Roseberry's knight to remember...

Though he retired from Middlesex two summers ago, the county has granted him a testimonial year in 2003 - "absolutely loads planned, 120 page brochure, maybe 50 or 60 events down south."

The ball began rolling a fortnight ago with a lavish dinner, Rory Bremner guest speaker, at the London Hilton in Park Lane.

Closer to home, there was also a big do last Thursday at Ramside Hall in Durham - to which he invited Sir Bobby Robson, manager of the opposition.

"We'd never met, but I wrote to him in October last year and a week later he rang me at home. I couldn't believe it" recalls the former opener, now 36.

"Getting hold of people at football clubs is like getting hold of the Pope, but this was a legend ringing me like he might ring the folk next door.

"He just said he didn't write letters, but that was the way he did things and he'd be there. He was absolutely true to his word."

Sir Bobby shared a question and answer session with Niall Quinn, himself not noticeably short on charisma. It ended at 12.45am.

"I changed colours that night, he was such an absolute star," says Mike. "Even when he finally finished speaking, he was happy to sign autographs and chat. People would have stayed all night if he had."

Michael Adamson, another guest, reports seeing football's most celebrated septuagenarian heading homewards at 1.40am - "looking as fresh as if he'd just got out of bed, and no doubt on the training ground at nine o'clock next morning."

Born in Houghton-le-Spring and educated at Durham School, Michael Roseberry played for Middlesex between 1986-94 - hitting 2,044 runs in the glorious summer of 1992 - before four generally under-achieving seasons with Durham. He returned to Middlesex in 1999, his testimonial delayed because Paul Weekes had been promised one last year.

His 11,950 career runs came at an average 33.37, with 21 100s and 58 fifties, but at Durham he hit just one century - against Cambridge University - and averaged 24.72.

He now lives with his wife and two daughters in Witton Gilbert, west of Durham, works for the expanding family-owned leisure group and plays club cricket for Sunderland.

"I thought I'd miss playing professionally, but I haven't really. I was getting too old, not getting enough runs and the travelling was getting a bit much as well.

"I was a bit sceptical about joining Sunderland last year, but I really enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to the Spring."

Last week's sell-out do went so well, he contemplates another North-East dinner in the autumn.

"I wonder," muses M A Roseberry, "if Bobby Robson might have a free night...."

The Albany Northern League magazine - now in full colour, still only 30p - reports that Washington fan Kevin O'Beirne has added a League link to his Frankenstein Sound Lab website. Other links include the Monster Raving Loony Party and the Watching Paint Dry Society. There is absolutely no link, adds the magazine, between the first and the others.

A month after we reported that Horden lad Bob Taylor was having testimonial year troubles at West Bromwich Albion, the tabloids have caught up with the story. Though the admirable Taylor and Baggies' manager Gary Megson haven't spoken for three months, Megson denies that they've fallen out. "I do not have personal bust ups," he says.

The Clayport Library in Durham marks its first anniversary next week with a series of "interesting and exciting" events - so interesting and exciting that, a week tonight, the column will be taking part in a sportswriters' evening.

Also holding forth, and answering questions, will be Harry Pearson - incomparable author of The Far Corner - and Durham County Cricket Club scorer and historian Brian Hunt, who also wrote the Northern League history.

The free event begins at 7.30pm. There may even be a pint or two afterwards.

And finally...

The three members of England's 1966 World Cup winning team who never played in an FA Cup final (Backtrack, February 28) were Nobby Stiles, Martin Peters and George Cohen.

Since St David;s Day is just behind us, readers may today care to name the last Welshman to captain an FA Cup winning side.

Back with the daffodils on Friday.

The footballers who fought to the death

Almost by accident - it was for a different reason entirely that Ian Nannestad sent a copy of his magazine, Soccer History - we have come across the story of the Footballers' Regiment, and of the three North-East heroes who died serving in it.

It is a story of love and war and, since there is nothing new under the sun, of riot police at The Den and of the David Beckham of his day.

CSM Richard McFadden, Pte George Scott and Pte William Jonas all played for Clapton Orient, among 40 O's players and staff who joined the Duke of Cambridge's Regiment when World War I broke out.

"Fans realised that the situation was serious when an anti-aircraft gun was situated on top of the Spion Kop," writes Steve Jenkins in the magazine.

Leading by example, club captain Fred Parker was first to enlist. Many others followed his example, joined the Duke of Cambridge's Regiment and were sent to the trenches of the Somme.

McFadden and Jonas came from Blyth and were old friends. McFadden, Orient's top scorer in the four seasons before the war, had played for Blyth Spartans in the Northern Alliance and Wallsend Park Villa in the North Eastern League before joining the east enders.

Jonas played for Jarrow Croft, joined Havanna Rovers - location unknown - and after scoring 68 goals in two seasons also caught the Orient express...

Despite bandy legs and shortish stature, Jonas became so great a ladies' heartthrob - "receiving up to 50 fan letters a week," says Jenkins - that he was obliged to ask the club to put a notice in the programme, stating that back home in New Washington, Co Durham, he remained happily married to Mary Jane.

It was also Willie Jonas who in 1914-15 was sent off for fighting with the Millwall goalkeeper. Mounted riot police had to be called to clear the crowd and to escort Clapton supporters from the Lions' Den.

When the fighting began in earnest, Jonas was also in the thick of it - and again alongside McFadden who wrote that, moments before going over the top to his death, his friend had asked him to give "special love to my sweetheart Mary Jane and best regards to the lads at the Orient." He was 26 and his body was never found.

McFadden himself died three months later, aged 27.

Though just 5ft 8ins tall, like Willie Jonas, he had been the subject in 1912 of a huge £2,000 transfer bid from Middlesbrough - rejected because he didn't want to leave Clapton.

George Scott was born in West Stanley, Co Durham, had played for Braeside and Sunderland West and was rated among Orient's brightest pre-war stars.

He died in August 1916, described in a Clapton programme obituary as big-hearted and daring - "we can imagine the impetuosity with which he confronted the enemy."

Other tributes included one from King George V - "no football club has paid a greater price for its patriotism."

Steve Jenkins has visited the graves and memorials in France and left behind Orient rosettes. Despite extensive researches, however, he has been unable to find any surviving family of George Scott.

Even now, perhaps, someone may be able to help.

* Soccer History is published quarterly, available for £3.80 from Ian Nannestad, 52 Studland Road, Hall Green, Birmingham B28 8NW.

Published: ??/??/2003