Crook Town are crossing their fingers that Newcastle manager Sir Bobby Robson will be able to attend his side's friendly at the Millfield against Newcastle United next Thursday.

Newcastle agreed to send a team for a fund-raising friendly thanks to the help of Sir Tom Cowie, and it looks as if Robson will be putting in an appearance.

Crook chairman Steve Buddle said: "I have seen the letter Bobby has sent to Sir Tom, and he has stated that he will be sending the best side he can with a few household names. It should be a good night, especially as Peter Beardsley is also making an appearance."

Meanwhile, Crook's request to postpone their game against Easington on Wednesday has been turned down by the league, which has instead suggested that the game should go ahead on Tuesday instead.

Buddle said: "I wrote to the league personally to plead our case, because the Newcastle game is a massive deal for us, but permission was denied us. I feel a little hard done by, because Easington had agreed to switch the match to December, but we have to live with the decision."

Durham City have signed striker Glen Robson, who was released by Darlington on Wednesday.

Robson was with Durham earlier in the season after he left Blyth, but then he joined Quakers when Mick Tait was manager.

However, he has failed to gain a regular place in the first team, and he was released by new boss David Hodgson in midweek.

Robson couldn't play in the Durham Challenge Cup tie at Shildon in midweek because of the seven day rule, but he is eligible for Durham's FA Vase tie against Selby next week.

Brandon manager Kenny Lindoe reckons that his players need a confidence boost.

Brandon's chances of retaining their league title appear to be slipping away after they lost 3-0 at Bedlington last Saturday, on the same ground where they clinched the championship last season.

"The players need to get a degree of confidence back," he said. "We haven't conceded the title yet because there's still a long way to go, but we have to start winning games again.

"The players don't seem to be hungry and sharp enough. Maybe they need a confidence boost, but maybe it's time for a possible restructuring. They don't become bad players overnight, but maybe too many are of the same ilk, and the blend isn't right."

Northern League chairman Mike Amos has again pressed the other pyramid leagues to consider the league's position.

Amos attended a meeting with the UniBond, Northern Counties East and North West Counties League on Monday night to discuss the latest situation in the pyramid, in which the UniBond intends to use its feeder leagues to replace clubs heading for the newly-formed Conference North at the end of the season.

For several seasons, Amos has been wanting the powers-that-be to address the ANL's geographical isolation with the rest of the pyramid, and he said: "I implored the other leagues at the meeting to review the proposals.

"As I've said before, we are in even greater danger of being marooned from the rest of the system. The new proposals don't help our isolation, and the bridges are burning fast.

"How can the other leagues expect our clubs to go into the UniBond First Division, when they'll be faced with trips to Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire?"

Four clubs have shown an interest in joining the UniBond, and Amos said: "It looks as if any club wanting to move into the UniBond will have to finish in the top three at the end of the season. If they don't , then they probably won't be considered by the UniBond.

"There seems to be a misunderstanding in our league that there's a boat to catch, but there isn't one anyway."

Amos believes that the UniBond could re-elect its three bottom clubs, and then take the remainder from its feeder leagues.

Horden manager Eddie Freeman has admitted: "There is a lot of work to do."

After a week in which Horden surprisingly lost to Second Division Murton in the League Cup and to Washington in the First Division, Horden have slid down the table, and could even be counted as relegation outsiders after a good start to the season.

Freeman said: "I've been in the job for three weeks now, and I've had a good look at the players.

"There is a lot more work to do than what my assistant, Kenny Charlton, and I originally thought.

"I was very disappointed with the Murton result. They outbattled us, and they deserved to win. There have been one or two positives, but we can't afford to ignore the negatives.

"There is a real lack of consistency. When it's eleven versus eleven, then we should do a lot better."

Tow Law manager Steve Smith is pleased that his side doesn't have many more midweek matches.

"I've never known a club which has so many people missing during the week," he said.

"There have been games when we've been missing at least four players, and on top of the injuries, we've been struggling.

"Now that we have Saturday matches for the time being, we can maybe field a settled side."

Unfortunately, Lawyers lost 1-0 at home to bottom club Penrith last Saturday, and Smith said: "We could have played for another fortnight and not scored. It was one of those days when I sensed early on in the game that it wasn't going to be our day. We missed a great chance to move up the table."

Washington's 3-1 home win over Horden last Saturday was the first time this season that they had won a Saturday game.

Billingham Town have signed striker Paul Coleby from West Auckland. Coleby was previously with Northallerton. They have also signed midfielder Martin O'Riordan, who played for Bishop Auckland last season.

League champions Brandon have transferred striker Rob Marsden back to his previous club Hebburn.

Meanwhile, midfielder Kris Leighton, who has been banned by Durham FA for 12 weeks for headbutting, has been suspended by the Northern League until he attends a disciplinary committee hearing.

Seaham Red Star have placed midfielder Darren Liddle on the transfer list, while striker Paul Taylor has been told that he must stay at Seaham by the Northern League management committee.

Former Washington defender James Curtis, who signed for Gateshead during the summer, is going for a trial at Football League club Oldham Athletic.

Shildon won't get an exemption to the last qualifying round of the FA Cup next season.

It was thought that after they went out at Notts County on Sunday that they would get an exemption to the last qualifying round next season, but the exemption system was scrapped by the FA a few years ago.

Instead, in line with their league status, Shildon might have to start way back at the preliminary round.

Easington have been fined £50 and kicked out of the Craven Cup after failing to send a team to Alnwick last week.

Easington claimed that they were unable to raise a team because most of the team were suffering from flu.

The revised draw for the third round of the Northern League Cup is: Alnwick v South Shields, Shildon or Brandon United v Murton, Esh Winning v Northallerton, Penrith v Marske United, Washington v Billingham Synthonia, Dunston v Whickham, Durham v Thornaby, Washington Nissan v Morpeth. Ties to be played in January. The outstanding Shildon v Brandon game is due to be played next Wednesday at Dean Street.

Tomorrow's fixtures

Division One: Bedlington v Tow Law, Billingham Synthonia v Dunston, Brandon v Penrith, Guisborough v Thornaby, Horden v Chester-le-Street, Jarrow Roofing v Esh Winning, Marske v West Auckland, Shildon v Durham City, Whitley Bay v Morpeth.

Division Two: Alnwick v Newcastle Blue Star, Crook v Whickham, Easington v Norton, Hebburn v Murton, Kennek Ryhope CA v Prudhoe, Newcastle Benfield Saints v Consett, Seaham Red Star v Ashington, Shotton v Northallerton, South Shields v Willington, Washington Nissan v Evenwood.

Durham Challenge Cup: Billingham Town v Peterlee (1.30pm).