On this day – 31 May
Reflecting on a busy day for Reds on the 31 May seventy three years ago……….
Still playing catch-up towards the end of the protracted 1946-47 season, Reds played two first team matches on the same day in an attempt to ease the North Eastern League backlog.
It was decided they would play an afternoon fixture at Horden Colliery Welfare then travel a further nineteen miles and fulfil their game at Stockton.
Welfare were below Reds in the table with Stockton positioned above, yet the team were optimistic about getting some reward from the double-header.
As it happened, we lost 2-0 at Horden but drew 1-1 at Stockton with Norman Moffatt scoring his first goal of the season in the latter.
Ten of the players played in both games so no luxury of squad rotation in those days.
The season would extend into June with two more matches scheduled.
