Paul Grayson, one of the Backtrack column's tips for the top as long ago as 1989, has retired from first-class cricket and is making the most of a benefit year with Essex.

One of a well-known Bedale sporting family - his elder brother Simon, 36 in December, is still in Blackpool FC's first team - Paul was back home at the weekend for a benefit night at Bedale Hall.

By the time the column tried to catch up, he'd flown off on a golfing holiday to Spain.

Now 34, the all-rounder made his Yorkshire debut in 1990, moved to Essex in 1996 and made the first of two England one-day appearances in October 2000, against South Africa.

"Grayson was as surprised as anybody," says one of the websites. "He had been on the verge of quitting and working for a brewery in Romford."

His debut produced neither runs nor wickets. The second appearance, exactly a year later, brought six runs and three for 40 against Zimbabwe.

A persistent knee problem meant that he accepted the county's offer of second team captaincy and coaching - "batting at nine, helping the youngsters along", says Adrian, his dad. This summer he was also professional at Bury St Edmund's, guiding the club to a first league title.

The benefit year features a dinner at Lord's and another at the Commons. Adrian alone has sold 560 brochures at a fiver apiece.

The lad isn't going to match the £300,000 plus made by other Essex men like Ronnie Irani and Mark Ilott - "but we're hoping," says Adrian, "that he'll still come out of it all right."

Richard Blakey, another Yorkshireman whose England career was brief and unbountiful, was guest speaker at East Rainton CC's annual dinner on Friday.

The wicketkeeper scored seven runs in four Test innings (highest score, six) and caught two. In three one-day internationals he totalled 25 (highest score, 25) and held another two.

East Rainton fare much better, North East Durham League winners for the sixth successive season. The ageless Ian Kitching again topped the league bowling averages - 40 at 5.9, flight and the other thing, he insists - while Neil Matthews topped the league batting.

Time for a few beers by way of celebration? Not while Mr Blakey was on his feet - to widespread dismay, he insisted that the bar be closed during his talk.

Mercifully it didn't last too long.

Alf Hutchinson in Darlington rings about the passing of Ken Christon. "If there was a better fast bowler in North Yorkshire, I never played against him," says Alf.

"I remember facing him one gloomy afternoon, but I wouldn't have seen the ball if the light had been perfect."

Ken, by long coincidence, was Paul Grayson's godfather, played most of his cricket for Thimbleby - Osmotherley way - but had a memorable few years with Northallerton when finally persuaded to step up at the age of 34.

In his first season he topped the York Senior League bowling averages, 75 at 10.35.

When Northallerton moved to the NYSD the following summer, his seven wickets helped skittle Normanby Hall for 46 in the first game.

Adrian Grayson was Northallerton's captain. "Kenny was a wonderful cricketer, a great bowler and a tremendous character," he says.

"When he bowled he was one of those it was almost impossible to get the ball off; when he batted it was usually at seven and he always wanted to be higher. He was a winner."

Ken, who was 69, had also played football for York City Reserves and, outstandingly, for Brompton Athletic. His funeral is at Northallerton parish church at 1pm today.

The Buck Inn at Richmond, North Yorks, now has two teams in the Wensleydale Creamery League. The first is Buck Inn United, the second altogether more imaginatively named. Readers are invited to guess; answer at the foot of the column.

Three months after we danced at Garry Gibson's lavish nuptials in Edinburgh, the former Hartlepool United chairman and his lovely wife Gaynor are spread across the new issue of Real Life Weddings magazine.

"An insider's view of beautiful weddings, plus wise words of advice from the bride," says the bumph.

"Marriage is even better than I thought it would be," says Garry, 50.

His many friends in and around Hartlepool will thus be disappointed to learn that the magazine is only available in Scotland.

Still with the Pool, we bumped at Seaham Red Star's match on Saturday into Michael Gough - Hartlepool sports shop owner, former Victoria Ground director and familiar local cricketer.

Mike's been interviewed by the Pool fanzine about the time in 1984, cap in hand at the Caf Royal, when he met Robert Maxwell as the club once again sought re-election at the Football League's annual meeting.

"It's a really good story, but you'll have to wait until the fanzine comes out," he says.

Monkey business, or what?

A yet more improbable Hartlepool connection, the FA of Northern Ireland will unveil a new sponsor for its national cup competition at a press conference in Belfast this morning. The munificent sponsor is a sportswear business in Hartlepool, until recently barely heard of beyond yon end of Seaton Carew promenade. More, with the luck of the Irish, on Friday.

Ray Robertson, long the Echo's man at Ayresome Park, draws attention to a piece about his old friend Brian Clough in this week's UK Press Gazette.

Discussing the Grove Hill lad's time at Forest, former Nottingham Evening Post editor Barrie Williams recalls Clough ringing to say he wanted to write a column. (Don't we all?)

Williams told him they paid peanuts. Clough said he'd do it for a case of champagne every month.

The finance director wanted to know what sort of champagne it would be. "When I asked him," says Williams, "he said blow it (or words to that effect) I'll do it for nowt."

The column was so good that freelances would camp outside the Post office from 7am in the hope of being first to flog it elsewhere.

"Brian didn't like to be ripped off, so once he wrote a complete load of old crap, absolute rubbish," adds Williams. "It got sold, anyway."

The Observer, meanwhile, carries a Paul Gascoigne interview with the taster "The troubled footballer reveals his latest addiction."

It's true. After alcohol and heroin, the poor lad is now hooked on wine gums. "They've got all that sugar in them," he says.

"I'm trying to avoid them, but I just like having three packs a day. Sometimes I'll buy three, but then I won't touch them."

And finally...

The seven black players who've played for both England and Middlesbrough (Backtrack, September 30) are Brian Deane, Dean Gordon, Michael Thomas (of fond memory), Paul Ince, Viv Anderson, Michael Ricketts and Ugo Ehiogu.

Brian Shaw in Shildon today invites readers to name the Yorkshire player who was capped for England against Australia and also helped Man United to the second division title in 1975.

The answer on Friday - and the Buck Inn's second team is called the Buck Inn Broncos.

Published: 04/10/2005