Sport

This part of the site has still to be developed. It is hoped that some detailed histories of sports in the village, and of noted local sportsmen, will be written.

Meanwhile, some dates gleaned from various sources can be downloaded using the links at the foot of this page.

Football: Much should be written about football, as Bowburn has had some spectacularly successful footballers and football teams – at both school age and adult level. A good history of these deserves to be written!

The first team formed as Bowburn United. They came bottom of the Mid-Durham League in 1908-10 and were relegated to the Ferryhill & District Junior League. There they did a lot better. Bowburn Athletic was formed soon afterwards. But the most successful team was Bowburn Colliery Welfare F.C., which won several trophies in the 1930s.

Bowburn Council School football team also started poorly, being saved from bottom place in the Kelloe & District Schools League by Cornforth Lane School losing every one of its matches. But Bowburn School was a star team in the 1920s and again in the 1940s.

Bowburn Youth Football Club, formed early in the 21st century, has spectacularly revived this tradition of success.

Bowls, Tennis, Cricket…: There have also been very successful bowls teams and tennis players, and there was for many years a good cricket team.

Pigeon Racing: Bowburn Homing Society (Pigeon Club) had many successes.

Darts, Snooker, Pool…: On the indoor front, there were not a few good darts players and snooker players and, more recently, pool.

Horse Racing: A brief history of Shincliffe Racecourse is linked, below, as although this was just north of the parish (near South Grange Farm) there were some important racing stables at Old Quarrington.