Backtrack: Where there’s a Willis….

In triplicate, he was accompanied by both son and grandson – two more Peter Willises.

We’d last properly written of P N Willis (Meadowfield) in September 2013, almost a year after the lung cancer operation which he feared might be his final whistle. “If I don’t wake up,” he’d told the anaesthetist, “at least I won’t have to worry about buying Christmas cards.”

Enthusiastically returned to the golf course, the former Durham police officer – for 19 years the Referees’ Association national president – approaches his five-year check with confidence.

His only worry, perhaps, is that – like pollisses – referees seem to be ever younger. “I was 26 before I started, before that I’d been keeping goal for Tow Law and Willington. I had a lot of time to make up.”

The best of men, he is again a frequent flyer – mostly from Newcastle to Bristol for about half the cost of the train fare – and, this year, he’s looking forward to buying his Christmas cards.

WE interrupt this column to bring news of last Wednesday’s cricket, Richmond Mavericks v Thorpe Perrow, they of the arboretum, in the Wensleydale Evening League second division. For the Mavericks, opening bowler Adam Amos recorded from his five overs the remarkable figures of seven for seven, six of them castled, thus making him the league’s leading wicket taker (and him with a gammy shoulder, an’ all.) If his dad can’t be boastful, who can?

CROOK payed Darlington RA, mentioned hereabouts last week as they search for an appropriate motto ahead of the club’s centenary season in 2018-19.

Club secretary Alan Hamilton accepts that few Darlington folk may be fluent in Latin these days, argues that it’s “quite classy”, nonetheless, and has been doing his homework.

Twelve fellow Ebac Northern League clubs have mottoes, one (Marske United) in French, four in English and the rest in Latin.

They range from Virtus unita fortis (United we are stronger, Bedlington Terriers), through Fortitudo et spes (Endurance and hope, Stockton Town) to North Shields’ motto Messis ab altis, Harvest from the deep.

RA committee member Jack Usher’s suggestion of Skintus maximus has been rejected because, whilst true, the Romans had little use for the letter k. Team manager Peter Mulcaster’s proposal Pecuniam non habemus, nobiscum risus may (very) loosely be translated as “We don’t have much money but we do have a right good laugh.”

“Again the sentiment is right but the motto is perhaps a little over-long,” says Alan, who’d much welcome other suggestions. Semper fidelis, we’ll happily pass them on.

SEVERAL times over the years we’ve noted that South Shields FC secretary Philip Reay habitually wears nothing more than a T-shirt above the waist, however bitter the blast. He now faces a sartorial quandary. The Mariners are promoted to the Evostick League, whose rules insist on collar and tie in the half-time hospitality area. “I’ll starve,” says Philip.

THAT phenomenal six-in-six by young Philadelphia bowler Luke Robinson – reported in the Echo last Friday – inevitably reminded Adrian Dunn of the day, 43 years earlier, when he did precisely the same thing.

The big difference is that, thanks to social media, 13-year-old Luke’s achievement has been recognised worldwide. Adrian got two measly paragraphs on an inside sports page.

He was 18, playing for Crook II against Dean and Chapter – not a convocation of cricketing clergy, but the name of a pit at Ferryhill.

Adrian had already claimed 1-8 when a brisk shower interrupted play. When it restarted he immediately claimed his own six-in-six – and, like Luke’s, all clean bowled.

Dean and Chapter, the hosts, were reluctant to give him the ball because they claimed they hadn’t another. Eventually the teams agreed a swap, the ball still at his house in Crook – “up in the attic somewhere.”

“Luke must be as proud as I was,” says Adrian. “No matter what the age group, he must be very good.”

ALAN Macadie from Stockton reckons the quote of the week to have been from Neil Maddison, discussing on BBC Tees the likelihood of Boro offloading players before the end of August. “There’ll be a few going through the door before the window shuts.”

At the end of January we mourned the death of Alf Hutchinson, a proud Yorkshireman who’d long lived in Darlington, played cricket for Cockerton and 5s and 3s for the Brit.

Over the summer, 17 members of the Artful A and Brainless B teams – Alf was A* – have been contesting a league in his memory and for the handsome trophy he won in the St John of God doubles in 1973.

Accustomed modesty precludes mentioning who won it. Suffice that the first three were all from the Brainless Britannia B.

….AND finally, last week’s column sought the identity of the England captain whose father had opened the batting for South Hetton – and, at a stroke, fooled everyone. It was Steph Houghton, who skippers our women’s football team.

Neil McKay today invites readers to suggest what now is the closest Premier League ground to St James’ Park.

Nearest and dearest, the column returns next week.