AIDAN DAVISON, a goalkeeper who admits to needing a caravan rather than a house, has just signed for his thirteenth Football League club.

Unlucky for some? Two games into the season and Colchester United are unexpectedly top of the table, though the old lad isn't quite sure which table it is.

League One isn't it? "I don't really know, I lose track of all these changes at my age, " says Aidan, 36. "All I do is turn up at football grounds and ask if I can have a game." An old friend of the Backtrack column's, he may be the only goalkeeper to have played both for Shildon Fox and Hounds and for Northern Ireland or indeed the only Co Durham lad to have worn the emerald with pride.

He was brought up in Close House, near Bishop Auckland, where his grandma still lives ? "as old as the grass, she goes on for ever, like Duracell" ? and now owns half the village.

"I've lost track of how many houses I have, but there's a lovely lady who looks after things for me up there and everything seems to be working very well." He began with Spennymoor Juniors, had a Northern League season with Billingham Synthonia and joined Notts County in March 1988.

The Aidan Davison roadshow was ready to roll.

We'd first caught up with him at Millwall in 1991 ? initially under Bruce Rioch, then Mick McCarthy ? spells at Leyton Orient, Bury, Chester and Blackpool already behind him.

The Den inevitably knew him as Geordie, the Cold Blow Lane end still threw pies at him but Millwall supporters voted him player of the year, nonetheless.

Last season he was at Grimsby for a second time, played the first 32 games, was injured against Luton and never appeared again.

"I did my calf muscle but they didn't have another keeper on the bench.

I was asked to carry on and made a mess of my calf.

"There was a bit of unrest at the club and getting relegated didn't help so I stayed out of the way, did my rehabilitation on my own and looked for another club. I couldn't have suffered another season like the last one at Grimsby." He joined Colchester both as first choice stopper and goalkeeping coach and has moved to a village near Ipswich ? "lovely place, pub and a post office, what more could you want?" ? with his American wife Christine, a football mad son and two daughters.

Christine was an air hostess. "She probably didn't do as many miles when she flying as she's done being married to me, " says Aidan.

United won 3-0 at Sheffield Wednesday on the opening day ? "we were on fire, could have had four in the first half" ? and beat Stockport, 3-2, on Tuesday.

"For a man of his age he's remarkably athletic, " says our man at Layer Road. "He made a couple of great saves on Tuesday." Eventually, Aidan believes, the family will live in America leaving Close House to stand on its own. In the meantime, he has no plans to hang up his gloves.

"I've had a couple of bad injuries, but I've been quite lucky really. It's all about keeping working hard, honest hard graft.

"I hope there are three or four years left in me yet. The way I'm going who knows, I might complete the set."

ROAD to Wembley, or Cardiff or wherever, BBC cameras start the FA Cup trail with a live match on August 28 ? at humble Norton and Stockton Ancients in the Albany Northern League second division.

"So far as I can tell, they just took a fancy to our name. We're hoping to make a really big day of it, " says new club chairman Bill Cummings.

The extra preliminary round tie with Yorkshire Amateurs has been brought forward to 12.30pm so that Grandstand can feature the kick-off and, it is to be hoped, some of Norton's goals.

Mark Lawrenson will lead the advance party earlier in the week when interviews and background material ? Ancients history ? are recorded.

Team manager Ray Morton, a senior police officer, reckons the whole club has had a boost. "I've had people wanting to sign for us who I've never even heard of. If we approach it professionally, we can beat the Amateurs and be on television some more." Despite the name, however, the club weren't formed until 1959. The original Ancients were three times FA Amateur Cup winners Stockton FC, formed in 1882.

Nor are the lads at Norton and Stockton likely to forget the last time they attracted the national media, after an armed police response when a spectator was reported to be carrying a gun.

It proved to be a rather succulent hot dog.

PATRICK CONWAY, Durham County Council's director of libraries, arts and leisure, is almost as passionate about Grimsby Town as he is about Sunderland. Last Saturday, therefore, he saw the Mariners lose at Darlington, drove home to watch Sunderland lose at Coventry and, suitably subdued, took himself off to the County Council backed Stanley Blues Festival. "It seemed rather appropriate, " he says.

TUESDAY'S note on Horden lad Norman Corner's tale of three cities ? Hull, Lincoln and Bradford ? reminded Ray Matthews of Norman's eventual return to his true colours.

It was August 16 1975, and after a lengthy Football League career the former pitman was back with the Colliery Welfare for their first ever Northern League game, at Whitley Bay.

Horden won 1-0, big Norm scoring the only goal after 35 minutes. "I can remember it like it was yesterday, a great header, " says Rays, now secretary of the Durham Senior cricket league.

It was also the first day of the Football League season, two Supermac goals helping Newcastle to a 3-0 win at Ipswich Town, newcomers Trevor Swinburne, Jeff Clarke and Jack Ashurst impressing in Sunderland's 2-1 win over Bristol City but Boro losing 1-0 to Spurs.

"A second division display, " stormed manager Jack Charlton, though they were to finish 13th in the first.

Elsewhere, legendary Russian athlete Vladimir Kutz died from a heart attack, aged 48, Hylton Balmer scored his first (but by no means his last) century for Etherley, Tot Rumney claimed his 100th wicket of the season for Wolsingham and 15-yearold Colin Jackson from Peterlee hit 67 on his cricket debut for England schools. Whatever happened to him?

MALCOLM MACDONALD, not just a passing reference, has been keeping a weather eye on tomorrow's Tees-Tyne derby ? had conjunctivitis claimed it, he'd have been at North Shields instead.

Macdonald, the Robins' president, is far more than a name on the notepaper. "I've been campaigning for years to get them back into the Northern League, " he says.

Tomorrow, home to Seaham Red Star, they finally make it.

Macdonald, now 54, became involved after a letter from North Shields chairman Alan Matthews ? who'd been at school with the Newcastle United hero's Tyneside born wife.

"I'm very committed to them, " says Malcolm. "You see people like Abramovich and at a lower level Rushden and Diamonds trying to buy success in football, but at North Shields they almost literally have to beg and borrow everything.

"People say there's funding about, but it's an awful scrap trying to get it.

They're a great bunch of lads with a board that's deeply passionate about the game, a manager who's totally dedicated and a chairman who works harder than anyone I know in the game. We've developed a very strong friendship." Managed by big Frank Brennan ? another Gallowgate legend ? North Shields were the last Northern League side to lift the FA Amateur Cup, beating Sutton United 2-1 at Wembley in 1969. They left the league 20 years later.

Supermac will be providing radio commentary from the Cellnet Riverside tomorrow. "You can be sure, " he says, "that I'll have an ear on North Shields as well."

BLACK FRIDAY, and Richmond cricket club professional Shanuka Dissanayake has been receiving a few unwanted lessons in English folklore ? tonight's his benefit match.

"Everyone's been telling him how unlucky Friday the thirteenth is, " says team mate Andy Mollitt. "He's looking at the downpour and absolutely bricking it." Dissanayake, one of many Sri Lankan cricketers of that name, leads a Richmond All Star XI ? in which former club pro's Michael Ponter and Umer Rashid will appear ? in a Twenty20 style game against a team of fellow NYSD League professionals.

It starts at 5 30, weather permitting, with a barbecue and all the other Twenty20 razzamatazz. "If it's still raining, " says Andy, "Shanny's going to start getting superstitious."

LUCKILY or otherwise, we asked one of these new-fangled text query services what was supposed to be so dire about Friday 13th ? "because on that day in 1307 Jacques de Molay, Grand Master of the Knights Templar, was arrested, tortured and his order declared heretical, " it replied. Others may seek their fortune elsewhere.

...and finally

The first fourth division side to reach the Football League Cup final (Backtrack, August 10) was Rochdale.

On the eve of the new Premiership season, Martin Birtle in Billingham today invites readers to name the six clubs who - in the 12 Premiership seasons to date - have spent just one year at that giddy level. Bonus point for the club which has spent 11 out of 12 there.

Premier plus, the column returns on Tuesday

Published: 13/08/2004