Easington Colliery A.F.C.
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| Full name | Easington Colliery Association Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Colliery, The Colliers, Green Army | |
| Founded | 1913 | |
| Ground | Welfare Park, Easington | |
| Chairman | Paul Adamson | |
| Manager | Olly Hotchkiss | |
| League | Northern League Division One | |
| 2023–24 | Northern League Division Two, 3rd of 22 (promoted via play-offs) | |
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Easington Colliery Association Football Club is a football club based in Easington Colliery, County Durham, England. They are currently members of the Northern League Division One and play at Welfare Park.
History
[edit]The club was established in 1913 and joined the Wearside League.[1] After finishing third in their first season, they withdrew from the league during the 1914–15 season.[2] Although they rejoined for the 1915–16 season, they left again at the end of the 1916–17 season.[2] Following the end of World War I, the club entered the league again in 1919 under the name Easington Colliery Welfare.[3] They were runners-up in 1928–29 and won the league the following season. Although they dropped to fifth in 1930–31, they won back-to-back league titles in 1931–32 and 1932–33. However, after finishing bottom of the table in 1936–37, they left the league.[3]
In 1939 Easington rejoined the Wearside League again.[3] After finishing as runners-up in 1946–47, they went on to win back-to-back titles in 1947–48 and 1948–49.[3] In 1955–56 the club reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time in their history, eventually losing 2–0 at home to Tranmere Rovers in front of a record crowd of 4,500.[4][5] The club disbanded in 1964, but were reformed in 1973 when they rejoined Wearside League and were runners-up in their first season back in the league.[6] In 1976 they adopted their current name.[4] They joined Division Two of the Northern League in 1985 and were runners-up in their first season in the league, earning promotion to Division One.[5] They were relegated back to Division Two after finishing bottom of Division One in 1989–90, but were promoted to Division One the following season after a third-place finish in Division Two.[5] However, the club were relegated again two seasons later.[5]
In 1995–96 Easington finished third in Division Two, earning promotion back to Division One. They remained in Division One until being relegated at the end of the 2000–01 season. After finishing second-from-bottom of Division Two in 2004–05 the club were relegated to the Premier Division of the Northern Alliance.[5] After two seasons in the Northern Alliance, they transferred to the Wearside League. A second-place finish in 2010–11 saw the club promoted to Division Two of the Northern League, but they were relegated the following season after finishing bottom of Division Two.[5] After winning the Shipowners Cup in 2013–14, beating Ashbrooke Belford House 5–3 in the final,[7] the following season saw them finish as runners-up in the Wearside League, resulting in promotion back to Division Two of the Northern League.[5]
In 2023–24 Easington finished third in Division Two, qualifying for the promotion play-offs. After beating Bedlington Terriers 4–0 in the semi-finals, they defeated Newcastle Blue Star 2–1 in the final to earn promotion to Division One.
Honours
[edit]- Wearside League
Records
[edit]- Best FA Cup performance: First round, 1955–56[4]
- Best FA Trophy performance: Third qualifying round, 1991–92[5]
- Best FA Vase performance: Fourth round, 1982–83[5]
- Record attendance: 4,500 vs Tranmere Rovers, FA Cup first round, 1955[1]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Easington Colliery Northern League
- ^ a b Wearside League 1892–1919 Non-League Matters
- ^ a b c d Wearside League 1919–1960 Non-League Matters
- ^ a b c Easington Colliery Welfare at the Football Club History Database
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Easington Colliery at the Football Club History Database
- ^ Wearside League 1960–1988 Non-League Matters
- ^ 2013–14 Wearside League Football Club History Database