Kenny travels

"Who won the first World Cup?" they asked as the QEII cruised serenely around the globe, and weren't expecting the answer to be West Auckland in 1909.

"They said that it was in Uruguay in 1930 and that I was talking out of my trousers," recalls Kenny, 59. "I was determined to prove I was right."

A year later he's just landed back from another QEII world cruise - 109 days, 41 ports of call - with West's magnificent trophy in his suitcase.

"I'd promised them I'd look after it and I became quite attached to it, almost literally," he says. "It was possibly the most essential part of my luggage and certainly the most valuable. Mind, if someone had tried to steal it, they wouldn't have got very far, would they.

"Even when I had a bit of a health scare, I wouldn't stay in hospital in Melbourne, as they wanted me to, because there'd have been no-one to look after the World Cup."

West Auckland's general manager is properly grateful. "Kenny was more excited about making his point than he was about the cruise," he said.

West's team of miners lifted the solid silver trophy, officially the Sir Thomas Lipton Cup, by beating FC Winterhour of Switzerland 2-0 in the final. When they retained it two years later, thrashing Juventus 6-1, Sir Thomas insisted they keep it.

Kenny also took the 1909 medal won by team captain Bob Jones. "The cruise director said I was really rubbing his nose in it," he recalls. "I think I made a pretty big impression."

Now he hopes to use the contacts he made on his globe-hopping jaunt to help the first World Cup play a headline role in the 2010 competition, in South Africa.

Born near Manchester and still an ardent City fan - "I think Stuart Pearce deserves more time, he's totally passionate about the club" - he was an electrician with a West Auckland company when his wife, Anita, hit a £3.6m jackpot in 2001.

It was more than 24 hours after the draw before she checked the numbers, and only then because she hoped to have won the £40 bonus ball competition down their local in Darlington.

"I worked over the road from the West ground, knew a few of the lads there because they were always coming in to scrounge something and had heard the fantastic story about the cup.

"I'd been to see a game and was really impressed by the dedication of the volunteers, lads who were at the ground every day and without thought of a penny piece for themselves. It was nice to try to help them a bit."

Kenny and Anita, a nursing home care assistant, moved from the Branksome estate to a handsome house in the west end of Darlington, but otherwise have changed little. There's a holiday home in Crete, but they'd planned that, anyway.

Now retired, he still enjoys a pint with the lads in Hogans or the Archdeacon, occasionally wins the domino card - "they call me worse than muck" - walks into town.

"Maybe the only difference is that if it's raining I'll get a taxi between one and the other, instead of using the bus."

The World Cup story has been made into a film starring Dennis Waterman, been the subject of several books and is the theme of a play being written to mark the centenary in 2009.

That the side won the first World Cup is also emblazoned across road signs on the approaches to the village. "I told someone about that in Mauritius," says Kenny. "If they needed proof, they only had to come to West Auckland."

Yet more cause for celebration for our old friend Brooks Mileson - Backtrack, Friday. As if Gretna's three successive promotions weren't enough, his racoons have just had triplets. "All well," the surrogate father reports.

Up again to Tow Law on Friday night, an hour and a half on the No 1, and a once-familiar face to help make the football club's annual presentations.

Barry Smith, born in Shepherds Bush but long in Darlington, was the fastest of Britain's three-man 5,000 metres squad - Nick Rose and Dave Moorcroft the others - in the 1980 Olympics in Moscow.

"I reckon to have run 45,000 miles around Darlington's roads, one-and-a-half times around the Equator," he says, as well an accountant might.

He'd moved north with Rothman's, swapped Thurrock Harriers for Gateshead Harriers, opened a sports shop in the town, is now regional managing director of McInerney Homes who sponsor, handsomely sponsor, the Lawyers.

He's remembered for, in 1980, running the Redcar half-marathon dressed as a jester.

Accent undiluted, hairline distinctly receded, married to the delightful Julie, he remains a thoroughly engaging chap.

Meanwhile back in the Tow Law clubhouse, the evening was further enlivened by an array of pale-blue jokes from the excellent Mr Charlie Donaghy, appreciated by all except the no-less admirable Mrs Donaghy.

"Just wait till I get him home," muttered Alice.

Andrew Thompson, reckoned the only Tory in Tow Law, won both player of the year and goal of the year awards, Betty Fowler was supporter of the year, Phil Denham clubman of the year, Danny Craggs players' player of the year and Gary Neasham and John Dixon were also recognised for services to the club.

An additional award went to the "Foreign supporter of all time." It went, honoured indeed, to the chap who'd just landed off the bus.

That Andy Thompson is reckoned Tow Law's only Tory is because he also scored twice in Coundon Conservative Club's 5-0 FA Sunday Cup win at Anfield nine days ago. Bishop Auckland photographer Phil Graham has now presented the club with an album of pix of that great occasion - "They got me a press pass, it was the least I could do". It's available for viewing during opening hours.

George Brown, ex-England amateur international centre forward and a bit of a betting man, was also up at Tow Law - and much looking forward to the Eurovision Song Contest the following evening.

"I know it's fashionable to poke fun, but I still love it," said George, among a UK audience of 10.9 million on Saturday evening.

These days you can have a few bob on the outcome, too, which is why his money was on Serbia and emphatically not on us lot. He won, right note, of course.

Former Tyne Tees Television head of sport Roger Tames, the region's best-known Arsenal fan, remains upbeat despite the Gunners' under-achieving season. His second team, reveals Roger, is Dagenham - just promoted to the Football League.

"My dad took me there as a kid and I was hooked, just like I was at Highbury," he admits. The only way his two great favourites will ever meet, he insists, is if Dagenham reach the Premiership.

AND FINALLY...

what was particularly special about Oxford United's match against Sunderland in February 1999 (Backtrack, May 11) was that it was Sky TV's first pay-to-view match - though Sunderland's 7-0 win may also, as some have suggested, have been their record score against Oxford.

Fred Alderton in Peterlee today invites readers to name the Football league club which plays at the Keepmoat Stadium.

Home ground again on Friday.