Hebburn Town FC - the story of their home ground

Hebburn Town’s home has evolved from a Reyrolle works sports field into a modernised community ground now branded as the Trustmark Group Stadium at Hebburn Sports & Social Ground.

Reyrolle works ground and early years

The ground sits off South Drive at Hebburn Sports & Social Ground, part of a larger sports complex originally laid out by electrical engineering firm Reyrolle for its workforce. Reyrolle created a cricket ground there in 1928 and developed associated facilities that later accommodated football pitches for the company team Reyrolles, the forerunner of Hebburn Town. Employees paid small subscriptions to use the site, which became a focal point for works sport in a town dominated by shipbuilding and heavy industry.

From company facility to community sports ground

In 1982 South Tyneside Council bought the sports ground from Reyrolle and began leasing it to Hebburn Sports & Social Club, securing its future as a multi‑sport community venue. Over time the complex came to host Hebburn Town FC alongside cricket, tennis and bowls, with the football pitch and stand developing on one side of the site. The ground, often referred to simply as Hebburn Sports Ground or Hebburn Sports & Social Ground, became the long‑term home base as the club rose through the Wearside League and Northern League.

Traditional stand, clubhouse and low crowds

For many years the ground was modest even by Northern League standards, with a single older stand of wooden bench seating straddling the halfway line and a functional social club building behind the touchline. The facilities reflected the club’s struggles: attendances sometimes dropped to around 30 spectators, and the ageing two‑tier social club felt tired and underused. During this period the venue was more a basic local sports ground than a developed stadium, and ground issues even contributed to the club’s enforced relegation from Northern League Division One in the mid‑1990s.

“Save Hebburn” and modern redevelopment

Fears over the club’s survival led to the “Save Hebburn” campaign, which used the ground as a rallying point for the local community. Support from bigger neighbours, including pre‑season visits from Newcastle United and Sunderland, helped raise both funds and profile and brought larger crowds back through the South Drive turnstiles. A new chairman oversaw significant refurbishment: the social club was completely overhauled into a modern hospitality venue and changes were made around the pitch, including upgraded dugouts and improved spectator areas, transforming the feel of the ground.

Green Energy / Trustmark era and current role

In the 2020s the stadium has carried sponsored titles such as the Green Energy Sports Ground and, more recently, the Trustmark Group Stadium, while remaining officially the Hebburn Sports & Social Ground. These upgrades and partnerships have gone hand‑in‑hand with the club’s rise into the Northern Premier League, with the ground now hosting four‑figure crowds for big FA Vase and league fixtures and acting as a busy community hub on non‑matchdays. Today the stadium combines its Reyrolle works‑ground heritage with more contemporary stands, hospitality spaces and floodlit facilities, reflecting Hebburn Town’s shift from factory team to ambitious modern non‑league club.