Welcome to the website of the Durham Amateur Football Trust, "Celebrating the Golden Age of Soccer"
The 1940's and 50's are acknowledged as the high point of Amateur Football in England, and in particular Durham County, with teams from the area selling out Wembley Stadium and winning the F.A. Amateur Cup on numerous occasions.
Durham Amateur Football Trust are a non-for-profit organisation that seeks to celebrate the rich football heritage of the north-east of England and promote interest in grass-roots sport by curating exhibitions, film nights and ‘talk-ins’, football tournaments and other events.
We currently have a permanent base at Shildon Locomotion Museum where our office is open to members of the public on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10:00 – 16:00. Additionally the Trust has a permanent presence within the museum’s Collections Building, where we have a small rotating exhibition of memorabilia on display, as well as here on our newly re-developed website.
A full programme of touring and temporary exhibitions is underway for 2010, and further details can be found on our exhibitions page. If you would like further information on the work of the Trust, or if your organisation would like to host an event by us, please get in touch.
The Trust received a tremendous boost in January 2008 when Mike Amos recommended us to the family of the late Arthur Clark who was a long serving official in local football until his death in 1997. We received numerous trophies and mementoes which Arthur had accumulated and which his family wished to go to someone who would display them suitably. They were put on show for the first time at Crook library in April 2009.
Also in April 2009 the family of the late Bob Hardisty (Bishop Auckland) kindly donated memorabilia from his lifetime and an exhibition is planned for September 2010 at Bishop Auckland Town Hall to celebrate his life and career.
Other substantial collections donated to the Trust include those of Chris Foote-Wood and the late Gordon Nicholson. A stalwart of the Northern League for many years, Gordon Nicholson was until recently involved in the Trust as an auditor. Gordon was also a keen cricket fan, and an exhibition is planned at Durham County Cricket Club which will include much of Gordon’s donated memorabilia and will celebrate other legends of the Northern League such as four time Amateur Cup winner and Crook Town hero Jimmy McMillan.
Chris Foote Wood donated a large amount of documentary and reference material to the Trust, and we are now the proud custodians of a rare collection of ‘Sporting Pinks’ newspapers dating from 1946 – 1948. These papers form a valuable research aid and are available for public viewing during office hours.
If you would like to visit the office or make a donation, please call in or contact us through this site.
