We’ve Gone on Holiday by Mistake
Seaham Red Star 2–3 Penrith
In the 1992 film ALIEN³ Ellen Ripley aka Sigourney Weaver crash lands on the prison planet Fury 161 or as it’s more commonly known Blast Beach, Co. Durham. The Blast is just under a 3 mile walk from today’s match at the Ferguson Motor Repairs Stadium, home to Seaham Red Star FC.
Upon arriving Ripley quickly realises that Fury 161 is actually a penal colony for shaven headed British character actors. Amongst this motley assortment of Brit-Thesps are the guy who played the supernatural villain in The Golden Child; Mr. Kobayashi from Usual Suspects and former Saturday TV Wrestler, Tetley Tea Folk gaffer Brian Glover. The ensemble also includes Danny the drug dealer and Marwood (or ‘& I’) both from Bruce Robinson’s 1987 film Withnail & I.
It’s Marwood or the actor Paul McGann that provides the crucial cinematic connection between all of the above and today’s Northern League Division 1 match between Seaham Red Star and Penrith. Much of Withnail & I is set and filmed in and around Penrith, as the titular couple venture north up the M6 for their mistaken Lake District holiday. A good number of clientele of the now infamous and non-existent Penrith Tea Rooms may well be in attendance today, as Penrith fans make up nearly a third of the 60 odd in the ground.
Their is a distinct and fitting off-world feel to today’s game and talk on the terraces that the referee wants to postpone as 60 mph winds howl and rattle across the pitch and through the ground’s fencing. But the teams come out, the coin is tossed and Penrith decide to swap ends, a purely strategic meteorological decision.
It’s a lively and decent game. Made no less so by the highly dramatic and emotional first half performance from Seaham’s manager— ‘SHOW SOME FUCKING PASSION!’ he screams with wild gesticulations from the sideline. As if channeling a composite of every histrionic outburst from a 1990s Al Pacino he bellows ‘CHASE THAT CUNT!’ and kicks a water bucket as his team fight to get the ball up field in the punishing gusts. Seaham are a good side and play the ball well in the first two thirds of the pitch but lack the execution in front of goal.
From a penalty and against the run of play Penrith score first. Seaham respond quickly with an equaliser 2 minutes later. The possession is all Seaham’s but Penrith still manage to score late at the end of the half. In the second it’s Penrith who dominate. Two hits on post and a Number 11 running rampant they seal the match with a third on 65 minutes. A late goal from Seaham in injury time makes no odds.
The Town Park ground at Seaham is fantastic and the dedicated followers fun, warm and friendly. A multitude of scarfs adorn the walls of clubhouse; Rotterdam, Motherwell, Southend United, Watford, Manchester City. Red Star might only be half as old as other Northern League clubs and the league itself but you can still feel the weight of history in the place and like all the Northern League trips so far this season it’s a real leveller.
