Another show of how life changes is the history of this ground since this blog’s much-publicised hiatus. At the time I visited it, it was home to Durham City FC. Not any more.
The Northern League side left after a dispute over unpaid bills in 2015 and have played in nearby Consett since. It’s a real shame, especially after the initial buzz around the club after ex-Newcastle United defender Olivier Bernard purchased them in 2013.
New Ferens Park is a curious affair, however. Built outside of town in the middle of an industrial estate, with an artificial pitch, it’s pretty much everything I hate about football stadiums.
Its one saving grace is a curious main stand which is pretty visible from outside. It has a very strange covered stairwell that takes you outside and down to the clubhouse and hard standing which surrounds the rest of the pitch. This corrugated anomaly might just be what saves it.
I think that’s my mind made up. That main stand is unusual enough to be worth a visit. So, whether it’s during the day, or to watch Durham Ladies, who still ply their trade there, New Ferens gets a reluctant thumbs up from me.
You’ve probably already bought my book, but it doesn’t hurt to remind you that it has aged magnificently and is available here.
Football Grounds I Can Be Bothered To Visit 