INNOVATIVE and admirable, the North Yorkshire and South Durham cricket league appropriately concluded its 125th anniversary celebrations at the Royal London Cup match between Durham and Yorkshire.

Formalities began at 11am, three hours before the match, slightly flummoxing league president Chris West. “I’ve never spoken to a sober audience before,” he said.

We also heard from MCC chairman Mike Gatting, deemed by some to have lost weight – they do say all things are comparative – and, entertainingly, from former England opener Graeme Fowler who has long lived in Hett, near Ferryhill.

The guy that cricket calls Foxy now rather resembles Edward Lear’s old man with a beard in which, it may be remembered, two owls and a hen, four larks and a wren had all made their nests.

Foxy recalled England’s 1983-84 tour of Australia and New Zealand, dubbed by the media the “sex, drugs and rock and roll” tour. “I can tell you there wasn’t much rock and roll,” he added.

The column sat next to Andy Fothergill, Durham’s wicketkeeper when the first class adventure began and a former Northern League footballer who still plays cricket for Durham Over 50s. Two days previously he’d been bowled around his legs by an off-spinner.

“How did that happen?” he lamented but was consoled by the news that he’ll shortly be moving to our street.

Mike Gatting had to leave before the interval. “If I’d know you were going I’d have ordered five fewer teas,” said a league official (who’d best be anonymous.)

The game proved a bit one-sided, Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s 162 quickly putting the visitors out of sight. North Yorkshire went home happier than south Durham.

THE day that started on the south-west terrace ended, without stirring, in the Paul Collingwood pavilion. Colly – whisper it, a Durham Senior League man – unveiling a plaque to mark his 23-year commitment to the club. “It’s a bit surreal to be honest,” he said. “You normally only get this kind of honour if you’re retired or dead.”

THE event programme included musings on the modern game by former Barnard Castle wicketkeeper Stephen Brenkley, once a columnists of these parts. He’s not altogether convinced by the proposed “Hundred.”

“The fag packet back on which this plan was devised is destined to become a collectors’ item,” he wrote.

Though a Twenty-20 fan, he’s also concerned that cricket becomes ever shorter. “Eventually someone will suggest the no-over game and then cricket, lovely cricket, would have been squeezed until the pips could squeak no more.”

RECALLING West Auckland lad David Thomas’s part in Burnley’s FA Youth Cup triumph exactly 50 years ago, last week’s column noted that Sunderland had won the Youth Cup the following season.

Almost all were local lads, only Bob Lunn and George Whitehead failing to progress to the senior side, though Colin Beesley’s role was restricted to three summonses from the bench.

He had a trial for Ipswich, played for Scarborough, became familiar in both local league football and cricket in the Stockton area, was a grave digger for Stockton council and holds tightly to his Sunderland season ticket.

“I could go in with the former players but I’d rather watch with the lads,” he says. “I’d still watch Sunderland if they were in the Northern League second division.”

In 2009 he had a new knee – “the council then decided it was too strenuous to work in the cemetery” – in 2010 a replacement hip and in 2011 was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

He’d attended a reunion to mark the 40th anniversary – “it just seems like a couple of years ago” – hopes there’ll be another next year. “Whatever happens,” says Colin, “I’m Sunderland till I die.”

* From David Gardener in Hetton-le-Hole we also hear of youth team goalkeeper Trevor Swinburne, who in seven years with the senior side squeezed in just ten appearances as Jim Montgomery’s deputy. Trevor, East Rainton lad, became a prison governor and is now chairman of Lincoln City’s former players’ association.

AHEAD of last Saturday’s Champions League final, Terry McDermott was talking about how he signed for Newcastle United in 1973 and was billeted with future Liverpool team mate Alan Kennedy at his mum’s place in Penshaw. It was meant to be for two weeks; he stayed for 22 months.

At noon on match days, Alan’s mum would serve a full roast dinner, inevitably followed by an invitation to try a bit of apple pie and custard.

Temptation proved irresistible. “Ah, go on then” he said.

Further evidence of how football’s diet has changed is provided in the documentary on the wonderful Sir Bobby Robson, in cinemas in June.

He’s seen in a clip when manager of Ipswich Town in 1969, ordering a pre-match snack for the team – “tea and toast – and jam.”

….AND finally, last week’s column sought the identity of the first man to play for two different FA Cup winning sides in successive seasons – it was Brian Talbot, with Ipswich Town in 1978 and Arsenal the year afterwards.

Philip Ashlee – “100 per cent Tractor Boy” – was first with the answer. “He also played for the 4th Ipswich Boys’ Brigade, as did I a little bit later,” he recalls.

Following recent recollections of Bob Stokoe, Martin Birtle in Billingham today invites readers to name the five clubs that Bob managed more than once.

Similarly back for more, the column returns next week.