During November
1881, the Stanley Cricket Club of South Byker decided to form
an Association Football club. They won their first match 5-0
against Elswick Leather Works 2nd XI. Just under a year later
in October 1882, they changed their name to East End FC to avoid
confusion with the Stanley club of South Durham. Shortly after
this, another Byker side, Rosewood FC, merged with East End
to form an even stronger side.
Meanwhile, across the city, another cricket club began to take
an interest in football and in August 1882, they formed West
End FC. A man named Bill Tiffen was the instigator and the club
was backed by a wealthy local dignitary, William Neasham, together
with the influential John Black; two names that would be long
associated behind the scenes with Newcastle United. West End
played their early football on their cricket pitch, but later
moved to St. James' Park. East End remained in the Byker area
until the summer of 1886, when they moved a mile to Chillingham
Road in Heaton. It was West End that were the first of the new
rivals to impress.
They possessed several big name players, among them Ralph Aitken,
who had starred for Dumbarton and Scotland at outside-left,
and right-half Bob Kelso, another Scottish international who
later won medals with Preston NE and Everton. West End soon
became the region's premier club, largely thanks to their secretary-manager,
Tom Watson (who would later become more widely known as boss
of Sunderland and later, Liverpool). Watson was certainly one
of the men who helped football take off in the North-East. East
End were anxious not to be left behind and lured Watson into
becoming their chief in the close season of 1888 and from that
point, never looked back; Watson made several good signings,
especially from Scotland, and the Heaton club went from strength
to strength, while West End's fortunes slipped dramatically.
The region's first league competition was formed in 1889 and
the FA Cup began to cause interest. Ambitious East End turned
professional in 1889, a huge step for a local club, and in March
1890, they made an even more adventurous move by becoming a
limited liability company with capital of 1,000 pounds in ten
shilling notes. During the spring of 1892, in a season during
which their results were at an all time low, and in which they
had lost to their bitter rivals, East End, five times, West
End found them- selves in serious trouble. They approached East
End with a view to a take over, the directors having decided
that the club could no longer continue. What actually happened
was that West End wound up, while some of its players and most
of its backroom staff joined East End. East End also took over
the lease on St. James' Park.
Before the 1892/93 Northern League season got underway, however,
East End tried to win election to the Football League. At the
League's annual meeting the Sunderland, East End failed to win
a first division place, but were elected to Division 2. They
declined because 'gates would not meet the heavy expenses incurred
for travelling'. Northern League matches at- attracted little
support, and East End officials became dismayed at the lack
of interest in their club, and the game. By December 1892, they
decided to give the club a new name and a new image.
At a public meeting, several new names, including Newcastle
Rangers and Newcastle City, were suggested, before all agreed
on Newcastle United. The FA agreed to the name change on 22nd
December, but the new title was not legalised until 6 September
1895, when Newcastle United Football Club Co. Ltd. was constituted.
