THE lyricist Sir Tim Rice, whose improbable Sunderland allegiance we mentioned on Tuesday, owes it to prep school days in Harpenden, Herts.

Everyone else, he explains, supported big clubs like Wolves, who had Billy Wright, and Bolton Wanderers and the Lion of Vienna. Young Timothy supported Sunderland because he liked the name.

An interview in the southern supporters' magazine 5573 also reveals - as Tuesday's column noted - that Tony Blair told Sir Tim he was a "Sunderland devotee", too.

5573 is cynical. "It takes the Prime Minister's desire to be al things to all men to the ultimate extreme," it says.

STILL with Sunderland, John Briggs from Darlington draws attention to the Carling Opta statistics which reveal that not only is the Premiership player with the season's most yellow cards among red and white ranks but the most fouled player, too. Identities at the foot of the column.

Paul Dobson from Bishop Auckland recalls the Sunderland player who waited 12 years for his debut - Danny Hegan, signed in 1961, never shook off the stiffs, travelled, adventured and came back to Roker Park from Wolverhampton in 1973. He played just three full games, and was last heard of teaching football at Billy Butlin's.

NOT content with joining the throng at Marske United's FA Carlsberg Vase quarter final against Bedlington tomorrow, Vera Baird QC - Redcar's Labour candidate at the next election - plans to keep up the pace with New Marske Harriers.

Her Bedlington Terrier, named Zack, is unlikely to be her running mate.

"He won't jog," reports Vera, a four miles a morning type when in London. "I guess because the breed is a whippet cross originally he can run like the wind when chasing a squirrel but is out of puff after 200 stately yards with me.

"He then slaps all four anchors. Hence I need human company."

She will be non-com, for all that. "I hope," says Vera, "that the football team does rather better than I do."

A LINE to illustrate how devastating is the weather report. When our friends from Darlington Greyhounds beat the Rolling Mills 2-1 on February 17, it was their first League game since October 21.

APROPOS of nothing whatever, the Bearded Wonder reports that the Football League player with the most forenames is Anthony Philip David Terry Frank Donald Stanley Gerry Gordon Stephen James Oatway - the names of the Queens Park Rangers first team, apparently, when he was born in November 1973. Unable to get to grips with any of that, his team mates at Cardiff call him Charlie instead.

THE only team which has played FA Cup finals on five different grounds (Backtrack February 27) was meant to be Wolves - Kennington Oval, Fallowfield (Manchester), Crystal Palace, Stanford Bridge and Wembley.

Keith Belton from Stockton, Joe Brady from Houghton-le-Spring and Brian Richardson from Brandon all additionally nominates West Brom. Kennington Oval, Crystal Palace, Derby Racecourse, Bramall Lane and Wembley.

The Premiership's most cautioned player this season is Don Hutchinson and the most offended against his team mate, big Niall.

Bill Moore from Coundon today seeks the identity of the three footballers who've scored hat tricks in major cup finals at Wembley.

Three and easy again on Tuesday.