch is an excellent 4g surface, one of the best I've seen. It's certainly helped Shildon the past couple of months as everybody else's games have fell to the weather, they have played through. In fact this Brooks Mileson Cup fixture vs FC Hartlepool should have been played at Hartlepool but was switched to Shildon. 


Quite comically we walked around the wrong side of the ground from where the turnstile was located when we arrived, however the steward very kindly let us inside through the players entrance gate, we just walked round and paid admission from inside the turnstile! Food wise pork pie, chips and gravy was the order of the day, pie excellent, chips below average and gravy OK. £5.20 then was informed no forks, they did kindly offer me a metal fork that I would have had to return but I made do with a wooden spoon to eat with.


The game was a corker, Shildon got 2.0 up and were coasting. However the Hartlepool number 11 hit a thunderbolt into the top corner to give them hope. They got level soon after with a fumble from the Shildon keeper. It seemed as if Shildon could just go up a gear when required and they took the lead again, an excellent cross in from the number 3, 3-2. Another fumble from the goalkeeper allowed Hartlepool to equalise yet again, they are no mugs although the difference in league status did tell. Again the Shildon number 3 rampaged forward, another excellent cross in and same end result, 4-3 and that's how it finished. Crowd of 102, well down on what Shildon usually get, showing the probable apathy for this competition. Admission was £7 and £5. The only thing the ground lacked was a shop or any kind of range of merchandise.


I drove to this one, come off the A1 at Junction 58 if travelling from the south and Shildon is well signed, about 7 miles off the motorway, really easy to find. There's a free council car park just over the road from the ground with about 30 spaces.


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