Brandon go from rags to riches

A dozen or so miles to the north, Kenny Lindoe was managing Annfield Plain to the Wearside League title, the club's promotion ambitions thwarted by an ageing and unsatisfactory ground.

Lindoe moved to Brandon, west of Durham, and two seasons later took them to the second division championship.

On Saturday they won the first division for the first time, at Bedlington of all bark-at-the- moon places, and tomorrow are at home to Billingham Synthonia in the League Cup semi-final.

"We were really just bumping along; it's unbelievable what's happened," said the Durham County Council social services officer.

Lindoe, 45, occupies the hot seat at one of the coldest grounds in Christendom, and on a budget far smaller than many of his rivals.

Interviewed in the Easter edition of the Albany Northern League magazine, he admits being a Sunderland fan, that Sir Bobby Robson is his favourite manager and that the queerest thing he's ever seen in football was the expression on the referee's face when his son Kevin came on as a Brandon sub while wearing an Elvis Presley wig.

That the dug-out denizens were simultaneously singing "You ain't nothing but a hound dog" probably did little to ease the poor ref's perplexity.

On Saturday, though the team was headed for a triumphal night on the Tyne, it was rumoured among the 500 crowd that the manager was from a good Salvation Army family and would be stopping at home with a ginger beer and the War Cry crossword.

"That was me grandad," he said, first pint in hand. "I'll be leading them as usual."

l In the second division season that Brandon were third bottom, Washington finished two places lower - lost all but one of their 36 games, scored 26 and conceded 153 and by virtue of having three points deducted ended up with none whatsoever. It seems likely that they'll also finish in the top half of this season's Albany Northern League first division. If at first....

The bairns were at the Boro, where the programme carried a note on Juninho's appearance at a supporters' club meeting. Since his son Lucas was born over here, he was asked, would he allow him to play for England. "Yes, of course," said Juninho, "if he's not good enough to play for Brazil."

It is perhaps fortunate that they don't play much football on weekday lunchtimes: they'd have had to do without referees last Thursday.

Consett Methodist Church overflowed into the anteroom, into the room beyond that and then simply into standing room for the funeral of John Challoner.

"A fine referee and a good man," said the Rev Leo Osborn, the Albany Northern League chaplain. John, a 37-year-old father of two, had been an assistant ref at an ANL first division match the previous Saturday and controlled a local game the following morning.

After taking his daughter swimming that afternoon, he complained of feeling unwell, went to bed and was found dead there. He should have been an assistant referee at the Bedlington v Brandon match, the silence impeccably observed, and was in line for promotion next season.

Two days earlier, we'd attended the funeral at Evenwood of legendary Northern League manager Billy Bell, carried from the church to the strains of Softly As I Leave You.

John, lovely man, left to the background of Wonderwall, by Oasis. "Today is gonna be the day, That they're going to throw it back to you...."

More success at Brandon: the Station have become the first village side to lift the Durham Minor Cup since Brandon Social, before a 4,500 crowd, in 1936.

Though the crowd was about 4,400 fewer, victory over Sporting Club Sunderland was probably just as sweet - especially for Robert Halliday whose grandfather was in the 1936 side.

Without financial support or facilities, the team was started in 2000-01 by former Northern League goalkeeper John Bottenschein ("loud but good," he says) and ex-Bishop Auckland player Paul Stout. Stout, says his pal, was "a horrible little midfielder." In their first season they finished mid-table in the Auckland and District League. In the second, helped by some old Northern League heads, they won the league cup, were second in the league and runners-up in two other cups.

Last week they appeared in two more cup finals and are mid-table in the Durham Alliance League, with umpteen games still to fit in.

"We think it's a massive achievement," says John, quietly. "A remarkable season no matter what."

After 110 years, the Auckland and District League is no more, of course, suspended at the end of last season because of falling numbers and, sadly, still hanging there.

Now there are fears that the 90-year-old Auckland Youth League may go the same way, after starting this season with nine teams and ending with just six.

League secretary Bob Farms, ironically, had also taken over as Auckland and District League secretary halfway through its final season. "I'm starting to get a bit worried about my track record," he says.

The reasons are manifold, Bob suspects: too few volunteers, too many youngsters spending Saturdays watching the Premiership instead of playing, no support - unlike adult sides - from the local pub.

"By the time kids get to 16 they also don't want their parents around as much. We can't count on them for help like the younger sides and the knock-on effect is that once youngsters drift out of football, they don't come back.

"The future is looking very worrying. It will be hard to carry on with just six".

The league is for under 18s throughout south Durham. Interested clubs should contact Bob Farms on 01388 818192. A decision, he says, will have to be made pretty shortly.

And finally...

The Scottish club which reached its first ever cup final last season (Backtrack, April 18) was Ayr United.

Today back to Bedlington Terriers, admirable in defeat. Their five successive Northern League championships is an achievement shared by just one other club, which readers are invited to name.

With more crack from Mr Cracked It, the column returns on Friday.

Published: 22/04/2003