Blowing whistle on father and son

They also become the first father and son ever to be on the League's match officials' list together.

Clive, who didn't take up refereeing until he was 29 - "a familiar story, another injured player" - can now be promoted no further because of his age. For Michael, anything's possible.

"If he gets the breaks and keeps his feet on the ground there's no reason he can't referee the World Cup final," says his dad. "He's very calm, very mature and has certainly had an amazing start."

Michael was also the Albany Northern League's youngest ever referee last season - on the same list as his father. They live in Ashington.

"We'll both be first year officials so won't be allowed to work together in the Football League next season, but I'd almost guarantee it the season afterwards. They'll want it for the history books," says Clive.

Michael refereed his first junior matches as a 13-year-old - and becoming a whistle blower, insists his dad, was entirely his own decision. "I firmly believe that you shouldn't push people into refereeing, you have to want to do it.

"He watched me doing Football League games on the line and he might have been sucked into it, but he was certainly never pushed. The only possible problem was that he wanted to play football as well.

"We talk about things and I encourage him, but never talk about how to handle particular matches. Once you cross that white line, you're on your own."

His own rise has also been remarkable. "When I started I never even dreamed about becoming a Football League referee, it was just a hobby.

"Without a doubt they key is man management, being honest with the players and talking to them. They definitely appreciate being talked to."

News of the two promotions came two weeks apart. "We were celebrating mine but trying to keep a lid on it for Michael. Now we can really celebrate together."

Michael, out playing football yesterday - "I need to keep my hand in" - insists that his dad's influence has been crucial. "Any problems I go to him; anything he knows he's fallen down on, I try to avoid.

"All I want to do now is progress still further, but it gets harder. I suppose I still have time."

Friday's column told of a difficult two weeks for former Middlesbrough goalkeeper Ben Roberts - second division play-off semi-finals either side of his grandmother's funeral. What we didn't know was that his grandfather had died as well.

Ben, son of retired Crook newsagent Hughie Roberts, kept a clean sheet - his seventh in eight games - in Brighton's dramatic win over Bristol City on Sunday. This morning he'll be at the funeral of Tom Roberts, one of life's quiet gentlemen, at Durham crematorium.

Under the general heading "Losers" in last year's Backtrack annual review, we included Shildon Railway Cricket Club - who'd not won a match for two and a half years. Last Thursday they finally cracked it.

It was a Horner Cup game against Crook, won by eight wickets. "The players were ecstatic, they'd every right to be," reports Peter Murphy, our man on the square leg boundary.

Club secretary Trevor Henderson reports that the money dried up three years ago. "The mercenaries decided to drop Shildon in the mess and the second XI suddenly became the first.

"We knew we had problems, but buying our way out wasn't the answer."

Now they have three junior sides, a young and promising second team and are confident of more first team success this season. "When it happens," says Trevor, "you'll be the first to know."

Harry Mead, fellow columnist and consummate cricketer, is recovering from a fearful playing injury. As Mark Twain observed of his death, reports of Harry's retirement may nonetheless be an exaggeration.

Now 66, he has played these past seven or eight seasons for Spout House - that glorious little ground in Bilsdale, North Yorkshire, which slopes like a guardsman's rifle and has more local rules than Regent's Park.

It was there against Rievaulx that an attempted catch ("I'd already taken one") went straight through his hands and smashed into his skull.

"Team-mates rushed to the aid of the stricken fieldsman, oblivious to the fact that one or two of them could have caught the ball off the ricochet," reports Feversham League press officer Charles Allenby.

Unable to continue, Harry was driven home. "It was a bit of a groggy moment," he says. "It only bled slightly but that can be a worry with head injuries. It took me a couple of days to get over it."

At 16 he hit an unbeaten 76 for Normanby Hall against Thornaby in the Kerridge Cup final, in 1967 he spent two weeks in hospital - and had three blood transfusions - after being struck on the nose while keeping wicket.

"My career has gone downhill ever since that Kerridge Cup final," he insists.

Despite the blow to the head, he has now amended thoughts of retirement - "some people will think this fairly ludicrous" - to turning up with his kit ready to play if they're short. Head down, he played again on Friday.

Friday's column talked of Forfar Athletic, otherwise The Loons. "Nothing to do with full moons, 'Loon' is the local equivalent of 'lad'," explains Durham-based Forfar fan Kevin Tennent. Others have been less happy with the nickname, including previous managers who tried to change it to the Sky Blues. Not least because of a campaign by the club fanzine - the Loonatic - the slightly mad monicker remains.

The amazing Vera Selby, still very much at the sharp end of the snooker and billiards world, speaks at a little do in Tow Law FC's clubhouse on Friday, July 2. Among the other attractions is that the £5 ticket includes the first three drinks.

Now 74 and still active as international referee, instructor, player and after dinner speaker, Vera was nine times women's world billiards champion and twice women's world snooker champion.

Born in Richmond, long in Newcastle, she was also the city's sports person of the year in 1981 - an honour shared by the likes of Alan Shearer, Kevin Keegan and Mike McLeod. All she ever wanted to be was a jazz singer.

Her usual theme, unsurprisingly, is A Woman in a Man's World. Tickets from Charlie Donaghy on 01388 730444.

And finally...

The only other player than Dennis Wise to have played in FA Cup finals in three different decades (Backtrack May 28) was the great Pat Jennings - Spurs in 1967, Arsenal in 1979 and 1980.

Martin Birtle in Billingham today invites readers to name the first Football League club - getting on 25 years ago - to wear a sponsor's name on its shirt. We're back with the backers on Friday.

Published: 01/06/2004