Sunday 5th April 2026 ko 18:30

Northern League Division Two

DURHAM UNITED 4 (Kay 28 87 90+3 Dixon 55)

ESH WINNING 2 (Jowett 57 Cherrie 81)

Att 382 at Maiden Castle

Entry £6

Programme £2

Around 2 and half years ago Robyn and I were planning our route home to Oxford from a trip to Carlisle United and decided to make a game on our way home. Our options were Sunderland Women playing at Eppleton CW or Durham WFC at The Graham Sports Centre, Maiden Castle. We picked Sunderland, mainly due to Eppleton’s history in the Northern League. Since Durham United also use Maiden Castle it, unwittingly turned into a good choice!

It’s worth mentioning what Durham United are not. Durham City had a long stint in the Northern League and between 1921 and 1928 played in the Football League Division Three North. These days they play in obscurity (even to me!) in the lower reaches of the Wearside League.

This Durham side started in 2012 as as a extra-curricular club for youngsters from Ushaw Moor and Sacriston. They rebranded as United in 2015, and played initially at City’s New Ferens Park when entering their first senior team in the Wearside League in 2018. 2022 saw them merge into Durham University’s men’s team- the move worked and the club entered the Northern League for their maiden (!) season in 2024/5.

Make no mistake though, this is so obviously Durham WFC’s ground, their branding is everywhere! I found myself thinking back to trips to Sweden where I’ve walked into a ground as 1,000 plus are leaving after a women’s game to watch a men’s game in front of 50 or so! We were early, a factor of the game at Crook being originally slated for Shildon which was no bad thing, 9 games into the event, I and others were in need of a little downtime. In the nicest possible way I was slightly embarrassed that George Courtney was showing no hint of slowing down, even at 85 – everyone was enjoying his refereeing tales from the road. I sat with him and others and enjoyed the down time.

The stadium is something of an oddity, in that the stand seems in conflict with itself. The roof seems bolted on to the buildings behind, and the dropped-in seating rack puts the user in a rather strange seating position. It does do the job, and even though the there is a running track you can stand directly behind the goal.

The game saw Durham with little or nothing to play for, but visitors Esh Winning deep in relegation trouble. I remembered visiting Esh Winning 6 years ago and loving both club and ground. Take as read, I’d love to take the hop there. Sadly that doesn’t look likely, at least in the short term. They lost this one, and despite just about everyone expecting them to get a reprieve from relegation- the FA didn’t see it that way, and they’ll play next season as Esh Winning & Deerness Valley in the Wearside League. I hope they find their way back to the Northern League.