Heaton Stan-tastic

There’s an air of anticipation among Newcastle’s football fans this season. It’s not just the hope of a Saudi-sponsored trophy to end the Magpies’ 69-year drought. Lower down the leagues, things are stirring. Heaton Stannington FC won promotion through last season’s playoffs and is preparing for life in the Northern Premier League. It’s a new high for the club, which spent much of its history in the Northern Alliance before stepping up to the Northern League in 2013.

While Geordieland prides itself on a down-to-earth attitude, Heaton Stan is a bit different. We’re heading out into the hipstery, studenty suburbs; on a previous visit the first person I saw in the clubhouse was wearing a t-shirt promoting a feminist theatre company. On Friday, in a bumper crowd of 603, there were more than a few urban lumberjack outfit, an assortment of classical rock t-shirts and an encouraging group of teenage girls enthusiastically debating the merits of the teams that they play for. It feels a bit different from the stereotypical “man-and-dog” vibe, although there were plenty of non-league hounds on view, including the legendary Heaton Stan Harry.

However, this is no Tyneside retread of Dulwich Hamlet. Instead, it’s a club at the heart of its community. Grounsell Park feels like an extension of the back gardens that surround it. There’s even an allotment in one corner, where an impressive crop of veg was approaching harvest time. The clubs nestles among a church, a café, a convenience store and a few takeaways (including the chippy that sponsors the home shirt). It’s more of a seven-day facility than many non-league clubs.

That has obvious benefits. The clubhouse regularly picks up CAMRA awards and boasts three rotating real ales on tap. While many clubs struggle to sell beer except during a 15-minute rush at half-time on a Saturday, the Stan serves more than just a football crowd and is happy to order in barrels from breweries up and down the UK. In the ground, the Stan Can Van offers Overkill, brewed a 20-minute walk away at the Brandling Villa pub while Heaton Scran’s chips with everything menu complements and competes with a Mexican street food truck and an artisan coffee kiosk. It’s non-league done differently, but without sacrificing the traditional audience in search of a new fad.

That stance isn’t exactly unprecedented. Heaton was the birthplace of Newcastle United legend Colin Veitch, who captained the Magpies to three of their four league championship wins in the Edwardian era. He also founded the People’s Theatre, a short stroll away on the Coast Road, came close to quitting football for academia and was invited to run for parliament as a Labour MP. Again, not your typical footballing biography.

Back in the 21st century, though, the emphasis is on the FA Cup. The Stan’s first game of a season that promises new challenges brings a familiar foe from Northern League days. Easington Colliery hasn’t played in the cup for a good few years, but a playoff success of its own last season puts the pit village team back at step five and back into the cup. Heaton Stan represents a testing opponent, but not so daunting as to make a shock seem inconceivable.

The game itself wasn’t a classic. For the home team, this was a first competitive engagement of the season. Easington was a step ahead in match readiness, but a step behind in ability. For a long time, the two cancelled each other out: Stan neat in possession but limited in the final third, Easington composed at the back but reliant on set pieces to create scoring chances. The breakthrough came early in the second half through Leighton Hopper, before Konner Lamb made it safe for the home team with 15 minutes to go.

Aug. 2, 2024: FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round

Grounsell Park, Newcastle

Heaton Stannington 2 Easington Colliery 0

Att: 603