BISHOP AUCKLAND FC

I woke up this morning to the BBC News programme, which was broadcast from the seat of the Bishop of Durham, Bishop Auckland. The name Auckland appears to derive from meaning "additional land", clearly something to do with the early history of the region and its evolution of land ownership, originally given by King Canute circa. 1020. Some say "Auk" refers to oak trees.

The football club is more famous than its neighbour (West Auckland FC) mentioned yesterday. You must note how this blog flows, seamlessly.

In the 19th Century, a set of Theological students from Oxford and Cambridge Universities, studying at Auckland Castle, formed the Bishop Auckland Church Institute FC in 1882. After a dispute or two, the name changed to Auckland Town FC and then to Bishop Auckland FC, incorporating the two Oxbridge colours in the kit-see the badge.
The club was a founder member of the Northern League inn 1889 and have won the league 19 times.

Bob Hardisty (pictured below), an England amateur international captain, was club captain during BAFC's best period, in the 1950s.  Hardisty was one of three BAFC players who went on loan to Manchester United after the time of the Munich Air Crash (1958) to help support the United team. Hardisty came out of retirement to do this, but having played for Great Britain at the Olympics in 1948 (in London), 1952 (Helsinki), 1956 (Melbourne), he was well qualified! He coached and helped Matt Busby in that later period.

The other BAFC players who went to  help Manchester United were;
Warren Bradley, an amateur international, who won three full international caps. The first of these was a gentle introduction to the "next level" v Italy at Wembley where 92,000 saw him score in a 2-2 draw. Bobby Charlton scored the other.  Bradley then had a another gentle journey, on tour to Mexico, in May 1959 (2-2) where he scored and then played against the USA in a 8-1 win. Bradley scored again.

And Derek Lewin, the third loanee, who had scored in each of the Amateur Cup Finals. Lewin played for England as an amateur and for Great Britain including the 1956 Olympics. He later spent his life in administration for the Lancashire Football Association.

Bishop Auckland won the FA Amateur Cup 10 times, including a trio of wins in 1955-7 and made the final 18 times. Note these games were played at Wembley in front of huge crowds of up to 90,000. They were in the semi-final 27 times.
The FA scrapped the Amateur Cup in 1974 and replaced it with the FA Vase and the FA Trophy, (depending on which level of the "Pyramid" your club is in), the "Two Blues" were presented with the FA Amateur Cup to keep.


The Two Blues developed a new ground, Heritage Park in 2010 and opened it with a match v Middlesbrough FC. The development of the new ground created from coal pit heaps, typifies the club's motto, "Tempori Parendum" "one must move with the times", which BA certainly has done.

The club now plays in the Northern League Division One.