Yorkshire's players and coaching staff were steeling themselves for a relegation battle in the LV= County Championship this time last year - or at least that is what the majority outside of their dressing room were thinking. A year on, and the predictions
AS Durham look forward to having both Paul Collingwood and Graham Onions in their team for much of the coming season they can anticipate success with a largely home-grown team. Dale Benkenstein and Michael Di Venuto played hugely important roles in the
THE eyes of the Flat racing world will be trained on Doncaster this afternoon as the track hosts the William Hill Lincoln, the first feature race of the campaign. If last year is anything to go by, it will not be the only time the north commands centre
Paul Hanagan has made few mistakes over the last 12 months, but he may have dropped the ball by shunning Our Joe Mac in the William Hill Lincoln at Doncaster. The champion jockey has instead opted for Irish Heartbeat, also from Richard Fahey's yard and
Darlington are staging a recruitment session for boys and girls aged six to 11 tomorrow from 10am to noon. Anyone wishing to try the game is urged to turn up wearing clothes they don't mind getting dirty with either boots or trainers. They will be supervised
Durham will open their season tomorrow without four-day skipper Phil Mustard, who is battling to be fit for the County Championship match away to Hampshire, starting on Friday. The wicketkeeper suffered a stress fracture in a foot six weeks ago and had
WELSHMAN Rhys Davies continues to lead the way with Joost Luiten at the Trophee Hassan II but the North-East has three golfers still in contention for a top ten finish in Morocco tomorrow. Barnard Castle's Rob Dinwiddie sits four shots off the leading
THE search is on for 13 points. That's what Blaydon believe they need to survive in National One and what West Hartlepool require to make certain of the North One East title. With six games left, Blaydon will be looking for five of those points at home
TYNESIDE'S Heaton Harriers became only the fourth club to win the Start Fitness North-East Harrier League Division One senior men's team title in a nail-biting finish with Morpeth. The Longbenton outfit, which narrowly avoided relegation last season,
India v Sri Lanka - key battles **MS Dhoni v Kumara Sangakkara** Dhoni's captaincy of India has been inspired at times and fortunate at others, but most of his decisions have paid off. His batting has not been anywhere near his best, with a highest
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has hailed star batsman Sachin Tendulkar's dedication to his craft as India aim to secure World Cup glory on home soil today. Tendulkar is chasing the 100th hundred of a stunning 21-year career at international level, and though
AFTER suffering three straight defeats, Hartlepool midfielder Joe Gamble has challenged his team-mates to finish the season on a high. Pools travel to relegation-threatened Swindon today on the back of a disappointing few weeks which has seen Mick Wadsworth's
Darlington head to Crawley Town today having been accused of being a long-ball team by the manager of the champions-elect. Steve Evans, boss of the runaway league leaders, expects Quakers to adopt kick-and-rush tactics at the Broadfield Stadium
Injury-plagued Darlington midfielder Michael Brough has revealed how close he came to having to retire due to the knee problem that has ruined his season. The 29-year-old has played only nine games during his first campaign at the club because of a medial
Sir Alex Ferguson expects young striker Danny Welbeck to commit his international future to England. Welbeck made his international debut on Tuesday as a substitute during England's friendly draw with Ghana. Yet his appearance does not prevent the
BOLO ZENDEN might be frustrated with a lack of first team opportunities at Sunderland this season, but he insists he has never come across such a tremendous spirit throughout any of the football clubs he has been at during his career. Dutchman Zenden
STEVE BRUCE believes Jordan Henderson could have done with a rest earlier this year, but he is ready to break the growing trend set by his managerial counterparts by giving his Sunderland midfielder the go-ahead to play through the summer. Henderson
TWELVE months ago, Rhys Williams had the world at his feet. Established in Middlesbrough's first team at the age of 21, and with a place at the World Cup finals provisionally assured, the Australian should have been the happiest man in the world. Yet
WHILE other managers are already starting to grumble about their players being selected for the European Under-21 Championships, Tony Mowbray would love to see Middlesbrough full-back Joe Bennett representing England in Denmark this summer. Arsenal boss
ALAN Pardew has revealed he would rebuff any bid made by Celtic for the services of goalkeeper Fraser Foster. The 23-year-old has been on loan at the Scottish Premier League outfit since the beginning of the season, making 26 appearances for Neil Lennon's
ALAN PARDEW insists his squad understand the importance of today's meeting with Wolves and is confident they can avoid being sucked into a relegation battle. The Magpies' dip in form has seen them slip to within four points of the Premier League drop
IF there is one thing Steve Harper has become familiar with during 18 years at St James' Park, it is that Newcastle United are seemingly always on the verge of a crisis. However, while there are just four points separating the Magpies from a place in
AN electric van maker is to cease trading, despite a North-East firm expressing early interest. Administrators for Modec, in Binley, Coventry, said they have been unable to find a suitable buyer for the business. Administrator Zolfo Cooper which took
BUS passengers across the Tees Valley can continue to use a concessionary deal thanks to a special agreement. Holders of the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme passes can travel free betweeen 9.30am and 11pm on Mondays to Fridays and all day
POLICE are warning youths about the dangers of throwing bricks at moving vehicles. Over the last two months, seven incidents have been reported in which four youngsters have been seen throwing bricks off the bridge near Marton Country Club, in Middlesbrough
A SHAKE-UP of Hartlepool Borough Council’s boundaries could see 14 councillors axed. The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) is asking residents for their opinions on proposals for just 33 councillors in future. A 12-week public
A TV star known for climbing historic buildings has been sizing up Middlesbroughs iconic Transporter Bridge before taking part in an abseil. Dr Jonathan Foyle, who starred in the BBCs Climbing Great Buildings programme, will be descending the bridge
A DRUNKEN man has been convicted of shoplifting after being stopped by security guards as he fled. Mark Storey was left battered and bruised after he was apprehended after dumping an upper body workout kit outside Boots in Stockton High Street
A WATER group said it plans to spend £33m on its pipe network. Yorkshire Water said today that it aimed to improve the resilience of its pipes to cope with extreme temperatures following the harsh winter. The firm said the programme should enable it
EDITH ROBSON is trying to trace details about her great-grandfather. He was George Douglas, from Albert Hill, in Darlington. He was born in 1856. He died in an accident at Darlington Forge but does not the date. To help contact Mrs Robson at 10 Hexham
A YOUNG woman has today been jailed for five years for the manslaughter of a man who died under the wheels of her car. Mother-of-two Naomi Myers, 22, was also banned from driving at Newcastle Crown Court this morning. She admitted the manslaughter of
Big Hits: TOTP 1964-1975 (BBC4, 8.30pm) Law And Order (Five, 10pm) TOP Of The Pops may have been axed, but the BBC has an awful lot of historical musical moments from the show in the archives – and isn’t about to let them go to waste. The show
SOMETHING For The Weekend chef Simon Rimmer reckons he’s like Chinese water torture. “It’s drip, drip, drip...” he says. Not for him an all-out gimmicky assault on viewers by trying to change school meals or make ice cream from sausage and mash
STATIONERY firm Paperchase has created eight jobs with the opening of a store in Durham City centre. Stuart Taylor, operations manager at the Prince Bishops Shopping Centre, where the store is located, said: “We were delighted to welcome Paperchase
TEES Valley-based Amec engineers have been chosen to lead a second major contract in a week. The engineering firm’s Wynyard Park office, which employs 100 people, will lead work on about 90 capital projects being carried out at BP’s British oil
DURHAM-based electrician EEW has gone out of business, with the loss of 25 jobs. The sub-contractor was heavily dependent on orders to undertake shop re-fitting work, but the dramatic downturn in the retail sector which this month claimed menswear
DARLINGTON engine maker Cummins has won another major contract that continues a remarkable turnaround in its fortunes. The order from vehicle maker Alexander Dennis for an initial 170 environmentally- friendly engines is the latest boost for
THE banking sector dragged the London market into the red yesterday after stress tests revealed the final bill for bailing out Ireland’s banks will be 70 billion euros (£61bn). The banks – Allied Irish Banks, Bank of Ireland, Educational Building
No matter how hard we try, we end up just like our mothers – but maybe that’s no bad thing. WE all turn into our mothers one day. I even know the very day it happened to me. It was when Senior Son was very new and I – who used to sit in the bath
PETER MULLEN (Echo, March 29) is right to say “taxation is statelicensed theft and can be excused only to fund the defence of the realm”. Expenditure on education and health should be stopped immediately and left to individual choice. Of course
ON a recent cruise to Australia, I attended a lecture on the prosperity of the country by Australian General Peter Cosgrove. I was particularly struck by his regular use of the words “winning” and “winners” in support of his arguments. Over here
IF I walked into my local supermarket, took money from the till and gave it to a neighbour to pay off his gambling debts, I would be put in prison. Somebody will soon walk into Britain and take £3bn to give to a neighbour to help pay their debts
I’M disappointed that Tony Kelly regards my recent letter about the Japanese Tsunami as a gloat about the suffering of the people of that country (HAS, March 29). I was careful to make my letter a measured one and I quite specifically said that
POLITICIANS are a lot cleverer than I give them credit for. The fuel duty fiasco is beyond belief – it has been sold to us in a way that is supposed to make motorists feel good. Chancellor George Osborne and MP Michael Fallon state that the price
THE BBC has frozen the licence fee and says it can’t buy any new films of quality. Where do they get all the money for the quizzes? They should stop broadcasting them and hand the money saved to our brave soldiers. Anyway, I find some of the best
REGIME change, except in a civil war, is illegal under international law – but we still did it in Iraq. Now it seems we are about to do it again in Libya. Goodness gracious, are the British about to act illegally yet again? Tony Blair lied to
TONY KELLY made ill-informed comments about nuclear power and, in his argument, gave a misleading account of events following the Chernobyl disaster (HAS, March 30). Should anyone wish to understand the real aftermath, I suggest they Google “The
IT was heartening to read the fantastic news that Lyndon Longhorne has received another award in recognition of his positive attitude. The inspirational 15-year-old has been presented with a Children’s Champion award after top celebrities were
THE Government is looking for ways to cut public spending. Here is an area where deep cuts could be made, and the results would be entirely beneficial. Trevor Phillips and the Equality and Human Rights Commission are suggesting that children as
WITH inflation at its highest level for 20 years, even Prince Charles is beginning to feel the pinch . From his official shop on the Highgrove Estate in Gloucestershire he is flogging commemorative William and Kate royal wedding jigsaws. The 250
THE defection of Libyan foreign minister Musa Kusa should have been a huge propaganda coup for the rebels seeking to overthrow Colonel Gaddafi. But, at the same time as Mr Kusa was flying to London, the rebel alliance was retreating towards Benghazi
It’s Mother’s Day this weekend, when World Vision UK is launching its Share A Smile campaign, inviting everyone to share their happiest mum moment. Amy Waddell, from Middleton-in-Teesdale, who recently travelled with the international aid agency to
BRIAN Meehan’s Lady Of The Desert is likely to start off her campaign in the Duke of York Blue Square Stakes on May 11. Second in two Group One events last season, she found her niche once returned to sprinting distances. Lady Of The Desert won
NORTHERN Dare’s demanding winter season might actually be construed as a positive in the Core Oil And Gas Ltd Handicap at Musselburgh. Richard Fahey’s sevenyear- old has raced seven times since December, winning once at Lingfield a couple of
SIFTING through Newcastle United’s latest set of accounts, and listening to the briefings that accompanied their release, two key issues become apparent. The first is rooted in the past, the second relates to the future. And while the first
HARTLEPOOL United head for Swindon this morning, with three of their injured players left behind. Antony Sweeney's infected cut has not healed after he was injured in the loss to Orient on March 15, Neil Austin remains a couple of weeks
SRI Lanka coach Trevor Bayliss is confident Muttiah Muralitharan will play in tomorrow’s World Cup final against India. Muralitharan is due to bring an end to his recordbreaking career at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai – however, his ambitions
FEW football clubs pull together as effectively as Sunderland, and after a series of talk ins aimed at cementing the bonds that unite the club to its community, Niall Quinn tells Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson why the Black Cats are moving on together
NEWCASTLE UNITED boss Alan Pardew has revealed Leon Best could be out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury. Despite missing the heavy defeat to Stoke City two weeks ago, the striker joined up with the Republic of Ireland squad last
COUNCIL officers are expecting a surge of school applications to become academies ahead of a September deadline, potentially compromising council funding and services. Hurworth School opens as an academy today and could serve as a forerunner for other
ARTISTS are putting on an exhibition to raise money for their local village hall. The exhibition in Croft Village Hall will be held this weekend featuring a range of artwork and craftmanship. A preview evening took place on Thursday night to raise money
COUNCILLORS have agreed on the merit of a youth awards ceremony in Darlington after requesting a review of the event. The latest Vibe Awards, which have run for 16 years, cost £3,898 earlier this year and were held over two days. Members of the
AN indoor bowls club is looking forward to a brighter, greener future thanks to a lighting company. Darlington-based Lighting and Lights Limited have installed new lighting at the town's indoor bowls club. Officials at the club said it would improve
STRIKER Chris Senior confessed his Darlington future is on line ahead of Quakers' visit to Crawley tomorrow. The 29-year-old striker moved last summer from Altrincham and signed a one-year deal, with the club having the option of extending his contract
TONY Mowbray is confident Andrew Taylor will sign a new contract with Middlesbrough before the end of the season. Taylor's current deal is due to expire in the summer, and Boro officials turned down an offer of around £200,000 from Championship
CHURCH leaders yesterday held an emergency meeting with police and other experts over the escalating problem of lead theft. Nationally, the cost of such theft from church roofs over the past four years is estimated to be £23m, with £750,000 worth
DURHAM have beaten a Fly Emirates XI in Dubai in a Twenty20 game. The Dynamos finished their 20 overs on 150-7, while restricting the opposition to 138-7 in their allotted overs. Gareth Breese top scored with an unbeaten 48, with Mark
SUB-POSTMASTER Robin Garbutt was facing mounting debt problems at the time he allegedly beat his wife to death, a jury was told yesterday. Despite earning less than £20,000 in 2009-10, Mr Garbutt and wife Diana went on a string of luxury breaks
COUNCIL chiefs have been barred from buying the assets of the doomed One North- East regional development agency – raising fears of a damaging “fire sale”. A plea for town halls to be offered deferred payment terms to keep assets in local hands
Mum, mam, mummy, ma – how people refer to their mother is usually up to them – until it comes to buying a Mother’s Day card. Dani Webb investigates. CARD shops and stalls in early spring are a mass of pink, with fluffy bunnies, cuddly kittens and
TRIBUTES have been paid to a council worker who died following a collision with a recycling lorry. Dorothy Ann Harkes, known as Ann, originally from Coverdale, in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire, was collecting recycling at a school in Cumbria
AN agoraphobic woman was yesterday banned from keeping dogs for five years after one of her pets became so fat it was almost twice the normal weight for its breed. An RSPCA inspector described the female doberman belonging to Angela Harland,
THE benefactor who has saved the Zurbarans caught his first glimpse of his £15m purchase yesterday and declared: “I don’t want to be the Mother Teresa of the North-East.” Multi-millionaire financier Jonathan Ruffer visited Auckland Castle only
A NATIONAL Trust delegation will arrive in County Durham today, as efforts to secure the future of Auckland Castle as an arts and heritage attraction are stepped up. The trust will hold talks with representatives from the Church of England
ACADEMICS are fuming after a university accepted a £2.5m gift from the under-fire Prime Minister of Kuwait. Durham University took the money from Sheik Nasser Bin Muhammad Al-Sabah, a member of Kuwait’s royal family, who has faced demonstrations
A MAN described as a determined, predatory paedophile was yesterday jailed for a total of 15 years. Peter Charles Dunlop preyed on three young girls, sexually abusing them over a period of several years while living in Weardale, in County Durham
A HUSBAND last night paid tribute to his “incredible” wife who is fighting for her life in hospital after suffering brain damage in a rollerblading accident. Mother-of-one Caroline Place fell during her first attempt at rollerblading.
THE "bad" part of Northern Rock has launched a recruitment drive in the North-East and reported a profit, whereas the so-called "good" part is running at a loss and shedding hundreds of workers. Northern Rock Asset Management (NRAM), which
Newton Aycliffe will clinch the second division title today regardless of what happens elsewhere. In only their second season in the league after being promoted from the Wearside League, Alan Oliver’s side won promotion last week at Seaham, and they
Spennymoor Town are in the driving seat at the top when they go Sunderland RCA. Closest pursuers Shildon and Consett both lost in midweek to keep Moors two points clear, but manager Jason Ainsley said: “Just because Shildon and Consett dropped
Whitley Bay manager Ian Chandler says that their main target will be a clean sheet in the second leg of their FA Carlsberg Vase semi final today. Whitley will reach their third successive Vase final and complete a north east Wembley weekend if they hold
A HOUSE was badly damaged by fire in the Grangetown area of Middlesbrough yesterday evening. Five appliances were sent to the property at Martindale Place shortly after 5.30pm. The fire was in a bungalow which was well alight on their
There was mixed reaction today when residents found out that over half of Cockfield Fell was now a boating lake! The lake stretches from ‘Swallow Bend’ to the ‘Slack’ and is currently up as far as the spoil heaps. With the level rising by ten inches
Previously secret plans to deal with culprits found fishing the North East's rivers without a licence, have been revealed in a leaked document. Officials have become so exasperated that they have launched a program - codenamed "Red Herring"
