The History of the Wearside League

1970s

Where Ryhope CW had just failed to equal Royal Rovers record of four league titles in a row, Horden succeeded. Horden's first triumph was in 1969-70 (the club's fourth title) was achieved when they came from behind to pip long-time leaders Consett CW. They also won the Monkwearmouth Charity Cup that season with a 2-0 victory over Murton CW on the Horden Welfare Park. The title was retained the following year, with Gateshead giving the champions a hard fight for most of the season. In the 1971-72 season Horden completed a hat-trick of league titles and also reached the 1 st Round proper of the F. A. Cup. The following season was Horden's most successful ever. Not only did they win the championship for a fourth time, but they also won the Shipowners' Cup and the Monkwearmouth Charity Cup.

Boldon CW were one of the best cup-fighting sides of the 1970's. In 1971-72 they were double cup winners. In the Final of the Shipowners' Cup they beat Washington to carry off the trophy for the first time for 14 years. The following season Boldon CW triumphed in the League Challenge Cup. During the 1974-75 season Boldon CW managed to find the form in the League that they had shown in cup competitions and won their first Wearside League title for twenty years. The next season brought Boldon CW two more trophies: the Shipowners' Cup and League Cup. A change of name to Boldon CA did not stop the accumulation of silverware. The re-titled club retained the Shipowners' Cup in 1976-77 and won it again two years later.

Murton C W performed an outstanding feat in the closing week of the 1970-71 season, when they played four cup ties in six days. Three of these being final ties with one of these and the other game - a semi-final - going to extra time. The outcome was that Murton CW won three trophies: the League Cup, Shipowners' Cup and the Monkwearmouth Charity Cup. This was the first time in the history of the competitions that this had been done.

1978 F.A. CHALLENGE VASE FINAL
Blue Star 2 Barton Rovers 1
22nd April at Wembley Stadium Attendance 16,391

When football went open in 1974 the FA Challenge Vase was introduced to replace the Amateur Cup. Four years later Blue Star were the first Wearside League club to reach the final of the competition.

Blue Star
Halbert, Feenan, Thompson, Davidson, Dixon S, Beynon, Storey, Dixon P, Crumplin, Callaghan, Dunn Sub: Diamond.

After 20 minutes of play Barton took the lead through a Peter Smith goal. Their joy, however, was short-lived, four minutes later Barry Dunn met skipper Dave Beynon's perfect pass to volley home the equaliser. The score at half-time remained at 1-1, but after the interval the Wearside League club began to take the game to Barton. A golden opportunity to take the lead was squandered when Jimmy Thompson sent a penalty kick crashing against the crossbar. With only a couple of minutes of the match remaining Ian Crumplin headed the goal which brought the FA Vase to the North East for the first time.

Blue Star's Ian Diamond, despite playing in all of the Vase games up to the final, had to be satisfied with a place on the substitute's bench. However, three years later he was to feature the next time a Wearside League club reached the final of the FA Vase with Whickham.

Blue Star joined the Wearside League in 1973 and during the next dozen years went on to win 15 trophies. Their most successful season was in 1982-83, when they became the only club to win the Wearside League "grand slam" of all four competitions. After winning the league for the third time in succession in 1984-85 season, Blue Star left to join the Northern League.

Wearside League Winners

1970-71	Horden C.W.
1971-72	Horden C.W.
1972-73	Horden C.W.
1973-74	Blue Star Welfare
1974-75	Boldon C.W.
1975-76	Blue Star Welfare
1976-77	South Shields
1977-78	Whickham
1978-79	Wallsend Town
1979-80	Hartlepool Res.

Monkwearmouth Charity Cup Winners

1970-71	Murton C.W.
1971-72	Boldon C.W.
1972-73	Horden C.W.
1973-74	Hartlepoo Res.
1974-75	Blue Star Welfare
1975-76	Easington C.W.
1976-77	Whickham
1977-78	Wingate F.C.
1978-79	Whickham
1979-80	Blue Star

Sunderland Shipowners' Cup Winners

1970-71	Murton C.W.
1971-72	Boldon C.W.
1972-73	Horden C.W.
1973-74	South Shields Res.
1974-75	Easington C.W.
1975-76	Boldon C.W.
1976-77	Boldon C.A.
1977-78	Whickham
1978-79	Boldon C.A.
1979-80	Easington C.W.

League Challenge Cup Winners

1970-71	Murton C.W.
1971-72	Hartlepool Res.
1972-73	Boldon C.W.
1973-74	Steels S.C.
1974-75	Eppleton C.W.
1975-76	Boldon C.W.
1976-77	Blue Star
1977-78	Ryhope C.W.
1978-79	Eppleton C.W.
1979-80	Blue Star

Wearside Football League

The History of the Wearside League

1970s