Long elevated from critics' corner to clubhouse veranda, Bob Welsh was rewarded on Saturday for 80 years' service to the MCC, or Mainsforth Cricket Club as sometimes it is known. He is 90 today.

It could have been even longer if they'd counted the time when, as a four-year-old, they sat him astride the horse that pulled the mower and left him there all morning.

"I came off unable to stand, they had to carry me home," Bob recalled, while watching the first team's Durham County League match with Ushaw Moor.

Even now, that most impeccably maintained of cricket grounds has lost none of its appeal. "If I'm feeling down, it lifts me up just walking through those gates," said Bob.

"You still meet so many nice people in cricket, not like local football. Money's ruined it."

Mainsforth play at Ferryhill Station. Bob was born across the main line in Trafalgar Street but the family - three brothers, four sisters - moved when he was three to Morrison Terrace, across the road from the cricket field.

His dad helped on the ground, his mum made teas for 20 years, he began as "out-field" for the three nets then in full vigour, progressed through thirds to seconds to first team. Club chairman Tom Stoddart recalled in his little speech how Bob would hit sixes over Railway Cottages, nearby.

"Slogger," murmured someone in the audience; "one of life's true gentlemen," said Tom, no less affectionately.

When 17, he also played Northern League football for Chilton Colliery - "I wasn't even signed on" - and later for Spennymoor United in the North-Eastern League. "Mind," said Bob, "I don't know how good I was."

Jack, one of his brothers, kept goal for Bishop Auckland, Middlesbrough Reserves and, eventually, Harrogate. "I don't know how he ended up at Harrogate," said Bob. "They were all doctors and rich people down there."

He'd gone down Mainsforth pit at 14, toiled 50 years as a colliery mechanic, earned a few bob reporting Ferryhill Athletic for the Pink. "It was a funny old business," he recalled. "The first half hour when nothing much usually happened, they wanted 200 words. The last 20 minutes, when it got exciting, they wanted 20 words."

Freda, his wife for 65 years until her death last summer, was these newspapers' faithful Ferryhill area correspondent. She'd have been 90 two days after her beloved husband.

Bob also became club treasurer, umpire and now president, and is a stalwart of the Methodist church. His most memorable match, he supposed, was the Saunders Cup semi-final against Durham City, 1,000 spectators around the Mainsforth ropes.

"I was treasurer and I counted them," he said. "You had to pay in those days."

He scored 47 in that match. "If you got 50 in those days, they took the cap around. Sgt Winter, the Ferryhill polliss, once made a fiver and that was a lot of money. Three more runs, 1,000 people in, I could have been rich."

Now he watches contentedly with his younger brother Fred - "the terrible twins," they call them at Mainsforth, though Fred's but a bit bairn of 86.

They gave Bob a gold clock, some richly-deserved accolades and his tea. Mind, someone said, it might be another 90 years before anyone gets a free tea at Mainsforth.

No matter that Ushaw Moor rather spoiled the party by coasting home amid the sea fret, he is to be wished the most felicitous of birthdays.

Speaking of milestone birthdays, the redoubtable Gordon Nicholson - trencherman extraordinary and the Northern League's legendary secretary from 1966-90 - will be 80 tomorrow.

The day will doubtless be spent on the boundary at Chester-le-Street Riverside. Football, as always Nic would remark, was simply a way of putting in the time between cricket seasons.

Another former pit worker, he was born in Coronation, near Bishop Auckland and kept wicket for Bishop Auckland Cricket Club over a period spanning 43 years. He, likewise, is wished the happiest of birthdays.

High as a Gorbals tower block, Brooks Mileson turned up at the Arngrove Northern League Cup final on Friday evening with give-away copies of Gretna's Scottish FA Cup final CD.

We also still have about ten places remaining on the coaches to Hampden on Saturday. They're £42, including match ticket and coach. Ring me here on 01325 505085.

Called Living the Dream, the CD is sung by the Hugh Trowsers Band and features - he insists - Brooks singing.

Though those Sunderland tones are a little difficult to discern, the great philanthropist reckons it represents one of his few remaining ambitions.

"We're in the Scottish Cup final, the first division and next season in Europe. All I want to do now is appear on Top of the Pops."

Another musical note, one of the unexpected prizes at Saturday's North-East Press Awards was a World Cup CD called That's England Alright.

Sung to the tune of the Auf Wiedersehen Pet hit That's Living Alright - "another great bastion of Britishness" - it's recorded by Joe Fagin, who 22 years ago took the original to number three in the charts.

It's been 40 years, we've shed so many tears

And now we're gonna get it right

And we'll never give up, til we've lifted that Cup,

That's England alright.

They've made it, they say, because the FA has lumbered the national team with a "dreary, miserable dirge." The rest of England can buy it from May 22.

A quick beer earlier on Saturday with the indefatigables of Crook Town Over 40s, likely to have had a few more themselves before the night was out.

Managed by the truly amazing Kevin Cooper, who simply refuses to let multiple sclerosis defeat him, they've completed four successive Over 40s League promotions and on Saturday morning won the Alan Spedding Cup.

"They'd do even better if they gave me a game," said Kevin, now heavily leaning on crutches. Much more of that gallant chap ere long.

Thorpe print awaits Boro

Success tomorrow night and Middlesbrough could have more than just the UEFA Cup to sit on the sideboard. There may be something pretty special to display above it - and thereby also hangs a tale.

Mackenzie Thorpe, the former Boro shipyard worker who became one of Britain's most successful artists, never was much of a footballer.

"To be honest he was crap, no-one would pick him, not even in the back streets" says Wendy Bowker, director of his gallery in Richmond. "He was the kid who sat drawing while everyone else kicked a ball."

Thorpe's football canvasses have nevertheless become even more famous than his square sheep.

Roman Abramovich paid £75,000 for an original, George Best was another customer, the painting called When Your Goal Seems Far Away.

To mark their golden jubilee in 2003, UEFA paid an estimated £40,000 for a Thorpe original titled When Grandad Was A Lad - "A fabulous thing," says Wendy. "A really old feller mixed with a bit of Elvis Presley. It just had that wow factor."

UEFA were so taken by it that they ordered another 150 prints to give to member countries, VIPs and teams who'd won European competitions.

"They sent me a list," says Wendy, an ardent Liverpool fan. "I remember tearing it off the fax machine, it brought back so many memories of my teenage years at Anfield. Even Everton got one."

The European association is believed still to have a couple of copies in reserve for special occasions. "If Middlesbrough win I'll be on to them first thing on Thursday morning," says Wendy. "It would be perfect if Mackenzie's home club got the last copy, there could be nothing more special than that."

Still Sevilla to see off, of course, but who'd have thought they'd get this far? One day their prints will come.

...and finally

The six Sunderland goalkeepers who've played for ten or more clubs (Backtrack, May 5) are Mark Prudhoe, Barry Siddall, Andy Dibble, Andy Marriott, Bobby Mimms and Tim Carter.

Reading Leo McKinstry's biography of Sir Alf Ramsey, Alan Cooper in Darlington discovers that Steve McClaren isn't the first England manager to be second choice - so was the immortal Alf.

Who, asks Alan, did the FA originally invite to succeed Walter Winterbottom? Second to none, the column returns - with more on Giuseppe Wilson, Darlington and Lazio - on Friday.

Published: 09/05/2006