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FOOTBALL. At the start of the 2000/2001 season, the Albany Northern League gained a freshly-named club in its ranks in the guise of Thornaby - and one that has a bright future to look forward to and will be a force to be reckoned with in its native area of Teeside. The newly-named club had had a long and chequered career after originally starting life as Stockton Athletic in 1882. For 50 years it became one of the country's leading amateur sides, winning many Northern League honours during this time. After this successful period, thirty more years elapsed with membership held in various other leagues before a decline in fortunes, mainly due to financial problems, saw the club disband in 1975, and the historic Victoria Ground sold off for building land. Eventually, in 1980, the long journey back began and the re-formed Stockton joined the Wearside League for the 1980/81 season, eventually regaining Northern League status at the 1985 AGM, reverting to Thornaby-on-Tees FC for 1999/2000. The birth of Thornaby as a new team was based on very sound practical reasons. There was a definite need to identify with the local community in a more effective way, and that much-needed support could be generated with local businesses beig actively involved. The eventual aim for Thornaby is to challenge the 'giants' of the Northern League, many of whom are hugely respected throughout the non-League scene. Since reformation in 1980, major honours include winning the Northern League Second Division championship in 1987 and the Craven Cup in 1995. For any club to be successful the infrastructure has to be in place, and Thornaby's committee, including secretary Peter Morris and chairman Dave Watson, have plans for major ground developments. Already improvemnets have been made to the clubhouse, floodlights and the dressing rooms, which were unfortunataly destroyed by vandals.

CRICKET Thornaby has 2 cricket pitches. The main pitch is at Mandale Bottoms and is the home of Thornaby Cricket Club. Thornaby CC was formerly called South Stockton Cricket Club and was founded in the middle 1800`s and was at its old ground, different from today’s location. In the late 1800`s the clubs name was changed to Thornaby Cricket Club and in 1905 changed the grounds to Mandale Bottoms where it is now. That is nearly 100 years at this ground. The club are in the NYSD premier league. The other pitch is off Basselton Lane and is the home of Stafford Place cricket Club. Stafford Place.C.C. A Brief History In the 1850's Staffordshire Pottery works was formed in Thornaby on Tees. This caused concern in the pottery industry, in that pottery bearing that name should be produced in Staffordshire and not a small town in the north east of England. A court injunction was obtained and the name was changed to Stafford Place Potteries. A Wesleyan chapel was also built for the workforce, who also requested a cricket team. Church elders purchased the original field [we’re not sure of it's whereabouts]. The second field was sited near the old Thornaby airfield. Cricket was played here up until the Second World War, with the team competing in the Cleveland Minor League [West Section] picking up much silverware along the way. With the outbreak of the war, the runway of the airfield had to be extended to allow for the influx of newer and bigger planes. Once the war was over the war office invited the club to find five acres of land in Thornaby, which could be developed for the use of cricket at national expense. This land, which is between Thornaby Road and Bassleton Lane, is the clubs current home. Seeing no reason to change, the Stafford Place name lives on here and will be celebrating its centenary as a Cricket Club in 2003. Stafford Place Cricket Club play their cricket in the Langbaurgh Cricket League, mostly on Saturdays, with the occasional Sunday and Bank holiday Monday thrown in. The season starts on the last Saturday in April and runs until mid September. The club also has a Midweek team who play in the Middlesbrough League and this year will be fielding an under 11's team in the North Yorkshire Area Cricket Council, Northern Area Junior League.