George Aitken, a pugnacious Sunderland half back for most of the 1950s, has died, aged 77.

A former miner, he played in the East Fife team which twice reached the Scottish Cup final after the war and was capped five times by Scotland - always on the winning side.

After a brief spell with Third Lanark, he moved to Roker Park in November 1951 for a hefty £19,500 - "it proved sound business," says All the Lads, the book of Sunderland biographies.

Aitken became renowned for his no-nonsense style and long throw and won three more international caps.

After 267 appearances, but just three goals, he moved to Gateshead for £3,500 in March 1959, missed just two games the following season but then retired. He worked in the motor trade in Sunderland.

Northern Cross, the newspaper of the Roman Catholic diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, carries two pages of "Prayers and petitions" for those in great need.

Supplications range from the seriously ill to a man on death row in Georgia, from the homeless and the helpless to the following:

"How long, O Lord, how long have we to remain on our knees to provide the spiritual inspiration needed to power the denizens of the Stadium of Light....?"

It goes on to ask that the team might find joy and hope in their hearts, adds that they have nothing against West Ham, Bolton and even their "dear friends" at Newcastle but urges "that when we listen to the results this Saturday it will be with great gladness."

On Saturday Sunderland play the Boro. After the weekend's events, however, some would say that they haven't a prayer already.

Friday's column asked if anyone remembered the Memory Man. Ken Lyons in Stockton thought Leslie Welch unforgettable.

Ken was a bairn, early 60s, when Welch appeared at the Sunderland Empire - £1 on offer, he recalls, for anyone who could stump him.

"Someone asked about the 1923 Cup final. He not only knew the teams but the names of the policeman, the white police horse and the chap who painted the goal posts."

Ken thought he could do better, produced the programme from Sunderland's 1950s floodlit friendly with Moscow Dynamo and invited the Memory Man to name the Russian team.

"He just put his hand on his forehead, closed his eyes and reeled it off. I was sure I'd get a quid that night, the guy was just incredible."

Before the sun set on West Hartlepool Empire, Leslie Welch also appeared there. It was the late 1940s, and PC Matt Hutchinson looked in to pass the time of night and, inevitably, to test his memory.

"Which was the only horse to win the Grand National and a Northumberland Plate in the same season?"

The Memory Man insisted that there hadn't been one, not least because one was a steeplechase and the other a flat race.

PC Hutchinson had the evidence, however. In 1921 the Northumberland Plate was also a hurdle at Hexham and Shaun Spadah won both. The National was worth £7,060 to the owner.

Under interrogation, no doubt, Welch also admitted that he "planted" audience members with set questions - "just to stop things falling flat if there isn't much interest at first."

Matt Hutchinson - later an inspector, now in Middleton Tyas, near Richmond - believed him. "He seemed a really genuine feller."

Matt Hutchinson also kept wicket for Bishop Auckland before the war. Now 86, he is likely to be the oldest former player at a reunion on April 12 to mark the club's 150th anniversary - though those of all ages are most welcome.

Ahead of a summer of celebrations, the club also holds a celebration dinner on March 6, at which the cricket-loving Bishop of Durham makes one of his last local appearances before retirement.

The do's at the Post Chaise Hotel, Graeme Fowler principal speaker and Alan Fox comedian. Tickets are available from Paul Furby at the club or Darren Blenkiron at Peter Lorimer Sports.

There's also a call from George Romaines, president of Bishop Cricket Club but perhaps better remembered for his daily appearances - Shildon's Singing Son - on Tyne Tees Television's One O'Clock Show.

George, a post-war cricketer with Darlington, recognised the four 1950 faces in the picture in Friday's column - not least Rupert Mortimer, a hairdresser in the town.

An incident during the war - "I think it was when the Caf de Paris was bombed" - had left Rupert hard of hearing and in need of an aid.

"It wasn't like the little miniature things they have today," recalls George. "There was a band across his head, something like a big ear phone in his ear, a wire trailing down to the top of his trousers and what looked to be a dial, perhaps for volume on his belt."

Rypert was striding out to the crease one day when an opposing bowler asked if he could get the North Home Service.

"So far as I can remember," says George, "those two never spoke again."

Still deep mining in Horden, Friday's column recalled Jackie Price - and so greatly confused Hails of Hartlepool that he'd to seek urgent assistance from Uncle Albert Kelleher. There were, as the priceless Uncle Albert gently points out, two Jackie Prices.

The younger Price, the Horden lad in Friday's column, was born in 1943, played football for Burnley, Stockport County and Blackburn and cricket for Alexandre's clothing factory in Peterlee against Ron Hails and his Paragonians.

Price the Elder was born in Shotton in 1918, made his Hartlepools United debut in 1939, appeared eight times before the war and 55 thereafter.

There was also an Ernest Price, says Ron, born in Easington in 1926 and played for Darlington and Crystal Palace.

We have been unable to discover what happened to "young" Jackie Price. Price the Elder, says Ron, is still riding his bike to the betting shop in Peterlee.

"Old" Jackie Price's finest moment may have come on August 21, 1948, Rochdale at home in the Pools' first game of the season.

"Win, lose or draw there will be much to talk about on Saturday night," wrote Tatler in the Hartlepool Mail and could never have imagined quite how much.

Rochdale had spent a massive £8,000 on new players. Hartlepools hadn't. Fred Richardson (more of whom shortly) kicked off to Jackie Price, whose pass to Larry Nevins on the wing was swiftly returned. Price volleyed home - timed at ten seconds and to prove the Football League's first and fastest of the season.

Hartlepools won 6-1, a sadly deceptive start. In the remaining 41 games they managed just 39 more goals, and finished seventh bottom.

Much of this rich vein of reminiscence stems from a reference two weeks ago to Eddie Brown, a former Darlington and Warwickshire cricketer whose death was noted by Wisden 20 years after it happened.

We, and cricket historians, have assumed that he was also the Eddie Brown who played for Durham. The Bearded Wonder is puzzled. There was also an Eddie Brown who opened the batting for Seaham Harbour and played for Durham between 1927-30.

"Every reference book could be wrong," fears the BW. Can anyone help sort it out?

...and finally

THE Darlington Harrier apart from George Butterfield to win Olympic honours (Backtrack, February 14) was Joy Grieveson, still in the town.

An interesting one today from Fred Alderton in Peterlee; which Football League ground was used as a prisoner of war camp?

The column, alas, is being sent to Coventry tomorrow. Backtrack doesn't return until next Tuesday.

Published: 18/02/2003