Treble tilt could be last throw

It all led to a heated meeting last week - a board meeting, as it were, though the puns should probably stop here - between double agents and treble rebels.

Since it formed in the early 1950s, the Darlington-based Magnet League has always used dart boards with doubles only - the Yorkshire board, as they call it in Co Durham.

Now the league is down to the wire, just eight teams left. Phil James, landlord of the Hole in the Wall in Darlington market place, proposed that the answer was to bring in the more familiar trebles board.

Opponents argued that the game would not only become less skilful - three and easy - but that they would be throwing out the baby with the bath water.

Allowed two delegates, the Bay Horse in Hurworth sent eight. "It's a very emotive issue and it all got a bit excitable. In fact there was hell on, " says team member Paul Wicks.

League secretary Colin Holmes admits the Yorkshire board demands greater skill. The Magnet is thought to be the only North-East league which still uses it.

"If you go for a treble on a normal board and miss, you're still going to score something, " says Colin. "Go for a double and miss and there's a good chance you won't score anything.

"The poor player will go somewhere else because he has a chance of winning something and that's what's been happening. The Yorkshire board sorts out the men from the boys."

League vice-chairman Derrick White, a committee member for 30 years, remembers when they had two burgeoning divisions.

"Whether it's darts or dominoes, interest in indoor sports has fallen away right across the country.

"Young lads aren't coming through. They don't want to play games, they want to go down the town, spend a fiver a pint and get ratted.

"If any more go, I can see the darts folding, but other teams at the meeting threatened to drop out if we introduced the trebles board.

The Yorkshire board is definitely more skilful."

The Hole in the Wall lost the argument, double jeopardy averted.

Phil James insists they'll miss the trebles. "The meeting got a bit uptight, but it was good to see so much interest.

"I know it's a much less skilful game, but it could be the only way of saving the league."

Now Colin plans to write to all pubs within a five-mile radius of Darlington inviting them to join the Yorkshire terriers - the only qualification that they must sell a Newcastle Breweries product, not necessarily Magnet ale.

It could be their last throw - Colin's on 07958 702319, e-mail colin. holmes@whsmithnet. co. uk NORTH-EAST interest in the FA Cup final sadly having ended, attention turns to Hampden Park and to the Scottish Cup final, Gretna v Hearts. It's the same day, May 13.

"The interest has just been phenomenal. It seems half of Britain wants to see a little club against a big club, " reports Gretna supremo Brooks Mileson, chairman of the Durham-based Arngrove group.

Gretna sold within days their maximum allocation for the fairy tale final - but some of them to the Arngrove Northern League, which is running coaches from several pick-up points in the North-East.

The coach/ticket package costs just £42, but immediate application is now advised. Details from Harvey Harris on 01325 269325. Email hrvyhrrs@yahoo. co. uk Cheques should be made to the Northern Football League, c/o Harvey at 3 Rossway, Darlington DL1 3 RD.

GRETNA finished second, three points behind Peterlee Newtown, when both joined the inaugural Northern League second division in 1982-83.

On Saturday, as the Scots prepared to appear before 52,000 at Hampden, Peterlee - F48 A155 - played their last Northern League game before relegation.

The population's about 30,000, the crowd was about two dozen.

The southern fried chicken butties were terrific.

East Durham, in truth, is football's Bermuda triangle. Shotton Comrades and Eppleton have disappeared after leaving the Northern League, Murton and Easington CW struggle following relegation, the likes of Wingate and Blackhall CW are long gone from the Wearside.

"I remember when there were six Saturday sides in Easington alone, " someone said. "Now it's either Sunderland or the betting shop."

Club secretary Billy Banks, 53, made his now-customary playing appearance - a 60th minute sub - after first raising a team, sorting the admin, putting up the nets, serving the half-time refreshments, shifting the furniture and being nice to the league chairman.

"If we'd been awarded a penalty they'd never have getten the ball off us, " said the diminutive Billy, the 14 on his back a probable reference to his weight in stones.

The good news is that, despite earlier fears, the club will continue - though the Newtown suffix will be consigned to history. "We've a few irons in the fire and are hopeful of being able to turn things round, " said Trevor Davies, the chairman.

For Newtown, alas, Saturday was simply the old, old story. They bowed out 4-0 to North Shields.

LAST Tuesday's column dusted down the magnificent Viscountess Furness trophy, contested for 45 years by the different workers groups at the Haverton Hill shipyard on the north Tees before in 1987 becoming the Littlewoods - the Football League - Cup.

Unfortunately, as Les Crank in Wolviston points out, we used the wrong photograph. "It doesn't appear to be the one won by Arsenal, Liverpool and by Nottingham Forest twice, rather it looks very much like the one that Boro are going to win for the first time this year, " he wrote - last week.

Les has particular reason to remember the Viscountess Furness - he was the last shipyard captain to hold it aloft, when the platers beat the fitters 3-0 in 1968.

The platers were reunited when Littlewoods restored the cup, team and wives treated to the final weekend in London.

Haverton Hill historian Colin Hatton reports that the Littlewoods exhibition at the Football League museum in Preston has now closed - muscled out by the FA Cup once again.

WHILST the steel city rejoices at a late reprieve for Wednesday, what of Sheffield Thursday - beaten in Belgium by the mighty Coundon and Leeholme Youth?

Coundon, who play in the Frank Hudson Transport Crook and District League, entered the eightteam tournament via the Internet.

In the quarter-final they defeated Great British Belgian FC - the country's oldest amateur side - 20, then whitewashed The Men in Black from France in the semi.

In the all-England final, Anthony Dargue's last-minute goal gave our boys victory over the Sheffield lads. It was Easter: Maundy Thursday.

. . . and finally THE five post-war England internationals who've won caps in three different decades (Backtrack, April 21) are Bobby Charlton, the late Emlyn Hughes, Tony Adams, Peter Shilton and David Seaman.

Still with the Three Lions, Brian Shaw in Shildon today invites the identity of the player who, against Belgium in 1999, became only the third man to follow his father into the England team.

Parental guidance, the column returns on Friday.