Northern
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Northern FOOTBALL CLUB
N orthern Football Club was founded in 1875 and is the oldest Rugby Football Club in Newcastle upon Tyne . It was originally called Elswick Football Club but was renamed in its second season changing colours to red , white and blue which are still the colours to this day .
Northern originally played at Mill Inn , Westgate , and moved to a number of different sites including the Town Moor . A period of 60 years passed without a “ home ground ” and Northern was nicknamed “ the Wanderers ”. Northern FC moved to McCracken Park in 1937 when the ground was purchased for a clubhouse and four rugby pitches .
In 1956 an addition to the clubhouse was made when two squash courts were built and in 1961 a cocktail bar was added . Squash became so successful that a third squash court was added in 1974 .
The clubhouse held many memories in the folklore of north east rugby but , by selling off one of the pitches to raise capital the building was demolished in 1994 and a new £ 1.2 million clubhouse was built and opened in 1995 by Dennis Easby , the President of the Rugby Football Union .
Northern FC has been a well-respected and well-known club throughout the rugby world and has produced 18 internationals as well as Presidents of the Rugby Football Union and the Scottish Rugby Union .
We recently caught up with their Honorary Chairman Chris Matthew to find out more about how the club has been getting along lately . He told us , “ I have been involved with the club since season 1967 / 68 . Having just moved from Cumbria and also having just left the Merchant Navy I wanted to join a local competitive and social rugby club . Northern happened to be fit the bill being just across the road from where I lived .”
“ The challenges faced with Northern FC being a large club with a number of sections to it , senior and mini / youth rugby , squash and various community and business activities , involve ensuring there is a smooth interaction between these parts . The rewards come when you see the significant achievements attained by both individuals and teams in their own field . It is
12 Issue 63