Once dubbed The Flying Coalman, our old friend Nigel Tutty is off the wagon but still not afraid to get his hands dirty.

Yorkshire area point-to-point champion when first we met in 1988 - he also featured in the National Smokeless Fuels calendar - Nigel again holds the title at 43.

"Riding's a piece of cake, I'm just coming to my peak," he insists.

While a 75-hours-a-week coalman, he still competed in many top races, including the 1984 Cheltenham Gold Cup in which he led all the way round the first circuit before Whiggy Geo was pulled up. Michael Dickenson horses claimed the first five places.

"You have to say that for a while it was very exciting. We had some wonderful times, me and Whiggie Geo."

(Martin Birtle in Billingham also recalled Sunset Cristo, trained by Ray Hawkey somewhere near Thorpe Thewles, coming third at 100-1 in the 1982 Gold Cup - but that wasn't Nigel, it was Chris Grant.)

Now Nigel runs Thoroughbred Building - "new houses, I don't do extensions" - keeps horses on his farm near Osmotherley and on Saturday not only chaired the organising committee for the Hurworth Hunt point-to-point near Stokesley but was set for rides in just about everything except the ladies' open.

Previously this season he'd had just a single winner - "just one of those things, I'm sure we'll turn it round" - on Saturday he'd had another win and two seconds before the gale uprooted the beer tent and the jockeys' tent and the meeting was abandoned.

"I wouldn't care, the next race I was due to ride the 1-3 favourite," says Nigel. The Flying Coalman has irons in the fire yet.

Fifty four years after Willington FC's finest hour - the 4-0 FA Amateur Cup win over Bishop Auckland at Wembley - some of the players are at last being honoured on their own patch.

The new Burn View estate will include Lewthwaite Gardens - after right half Jack Lewthwaite - Larmouth Court after centre forward Bill Larmouth, Rutherford Court after outside left Stan Rutherford and Robinson Close in tribute to Joe Robinson, the victorious outside right.

Armstrong Drive is named not after the local MP, or even her football mad father who preceded her at Westminster, but after Mattie Armstrong who hit the final goal in one of the greatest team performances seen beneath the twin towers.

Sadly, however, there is no place for renowned goalkeeper Jack Snowdon, still alive and well and living in the Co Durham town. Willington has a Snowdon Terrace, no relation, already.

Assiduous as ever, Over 40s League secretary Kip Watson noticed on Saturday afternoon that the result from the Lord Seaham at Sunderland was missing and rang team secretary Jim Lomax.

"He's out," said the lady who answered the phone. Kip asked for a mobile phone number and duly rang it.

"How should I know what the score was, I'm in Australia," said Jim, before the league secretary's receiver was hastily replaced.

"I know they said he was out but I didn't think they meant outback," says Kip. "I'm now going to have to explain my phone bill to the treasurer."

More memories of "gentle giant" John Charles, this time from Dave French's only visit to Elland Road - Leeds United 3 Sunderland 1, April 22 1957.

It was King John's final game before moving to Juventus, United's main stand had burned down three days earlier and the players emerged from a railway hut in a nearby field.

"Charles was far from gentle that day and knocked his markers all over the place," says Dave, from Hartlepool, perhaps explaining the Echo correspondent's remark the following Monday morning: "The Wearsiders felt the full force of that soccer giant."

Dave's recollection of a farewell hat-trick is mistaken, however. Harold Brook got Leeds' third goal, singing winger Colin Grainger replying for Sunderland. Portsmouth's win at Cardiff City the same day ensured first division football for another anxious season at Roker Park.

Plenty of goals elsewhere on April 22 1957. Chelsea hit six past Newcastle after Magpies' centre half Bob Stokoe was injured on 15 minutes, five goals in the last 19 minutes helped Middlesbrough thrash Huddersfield 7-2 - Brian Clough's hat-trick taking his debut season total to 39 - Spennymnoor United went top of the North Eastern League by beating Gateshead Reserves 7-1 and in the Durham Charity Cup final, four goals from Stonehouse gave Heighington a 6-1 win over Gilling West. Gilling West was in the North Riding.

Much travelled cricket follower Robbie Young from Bishop Auckland points out that neither Hussain nor Butcher, 58 apiece, top scored in England's first Test first innings against the West Indies. There were 60 extras, from a total of 339.

Put to the test himself, Durham County statistician and scorer Brian Hunt finds another example of West Indian profligacy in 1990-91 at Georgetown - Ian Healy top scoring with 47 in Australia's 248 total but with 53 extras, including 28 no balls.

In sundry places, as the antipodeans would have it, are there are any other examples of extras top scoring?

The two teams which have each been relegated three times from the Premiership (Backtrack, March 19) are Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace.

Today back to the cricket in the West Indies, and the possibility of a first series win in the Caribbean since 1967-68. Who, asks Steve Smith, were the five English batsmen to hit centuries on that tour?

Tons more entertainment on Friday.

Published: 20/03/2004