No piper called the tune for legend Hardisty (From The Northern Echo)

No piper called the tune for legend Hardisty

10:42am Saturday 4th September 2010 in

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SHE was a member of the famous Dagenham Girl Pipers, he the greatest amateur footballer of all time. They met on the Isle of Man.

It may not have been a case of new tune and old fiddle, rather of having heard it all before, but it’s a side to Bob Hardisty which may little have been imagined and still less proclaimed.

Hardisty was on tour with Bishop Auckland, the team with whom he became a legend. The day before they were due back he rang Betty, his wife, to say that he’d been asked to play in an additional game and would be 24 hours late.

Though Betty could find nothing in the papers about the extra match, there was a photograph of her husband, plied with the Pipers, on a boat crossing the Irish Sea.

Alan Adamthwaite, his biographer, is euphemistic.

“Bob,” he writes, “was showing no signs of being disappointed at his delayed return.”

Then there was the letter which, on another occasion, Betty brandished angrily when her wayward husband landed home after a heavy night on the beer.

“His heart sank,” writes Adamthwaite. “Was it from an ‘acquaintance’? How could he have been so careless?”

It wasn’t. It was from the bookie to whom he owed £200, an awful lot of money in the 1950s. He was never, says Alan, what might be called a successful gambler.

The book’s out on September 15, a good bet, nonetheless. September, indeed, could almost be deemed Bob Hardisty month.

The Durham Amateur Football Trust is also staging a three-week exhibition in his memory.

Half a century on, it may almost be impossible to imagine the mass appeal of amateur football in south Durham. Bob’s former team mate Derek Lewin recalls in the book the day that he made his Bishops’ debut.

“Jack Sowerby, the trainer, took me to one side. If people saw John the Baptist walking through the town,” he said, “they’d first ask him what position he played.”

Alan Adamthwaite had promised that his biography, affectionate and acclamatory, would nonetheless resist cosmetic surgery. This is Hardisty warts and all. “I only hope,” he says, “that the people of south Durham don’t throw rotten tomatoes at me.”

JOHN Roderick Elliott Hardisty was born in Chester-le-Street on February 1, 1921, and died, in Bishop General, on October 31, 1986. He played in three Olympic Games, six FA Amateur Cup finals and, after Munich, for Manchester United reserves.

That he was Bobby almost from birth was because the midwife never could remember all the new arrivals’ names. The girls became Mary, the boys Bobby.

Soon afterwards, Jack and Mary Hardisty – she must have had the same midwife – moved to Bishop Auckland, where Jack opened a fruit shop in the main street. Bob was sent to a Quaker school in Wigton, Cumbria, before returning to the sixth form at Bishop Grammar.

He was 17 when first he played for Bishop Auckland, trained as a teacher at Bede College in Durham – contemporaries in the college football team included bespectacled goalkeeper Jack Dormand, to become Lord Dormand of Easington, and Lez Rawe, an MBE holder still in Bishop Auckland.

Bob joined the Signals in 1941, spent much of the war as a physical training instructor, played wartime football for Middlesbrough, QPR and Hibernian. It was as a PTI, Adamthwaite recalls, that he earned the nickname The Bastard.

Probably they all did.

In 1945 he was sent to Deolali. While doubtless it wasn’t half hot, the greater problem was the illness he contracted which left him bald at 24.

As footballers they were strictly amateur, of course, though still it remained a case of no expenses spared.

Bob’s Northern Echo obituarist – it was I – was surely mistaken to suppose that he never took a penny for playing. Money probably explains – Alan Adamthwaite believes so – why in 1948 he shocked the Northern League by signing for Shildon.

Whatever Bob got in exchange, the column’s old friend Bobby Davison – to whom Alan spoke before the player’s death – recalled that for signing for Shildon at the same time he got a well-paid job at the wagon works, a rent-free house in South Church, £2 10s a week and a hamper of groceries on a Friday night. Hardisty, in any case, was soon back with the Bishops.

After retiring, he coached Crook Town (of all people) ahead of the 1964 Amateur Cup final, briefly managed the Bishops, became a lecturer at Middleton St George teacher training college, near Darlington.

Divorced – Betty had had enough – he himself moved to South Church, to a house affectionately but inelegantly named Harcremin – after Hardisty, Cresswell and Nimmins, the Bishops’ unsurpassable halfback line.

In 1980, already diabetic, he suffered a stroke and could no longer find work. In 1983, when still he smoked and drank heavily, his right leg was amputated. Shortly before his death, his left leg went, too.

The archives include a photograph taken on his 65th birthday, what the Echo called an “unexpected treat.”

She was Paula Robinson, described as a 36-22-35 glamour girl kissogram – whatever happened to her? – and definitely not a Dagenham Girl Piper.

Though his legs had failed him, there was clearly nothing wrong with Bob’s eye.

ALAN Adamthwaite was born in Howden-le-Wear, went with his dad to Bishops’ matches, worked in local government in the Midlands and took early retirement at 46.

His book Glory Days, chronicling the Two Blues’ Amateur Cup exploits, sold all 5,000 copies but left him seriously out of pocket when the publisher went bust.

He’s publishing this one himself, given full cooperation by Hardisty’s son and daughter – it was Beth Hardisty who told him about the girl piper – and from many former team mates.

All agree that the public figure was an essentially private man. “He was a man’s man, purely and simply. He certainly wasn’t a family man,” says Alan.

The book records that he was “quite happy” just to see his children once a year.

“I think there was a bit of Lester Piggott or Kieron Fallon about him. You’d love him to be on your side, you’d hate to be against him.

“If you could turn the clock forward, he’d be one of the very few footballers I’d pay to watch today. I’m just amazed that his story has never been told before.”

There’s talk of a statue at the Bishops’ new ground, due officially to open next month.

Unhappy about the location – he’d rather have it in the Market Place – Alan applauds the concept. “Bob Hardisty was unique. None would have deserved it more.”

■ Never Again: the Story of Bob Hardisty is published by The Jacqalpress – 300 illustrated pages, hardback, £18. Alan Adamthwaite will be signing copies at Bishop Auckland Town Hall from 7pm on Wednesday September 15 and between 10am-4pm the following day.

The book is available from the town hall at other times or, by post (plus £2) from Alan Adamthwaite, 21 Coley Grove, Little Haywood, Stafford ST 0UW. www.thejaqualpress.com ■ The Durham Amateur Football Trust’s Bob Hardisty Exhibition – also with much help from his family – opens at the town hall for three weeks from September 13.

Memorabilia includes his first England cap, won in 1948, his 1948 Olympic Games shirt and two of his three FA Amateur Cup winner’s medals.

Admission free.

A film evening, also centred on the great Hardisty, will be held at the town hall at 7pm on Tuesday, September 21, when several former team-mates are expected to attend. Book signings then, too.

BACKTRACK BRIEFS . . .

BEGINNING “Dear Calendar Boy Amos”, a letter arrives from John Brennan, retired head teacher and second team captain at Shildon Railway Cricket Club.

Tomorrow’s the day that the men folk bare all, or all butt, for club coffers.

Among the participants is retired bookie Jack Wild, in his 70s, though club president Jack Watson – now 89 and still scouting for Celtic – has so far not been persuaded of the need to reveal his secrets.

Others are asked to bring Santa Claus hats – “We’re all in the December photograph”

– a towel and some cricket gear.

“Each photograph has been planned and will require us to hold a certain pose,” says John. “Most of all, you will require a smile.”

The boys, he insists, are in strict training. “Only six pints on Friday night and six on Saturday. Spray tans and use of sunbeds has been outlawed.”

All angles covered, they’d welcome other participants – clubhouse, 9 30am, Sunday – and advertisers for the calendar, out in October.

John’s on 01388 779389.

Unfortunately or otherwise, I shall be on holiday.

EIGHT days until Sessay’s National Village Cup final, the club’s second visit to Lord’s – and mine. The other was when Harome reached the final.

Chronicling the achievement two weeks ago, we recalled that, back in 1901, Sep Holliday of Sessay had claimed 7-0 – five in five balls – as neighbours Thirsk Victoria were skittled for six. It proved insufficient: Sessay went for five.

Victoria’s victorious captain, among eight batsmen who failed to score, was J R Blakey. Remarkably, his grandson – Mr R Thomas from Redcar – sends a copy of the scorebook. “I’d have liked to have heard my granddad’s comments about it,” he says.

The Victoria lost their last eight wickets on six, the total including a bye.

Sessay’s last six went with the total on five.

It was May 4, the following Monday’s Echo carrying nothing of one of the most extraordinary cricket matches ever played. There may be rather more column inches from Lord’s.

MAY 4 1901? There was news of Durham Athenians and of Stockton Wesleyans, of Newport Ironworks and of Middlesbrough Gilkes Street – all cricket teams – and of the smoking concert held to mark the end of Stockton and Thornaby Model Yacht Club’s season. Sadly, sport was squeezed by news of Frosterley Show – “Weardale looked exceedingly pretty” – and of the meeting at Evenwood called to promote Sunday closing and organised by the RWTA, whatever that was. News of Thirsk Victoria has taken 109 years.

THE story picked up by national print and broadcast media, Tuesday’s column noted the extraordinary role played by Wendy Lawson, the home skipper’s partner, in Barningham II’s tied match with Eryholme II last Saturday.

Clearly it was ladies’ day.

Wendy Brown, we learn, scored 42 for Lockton II, near Pickering, an example of dedication that might beneficially be applied to the men.

Yesterday’s Darlington and Stockton Times reported that Pickering ceded their York Senior League match to Thirsk II. A number of the players opted to attend the Leeds Music festival instead.

IMPOSSIBLE to leave cricket without a note of congratulation for our friends at Spout House – they of the vertiginous pitch – victorious by ten wickets in the Lady Dorman Cup final. They last won it in 1938 and 1997.

Tuesday’s column was chiefly about Wakefield, proud heart of West Yorkshire’s rhubarb triangle and home of a statue to the stuff.

“DID you know,” asks Richard Franklin, “that Wakefield was also the home of the celebrated sculptor Barbara Hepworth?

What on earth would she have made of that?”

We’d also sought the identity of the renowned sports club whose colours are usually identified as rhubarb and custard. Terry Wells may have been a little dazzled in supposing it the Sheffield United away strip.

David Walsh, conversely, correctly identifies it as MCC. “The faces of the venerable members seen on television reading the News of the World rather resembled their own colours.”

In the same column, we’d also mentioned that Wakefield vied with Croydon as the biggest place in England never to have supported a Football League team – but Croydon borough, says David, is home to Crystal Palace.

It’s also home to Croydon Athletic of the Ryman League, owned by Mazhar Majeed – the man at the centre of the Pakistan betting scandal. “Things,”

says David, “appear to have gone full circle.”

THE splendidly named Roy D Hacksaw – “writer, broadcaster, punk rock singer” – has been in touch with Tow Law secretary Steve Moralee. “A brother in stripes,” says Mr Hacksaw.

Young blade or otherwise, he is working on a worldwide website of monochrome teams like the Lawyers who play in vertical black and white. So far he’s found 168.

Inevitably there are a few Zebras, chiefly in Australia.

There’s Abbotsford Mariners in Canada, Stone Old Alleynians somewhere in old England and, perhaps better known, there’s Newcastle United and Juventus.

Each has a profile on the website. Tow Law’s most recent claim to fame, their entry begins, is as the place where most of the North- East’s cattle were disposed of during the 2001 foot and mouth outbreak.

“The football team,” it adds, “has brought a great deal of good times to the area to make them forget the pong.”

The Lawyers are today at Silsden, near Keighley, in the FA Vase. It’s where the railroad to Wembley begins.

And finally...

….and finally, back to Bob Hardisty, captain of the Great Britain team in the 1948 Olympics. Readers are invited to identify the man, to become altogether more famous, who was the manager. The column returns on September 14.