The simple ambitions of a life-long Quakers fan

The Quakers' present problems, it should at once be said, have nothing to do with it. It wasn't even the sports section, but the personal finance pages. Club chairman George Reynolds, card marked by the Backtrack column, is only too anxious to help.

Geoff, 56, has cancer of the lung and liver. Last August he was given 12-18 months to live, but continues to battle - his big remaining ambition to hire a box for himself and his friends to watch his "beloved" Quakers at their handsome new stadium.

"It may seem a strange wish," says the Mail on Sunday, but Geoff has been a rain and shine fan for more than 40 years.

His problem is money. Though he has two pension funds, neither will pay him out in full, and one not at all, despite enforced early retirement - a "particularly scandalous" case, says the Mail on Sunday.

"Because of draconian laws he can get little or nothing from a pension fund he contributed to all his working life."

Geoff, divorced and without dependants, is presently in Germany receiving immunotherapy treatment in an attempt to buy time.

He lives in Manchester and appears not to be related to the three Wedges in the Darlington area phone book, all within a few hundred yards of each other in Hurworth and most with local cricket connections.

George Reynolds, contacted whilst returning from a charity night at Foo Foo's Palace in Manchester, offered immediate help, however.

"We'll put a big do on for him and his friends at Feethams and also at the new ground. He can have a box and the best of both worlds," insists George.

"They will be red carpet affairs. It sounds a really terrible case."

We are attempting to contact Geoff Wedge. And the new, 25,000 capacity stadium? "It'll be open this year," the chairman insists.

"Sex on the beach", it promised outside the Prague bar in Whitley Bay. Like peach stripper, it proved to be a cocktail. A bit old for such fun and frolics, the column drank Tetley's instead.

It was the blazer boys' reception before the FA Carlsberg Vase semi-final, perhaps the first time in history that a match between two Northern League sides has had to be delayed in order to get everyone in.

Whitley Bay FC was also the venue the previous evening for Tyne Tees Television's "Late Night Legends" programme, an entertainment overlooked by Northern League secretary Tony Golightly until belatedly reminded of it by his wife.

Mr Golightly, a student of 18th century literature, was watching Fanny Hill on Channel 5 instead.

Another viewer - a Whitley Bay neighbour, it transpired - accepted Malcolm Macdonald's invitation to e-mail his comments. "If you'd turn that generator off I might get some sleep," he said.

Whitley Bay won the first leg 2-1 before a 1,816 crowd, the return at Durham City this Saturday. The lunchtime reception is at the Tavern in West Sherburn, which may be more to the League chairman's taste. There's not much sex on the beach in Sherburn.

On Friday evening to Shildon, where the pitch bore a pretty close resemblance to a beach and the match was perforce postponed.

The clubhouse talking point, of course, was the likely ground sharing deal between Shildon and their old rivals Bishop Auckland, being discussed last night at a Shildon board meeting.

If agreed, the deal will mean upgrading Shildon's ground to UniBond premier division standard - including unspecified "press facilities".

Shildon chairman Gordon Hampton provides his own soundbites: "I'm working on a mobile phone and a bottle of Scotch," he says.

All these postponements play havoc with the ground hoppers, of course.

Poor Darlo John has been driven down south, and a couple of nights on Swindon railway station, in an attempt to see some football.

Hartlepool John, the peripatetic postman, has generally kept closer to home, preferring to watch Cullercoats whilst everyone else was on Whitley Bay watch.

Latest scores for season 2001-02: Darlo John 139 matches; Hartlepool John 172.

Formed in 1892 with seven teams, the Auckland and District League finds itself 110 years later with just eight.

"It's not that we're about to fold or anything," says league president Bob Strophair, "but you know what it's like these days trying to get people to play football on a Saturday afternoon...."

The original (if not necessarily magnificent) seven were Shildon Town, Shildon Rangers, Tow Law, Wolsingham, Hunwick Rovers, St Helen's and Witton Park.

The following season they were joined, among others, by Shildon Heroes - lots of those, of course - and by Rise Carr, from Darlington.

Once there were two populous divisions; recently the Auckland district extended to Hartlepool. Now the league, always among the strongest local competitions in the region and with century-old silver trophies of bank vaulting ambition, will welcome any teams from the southern half of the old county of Durham.

Witton Park, who left last year, are expected to join the Crook and District in the summer, with Woodland bringing numbers there to 12. Middleton-in-Teesdale, another Auckland side, were among foot-and-mouth disease's less obvious casualties.

Bob acknowledges that just a few over the eight would be heady indeed.

He's on 01388 773217.

Michael Patterson, owner of the renowned Daleside Arms at Croxdale, seeks information on a coupler of "Albert" chain fobs he bought for his wife.

Both turn out to be gold football medals - Willington AM (Aged Miners?) CC 1920-21 and Spennymoor Charity Cup 1913-14 - both made by the renowned Fattorini and Co in Bolton and both awarded to J T Northcote.

Michael would greatly welcome information on the clearly talented Mr Northcote. We'll pass on details.

...and finally

The man who seven times played county cricket for Durham and who won FA Cup winners medals with two different clubs (Backtrack, March 22) was the late Raich Carter - and it fooled everyone. The great Horatio gained his medals with Sunderland in 1937, Derby County in 1947 and also won an Irish Cup medal, with Cork, in 1957.

Bob Foster in Ferryhill today seeks the identity of the six post-war Football League (or Premiership) managers who have managed clubs in more than 1,000 competitive games.

We manage an answer on Friday.

Published: 26/03/2002