Night when George was on his Best behaviour

"As usual he couldn't be found," we added, and thus shamefully failed to give Besty the benefit of the doubter.

He not only turned up, not only charmed birds off trees, but played so well at 35 that Boro manager Bobby Murdoch tried subsequently to sign him.

Platt - 401 Football League appearances for Middlesbrough, 22 Northern Ireland caps - had his benefit, against Sunderland, on the Tuesday evening. Two days earlier he'd spotted a photograph of Best arriving home from America in one of the Sunday papers.

Jim rang Ray Robertson, who'd spent most of his life covering Boro for The Northern Echo. "He asked me to use my contacts to find him, but there was no indication whether he was in Manchester or Madagascar," recalls Ray.

"The first three people I rang told me not to touch him with a barge pole. Even his agent didn't know where he was, although in those days they didn't live in one another's pockets. Nowadays they seem to sleep together."

At 10pm on the Monday, however, the agent called to say that the errant genius had been located and - Best foot forward - would be on a plane into Newcastle the following afternoon.

"I must admit that until I saw him coming down the steps, I didn't know if he'd be there or not," says Jim.

"He was always a man of his word with me when we were in the Northern Ireland squad together, but at the time he'd gained a bit of a reputation for not turning up for things.

"He probably played more testimonials than anyone else, but that night he was as good as gold. I knew he'd had his moments, but he was no problem at all."

Wednesday's Echo reported that Best "stole the show" before a 7,425 crowd, despite Platt's second half appearance at centre forward and Sunderland's 2-1 win.

Afterwards, most of the players had headed for a night on the town. George Best, recalls Ray, charged only his air fare - no fee - and went straight back to his hotel to telephone his wife.

Once manager of Darlington, Jim Platt is now a coach in Middlesbrough's Football in the Community programme. "If I'd played 20 years later I could have retired, but I love working with the children," he says.

"I tell them I played when goalkeepers didn't wear gloves. They don't believe me."

Boro's attempt to sign Best ended in failure. "Bobby and the chairman went down to London but nothing came of it," says Jim. "I don't think George turned up."

The Durham Coast Cricket League, a bit unfamiliar to us inland lubbers, held its annual dinner on Friday. The column spoke, not everyone listened.

Teams range from Castle Eden in the south to Bill Quay, on the banks of the Tyne. Most are so close to the main road it might be called the A19 League.

Teas have gone up to £1.70, Dawdon won the second division for the first time since 1936, and in the third division cup something even more remarkable happened.

Castle Eden lost their semi-final; the other three semi-finalists all played wrong 'uns and probably felt right 'uns after being kicked out. "A mix-up between league and cup rules" said league chairman Roy Simpson, whose own club, Peterlee, were among the offenders.

By virtue of playing by the book, Castle Eden won the cup.

Word on the dinner service, incidentally, is that the marvellous Frankie Baggs isn't too clever. Familiar as a compere of charity and sporting events for more than 50 years, he recently won a top honour in Hartlepool's "Champions of the Community" awards. Get well soon, old friend.

The following evening to Stafford Place Cricket Club's annual presentation. "Drink what you like, it's on the house," they said, and promise of a highly convivial evening duly materialised.

Named after a Thornaby pottery, the club is celebrating its centenary. "I'll speak for 100 minutes, then," said the ever-voluble Brent "Bomber" Smith, long familiar in North-East league cricket.

Liam O'Donoghue, an engaging Aussie, topped both the batting aggregates and the ducks table and was also third in the Langbaurgh League's ducks parade with Swainby players making up the rest of the top five.

Not altogether surprisingly, Swainby finished bottom.

Ian McCubbin, Liam's fellow countryman, had nine innings, one not out and ten runs, averaging 1.25. "Once he gets a single the blood goes to his head," said Liam.

Steve Livingstone was player of the year, Steve Hollis - a relation of the renowned Stan Hollis VC - won the frying pan for most dropped catches.

Dear old Bomber, 51 now, took the Saturday team's batting and bowling awards for the second year running, though his 28.72 batting average was some way behind the chap who averaged 40.

The other feller hadn't had ten innings. "Bomber brought that rule in," they said.

Back from a sportsmen's dinner of his own, the Rev Frank Campbell - a Church of Scotland minister who produces football programmes for Prudhoe Town and Evenwood Town - confesses himself impressed by Big Jack Charlton.

Jack told of one of his Irish sojourns when he'd been invited to start a race for blind people and their dogs.

Auckland grieves man who always went West

Many mourn Paul Adamson, who died last week while playing the game he loved. West Auckland FC grieves as greatly as anyone.

Though he played all over the place, Adda always came back to West. His ashes will be scattered in the penalty area - "it might bring us luck" says general manager Stuart Alderson - following his funeral on Thursday.

"He loved us like we loved him," says club secretary Allen Bayles.

Adda, as generally he was known, collapsed and died during a Durham County referees' five-a-side competition in Durham. "He'd told his wife they were only there to make up the numbers, but they were playing in the final," says Stuart.

Adda, then 38, also scored in every round when in 1998 West Auckland reached the FA Cup first round proper before losing in a replay to Yeovil.

A few days before his death, he'd been back at the club for a night to honour former chairman Norman Ayton's 50 years service.

"He told us that in a couple of years he'd be back as manager, but that he lived every day as if it were his last," says Stuart.

Proper solemnities will be observed tonight when West play Esh Winning, one of his former clubs. His funeral is at St Mark's church, Darlington - his home town - at 2.15pm on Thursday.

More sad news for our old friend Bulldog Billy Teesdale - one of cricket's true characters - and an explanation why he and Evenwood Cricket Club have raised so much (chiefly from the column) for cystic fibrosis research.

More than 30 years ago, we learn, Billy's baby daughter died from the disease before her first birthday. Last week another daughter, 29-year-old Julie Savage from West Auckland, became a cystic fibrosis victim.

"Her first 48 hours was a fight for life but at least they knew what to look out for," says John Teesdale, Billy's brother.

"At first they put Julie's life expectancy at between six and ten but she battled on to almost 30. She was a lovely little kid."

Julie's funeral is also on Thursday afternoon, at 2pm at St Helen's parish church.

...and finally

Back again to September 1981. The English, Scottish and Irish team managers at the time (Backtrack, November 14) were Ron Greenwood, Jock Stein and Billy Bingham.

Brian Shaw in Shildon today seeks the identity of the defender who was England's most capped player in the 1970s. We defend this corner again on Friday.

Published: 18/11/2003