A season of farewells

Two in today's Backtrack, another in Thursday's John North, a fourth in Saturday's At Your Service. It may fairly be said that Jackie Brown had a good run for his money, mind, and a contented one, too.

We wrote of him in 1995 - "I'll talk to innybody, me," he'd said - supposed him Britain's oldest racegoer after the Queen Mother.

He was 90 at the time, warmed himself by a handsome Ferryhill fire, showed off his card tricks - "I was deein' tricks afore that Paul Daniels was born" - and warned that he was a bit of a sharp shark, too.

"Great bare-faced robbery," said Jackie.

Chiefly, however, he had talked of his lifelong love affair with Sedgefield Races, an 80-year passion which cleared every hurdle that life could throw at it.

"I've been to Ascot and aal ower the shop, " he said, "but I'll always come back to Sedgefield."

Born in West Cornforth, upped sticks to Ferryhill Station, he first walked to the races - "five mile, easy" - when he was 11.

"There was nee hoss boxes built in them days so the hosses went by train to Sedgefield and then they had to walk, an' all.

"I used to stop off school and get the stick next day, but it didn't matter so long as I got to Sedgefield."

Jackie, barely 5ft tall in his black burnished boots, was himself often mistaken for a jockey, though he never got a ride. Your father had to have hosses in the stables, he recalled, and his father's hosses only pulled carts.

His dad was the midden man, the scavenger, the euphemistic night porter.

Jackie, wonderful character, also won leek, pigeon and chrysanthemum trophies, helped on a fruit stall on Ferryhill market and supped free ale at the Workmen's, a privilege munificently extended to the over-nineties.

The organist at his funeral last Friday rang to mark the column's card. "I thought you'd like to know," and in that same bitter-sweet spirit we are glad of the chance to commemorate it.

Arthur Metcalfe, a North-East cycling great and winner of the 1964 Milk Race, has also died. He was 64, and had cancer.

"His record as both an amateur and professional cyclist makes him one of Hartlepool's most successful sportsmen ever," says Tom Pailor, vice-president of Hartlepool Cycling Club.

Arthur, the president, joined the club as a 17-year-old and in a 25- mile time trial the following day left all, gasping, in his wake.

"The outstanding talent and potential which Arthur showed in that first event was matched by his modesty and unassuming manner," says Tom.

In his first Milk Race - the 1,400- mile Tour of Britain - he was 23rd, in the next seventh and in the third, despite two punctures, he got the cream.

In 1966 he achieved a still unique double - national road racing champion and Britain's best all-rounder. Arthur turned professional, twice completed the 2,900 mile Tour de France - narrowly missing a stage win - and was UK Professional Mackeson championship winner in 1968.

Year after year he also excelled in the 140-mile Vaux Gold Tankard, Britain's leading one- day event contested over 116 miles around Weardale. Though he never won he was second three times, third once and fourth twice - an unequalled record.

In the early 1970s he won the Tour of South Africa, with Sean Kelly third.

After reclaiming amateur status, Arthur continued to leave others trailing, not least in 1974. His 100 miles in 4-1-45 and 270.39 miles in 12 hours remain club records.

His funeral is at St Chad's church, Far Headingley, Leeds, at 10.45am on Friday. Cyclists from all over Britain, and beyond, are expected to attend.

And finally...

The only team to have played in an FA Cup final on five different grounds (Backtrack, December 13) is Wolves - at The Oval, Fallowfield, Crystal Palace, Stamford Bridge and Wembley. Fred Alderton in Peterlee today invites the name of the Football League side which began life as Heaton Norris Rovers.

The answer to that, and to much else which readers may well have forgotten, in the Backtrack annual round-up on Friday

Published: 17/12/2002