Final countdown

Without turning round, I reply, “Yes Colin, but the Crook players were still half-cut after winning the Amateur Cup.”

That is a lame excuse really, because Crook beat Barnet at Wembley to win the Amateur Cup on Saturday, April 18, 1959, while West Auckland beat Crook 7-0 18 days later on Wednesday, May 6, 1959 – ample time for the Crook players to get the alcohol out of their system, unless one or two forgot to stop partying, not impossible with the likes of O’Connell in the team.

The game Colin Summerson, who was a member of the West Auckland team, was recalling was the Northern League Challenge Cup Final at Dean Street, Shildon.

Besides being Amateur Cup holders, Crook were the new Northern League champions, with West Auckland six points behind in second place.

West, however, got their revenge in this game.

A crowd of 4,000 saw “Donny”

Carter lob Pat McNulty to give West an early lead and then the same player headed a second after 14 minutes.

In the 32nd minute, Carter completed his hat-trick with a back heel, before Billy Broomfield made the score 4-0 five minutes later after good work by Arthur Gardner.

Carter added his fourth and Ray Briggs hit a sixth goal for West right on the stroke of half-time.

Three minutes after the interval, Ernie Curtis ran through on his own to make the final score 7-0, West Auckland’s first success in the competition.

Colin lived just over the road from me in Howden-le-Wear, in Bridgefield House. His father, Harry, was landlord of the Green Tree.

In the 1950s and 1960s, there was always fierce rivalry between the amateur football clubs in south-west Durham. Crook used to do quite well, but Colin likes to remind Crook supporters such as myself when they did not.

It came as no surprise on Easter Monday evening when the phone rang and a voice said, “Mr Phelan, what about this 8-1 defeat at Bishop Auckland?”

“ I think Crook had one or two off,”

was my reply.

Colin started his football career with Howden-le-Wear Juniors and then the Howden-le-Wear Senior side that played in the Auckland and District League.

He played alongside people such as George Hugill, Kenny Lee, John Simon, Doug Rooney, Duncan Graham, Jock Errington and his old friend Jonty Raine, who once dribbled half the length of the field to score for Crook against Tow Law, and later gave loyal service to Bishop Auckland Reserves.

“There was always fun and games at Howden” said Colin. “I recall myself and Jonty playing as ‘wronguns’ for Howden Juniors in a cup replay at Tow Law. I think I was down as Stan Cooper.

“When we got to Tow Law, there were no changing rooms, so we had to change behind a dyke-back. It was the middle of winter, so we were not very happy about that.

There was an even bigger shock when we saw the state of the pitch.

It must have been muddy the previous Saturday and had frozen over. A game would not have been considered today. “I scored three and Jonty got two and we won easily. My third goal was a shot that went all along the ground and their keeper had it well covered until the ball hit a frozen divot and flew over his shoulder into the goal.

“On another occasion, playing for the Howden senior side in a cup game against Leewoolin, a factory side from West Auckland, we were well beaten.

Colin Summerson, right, playing in the 1961 FA Amateur Cup Final

“However, the Howden secretary Jonty Raine Senior protested about a Leewoolin player being ineligible.

“We won the protest and went through, even though we had three ineligible players, or ‘wrong-uns’, in our side.”

Colin then had a spell at Stanley United in the Northern League before completing his National Service from 1955 to 1957.

“After finishing my National Service, I went back to Stanley, but they had signed Bobby Davison at centrehalf, so I joined West Auckland.

“We built a good team and besides reaching the Amateur Cup Final in 1961 and the semi-final the following season, we won the Northern League title two years in succession – 1960 and 1961.

“Albert Mendum was the driving force in our side. He wasn’t very tall, but he was all muscle and as tough as old boots.

“In the Wembley season, we drew twice with Penrith in round three.

The second replay was at Carlisle, and on the morning of the match, Albert had a plaster cast on his leg. He took it off and played in the afternoon.

“Our coach was Johnny Spuhler, the former Sunderland and Middlesbrough player.

“Johnny had been an outside right, and in training he would tell us to move as fast and as quick as we could when attacking a defender.

‘You’ll either go past him or he will bring you down, maybe in the box’, he would say.”

Colin also played cricket with friend Jonty Raine at North Bitchburn.

In the same team was Ray “Chicky” Bryan, an Amateur Cup winner with Bishop Auckland in 1935.

Ray scored the Bishop Auckland winner after being set up by Frank Stephenson to leave Auckland 2-1 winners.

“There was always arguments on the field at North Bitchburn, somebody was sure to upset somebody else. Ray was the peacemaker,” said Colin.