A 'Wacky' day indeed down in deepest Emley

"There was hardly a soul left in the village that day, people seeing the M25 for the first time who'd probably never been beyond Sheffield in their lives," recalls lifelong fan Alan Walker, the former Emley miner who joined Durham County Cricket Club from Northamptonshire in 1994 and is now second team coach and Stockton's professional.

Matt Wood, the Yorkshire batsman named this week in England's Academy squad, is another Emley lad. So is Ryan Robinson, Alan's cousin, who played a few one day games for Durham.

The village is above Huddersfield, the team known locally as the Pewits - same as peewit, otherwise lapwing. "There's quite a few of them about," says Alan, himself known universally as Wacky.

Already in the UniBond Premier division, Emley narrowly missed promotion last season and now lodge with Wakefield Trinity in order to meet Conference ground criteria.

Wakefield, Wacky reckons, is the biggest city in England without a Football League club - Guildford may run it close - and there's plenty of money available.

He's worried, for all that. "Ronnie Glavin has done a great job as manager and wants to progress, but moving out hasn't been popular in the village.

"I'm sure that somewhere along the line they'll end up being called Emley Trinity, and who knows what after that. It looks like the thin end of the wedge."

Emley had begun that extraordinary Cup campaign in the first qualifying round, seen off Durham City 5-0 in the second and after beating Lincoln City on penalties in the second round proper were drawn at West Ham - six divisions and 116 places higher. Part of the plan, apparently, was to get Mr Hartson upset.

Though Frank Lampard gave the Hammers an early lead, Paul David equalised after 56 minutes. Hartson calmly headed the late winner.

"I've had some great times in cricket," says Wacky Walker, "but that was the most incredible, the most unbelievable day of my life."

ON the familiar ground that flings aint what they used to be, Tuesday's column also sought more information - authentication, in truth - on Robert Percival, the Shildon lad still credited with hurling a cricket ball 144 yards and two feet, further than any man in history.

The debate is itself a throwback, as the Bearded Wonder points out. It was aired in Wisden in 1977, when a correspondent unearthed an article on Percival's prowess in the Victorian publication Scores and Biographies (Volume XIV, page 1075.)

His throw on Durham Sands, it said, had not only been measured by the committee but duly recorded in the Auckland Herald and Times the following Saturday in April 1884.

Scores and Biographies added that Percival had been undefeated in cricket ball throwing competitions across south Durham, until debarred at Barnard Castle on the grounds that no one else stood a chance.

The dear old BW can also reveal that he was generally known as Percy, may have originated from Coundon, played for Bishop Auckland and later New Brighton, was left handed and that the great North-East sports writer Arthur Appleton was also keenly interested in him.

The Wonder has no doubt. "I'm quite sure," he says, "that he did it."

THE Rev Leo Osborn, the Albany Northern League's chaplain, was instituted in St Nic's Cathedral in Newcastle last night as chairman of the Newcastle Methodist district - equivalent of bishop in an area from Tweed to Wear.

The cathedral was packed and the service flawless. We hear of domestic difficulties at the new manse, however.

Leo, who will continue his unique League chaplaincy, is not only an ardent Aston Villa fan but has shifted great hairy chests of programmes, books and other memorabilia from his old home in Cullercoats.

"My wife has decreed that the district chairman's book shelves shouldn't entirely be filled with Aston Villa stuff," he laments.

"There's a cellar but it's only 5ft 9in and I'm 5ft 11ins. At the moment nothing has left the crates."

Good soul that he is, he's working towards a peaceful settlement. A draw, adds Leo, would be a great result.

APROPOS of little, Ian Forsyth from Durham recalls that in the 1970s there was a football club in High Spen, near Gateshead, called Spenfica and another in Villa Real - part of Consett - called Villa Real Madrid. He may like to know, and the Rev Leo Osborn certainly would, that the new North Riding FA handbook lists an almost familiar team in a town between Middlesbrough and Redcar. They are, of course, Eston Villa.

NOT so much a good turn as over 1,000, the athletes at Aurora Harriers in Chester-le-Street have run and run to help an outward bound school in the foot-and-mouth affected Lake District.

Annually Aurora enter the Bendrigg 10k, raising funds for the school near Kendall which helps disabled and disadvantaged youngsters. When foot-and-mouth forced its cancellation, Aurora decided to go it alone.

A 200 mile relay round the playing field at Birtley began at 6am and had covered the distance by 3.40pm. They added another 107 miles before collapsing into a heap, and £1480.

"Magnificent lads and lasses," says club secretary Trevor McDermott, and there'll be more of him anon.

MUCH excitement at Bedale Golf Club. Heartbeat arrived to film a tee shot.

A ladies' tee became a men's tee for the occasion, endless equipment - suitably disinfected - was carted across on a greenkeeper's tractor and trailer, numerous rehearsals were held and the scene - featuring Derek Faulds (Oscar Blaketon) and Clive Mantle (Vinny Saunders) - filmed in minutes.

Its exposure will be even briefer. "We're told it will be very short," says club member John Walker. "A heartbeat might just about cover it."

TECHNICAL knock out, the lads from the historic and hugely successful Shildon Boxing Club have lost their fight to stay in the town.

We told on July 21 of their impending homelessness, a problem apparently resolved when Sedgefield District Council offered facilities at Shildon Sunnydale leisure centre.

"Though it would have been £57 a week, we were over the moon," says club chairman Tommy Taylor. They fell to earth, however, after being told on a visit to the centre that the rooms belonged to Sunnydale school, not the council.

"We offered them the rent and they refused it," says Tom, whose two boxers in the national championships earlier this month won bronze medals.

"The reason they didn't get gold was purely and simply because they weren't fit enough, they had nowhere proper to train.

"This club has been so successful because we look after our boxers, send them to fight all over. If we'd been paying out £57 a week we'd hardly have been able to afford to send them to Darlington, but it would have been worth it to stay in Shildon."

Formed after the First World War under the railways' wing, the club will now share with Bishop Auckland Boxing Club on the Woodhouse Close estate. "We're grateful to them, of course," says Tom, "but so far as Sedgefield Council is concerned, we're absolutely disgusted."

ON a high at Tow Law, the football club has persuaded Bobby Robson to make a guest appearance at a September 28 fundraising evening in the community centre - maximum attendance, 100.

Tickets, just £12, include supper, question and answer with the admirable Mr Robson and further entertainment by Oliver, a Chester-le-Street based comedian who, apparently, will only play to mixed audiences.

Charlie Donaghy, who's been knocking on the Magpie manager's door for months, can still accept cheques. He's at 31 Campbell Street, Tow Law, Co Durham DL13 4DX.

AFEW miles down hill, The Story of Crook Town FC will officially be launched next Thursday evening at a do in the clubhouse - former players and supporters particularly welcome.

Among those they hope to see are Tyne Tees Television presenter Judy McCourt whose dad Danny, still fit and well, was Crook's right back in the 1964 FA Amateur Cup final. It was the last of five Amateur Cup triumphs: Crook Town 2 Enfield 1.

THE trio who appeared in each of Liverpool's three FA Cup final victories between 1986-92 (Backtrack, August 28) were Bruce Grobbelaar, Steve Nicol and Ian Rush.

Arnold Alton in Heighington, a formidable Northern League centre-half in his day, seeks the identity of the Bishop Auckland player who appeared in the same position in all six of the Bishops' Wembley finals and, rather trickier, the Bishops' player - later with Darlington - whose picture appeared in the Wembley programme but who never made the team.

Arnold would also love to know the whereabouts of Harry McIlvanney, the two blues' centre forward in the 1950 and 1951 finals. The column turns up again on September 11.