Wallsend Boys Club is an English youth football club based in Wallsend, North Tyneside. The club is well-known for producing professional footballers, with more than 65 players from the club having gone on to play professionally.[1][2][3]
Contents |
The club was founded in 1904 by the employees and directors of Swan Hunters Shipyard in order to provide recreational activities for the apprentices and young people in the area and initially specialised in boxing.[1] The original club premises were a series of wooden huts on Station Road, erected by workers from the shipyard. A fire destroyed the original premises and work commenced on the current club building in 1964, which was opened on 16 December 1966.[4]
Club activities in the early days were mainly snooker, trampolining, judo, table tennis, cross country running and football. Various fund raising activities were held, including a "pram push" across England and a 24-hour relay race from Wallsend to Edinburgh Castle and back.[4]
In 1975, the club opened seven days a week and formed a separate sub-committee for 11-a-side football. Over the years, the 11-a-side representative teams have won hundreds of trophies in local and national competitions.[4] The club has gained a formidable reputation for the early development of many professional footballers.[4]
In 2008, the club was awarded the Freedom of the City of North Tyneside, in recognition of what the deputy mayor called the club's "factory line of talent", and for its community work.[5]
In June 2011, the club opened its first football centre, prior to which they had to play on park and local authority pitches.[2] The facility, for which negotations began in 2006,[6] which is situated next to Wallsend Sports Centre on Rheydt Avenue,[7] has:
It was funded by grants of £850,000 from the Football Foundation, £150,000 from The FA and £301,000 from North Tyneside Council with the club itself raising £114,000 towards the scheme.[2]
Professional players to have played for the club include:[8]
|
|
|
The club has had a representative at every FIFA World Cup finals since 1986, except 1994 when the England national football team did not qualify. In 1986 and 1990 Peter Beardsley starred for England.[11] In 1998 Alan Shearer was England captain.[12] Michael Carrick made appearances for England in both the 2006 and 2010 tournaments.[13]
Alan Thompson received one full cap for England in 2004, while numerous other former players have made youth or B international appearances.