Cleveland Hall Boys Club was formed in the Low Fell area of Gateshead, England in 1955 by Harry Watson in order to serve community needs at the time. Originally the premises were situated in an area known as Cleveland Street, hence the name of the club. This area is now a housing estate and that development, in 1968, meant new premises had to be found.

Dryden Road

The club moved to Dryden Road High School in Gateshead. This made it more accessible to areas such as Deckham, Low Fell and Wrekenton and the clubs popularity increased resultantly. The Club was being run on weeknights in conjunction with the soccer teams which played at the week-end. Despite the name the club is, and always has been open to both sexes. In 1980 the club moved once more to new premises, this time on Chowdene Bank in Low Fell.

Glenbrook House - Chowdene Bank

The building had previously been used by Chowdene Meccano Boys Club but was in a poor condition and required a great deal of work. The premises had been erected in 1872 and were stone built, comprising of 4 medium size rooms and a kitchen. When taking over these premises the club became a voluntary organisation and therefore not eligible for financial help. A great deal of work was done on these premises over the next 15 years, despite its location meaning that it was a prime target for vandals. A grant was obtained for a outdoor 5 a side pitch to be built in the area of wasteland to the rear of the premises and that was completed in 1992. This area was floodlighted soon afterwards. Pool tables were put inside the club and a fitness room was installed for players who required treatment after week-end exertions. Newcastle Breweries installed a non-alcoholic bar in the club room in 1992 and the youth club was regularly being attended by up to 100 youngsters three nights a week. Activities included Subbuteo tournaments, outdoor 5 a side and table tennis and drinks and sweets were available from the bar.

Expansion

During this time the football teams were undergoing unprecedented success and the club grew to include under 12 and under 13 teams as well as all the older age groups. This made the club one of the largest youth football organisations in the country. Numerous league titles were won at different age groups as well as county and regional cup competitions. This has come at a price however as the increased size of the club has resulted in increased costs in hiring pitches and training facilities throughout the winter.

Arson

However the club suffered a disastrous blow in the summer of 1997 when the premises were burnt down by arsonists. Hordes of memorabilia was destroyed and the club was reduced to a state which made continuing activities dangerous and impossible. Whilst insurance would be able to put the club back to the state it was before the fire, there would be no money available for further security and it was decided that it would be uneconomic to carry out the repairs necessary.

As such the club was again homeless, temporary accommodation was found using a part of the old Joicey Road School site, which enables the associations Youth Clubs to carry on. However the search for a permanent home continued until 1999 when the association was awarded use of the Old Lyndhurst School site.

Lyndhurst – the new home

Upon being granted use of the Old School site, the potential for expansion was huge. Already on site were two 11 a side fields and substantial open space that the club immediately earmarked as 5 mini soccer fields. Indoors the building boasted a small indoor sports hall, three activity rooms, two changing rooms, toilet facilities, an office, a small kitchen and seating area. As well as catering for the soccer and youth club, the association then introduced Karate groups and a Dancing Club as well as an over 50s club, who gratefully use the premises on a week to week basis.

Gateshead Mini Soccer League 2000

In March 2000 we saw the introduction of mini soccer to the Gateshead Youth League and a taster league was introduced which ran from March – May on the Cleveland Hall site. This was seen as a massive step forward by the club and are happy to be a regular venue for the league to this day.

Improvements

Also at the same time the association set about upgrading the facilities at Lyndhurst, with first the introduction of a floodlit grassed playing area to facilitate outdoor winter training. Following on from this club sought to further improve this area by turning it into a floodlit all weather playing facility, and through grants from the Football Foundation and SRB this dream became a reality and we can now boast one of the best outdoor facilities in Gateshead.

Expansion . . . again!

In 2002 saw the club expand further with the introduction of a Senior ladies team, then through partnership with the Local Authority and Schools saw the introduction of Girls Football to Cleveland Hall in 2003. Membership of the association soared to an all time high.

FA Community Club of the Year 2004

Following on from the earlier success of being one of the first teams in Durham to be accredited with the FA Charter Standard, the association in 2004 applied for and subsequently was granted the honour of becoming the first FA Community club in County Durham. The FA Community Club Status is the highest accolade that the Football Association can lay upon a member club. Also, at the end of 2004 Gateshead Cleveland Hall were awarded the FA Community Club of the Year award, along with two of its volunteers being awarded FA Administrator of the Year and FA Coach of the Year as well.

50 years old

In 2005 the association has celebrated 50 years of existence. On Saturday 23rd July, the celebrations were launched with a Community Fun Day, attended by the Mayor of Gateshead, Leader of Gateshead Council and some 400 other friends and community residents. The celebrations then continued with several weekends of tournament activities for all ages from 6 year olds up to 15 year olds. To round off the celebrations a Social Evening is being held on Saturday 15th October.

The future

As we look back at the past 50 years of existence, everyone involved with Cleveland Hall can do so with a sense of pride at what has been achieved. Now we look to the future and with a strong and dedicated team of volunteers the future does look bright indeed.