Wallsend Boys Club is an English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 youth football club based in Wallsend

Wallsend

Wallsend is an area in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. Wallsend derives its name as the location of the end of Hadrian's Wall. It has a population of 42,842.-Romans:...

, North Tyneside

North Tyneside

The Metropolitan Borough of North Tyneside is a metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England and is part of the Tyneside conurbation. Its seat is Wallsend Town Hall....

. The club is well-known for producing professional footballers, with 65 players from the club having gone on to play professionally.

History

The club was founded in 1938 by the employees and directors of Swan Hunters Shipyard

Swan Hunter

Swan Hunter, formerly known as "Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson", was one of the best known shipbuilding companies in the world. Based in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, the company was responsible for some of the greatest ships of the early 20th century — most famously, the RMS Mauretania which...

 in order to provide recreational activities for the apprentices and young people in the area. The original club premises were a series of wooden huts on Station Road, erected by workers from the shipyard. A fire destroyed the original premises and work commenced on the current club building in 1964. This building is now itself under threat, as calls for the building to be updated are starting to be heard.

Club activities in the early days were mainly snooker

Snooker

Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...

, trampolining

Trampolining

Trampolining is a competitive Olympic sport in which gymnasts perform acrobatics while bouncing on a trampoline. These can include simple jumps in the pike, tuck or straddle position to more complex combinations of forward or backward somersaults and twists....

, judo

Judo

is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...

, table tennis

Table tennis

Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...

, cross country running

Cross country running

Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...

 and football. Various fund raising activities were held, including a "pram push" across England and a 24-hour relay race

Relay race

During a relay race, members of a team take turns running, orienteering, swimming, cross-country skiing, biathlon, or ice skating parts of a circuit or performing a certain action. Relay races take the form of professional races and amateur games...

 from Wallsend to Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...

 and back.

In 1975, the club opened seven days a week and formed a separate sub-committee for 11-a-side football. Over the years, the 11-a-side representative teams have won hundreds of trophies in local and national competitions. The club has gained a formidable reputation for the early development of many professional footballers.

Notable former players

Professional players to have played for the club include:

• Paul Baker
  Paul Baker
  David Paul Baker is an English former professional footballer.-Playing career:A centre-forward, Baker was a member of the famous Wallsend Boys Club as a youngster, and was subsequently spotted playing for Bishop Auckland, turning professional with Southampton in June 1984 at a cost of £4,000 to...
  
  
• Steve Baker
• Peter Beardsley
  Peter Beardsley
  Peter Andrew Beardsley MBE is an English former footballer who played between 1979 and 1999. He once set a record transfer fee in the game and represented his country 59 times between 1986 and 1996, once as captain...
  
  
• Ian Bogie
  Ian Bogie
  Ian Bogie is a former footballer, now football manager. He spent two decades as a professional player, from 1985 up until 2001 he was playing in the Football League, where he made 382 appearances....
  
  
• David Borley
• Michael Bridges
  Michael Bridges
  Michael Bridges is an English football striker who currently plays for A-League club, Newcastle Jets. Bridge has previously played over 200 Premier League games.-Sunderland:...
  
  
• Steve Bruce
  Steve Bruce
  Stephen Roger "Steve" Bruce is an English football manager and former player. Born in Corbridge, Northumberland, he was a promising schoolboy footballer but was rejected by a number of professional clubs. He was on the verge of quitting the game altogether when he was offered a trial with Gillingham...
  
  
• Dave Bukowski
• Michael Carrick
  Michael Carrick
  Michael Carrick is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Manchester United and the England national team. He has made more than 300 Premier League appearances and played in 50 UEFA Champions League games as of April 2011...
  
  
• Phil Cavener
  Phil Cavener
  Philip Cavener is an English former professional association football player who played as a winger.-External links:* at playerhistory.com...
  
  
• Vince Chapman
  Vince Chapman
  Vincent John "Vince" Chapman was a former professional footballer who played as a defender in the Football League for Huddersfield Town and Rochdale after starting his career at Wallsend Boys Club and then Tow Law Town.-References:...
  
  
• Lee Clark
• Tony Dinning
  Tony Dinning
  Anthony "Tony" Dinning is an English former football midfielder. He spent sixteen years of an eighteen year career in the Football League, making 515 appearances in league and cup....
  
  
• Robbie Elliott
  Robbie Elliott
  Robert James "Robbie" Elliott is an English former football left back who is currently the strength coach for the United States U-20 men's football team....
  
  
• Nicky Evans
• Graham Fenton
  Graham Fenton
  Graham Anthony Fenton is an English professional footballer, currently playing for North Shields. He was also capped once by England at under-21 level.-Career:...
  
  

• Fraser Forster
  Fraser Forster
  Fraser Gerard Forster is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Celtic, on loan from Newcastle United.He started his career with Newcastle and has had loan spells with Stockport County, Bristol Rovers and Norwich City as well as being on loan to Celtic for the 2010–11 season.-Early...
  
  
• Damon Gray
  Damon Gray
  Damon Ian Gray is an English footballer, who is currently playing for Berwick Rangers. He began his professional career with Scottish Premier League club Hibernian, and has spent time on loan with Partick Thistle. Gray then played for Berwick Rangers for a season before moving to Sweden...
  
  
• Ray Hankin
  Ray Hankin
  Raymond 'Ray' Hankin is a former English footballer.-Biography:A powerful and burly centre-forward, Hankin started his career at Burnley, where he scored 37 goals in 112 games and won three caps for the England U23 side...
  
  
• Chris Hedworth
• Rob Hindmarsh
• Neil Hooks
• Shaun Hutchinson
  Shaun Hutchinson
  Shaun Matthew Hutchinson is an English footballer who currently plays for Scottish Premier League side Motherwell as a centre back.-Motherwell:...
  
  
• Russell Irving
  Russell Irving
  Russell Irving is an English former professional footballer.-Biography:Born in Wallsend, Irving played for the Wallsend Boys Club, before joining Ipswich Town. He failed to make a first team appearance for the club, and joined Colchester United in 1984...
  
  
• Brian Laws
  Brian Laws
  Brian Laws is an English former footballer and manager, most recently of Burnley.Playing as a defender, Laws made over 100 appearances for each of Burnley, Middlesbrough, and Nottingham Forest. In 1994, Laws became player-manager of Grimsby Town before taking a similar position with Scunthorpe...
  
  
• Gary Leonard
• Keith Lockhart
• Tony Lormor
  Tony Lormor
  Anthony "Tony" Lormor , also known as Anth Lormor, is an English former professional footballer who scored 102 goals from 374 appearances in the Football League...
  
  
• Shaun Lowther
  Shaun Lowther
  Shaun Lowther is a former Canadian national soccer team defender who spent five seasons in the North American Soccer League. He is currently an executive of a youth soccer club in Calgary.-Professional:...
  
  
• Kevin McDonald
• Neil McDonald
• Kevin McGarrigle

• Paul Malcolm
• Mark Maley
  Mark Maley
  Mark Maley is an English former footballer who played as a defender.Maley started his career with Sunderland and progressed through the youth system at the club. He was loaned out to lower-league sides Blackpool, Northampton Town and York City, making a number of appearances in the Football League...
  
  
• Marc Nash
• Lee Novak
  Lee Novak
  Lee Paul Novak is an English footballer who plays for Huddersfield Town in Football League One as a striker.-Early career:...
  
  
• Derrick Parker
  Derrick Parker
  Derrick Parker is a retired English professional footballer who played as a striker. He played for six different teams in the Football League during his career, as well as having a spell in Finland with Haka Valkeakoski...
  
  
• Ben Pringle
  Ben Pringle
  Ben Pringle is an English professional footballer, who currently plays as a midfielder for Rotherham United.-Career:Pringle started his career as a trainee with West Bromwich Albion, and later played for Newcastle Blue Star and Morpeth Town. He then joined Ilkeston Town, and helped them gain...
  
  
• Phil Ray
  Phil Ray
  Philip "Phil" Ray is an English former professional footballer who played as a full back.-References:...
  
  
• Barry Richardson
  Barry Richardson (footballer)
  Barry Richardson , is a professional English footballer who has played as a goalkeeper for eleven clubs...
  
  
• David Robinson
  David Robinson (footballer)
  David John Robinson is a retired English professional football player.A striker, Robinson began his career with his hometown club, Newcastle United, in 1988. In four years at St. James' Park he made eight league appearances.After a loan spell with Peterborough United in 1991, he joined Reading on...
  
  
• David Roche
  David Roche (footballer)
  David Roche is a former professional footballer, born 13/12/1970 who played for Newcastle United, Doncaster Rovers and Southend United in the English football league in the 1990s. Roche played 41 times for Newcastle United before the clubs then manager Kevin Keegan sold him to Doncaster Rovers for...
  
  
• Tony Sealy
  Tony Sealy
  Anthony John "Tony" Sealy is a retired footballer in the 1970s and 1980s. He won four Championship medals with four different clubs and played for numerous clubs across the world.-Playing career:...
  
  
• Alan Shearer
  Alan Shearer
  Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...
  
  
• Kevin Smith
  Kevin Smith (footballer)
  Kevin Smith is a Scottish professional association footballer who plays as a forward for Queen of the South.-Career:Smith began his career with Leeds United, but was allowed to leave and signed for Sunderland in January 2006...
  
  
• Michael Smith
  Michael Smith (footballer born 1991)
  Michael Smith is an English professional footballer who plays for Charlton Athletic. Smith plays as a striker.-Career:...
  
  
• Eric Steele
  Eric Steele
  Eric Steele is a former English footballer turned coach, currently employed as a goalkeeping coach at Manchester United.-Biography:Steele began his playing career as a goalkeeper at Newcastle United in 1972, where he was part of the squad that won the Anglo-Italian Cup and won caps at England...
  
  
• Paul Stephenson

• Mick Tait
  Mick Tait
  Michael 'Mick' Tait was an English footballer and later a manager at the end of his playing career. His 760 league games puts him 13th in the list of English footballers. His clubs were Oxford United, Carlisle United, Hull City, Portsmouth, Reading, Darlington and Hartlepool United as well as...
  
  
• Paul Tait
  Paul Tait (footballer born 1974)
  Paul Tait is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker. Tait is a former Everton trainee who has become a much travelled player having played for ten different clubs with his most productive spell coming at Bristol Rovers between 2002 and 2004.At Chester City, Tait was the final...
  
  
• Jeff Tate
  Jeff Tate
  Jeffrey "Jeff" Tate is an English former professional association footballer who played as a central midfielder. He played five matches in the Football League for Burnley. Also playing for Wallsend Boys Club, England schoolboys, Morecambe FC and Mossley FC. .-References:...
  
  
• Les Taylor
  Les Taylor (footballer)
  Leslie Taylor is an English former footballer who captained Watford in the 1984 FA Cup Final. He played as a hard-working central-midfielder. Graham Taylor, his Watford manager, described him as "sniffer and a ratter".Taylor started his career at Oxford United, signing professional terms in...
  
  
• Steven Taylor
  Steven Taylor (footballer)
  Steven Vincent Taylor is an English footballer, currently playing for Premier League club Newcastle United. He is a versatile central defender who can play at right back or, on rare occasions, at left back...
  
  
• Alan Thompson
• Alan Waddle
  Alan Waddle
  Alan Waddle is a former English footballer who played as a striker. Waddle began his career with Halifax Town, before joining Liverpool as a 19 year-old in 1973...
  
  
• Dean Walker
  Dean Walker
  Dean Walker is an English former professional association footballer who played as a central defender. He made one appearance in the Football League.-References:...
  
  
• Barry Wardrobe
• Mick Wardrobe
  Mick Wardrobe
  Michael "Mick" Wardrobe is an English former professional association football player who played as a striker. In the 1980s, he played 28 matches in the Football League for Burnley and Stockport County.-References:...
  
  
• Ian Watson
  Ian Watson
  Ian Watson may refer to:* Ian Watson * Ian Watson , British science fiction author* Ian Watson , British cricketer* Ian Watson , British footballer...
  
  
• John Watson
• Steve Watson
  Steve Watson
  Steven Craig "Steve" Watson is a former English footballer, who retired after being released by Sheffield Wednesday on 15 May 2009. As of November 13, 2010, he is the Development Coach at Football League One side Huddersfield Town.-Playing career:Watson began his career with Newcastle United,...
  
  
• Tommy Widdrington
  Tommy Widdrington
  Thomas "Tommy" Widdrington is an English former footballer, turned football manager, who is the manager of Southern Football League side Hemel Hempstead Town...
  
  
• Billy Wright
  Billy Wright
  Billy Wright may refer to:* Billy Wright , Wolverhampton Wanderers and England football captain* Billy Wright , Everton and Birmingham City centre-half...
  
  
• Jeff Wrightson
  Jeff Wrightson
  Jeffrey George "Jeff" Wrightson is an English former footballer who made 170 appearances in the Football League playing as a defender for Newcastle United and Preston North End...