Fletcher happy in pastures new

The former Denys Smith stable lad for whom life both on and off the racecourse was a series of ups and downs has landed on his feet once again For Brian, now 56, there really has been a welcome in the hillsides.

"They're fantastic people, the landscape is pretty similar to home and the weather's much warmer," he says.

"There's peace of mind here, you can go to bed with your door unlocked. I've got to know the people well and I've fallen in love with the place.

"Truthfully there's nothing at all I miss about home except for the good friends I had, and that's from someone who's proud to be a Co Durham lad."

But aren't the Welsh supposed to be about as welcoming to strangers - especially English strangers - as a ferret to a fieldmouse?

"I've heard the Welsh called unfriendly but it's not the case. It's like everywhere else, you can't go down to Wales and tell the Welsh people what to do and that's what a lot of people try to do. So far as I'm concerned, they couldn't have been more helpful."

We'd mentioned Brian in Tuesday's column, following a passing reference on A Question of Sport a week ago. That Sue Barker thought him the least known of the three jockeys who rode National winners for Ginger McCain worries him not a jot.

"I'm a quiet sort of lad, always have been, and I try to keep things cool.

"I'm still known around the area, get asked to do talks and that sort of thing, but I don't look for publicity.

"No one had even mentioned A Question of Sport. Maybe they've got better things to do on a Friday night around here."

He was born and brought up in the Cockfield area, had a pony before he had a bike, bought a horse and cart while still at Barnard Castle Grammar School in order to sell firewood door to door.

Third on the Denys Smith trained Red Alligator in the 1967 Aintree classic, he and Red Alligator won the following year's event by 20 lengths.

In 1973 and 1974 he was also first past the post on Red Rum, before a fractured skull in a fall at Teesside Park effectively ended his career in the saddle.

After 25 years farming above West Auckland, he moved eight years ago to a 38 acre farm near a Carmarthenshire village with more l's than illegibility. He pronounces it like a man of Harlech.

The Cambrian connection began with Welsh cobs, and the biannual sale at Builth Wells." I've always liked Welsh cobs, got to know a few people, stayed around here a few times and realised how much I loved Wales," he says.

Now he breeds Welsh cobs and keeps sheep, the farmhouse walls hung with mementoes of National acclaim and with the poem his mother Ruby wrote before the 1975 race. It ended: "While they all shout and cheer for Red Rum I'll be one in a million, I'll just cheer for my son."

Ruby still takes long holidays down there. "She loves Wales, too, At the moment, things are simply wonderful," says Brian. A cob story with a happy ending.

As Tuesday's column also observed, the only other jockey to ride three Grand National winners was Ernie Piggott, Lester's granddad. There's another Welsh connection there, and a North-East one, an' all..

Piggott's first victory was in 1912, the second and third - on different courses - were in 1918 and 1919, both on a horse called Poethlyn, Welsh (apparently) for hot lake.

Poethlyn was bred and owned by Major Hugh Peel who owned an estate at Overton, near Wrexham, sold the horse to a Shrewsbury hotelier for seven guineas and bought it back for 50 guineas plus the promise of the first salmon caught in the River Dee that season.

Village folklore also has it that Poethlyn pulled an Overton milk cart during the First World War - fastest in the west, no doubt - before going on to nobler things. There's still a Poethlyn Terrace.

"The horse became a real village hero," says Martin Birtle from Billingham, whose mother-in-law lived in Overton and who was given by Major Peel a painting of Poethlyn - and the stable cat. It now hangs above his fireplace.

The War Office having commandeered Aintree in 1915, the 1918 National was run at Gatwick, on the site where the airport now lands. Poethlyn won by four lengths, over the full distance.

Back at Aintree the following year, he started at 11-4 in a field of 22 and despite carrying 12st 7lbs. The victory was the horse's ninth in succession.

"The fences were hellish hard in those days," insists Martin. "They're just baby fences now."

Poethlyn died, aged 30, in 1940 and is buried in the pet cemetery on the Overton estate.

Ernie Piggott was champion National Hunt jockey three times.

His grandson, flat out, did even better.

Backtrack Briefs...

Richard Kruyder rings from Australia - "about half a cent a minute at this time of night," he insists - seeking information on David "Ticer" Thomas, among West Auckland's "World Cup" heroes in 1909.

Happy to oblige, we can even point out that the nickname "Ticer" came from cricket, not football - something to do with playing the ball onto the stumps.

Richard's initial interest, however, is in William Charles Thomas - Ticer's brother - who emigrated to Australia in 1897 and whose story may be almost as remarkable.

In 1911, the year of West Auckland's second World Cup triumph, Willie Thomas was in charge of the Western Australia side which became the first to tour outside its own state, playing against Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia (two 4-4 draws.)

They went by ship. "You have to remember that Australia is a bloody huge country," says Richard, at half a cent a minute.

His book on Australian football before the first war is nearing completion, a copy promised by air mail. "There are some juicy bits," he says.

So what of the other David Thomas, Ticer's illustrious grandson? Born and raised in West Auckland, capped eight times by England, he's been surprised at the interest in his great uncle Willie.

"I knew he'd emigrated to Australia but not much more than that," says David, 53. "It sounds a fascinating story."

He's now a part time PE teacher in Bognor Regis, immortalised by the dying King George V - "we came for two years and have so far had 22. It's a lovely place." His parents are still in West Auckland.

His last full time football job, 18 years ago, was as Portsmouth's youth team coach under Alan Ball.

Two weeks after being told that the post was being made redundant, he found that Peter Osgood had been appointed to it. "I wouldn't say I was hurt because I was strong enough to take it, but it made up my mind that if that was football I wanted nothing more to do with it," says David.

"Bruce Rioch offered me a job at Middlesbrough, where I'd played, but I turned it down."

Instead he became a gardener, turned to teaching - "I thoroughly enjoy it" - has done radio work but now spends his spare time golfing and fishing.

His wife Brenda, from Sunderland, has been helping on a forthcoming book called Real Footballers' Wives, based partly on his time at Everton. That, says David, is going to be a pretty good read, as well.

The chairman having first ascertained that no media were present, Darlington FC's creditors' meeting on Wednesday turned, perhaps predictably, into the George Reynolds hour.

"It was a virtuoso performance, pure box office," reports our fly on the wall, though at one point a sharp suited top table solicitor had to warn the former chairman that he was taking notes.

George had earlier greeted an old friend, with the emphasis perhaps on the word old. "Hello Judas," he said.

The meeting was adjourned until next Tuesday. Amid the millions, the building supplies firm on Albert Hill which is owed threepence still finds its place among the creditors.

Clutching his Gladwish Land Sales Ultimate Book of Non-League Players 2004-05 - and before this season's barely cold - Paul Tully in Newcastle reports that another Mike Amos is playing for Tadcaster Albion. His e-mail's headed "There's only two Mike Amoses," but in truth there's still only one.

And finally...

The former television pundit who scored Scottish league football's fastest hat-trick (Backtrack, May 18) was Ian St John, two and a half minutes, in 1959.

Brian Shaw in Shildon today seeks the identity of the well known author who played football for Portsmouth and cricket for the MCC, hitting a century on his debut.

No more clues, the answer on Tuesday.

Published: 21/05/2004