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Original Text (Annotation: EPW020548 / 2116329)
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Hood Street Methodist Church - built 1867, closed 1988, destroyed by arson 1991.
The congregation began as part of the United Methodist Free Church and met in the colliery offices. The colliery owner, who Anglican, was the largest contributor to the cost of the building and his wife laid the foundation stone. During the Second World War, a nearby bomb caused structural damage to the church. At first this was thought to be only mild damage, but problems with the building grew worse leading to its eventual closure. The surrounding streets were demolished around 1978, but the church remained in the midst of the new replacement council housing for another decade. The church was most well known for its football team who won a national church cup in 1957 and 1960. They were champions of the Wearside Combination League in 1960 and its predecessor in 1923 and 1938. Records of Sunderland AFC's time at their nearby Newcastle Road ground say that they prefered to attack towards Hood Street. This would be a very random location to highlight if it wasn't for the church's reputation for its football team. '