Peter Beedle, chip shop owner and goalkeeper, dies aged 59

Peter Beedle was a 16-stone goalkeeper, a champion chip shop owner and a second cousin of the Princess of Wales - though it was only the last of those which got his picture in all the nationals. He was also a great lad.

Peter died on Thursday night (February 9) after a long battle. He was 59.

Though some of us best remember Peter as Cockfield United’s near-impassable goalkeeper in those 1990s days when they’d more silverware than Northern Goldsmiths, it was the royal relationship which intrigued the nation ahead of William and Kate’s wedding in 2011.

Read more: County Durham farm shop shortlisted for 'Rural Oscar' award

He and Kate shared the same great grandparents, the Princess’s family roots – like those of Bob Paisley, Harry Potts and Ralph Coates – in Hetton-le-Hole, a mining town between Durham and Sunderland.

His mum, a former Miss Ferryhill, also had a look of Kate about her, said Peter.

Her Majesty’s Press Corps (as then they were) somehow uncovered the connection. recalling the old adage that today’s newspapers are tomorrow’s fish and chip wrappings.

It still didn’t get him an invitation to the wedding. “Maybe they didn’t want us showing them up” said Peter who opened (almost) as usual on the big day in 2011 - though the menu offered Kate’s Kod, Pippa’s Peas and (memory suggests) Buck House Burgers as well.

Peter Beedle, Kate Middleton's second cousin, kept his chip shop open on the day of the royal wedding (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

He’d also owned chip shops in Darlington and Chilton, sold them to concentrate on Bishop Auckland, was more than once named North-East Chip Shop of the year and reached the national finals.

As a goalkeeper he’d played a few Northern League games for West Auckland but proved damn near impassable up at Cockfield – pliant, remarkably agile, ever-cheerful and answering always to 'Chippy' though he insisted, however implausibly, that it was because he was always being chipped.

“He was an outstanding goalkeeper in a wonderful team” club chairman John Priestley once said.

“His positional sense and his ability to talk to the defence were superb. If he hadn’t been 16 stones and such a great advert for his own product, I’m sure he could have gone all the way.”

PetePeter Beedle during his days playing for Cockfield FC (Image: MIKE GIBB)

Cockfield, of the Auckland and District Leaguem reached the Durham Challenge Cup semi-final – “the scourge of Northern League teams” admitted Northern Goalfields Revisited.

“His goalkeeping skills were fantastic and he cleaned out many an opposing forward coming for the ball” recalls Steve Coulthard, an old friend who is now chairman of Bishop Auckland FC.

During a game at Darlington Rolling Mills, however, the irresistible force met a sadly moveable object and cleaned out that, too. A wooden goal post snapped after Peter inadvertently back pedalled into it. Though the ref was for abandoning the match, Cockfield’s ranks contained a couple of joiners who were able to effect running repairs.

“The lads would have killed me” said Peter. “We had a big enough fixture backlog as it was.”

Read more stories here: 

• Woman 'unlawfully killed' in County Durham car crash by abusive drug driver boyfriend
• Tragedy as police confirm man dies after being hit by car in County Durham village
• Major fast food chain sets opening date for new North East branch in big update

If you want to read more great stories, why not subscribe to your Northern Echo for as little as £1.25 a week. Click here

He played for Glaxo in trhe Over 40s League and after hangng up his gloves helped out with Bishop Auckland St Mary’s junior teams.

“An absolute gentleman on and off the field who will be a massive miss to us all” says Steve Coulthard.

In the window of his shop in Bishop was a notice advising that the only thing better than fish and chips was fish and chips twice. “I have to tell you” said the lovely Peter Beedle, “that I agree with that entirely.”

* Fore more on Mike Amos's writings on North East grassroots football, visit his blog at www.mikeamosblog.wordpress.com/