Site Updated 10/03/10

Club History

Billingham Synthonia F.C. is a football club based in Billingham, England. They were established in 1923, playing first in the Teesside League, and joining the Northern League in 1945. In the 1993-94 season, they reached the Quarter-Finals of the FA Trophy, in a run which included a victory over Conference side Kettering Town. They are currently members of the Northern League Division One.

They are known for being the only club in England to be named after an agricultural fertiliser (Synthonia being a contraction of "synthetic ammonia", a product manufactured by ICI, with whom the club originally had a close connection), and being the only club to go an entire season (1950-51) in the Northern League without conceding a goal at home, a last minute penalty save in the final game by goalkeeper Harry Armstrong preserving this record.

Connected with ICI Billingham until 1994 when the ground was sold to new owners, the club shortened its name from Synthetic Ammonia, one of ICI’s main products. Synthonia’s second distinction came in the 1950-51 season when they played 13 home league games, winning 12 and drawing one, with a goal tally of 44 for and none against. This was achieved with Goalkeeper Harry Armstrong saving a last minute penalty in the final game of the season. Founded in 1923, the club contested the Teesside League until the war. In 1945 they replaced the disbanded Billingham South, with whom they were unconnected in the Northern League, winning their first game 5-4 at Shildon. They have remained members ever since, being relegated to Division 2 at the end of 1985-86 season but returning as Second Division Champions the following season.

The clubs first ground was on the south side of Belasis Lane, part of ICI’s original sporting complex. They then moved across the road to their “Well Known” Belasis Lane ground for the start of their Northern League Campaign in 1945. The original ground was built on as ICI expanded it’s War Time production. Another notable first in football occurred on this ground on 10th. November 1952, when Billingham Synthonia took on an RAF Team in the first “Floodlight” game in the North of England and the first Amateur team to play under lights. Before a crowd of 3,000, Synthonia won 8-4. Synthonia had been using the lights for six years to train under. Synthonia left the Belasis Lane ground to make way for a new ICI office block in 1958, moving to the impressive Central Avenue Stadium (across the road again) with a 2,000 capacity Cantilever Stand (the longest in the Country at the time) and a running track around the perimeter. The stadium was opened on September 6th. By Lord Derby. The first game was against Bishop Auckland ending 2-2. The same year the stadium was used for an England “B” international athletics meeting.

Long serving players have included Walter Stark 1945-59, “Biffer” Smith 1945-51, Tony Hetherington 1966-79, Eric Chamberlain 1969-86, Andy Harbron 1977-97, and Peter Cook, 1976-88. Bill McQuarrie, signed after the 1st. floodlight game from the RAF 1952-62, became a Scottish Amateur international in 1953-54.

Arthur "Dusty" Rhodes holds the club scoring record hitting eight in 9-2 win at South Bank on Christmas Day 1945. Tony Hetherington leads the goal scorers with 51 in 1971-72 season and is also the club’s highest scorer with 253 goals in 525 appearances. Andy Harbron holds the record for appearances with 620, 29 substitute appearances and scored 75 goals.

Synthonia play at the PTS Stadium, Central Avenue, Billingham. Their ground is also used by the Billingham Athletics club. The stadium was opened on 6 September 1958 by Lord Derby, with the first game ending in a 2-2 draw against Bishop Auckland. In the same year, the stadium was used for an England 'B' international athletics meeting. The stadium's 2,000 capacity cantilever stand was the longest in the country at the time. Previously, the team had played at Belasis Lane, a ground they left in 1958 to make way for a new ICI office block. The Belasis Lane ground saw the first floodlit game in the North of England and the first amateur team to play under lights, when Billingham Synthonia defeated an RAF team 8-4 before an attendance of 3,000. Some Middlesbrough reserve matches are played at Central Avenue.

The most famous ex-Synner is Brian Clough, who appeared for the club before he went on National Service. Others include Aidan Davison, a goalkeeper capped 3 times by Northern Ireland, who played for Synthonia during the 1987-88 season, and Glen Cockerill, who played for Stockport County. Bernie Slaven, ex-Middlesbrough and Republic of Ireland striker, played for the club after his retirement from profesional football, & ex-Middlesbrough and Northern Ireland winger Terry Cochrane also had a brief spell at the club. Another ex-Middlesbrough and Republic of Ireland player, Curtis Fleming, played for Synthonia in 2006/07 before entering into management with Mark Proctor at Livingston in the Scottish league.