Geoff goes back to his roots

As a young FA Council member in the 1970s, he'd be on a commission investigating a case of an alleged tackle from behind. The Subbuteo men were duly marshalled, the offence outlined.

"How it can be a tackle from behind, they're facing one another?" someone demanded.

"Oh aye, " said the commission chairman, "case dismissed." Geoff later became chairman of the disciplinary committee. "I'd vowed to change things, " he said.

He himself had been Durham FA secretary in 197374, during the 16 year presidency of Arthur Askew from Consett. Now 91 and still as smart as a carrot, Arthur was there again yesterday to welcome him back.

Times had changed, Geoff said. "Officially we were about promotion and control, but really we were a fixed penalty office." The new offices are next to the county cricket ground in Chester-le-Street, free viewing from the top floor, rather more at the cricket than at the plaque unveiling.

"If you'd built it next to a cricket ground 30-odd years ago, I might never have left," said the FA chairman.

Out the back there's a running track around which John Topping, the present County secretary, does 12 laps every lunch time. "We choose our locations carefully, " he said, a man clearly fit for office.

Frank Pattison, who in 1984 succeeded Arthur Askew as County president, observed that one of the benefits of the move from Durham was that they'd left behind three tons of paper.

"Now there's only a ton. We expected to find Lord Lucan beneath it all." The three storey block has administration on the ground floor, development on the first and, above, the DFA council chamber which doubles as a sin bin for football's miscreants.

A member, contemplating the handsome new look, wondered why they still needed pillars, adding that he'd been to the Colosseum and there were no pillars there. Like the rest of the Durham FA Council, they are doubtless pillars of wisdom.

It was a very pleasant day - handsome offices, good spread, good crack. Founded in 1883, Durham FA is now firmly in the 21st century.

Let it be minuted for posterity, however, that on so prestigious an occasion there was nee beer. Nee funnin', neither.

"BILLY MAC" from Newton Aycliffe Royal British Legion Club asks which white fighter (lightweight) was knocked down in every fight he fought but got up again to win them all. The answer, with the more probable question, at the end of the column.

ANNUAL event these days, the column presented awards on Monday night at the Crook and District Games League - where, on the premise that all that glisters is not gold, almost everyone gives their trophy money to a local charity.

Among the recipients was Trevor Smith, known thereabouts as Tree, who despite a few fallow seasons will still lead the Crook branch of the Ross County Supporters Club to Dingwall for the first home game of the season.

Primarily it was yet another benefit night for former England darts international Doug McCarthy, 62, and his team-mates from Belle Vue WMC - Doug the epitome of Mr Botham's maxim about form and class.

No victory will have been easier, however, than their victory over the Golden Fleece in the final of the Harry Mangles Memorial Cup.

Rather forgetting the classic example of Jason and the Argonauts, the Fleece went home before a dart was thrown.

AFTER the magnificent Mynarski, another statue unveiling yesterday honoured the great Sam Bartram - the North-East lad who made 397 post-war Football League appearances for Charlton Athletic but never one for England.

To the day, it was Charlton's centenary, the occasion attended by scores of former players. A clutch of goalkeepers included Bob Bolder, with Sunderland from 198588 but more greatly venerated at the Valley.

"It was a really fantastic day, beyond question Sam Bartram is Charlton's alltime hero, " says Mike Blake, whose Bartram biography will be published on November 1.

Normally a centre forward, Sam was spotted on Good Friday 1934 as stand-in goalkeeper for Boldon Villa ? north of Sunderland ? by Anthony Seed, brother of Charlton manager Jimmy Seed.

Jimmy was a Whitburn lad, Sam hailed from East Boldon and had also played for North Shields and Easington Colliery.

The statue was unveiled by Sam's daughter Moira, a retired solicitor who lives in Canada, the ceremony preceded by a play commissioned by Charlton and performed by local schools.

Perhaps inevitably, it was called Bartram Saves the Day.

Like swallows, cricket gets earlier each year

LIKE the summer's first swallow, the column's first cricket match gets ever earlier. Last year it was June 12, this year June 8.

Probably something to do with global warming.

It was at Shildon British Railways - Shildon Railway, post-privatisation - where a triangular tournament has been taking place all week between Leinster, from Ireland, Cumberland Under 23s and a Durham University side.

It was also the ground where, not a fortnight ago, the sight screen had upped and offed in a gale before landing on poor John Armstrong, breaking his ankle.

John, 60, has since been further pursued by those of the "No win, no fee" calling, his answer as dusty as a fifth day wicket.

Wednesday was altogether more clement, both strip and outfield a huge credit to 68-yearold BR groundsman Peter Dargue, who principally prepared it.

"We'll get a first team game out of the same strip on Saturday, " said Peter, Dargue forces clearly at work.

For Durham University, it's all part of a plan to take their cricket, and their cricketers, more actively into neighbouring communities. Three are stationed with the Railway, said by the sages to be canny lads but "not what you'd call break eggs wi' sticks cricketers." You could tell they were bright lads because copies of The Times rustled in the sunshine alongside the Daily Sport; you could tell they were still bit bairns a misfielder used the term "Sauce" when older hands would simply have said they were sorry.

"Sauce" in that context is known neither to Lord's nor to lexicographers. The origin may be in "soy sauce", but some etymology undergraduate may better be able to explain it.

The university had hit 261 off 40 overs, Stuart Walker - who also plays for Philadelphia, striking his second century of the week. Leinster, having been 42 off ten overs, clubbed them off comfortably.

"Shows how much I know about cricket, I thought they'd get hammered," muttered former Durham and Northumberland all rounder Jack Watson ? still straight backed, baseball capped and probably itching for an over.

Perhaps a concession to his 84 years, Jack wore the baseball cap the right way around.

Irish cricket used to be a bit of a joke, of course. A wily old Malton barrister called ? memory suggests ? Edward West, once wrote a richly affectionate but not particularly flattering book about it. His book on Irish women's cricket was slimmer, and quirkier, yet.

Now Grenville Holland, president of Durham University Cricket Society and a Durham City councillor, reckons that they're set to overtake Scotland.

Leinster, effectively Ireland Under 23s, particularly liked the look of young Walker.

"Gave him a bit of tap, " said Shildon chairman Ken Robinson.

The scheme to integrate university cricket more greatly into the community is headed by John Holland, Grenville's 23year-old son.

Since he was also the scorer and since, knowing the score, he declined to leave his little wooden hut for the Backtrack column, his father enthused in his place.

"It's about the university being outward, not inward, looking. By playing fixtures against different teams, and our boys playing for different clubs, the community will find out that the university is full of fine young people and the students will learn what a wonderfully warm place the North-East is." Shildon Railway, he added, was one of the best grounds in the county ? "a real focal point, a beacon for this kind of development." Defeated in the 40 over match, the students then had an hour off, the umpires sending out for fish and chips twice, before playing Cumberland in a Twenty-20.

"They're a bit enervated," said Grenville, an academic term, meaning knackered.

Cumberland batted first, hoisting sixes so crisply over the fence that they threatened not just to run out of balls but to derail the 6 48 to Bishop Auckland.

It turned around in time for us to get back to Darlington. The 40 over final, between Durham University and Leinster, starts at 11am today. The University plays the British Army at Hartlepool next Wednesday and Thursday.

SAME town, different sport, rumours run riot about the future of dear old Shildon Football Club. It is a particular pleasure to report them unfounded.

"I can't walk down the street without people telling me we've folded.

"It just isn't true, " says club director Audrey Armitage.

Though cash flow problems from last season still need to be addressed, most of the board have been working hard to secure the club's long term future.

A new manager, succeeding Ken Lindoe, may be appointed on Monday.

"It's no secret that we've had problems but people have been really helpful and we're looking ahead with confidence, " says Audrey.

Gordon Hampton, the chairman who dyed his hair in the club's purple and black colours when they reached the FA Cup first round in 2003, remains nominally at the helm.

And finally...

THE player who's scored for six different Premiership clubs (Backtrack, June 7) is Ashley Ward ? Norwich, Derby, Barnsley, Blackburn, Bradford and, last season, Bolton Wanderers.

The five who've scored for five different Premiership clubs are Nick Barmby, Benito Carbone, Stan Collymore, Les Ferdinand and Mark Hughes.

Tonight to the Over 40s League's 25th anniversary awards, where a special presentation will be made to Dave "Jock" Rutherford. Readers are invited to name the country for which he won five amateur international caps.

The lightweight who always won was Popeye the Sailorman.

Published: 10/06/2005