The following information includes extracts from Graham Usher's fantastic work on the story of Croft Park and the Spartans' historic grounds, available to read here: https://www.northeastheritagelibrary.co.uk/post/home-sweet-home-the-story-of-blyth-spartans-croft-park

You can also consume Graham's wider efforts to document and research Blyth Spartans on his site: https://blythspirit.wordpress.com/

The move to the new ground was confirmed on 23rd October 1908 after “courteous and generous” negotiations with Mr JM Clark who was agent for the Thoroton and Croft Trustees. It was agreed that the tenancy would begin on New Year’s Day 1909 to enable the club to “ready the enclosure” for the start of the 1909/10 season.

The new ground was to be known as ‘Croft Park Recreation Ground’ and prices for admittance were set out. A Vice President’s season ticket cost 10 shillings and sixpence (53p) and an ordinary members season ticket good value at four shillings (20p). Match day entrance was 4d (about 2p) for men, 3d for women and 2d for boys. “Hawkers of cakes, chocolates, oranges etc. (of which there were many)” were charged a uniform rate for ground entry though it is not recorded how much this was. Groundsmen dig up the Croft Park pitch to lay drainage pipes. A handsome new flag denoting the Northern Alliance championship was supplied by Vice President Robert Nicholson of Beaconsfield Street and flew proudly over the new ground. The total cost of getting Croft Park up to scratch was about £620 of which £300 came from the club profits of the previous two seasons.

The first game held at Croft Park was a Possibles v Probables practice match on the evening of the 21st August 1909 and despite the heavy rain about 1,500 attended. The official opening of Croft Park was on 1st September 1909 when Blyth Spartans played Newcastle United Reserves.

Gradual improvements to Croft Park were funded by the healthy crowds Spartans were attracting as a successful Northern Alliance team. In the four years leading up to the start of World War One in 1914 upgrades were made to Croft Park. The most noticeable was the erection of a roofless wooden stand at the Kingsway End in October 1912. The eight steps of terracing, dotted with crush barriers, stretched for 80 yards and it could hold 2,000. The reason for its construction was that a crowd of over 6,000 had turned up for an FA Cup match against South Shields and it was clear many could not see the full game. This stand cost £127 (the South Shields receipts were £108) and “affords a splendid uninterrupted view of the whole field”.

In 1921 the directors purchased Croft Park for £3,100 from the owners — Thoroton and Croft Trustees. A deposit of £1,000 was paid (roughly the profit made over the previous two seasons) and in 1925 a further £700 was paid off the debt when land between the Plessey Road end and Plessey Road was sold to the United Automobile Services for the construction of a bus depot. This grey hulk loomed over the south end of Croft Park until the late 1970’s when it was demolished and replaced with Patterson House.

The first floodlight match was against Whitley Bay on Monday 10th October 1966, Blyth lost that historic Northern League game 1-2 (future club legend Jackie Marks played for Whitley that night). The floodlights were officially switched on in a friendly against Sunderland on 9th November.

The board of Blyth Spartans made the decision to build a clubhouse right next to the ground. This was completed in 1972 and was built by Turney-Wylde. Over the years this has provided significant extra income for the club as it is used as the “local” for many in the area and it brings in money from those who otherwise would have no contact with the football club. Prior to this the Supporters Club had opened a clubhouse of their own at 56 William Street in 1961, which was only a short walk from Croft Park.

By the turn of the new Millennium Croft Park was looking increasingly dated, especially compared to some of the other clubs in the Unibond League. In 2003 significant work was taken to upgrade Croft Park. Standards expected of football grounds have increased markedly over the years and non-league football has not escaped the trend.

Indeed, neglecting these off the field improvements could cause otherwise successful clubs to be denied promotion and in some cases, even forced demotion. Grants totalling £300,000 were secured from Blyth Valley Borough Council and Football Foundation. On top of this Blyth Spartans AFC contributed £15,000. Though this amount seems small in comparison to the overall grant the club itself had just emerged from its darkest financial hour and was still £123,000 in debt. The £15,000 was made up purely from donations, both personal and from local businesses.

o, we are left with what we have today – the best non-league football ground in the North East, perfectly suitable for the current needs of Blyth Spartans AFC and easily adaptable should future success need it.

Croft Park, the place we have grown up with. The place in which has witnessed some historic moments...

A place we all proudly call home.

Graham was born & bred in Blyth and a lifelong Spartan. Researching and writing about the history of Blyth Spartans is Graham's passion. blythspirit.wordpress.com is Graham's Blyth Spartans History blog, full of articles covering all aspects of the clubs history. You can also follow Graham on Twitter at @BlythSpirit66