Jacky Elcoat – Local Footballer

(Copyright Coxhoe Local History Group)

Jack’s association with Coxhoe is recent.  A quiet and modest man he has lived at Landsdowne Road, Coxhoe for eleven years now

Born at Ludworth in 1936 Jack’s interest in soccer developed through watching local Ludworth Junior and Senior teams playing.

When aged 14 he was playing for Ludworth Juniors largely with older boys and represented Durham and District Junior boys.  He had trials with Sunderland FC and played and trained with them as an amateur but working at Thornley Colliery was physically demanding and he says he “couldn’t keep up the pace”.

At 18 years, when playing for Ludworth juniors he went for trials with Chelsea for whom he subsequently signed Amateur forms and lived in London.  This proved difficult as he wasn’t a member of the clique of southern lads (“they hardly ever passed the ball to me in matches”, says Jack).  His father brought him home!.

At that time there was an abundance of village sides representing many aspects of village life- churches, chapels, pubs, local industries (quarries, collieries) and sections or even streets in villages e.g Long Row.

At 18 he played for Consett in the North Eastern League.  Travelling was awesome.  Catch a bus to Durham Waterside and the Gypsy Queen took him to Leadgate and transfer to Consett.  “A whole day was spent on travelling when we played away games” says Jack.

Consett played against the Reserves of the professional teams.  Jack recalls playing against Middlesbrough reserves which included Brian Clough, Alan Peacock, Peter Taylor, McLean, Day, Yeoman etc.

Many local players represented their village team or very local sides because of travelling difficulties.

At 19 Jack signed for Cassop Victoria and played there happily for many years.  “It was a great little club with a cracking secretary called Tom Wilson who did pretty well all the background work and had high standards”.

1955-56 was theirs and Jack’s heyday.    In that year they won the Durham Amateur Cup defeating Easington Lane at Ferens Park, Durham City.  Other achievements were:  Winners:  Wingate Aged Miners Cup & Ferryhill and District League winners for 3^rd consecutive year. In his time Jack could score goals at any level and during Cassop’s glory years of 1955-56 he scored 32 goals.

Jack played at Cassop for 3 years and moved to Thornley in the Wearside League in 1958 for one year only.  However they defeated Silksworth in the final of the Monkwearmouth Cup.

Jack returned to Cassop in 1959, was married and lived in that village.  He worked at Thornley pit but found married life and hungry mouths required feeding well.  He had to take on very physical demanding tasks at the pit to cater for his family. 

Soccer was now a secondary consideration and Jack allowed his soccer career to go into decline, sadly giving up playing football but in his time he experienced soccer at a highly competitive amateur level.

Cassop Victoria was a highly successful team in the 50’s and 60’s.  There were many players with connections from local villages including Coxhoe. Jack Elcoat and Ernie Woods who played at an amateur level during this period.  The late George Broom was also an outstanding player for Cassop and Ferryhill Athletic and Wilf Gatenby, living at Quarrington Hill at the time, had business and sporting connections at Coxhoe in subsequent years.