The day the Stadium of Light became a field of dreams

Usually, they change upstairs at the workmen's club, walk the quarter of a mile or so to the field by the river, remove the worst of the sheep muck, and are watched by a crowd rapidly approaching double figures.

Yesterday they played the game at Sunderland's stupendous Stadium of Light instead, and for Stadium of Light read Theatre of Dreams. It was so big they even had linesmen.

"The Crook and District League's finest," said one of the radio previews, and even that wasn't strictly accurate.

Stanhope were seventh, Wearhead eighth. The Crook and District League - Billy Row, Byers Green, Willington Cottles Inn - has eight members.

Both grounds were closed because of foot-and-mouth disease. Stanhope chairman Clem O'Donovan had written to Bob Murray, his Sunderland counterpart, suggesting that since all three were by the Wear he might like to extend a neighbour's welcome.

"It was a good letter," recalled team manager Gavin Stephenson, "but we thought there wasn't a cat in hell's chance.

Not a Black Cat in hell's maybe. Mr Murray agreed, Sunderland rolled out the red and white carpet, and at the stadium where, 48 hours earlier, Sunderland had played Charlton Athletic for a possible place in Europe, Wearhead United played Stanhope Town to see who might avoid finishing bottom.

You could tell it was a big match, one of the Stanhope lads had forsaken his dinner time pie and was eating a banana instead.

"Bit of a breakthrough that," said Clem.

Eight buses had followed them down river, seen off outside Stanhope club by the world and his wife and a three-legged dog. The team even wore self-conscious ties, some - those whose grandma had died - for the second time in their lives.

"We don't have a dress code," said Gavin, self-evidently.

"I hope there's not too much grass," said Robert O'Dell, the Stanhope skipper. "We're not used to playing on grass."

In the workmen's there was a poster which said "Who needs Sven when we've got Clem". On the team bus they played the Match of the Day theme and wondered how, two days earlier, they'd managed to lose 6-3 to Crook White Swan on the field next to Ramars dress factory.

"I don't think a few of them were a bit worried about getting stuck in," said Gavin. "At our level you don't usually expect to play at the Stadium of Light next game."

They'd even persuaded someone to sing Abide With Me, the rendition sadly cancelled after the gentleman wrecked his tonsils on the workmen's club trip the day before.

Clem had a carrier bag labelled Next, the contents of which he declined to divulge. His Next trick, however, could never be as spectacular as this one.

Only the animal pyres still clouding the Weardale sky cast a reminder of the reality behind the extraordinary romance.

Stanhope had won the season's first game 3-2. Wearhead - technically the home side - were denied the Sunderland dressing room because it was Clem's idea in the first place. No one complained for a moment.

Unlike Stanhope WMC, the dressing room had warm up area and physiotherapy suite.

Unlike Stanhope, the dressing room was so big that Peter Reid may need a megaphone to conduct his half-time talk.

In the programme, the Stanhope squad had 25 members, Wearhead's 28 - every man and his three-legged dog.

In the dressing rooms, Gavin Stephenson and Colin Coulthard, his opposite number, had to break the news to those not playing. Simon O'Dell knew already.

Longest serving player at 22, he'd made his debut as a 12-year-old, attended Manchester United's school of excellence, dropped out at 14, broke his leg a month ago.

"I once played at Old Trafford and thought that was it," he said. "Who'd have believed I could have played at the Stadium of Light for Stanhope?"

Down the corridor, Wearhead captain Mark Peart, 20 years with the club, had waited rather longer for the moment.

"I always said I'd never leave Wearhead until we won something. We finally won something two years ago, and I'm still here.

"This could be even more memorable than the Colin Waites Cup final."

In both camps, the message was the same: for heaven's sake just enjoy it.

Unlike the Crook and District League, there were stewards, men in blazers, dug-outs, technical areas - around Crook all you get in the technical area is a kick - and a public address system. In a football stadium normally full to its 48,000 capacity that seemed most unreal of all. "Wearhead's substitution is . . . "

The crowd of 913, a Crook League record by about 875, even included Brian Clough's sister Doris - who'd been in the Wrens in 1948 with someone from Stanhope - and North-West Durham MP Hilary Armstrong, who cheered assiduously for both sides. The committee had been taken to the directors' box in the lift; probably they could have levitated.

As the big boys do, they appeared to the strains of Prokofiev, whose grandson, it's said, had been in the ground on Saturday. A Charlton fan, apparently.

Put through by Kevin Peart (Weardale has an abundance of Pearts) Paul Redford gave Wearhead the lead after 16 minutes, Wayne Fletcher equalising after 30.

Half time, normally as long as it takes for the goalies to change ends and the centre half to have a pee behind the hedge, lasted 15 minutes and was taken in the directors' lounge. It might have cost Sunderland a few bob in chocolate biscuits, but the public relations benefits were enormous.

Darren Fletcher, five yards out, blasted Stanhope into a 47th minute lead, Paul Tennick, for Wearhead, ensuring with ten minutes remaining that a perfect day ended ideally.

At the end, the opposing spectators applauded one another, the players embraced and the linesman scored into an empty net.

It might not have been the most skilful game the place has ever seen, but it was undeniably one of the happiest.

By the weekend, Stanhope will be back on the field next to Ramars Dresses and the Backtrack column will have returned to where it belongs.

Yesterday evening we lingered to cherish the moment and treasure the day. Light fantastic, if ever.

Published: Tuesday, May 8, 2001