The Happy Accident: Newcastle Benfield 3-0 Knaresborough Town

This weekend, I came down with a fever. I went to the doctors and everything, but they couldn't do anything about it. It turned out to be a case of FA Cup fever, which only Consett v Redcar Athletic in the Extra Preliminary Round of this season's FA Cup could solve.

At the early stage of the FA Cup, teams from Levels 8 to 10 of the English system enter, meaning I was spoiled for choice in terms of groundhopping opportunities. I opted for Consett on this particular occasion, and chances were it would be my only taste of FA Cup football this season unless Stevenage get a massive away tie like Villa again. 

I'd always liked the idea of following the FA Cup from its starting point and taking in a game from every round following the team that gets through each time, which if I'd done so in 2020-21 would have led me from Cockfosters to Wembley via Hampton & Richmond, Bournemouth and Burnley. I'll be sure to follow my prospective journey this season too, and if possible attend the games that I can.

But hang on? Consett? The title says Newcastle Benfield. Before you fly off the handle, keep in mind that sometimes plans change on the fly. In this case, I lacked the foresight to check the bus times, which at the weekend were hourly from Gateshead to Consett. As a result, my only remaining option come half one at Gateshead Interchange was waiting half an hour for a bus. On seeing it was delayed eight minutes and that it would have been touch and go for kick-off, I went for a Plan B.

My remaining options were Newcastle Benfield v Knaresborough Town, or North Shields v Newcastle Blue Star. I'd seen some ecstatic Blue Star fans on the Metro with their side having won 2-1 at North Shields, but as you can probably tell by this point, I went for Benfield, and it was a fantastic choice.

The Ground, The Game, and Any Other Business

Even though Consett v Redcar Athletic finished 2-3 to the away side in what sounded like a thriller, I still felt as if the circumstances had worked in my favour. I took the Metro from Gateshead, changing at Monument for the Yellow line to Walkergate, where it was a mere ten minute walk to the ground.

I paid a mere £7 for entry, as Sam Fender's 'Seventeen Going Under' played on the tannoy. It's said a lot about non-league grounds, but this one had a lot of charm and character, even if the door was missing on one of the toilet cubicles. Perhaps this was because it seemed to double up as an outdoor gym in certain places.

I decided to sample all sides of the ground throughout the game, and I had great vantage points throughout. All three goals came in an eventful first half, in which I could hear everything from the dugout. Benfield started sloppily against their Yorkshire opponents, but they withstood some early pressure and began to impose themselves on the game to good effect.

They opened the scoring with Austin Hall, who would double Benfield's lead with a satisfying top corner effort that seemed to bounce straight out to the extent the crowd didn't even know if he'd scored. Glen Hargrave made it three after a defensive mix-up, after which Knaresborough somehow conspired to miss in a ridiculous goalmouth scramble. 

Other events in the first-half included a cry of 'stop fooking flicking shit' from the home dugout, and the Knaresborough subs wearing hi-vis jackets to warm up. Though no more goals happened in the second-half, it was still just as ridiculous, with Benfield's Aiden Haley receiving a booking for being injured. Even the linesman was baffled by the referee's decision.

Nonetheless, Knaresborough never recovered from the damage in the first-half, and Benfield made it through to the Preliminary Round. It looks as if I'll still be in the North East that weekend too, which means a trip to either Kendal Town or Guisborough awaits Newcastle Benfield, and possibly me if I can be bothered to venture a little further afield.

Five things you didn't know about...Newcastle Benfield:  

1. As far as I can tell, Newcastle Benfield are the closest football club to Byker, where a young Ant and Dec gained fame via Byker Grove in the eighties as PJ and Duncan. The show also broke new ground in depicting the first gay kiss on children's television. 

2. Walkergate, where Newcastle Benfield are based, is perhaps most well-known for being the former home of the hospital for infectious diseases, opened in 1888. The hopsital was, however, closed in 2011.

3. The club were formed as recently as 1988 as Brunswick Village, undergoing a few name changes and mergers over the years. They've been Newcastle Benfield Saints, Newcastle Benfield Bay Plastics, as well as their current iteration, Newcastle Benfield. 

4. Nearby Wallsend is one of few places in the world to have bilingual signs in English and Latin. In dedication to its Roman heritage, and the fact that Wallsend is named as such because it is located at the end of Hadrian's Wall, you can find Latin signage at the Metro station, and various other spots around Wallsend.

5. Everyone's favourite Peruvian trumpeter enjoyed a spell as coach at Newcastle Benfield in 2011-12, helping them to a 12th placed finish in the Northern Football League Division One.