Football clubs in Esh Winning date back as far as 1889, including a team which won the Northern League in 1913. The latest incarnation of the club was formed in 1969 as the current version Esh Winning F.C. gained acceptance into the Durham and District Sunday League Third Division. Promotion was achieved in 1971, the Guards Cup was won the following season and in 1973 Esh Winning carried off the Division Two Championship. In 1975 there were victories in the Stafferi Cup and in 1976 the Earls House Sunday Cup. 1979 and 1980 saw Esh carry off back to back Sunday League Championships before spending the 1981/82 season in the Northern Alliance where a respectable sixth place was achieved.
Successful election into the newly-created Dryborough’s Northern League Second Division followed where Esh remained until 2002 when the club was promoted to Division One. In the 2005-06 season the club got off to a slow start and were relegated back to the Second Division after 4 years in the Northern League top flight.
The 2007/08 season was a proud one in the history of Esh Winning Football Club. Although we finished only 13th in the Second Division, the club won its first piece of silverware since rejoining the Northern League in 1982. Despite being underdogs on the day, Esh lifted the Ernest Armstrong Memorial Cup with an impressive 3-0 victory in the Final against Sunderland Ryhope C.A. at Ryton’s Kingsley Park ground. In the run to the final Esh also defeated Crook Town, Brandon United and Norton + Stockton Ancients without conceding a single goal in any game.
The 2008/09 season was one of success too, finishing in third place and achieving promotion to the 1st Division.
This season will be a real test and there is a great deal of optimism around the club as we step up a level to a very competetive 1st Division. | 
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