THE recent passing of John Heatherington is a big blow to his family, to members of staff at Wolsingham school, to his footballing former team-mates and to everyone who came in contact with him.

And to people like me who remember his great displays for Crook Town and his great stories from his time at the Millfield.

Like the day Seamus O'Connell persuaded him to play centre forward against his old club Evenwood, telling him he would put one goal on a plate for him. That led to John hitting three in a 5-2 win and he went on to make 289 appearances for Crook, putting him tenth in the all time attendances role of honour for the club.

Born and bred in St John’s Chapel, he attended the Chapel primary school before going to Wolsingham Grammar where his prowess at football saw him picked for the Durham County Schoolboys team. 

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He did his National Service after leaving school and represented the RAF at football, before joining St John’s College in York to train as a PE teacher. He taught for a couple of years at Copeland Road School before going back to Wolsingham School, staying until 1994. He enjoyed the outdoors, camping, walking, gardening and, later, foreign travel, particularly to Austria.

He had played for Bishop Auckland and Evenwood before joining Crook Town. My first memory of him was on March 12, 1960, Crook Town versus Kingstonian, in the semi-final of the FA Amateur Cup at St James’s Park, Newcastle.

The Crook team was Snowball, Gardener, Steward, Heatherington, Bainbridge, Wilkie, Miller, Foster, Keating, O'Connell, McMillan.

I remember a Kingstonian player rampaged down the left hand side and cut inside. I nudged my dad. "He's looking dangerous, dad." He replied: "No Heather will get him." 

Unfortunately, on this occasion John's famous sliding tackle did not stop the Kingstonian player and he thumped the ball into our net and Kingstonian went on to win 2-1.

The Northern Echo: John Heatherington, second from the right, with his wife Betty at a Civic reception to celebrate

John Heatherington, second from the right, with his wife Betty at a civic reception to celebrate Crook winning the Amateur Cup in 1962.  Next to Betty is Arnold Coates and then Peter Garbutt, unknown, and George Wardle, the Crook coach

John married Betty in 1961 and the following year Crook were one of the three teams from South West Durham to reach the semi-finals of the Amateur Cup. The Black and Ambers played West Auckland at Ayresome Park on March 24, 1962, while Bishop Auckland played Hounslow at Brentford.  

John was the Crook centre half, marking Keith Hopper. He did a good job because Keith and West did not pose much of a threat and Crook won 2-0 with Coates and Sparks their scorers. 

As Bishop lost their semi, it was Crook versus Hounslow in the final at Wembley on April 14 1962. 

The Northern Echo: John Heatherington, third from the left Back Row with the Crook Town 1962 Amateur Cup winning team.

John Heatherington with the Crook Town 1962 Amateur Cup winning team. Back Row L-R: Derek Gardener, Barry Storey, John Heatherington, Ray Snowball, Frank Clark, Allan Brown. Front L-R: Don Sparks, Peter Garbutt, Arnold Coates, Dan Peary, Jimmy McMillan

It was not a great final and ended 1-1 before Crook won the replay at Ayresome Park 4-0. Former Crook secretary Alan Stewart, co-author of the book The Story of Crook Town Football Club, said: "The FA Yearbook that year described John's performance at Wembley as "omnipotent" (with great power and influence).”

The following season, Crook went out of the Amateur Cup 2-1 to Alton Town in the 3rd Round. Match reports said that only an outstanding display from centre half John saved Crook from a heavier defeat.

The 1963-64 season was hugely disappointing for him. On November 30,1963, at West Auckland he suffered a serious knee injury. He returned to play up front, and despite limping badly, scored the Crook winner, but probably did more damage to his knee, which troubled him for years. 

He did not return until September 17,1966, ironically in a league game at West. 

Former team-mate Tony Butterfield said: "John was a lovely bloke off the pitch but once he put a shirt on he became a ferocious, uncompromising defender, who was always scrupulously fair."  

Ray Snowball, another former playing colleague, said: "John was a quiet unassuming person off the pitch but a fierce competitor on it.  He and Jimmy McMillan were two peas in a pod, and got on very well together." 

In fact, John once told me that he and Jimmy McMillan went to the Crook committee before the 1962 Cup Final and said: "If we are not getting the same expenses as everyone else we are not playing."

The Northern Echo: Crook Town keeper Ray Snowball is bundled over the line as Crook defenders (l-r) John

Crook Town keeper Ray Snowball is bundled over the line as Crook defenders (l-r) John Heatherington, Allan Brown and Barry Storey watch as the ball is cleared

After his playing days were over, John became known for his keep fit evenings at Wolsingham school in the 1970s which were initially intended for the Wolsingham Steelworks football team but anyone was allowed in. Hall Johnson and myself used to go, sometimes with Ian 'Titchy' Johnson, who was six foot and five inches tall.

John always had a sweet for us and revelled in a bit of daft crack with Anton at the service station in Wolsingham. Max Robson, Geoff Stoker, Colin Burn were regular attenders, sometimes Tony Butterfield and Alex Dolphin. 

John had mobility issues in his later years and no one knows how the death of his son Andrew in 2009 affected him. 

My final memory epitomises the character of the man. One lunchtime in the staffroom at Wolsingham school, a male member of staff was suffering a stroke. John took charge of the situation, sat next to the chap, talked to him and calmed him down, while loosening his clothing before more specialised first aid became available.

  • Thanks to Kathryn Heatherington and Michael Burke

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