Andy Potts
Bio
Community focused sports fan from Northeast England. Tends to root for the little guy. Look out for Talking Northeast, my new project coming soon.
Stories (98/0)
Pints & Parkruns: Durham
Durham is a fitting place to start this not particularly athletic journey. As a young child, devotedly following Olympics and World Championships on TV, I’d sneak into the university sports grounds to trot around the track or fling myself into the long jump pit. In my mind, I was Daley Thompson, and no lack of coordination or ability could shake that belief. Later, Maiden Castle formed the backdrop to school cross country runs, which ended any confidence in my sporting prowess.
By Andy Potts2 years ago in Longevity
Brutal
Gala Fairydean is one of the most picturesque names in Scotland’s poetic football litany. Yet the Lowland League club’s home at Netherdale, Galashiels, is one of the most divisive structures in the game. Far from evoking the exquisite woodland glade described by Sir Walter Scott (a local lad), this work by Peter Womersley (another local resident, albeit an incomer in a very different age) confronts the visitor with stark concrete geometry. Love it or hate, the main stand at the 3G Arena is a rare and distinctive sight.
By Andy Potts2 years ago in Cleats
Independence
Women’s football is increasingly dominated by teams with connections to high-level men’s clubs. The top of England’s Women’s Super League echoes the Premier League summit, with Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea among the perennial powerhouses. But Durham is different.
By Andy Potts2 years ago in Cleats
Chile's far-flung football outpost
At the very foot of Chile, Punta Arenas is the definition of remote. The town of 130,000 sits on the Magellan strait, opposite Tierra del Fuego. A big part of the local economy is based on providing a starting point for Antarctic expeditions, and it’s barely barely 60km from Cabo Froward, where a cross marks the southernmost point of the American landmass. Beyond lies islands, ice and eventually, the south pole.
By Andy Potts3 years ago in Cleats
Football fortresses: The Stanks
Berwick-upon-Tweed is border territory. As English and Scottish forces battled over this land, the town changed hands 13 times. Today, it’s English, but with a strong Scottish accent: the senior football teams in town compete in competitions north of the border, and in the local dialect its not unusual to hear of a Scottish ‘heed’ meeting a Northumbrian ‘burl’.
By Andy Potts3 years ago in Cleats
Fan-owned football in Newcastle
On Tyneside, Newcastle United’s fans are desperate for a takeover to rid them of hated chairman Mike Ashley. There’s even talk of raising funds to buy a stake in their club. However, far from the Premier League, fan-owned football already exists on Tyneside.
By Andy Potts3 years ago in Cleats
Weathering the weather in Tow Law
Tow Law is not quite as high and remote as Wearhead United - famously owners of the highest football field in England - but it's still a steep climb up the road from Durham. On winter days, this is often a journey into the meteorological murk and there were serious doubts that the game would be on.
By Andy Potts3 years ago in Cleats
Football fortresses: Richmond Town
Earls Orchard. Picturesque name, picturesque place. Nestled beneath the walls of Richmond’s Norman Castle, it’s been a sporting venue of sorts since the Middle Ages, when the nobles watched from on high as jousting tournaments took place on the fields beside the River Swale.
By Andy Potts3 years ago in Cleats
In the shadow of Stalin
A Soviet fighter jet launches itself from the stand over the away team’s bench. Players warm up amid heavy artillery. Tanks patrol the car park and, legend has it, there’s a top secret metro line to the Kremlin down below. Amid the rusting military hardware there’s an eerie hum from a PA system long out of use. Welcome to Moscow’s forgotten stadium.
By Andy Potts3 years ago in Cleats
Hebburn Town's transformation
When Hebburn Town run out at Wembley on Monday in the FA Vase Final, it will be the latest memorable moment in a remarkable sporting turnaround. Less than five years ago, the Tyneside club was on the brink of collapse and the future seemed bleak.
By Andy Potts3 years ago in Cleats