The History of the Wearside League

1980s

Sporting Club Vaux 1986-87 Shipowners' Cup Winners

1981 FA CHALLENGE VASE FINAL
Whickham 3 Willenhall Town 2
(after extra time)
25th April at Wembley Stadium Attendance 12,000.

A year after Blue Star's 1978 success in the Vase, Whickham from the Wearside League reached the semi-final, but were beaten. However, two years later they did reach the Vase final.

An estimated 5,000 Whickham supporters travelled to Wembley, the vast majority of them from the village itself. While Willenhall's support (who only had to travel from the Midlands) outnumbered Whickham's, the North Easterners were the clear winners in giving their side vocal encouragement throughout the game.

Whickham:
Thompson, Scott, Knox, Williamson, Cook, Ward, Carroll, Diamond, Cawtha, Robertson (sub: Allon) Turnbull.

Paul Allon, who had scored Whickham's injury time winner against Windsor and Eton in the semi-final, could only make the substitute's bench after being injured before the Final. However, there was a place in the starting line-up for Ian Diamond, who had faced similar disappointment in 1978 with Blue Star.

After ten minutes of the Final, Whickham were 2-0 down, with a seemingly impossible task of saving the game. Whickham pulled a goal back through full back Scott (his 14th of the season). After 25 minutes, Billy Cawthra collided with Willenhall's goalkeeper Newton. The goalkeeper had to be stretchered off and was taken to hospital with concussion. Whickham levelled the scores 12 minutes after half time, when Williamson beat the stand-in goalkeeper. After 90 minutes play the score remained 2-2 and the game went into extra time. Just before the end of the first quarter, Cawthra broke away and his powerful shot was blocked but rebounded off a Willenhall defender into the goal. Willenhall could not find a way to get back on level terms and it was the Whickham captain who received the trophy from Sir Matt Busby at the end of a pulsating game.

On the Monday before their trip to Wembley, Whickham beat Roker Zanussi 1-0 to take the Shipowners' Cup. (It was Roker's second cup final defeat in four days, on Good Friday they lost 2-0 to Chester-le-Street in the Monkwearmouth Charity Cup.) On the Monday following their Vase triumph Whickham were beaten 3-2 by South Shields, which effectively ended their hopes of taking the Wearside League title.

Whickham joined the Wearside League in 1974 and their first success was in the Monkwearmouth Charity Cup three years later. The following season they won the League for the first time and the Shipowners' Cup. After winning the League for a second time in 1987-88, Whickham left to join the Northern League.

Wearside League Winners

1980-81	Chester-le-Street Town
1981-82	Seaham C.W. Red Star
1982-83	Blue Star F.C.
1983-84	Blue Star F.C.
1984-85	Blue Star F.C.
1985-86	Coundon T.T.F.C.
1986-87	Anfield Plain F.C.
1987-88	Whickham
1988-89	Dunston F.B.
1989-90	Dunston F.B.

Monkwearmouth Charity Cup Winners

1980-81	Chester-le-Street Town
1981-82	Chester-le-Street Town
1982-83	Blue Star F.C.
1983-84	Wingate F.C.
1984-85	Coundon
1985-86	Coundon T.T.F.C.
1986-87	South Shields F.C.
1987-88	Murton
1988-89	Blue Star
1989-90	Eppleton C.W.

Sunderland Shipowners' Cup Winners

1980-81	Whickham
1981-82	Brandon United
1982-83	Blue Star F.C.
1983-84	Coundon
1984-85	Blue Star F.C.
1985-86	Eppleton C.W.
1986-87	Sporting Club Vaux F.C.
1987-88	Dunston Fed. Breweries F.C.
1988-89	Boldon C.A.
1989-90	Roker

League Challenge Cup Winners

1980-81	Blue Star
1981-82	Seaham C.W. Red Star
1982-83	Blue Star F.C.
1983-84	Blue Star F.C.
1984-85	Dawdon F.C.
1985-86	Coundon T.T.F.C.
1986-87	Whickham
1987-88	Eppleton C.W.
1988-89	Stockton E.D.C.
1989-90	Coundon T.T.

Wearside Football League

The History of the Wearside League

1980s