Cricket, perhaps inevitably, resumes without the undulating glories of Gillamoor and High Farndale, the unique splendours of Spout House or Rievaulx's timeless tapestry. The Feversham League has been hit by foot-and-mouth, too.

The league, pride of North Yorkshire and joy of the Backtrack column, was already down to eight clubs after the withdrawal of Duncombe Park's second team - a departure diplomatically described as "disappointing."

Duncombe Park, says Feversham press officer Charles Allenby, was regarded as the "home" of the league. "It would appear that the league's merits and traditions were not fully appreciated by Duncombe Park's last two professional players whose combined advice, it is understood, had a bearing on the decision to withdraw."

Surrounded by farming folk, Rievaulx and Spout House could neither raise a team nor use their ground, High Farndale had a team but a ground out of bounds, Slingsby had a ground but insufficient players.

The clubs meet again on May 23 in the hope of salvaging something from the season, which usually ends in early August, anyway. After that, the farmers have the harvest to worry about as well.

Dean and Chapter Cricket Club folded 26 years ago, apathy the killer disease. Tony Johns, wicket keeper from 1961-75, plans a reunion of all concerned.

The idea arose as an indirect result of the Selby rail tragedy. "One of the survivors interviewed on television was a chap called Ray Brunskill who used to play for us," says Tony.

"I'd not seen him for ages and began to wonder what had happened to some of the others."

The last time we'd seen Tony, incidentally, was when he ran the Chilton WMC football team that beat Darlington Reserves 4-3 in the Durham and District Sunday League third division. It was the Quakers' Conference season, 1989-90; some of the old pro's were decidedly unamused.

Dean and Chapter was at Ferryhill, a pit team originally, its better players including Bill Gates who became famous as a footballer, made a fortune from sports shops, now lives in the Cayman Islands and owns the Whitworth Hall Hotel near Spennymoor, which is where the do will be on May 30.

Tony's been involved since childhood, travelled to away matches on the team bus ("we even had one of those"), was given five bob to go to the pictures after the match while the big boys went to the pub.

He'd love to hear from anyone with Dean and Chapter connections: (01388) 720137.

Child's play, presumably, the Albany Northern League match between Eppleton and Thornaby the other day was halted when two feuding six-year-olds chased one another across the pitch. Their fathers, it transpired, were on opposing sides. "You'd better sort it out," the ref told the respective dads - what's known as catching them young.

Encountered at last week's Bradford PA do to honour Len Shackleton's memory, Malcolm Hartley points out that referee Mike North - who collapsed during the Southend-Mansfield match last month - was the fourth Football League official to die in action since the war.

Jack Husband of Wandsworth collapsed at half time of the Leicester v West Brom FA Cup tie in 1960, Jim Finn (Chigwell) on the hour of Exeter's game with Stockport in 1972 and Roy Harper of Sheffield after just eight minutes of the match between York City and Halifax on Monday May 5 1969.

Mr Harper, who had fallen face down in the centre circle, was given heart massage on the pitch and oxygen on the way to hospital but - as in the other two earlier games - play resumed with what might be considered indecent haste.

The Echo reported that proceedings re-started after just six minutes, local official Eric Blott donning a tracksuit to run the line. The match was scrappy, ill-tempered and goalless.

That morning's paper also reported that Darlington had lost 3-2 at home to Southend despite being two up - "Mary Hopkin should have been here," began the match report, enigmatically - that 18-year-old Ally Brown had scored twice on his Leicester debut in the 2-1 win over Sunderland and the West Auckland Guide Dog League (an interesting exercise in blind opportunism) was lead, inevitably, by the Greyhound.

Still in the dog house, Saturday's Independent reports that Boro defender Curtis Fleming - doubtless believing it to reflect his go-get-'em image - bought himself a rottweiler. Whilst the lad was away on Irish international duty, however, his family swapped for one of those docile little lhasa apso things instead.

Back to Malcolm Hartley, a member of the invaluable Association of Football Statisticians, who points out that at the Football League's annual meeting in 1937 a Derby County proposal for four up and four down was carried 30-18 but failed to gain the necessary three-quarters majority.

Had it done so, Newcastle United - 19th in the second division the following season - would have found themselves in the Third Division (North). The average St James's Park gate, incidentally, was just 20,635.

Another Derby proposal, that referees' fees should be doubled forthwith, for some reason failed to find a seconder.

Another with a statistical bent, Lionel Exford writes from Chesterfield - famous for its crooked tower - about some of the North-East lads who've starred for the Spireites.

Dave Blakey from Newburn, Northumberland, still holds the club record 617 Football League appearances, from 1947, Ray Middleton from Boldon kept goal from 1937-51 - and later managed Hartlepools - Jackie Milburn's cousins George and Stan both played from 1937-52 and Jimmy Smallwood, a Bearpark lad who signed from Spennymoor United, played 345 League games between 1949-61.

The club, of course, has much on its mind just now. "Everyone's keeping their fingers crossed," says Lionel. Not in Hartlepool they're not.

Autumn draws in: Ian Kitching from East Rainton Cricket Club rang yesterday with details of the end of season dinner in September. Known for the quality and diversity of their speakers, they'll have England rugby man Wade Dooley this year but admit that his former team mate Martin Bayfield was first choice. Bayfield is spoken for, as it were - he's playing the wizard in the television adaptation of Harry Potter instead.

Darlington Mowden Park Rugby Club plan a colts reunion on May 19 - a happy occasion but with a serious purpose.

It's to benefit Jim Upton, a former colt and occasional first team player, now in a wheelchair after a rugby accident in the south. His house needs major structural alteration.

Now 37, Jim was with Mowden Park from the age of 15 - "non-smoking and non-drinking, a lovely lad in a huge Dr Who scarf," recalls reunion organiser Ken Tate.

Whilst Mowden Park men will be arriving from all over Britain, Ken would be delighted to hear from others. Jim Upton will be guest of honour.

one of the two questions at the foot of Friday's column had map books out all over the region.

The nearest Premiership or Football League ground to the River Mersey - confirmed when Darlington based Tranmere Rovers statistician Steve Wilson came out of mourning - is Stockport County.

The team which replaced Bradford Park Avenue in the Football League in 1970 was Cambridge United.

Readers may today care to name the member of England's 1966 World Cup winning team who made over 100 League appearances for four different clubs.

We're round again on Friday.

Published: Tuesday, May 1, 2001