THE good news, indeed the absolutely tremendous news, is that Paul McGeary’s leukaemia is in remission – exactly 13 weeks after diagnosis – though needs must there are two further chemotherapy cycles.

“In short it means that I’ve won the race but the medal ceremony is temporarily on hold,” he writes on what began as a bedside blog.

And again: “Have you ever swatted a wasp with your newspaper and, despite knowing that it’s stung its last sting, given it a couple of whacks just to make sure? Well, the newspaper in this instance is my chemo and the wasp is my cancer.”

Paul’s 33, a teacher in Sedgefield and treasurer of Newton Aycliffe FC. He spent the first six weeks in hospital, from where he launched the “Not an Inch” campaign to raise £10,000 for leukaemia and lymphoma research.

Already they’ve topped £5,700. Several other events are planned, including a race night tomorrow at Moore Lane Social Club in Newton Aycliffe – admission free – and a football match on May 2 between teams of past and present Aycliffe players.

Both deserve massive support. To really find out why, look up Paul’s extraordinary and inspiring blog at mcgearypaul.wordpress.com – and then perhaps go to justgiving.com/paulmcgeary2

LIKE the Backtrack column a couple of weeks back, Middlesbrough born Sunday Times columnist Rod Liddle has been to watch Dulwich Hamlet and was similarly impressed by what he witnessed.

“Vestigial loyalty” to the area in which he grew up, he also watched Hartlepool United at Dagenham last Tuesday – and bumped into the younger bairn in the Bovril queue. “Seems a nice bloke,” says the bairn.

Liddle paid £21 to stand with 123 Pools fans on the visitors’ end – “fairly cheap,” he wrote in Sunday’s paper; “blooming ridiculous” says the more frugal bairn. The experience was enjoyable, the football “atrocious.”

“Poor old Hartlepool have a frit defence and an impotent forward line. These boys are going down,” Liddle concludes – though, sadly, it doesn’t need the Sunday Times Insight team to tell the world that.

THE television crew at Washington v Seaham Red Star on Tuesday evening wasn’t primarily there for the match but to interview our old friend Lee Stewart, Peterlee lad and ground hopper extraordinary. It was his 208th football match of the season. He insists that 300 is still on.

LAST Saturday’s paper had news of the Fat Brewer, new to Crook. Even before it crossed the threshold, Steve Leonard was round with a copy of the Crook Town v Durham City programme, first day of 1952-53.

Crook had a new members’ association, its stated aim “to provide a much better standard of football than hitherto.” They won the Amateur Cup the following season.

What really caught the eye, however, was a joint advert for the Royal Oak, the Royal Sun Inn and the Three Blue Bells, all of which sold Aitchie’s Sparkling Ales.

This was an age when North-East pubs were almost exclusively supplied by the regional big three or four. So who was Aitchie, and whence poured his sparkling ales?

A FIRSt for most spectators, Sam Trotter wore glasses when he came on a sub for Billingham Synthonia against Shildon the other night.

It reminded someone of Eric Ross, a Newcastle United player in the late 60s and pictured in the Fairs Cup winning squad, though Magpies historian Paul Joannou suspects he got nowhere the team.

“He did wear thick black-rimmed glasses but I think only in Central League games,” says Paul. “For his four Football League appearances he probably had contact lenses.”

Capped once for Northern Ireland, Ross also made a couple of appearances for Hartlepool and finished his career at North Shields.

By happy coincidence, former Newcastle goalkeeper John Hope – another smiling face on the Fairs Cup winning team pic – was also at the Billingham match. Shildon lad, John doesn’t need glasses at all.

ON Saturday to Bedlington, where an information board in the Market Place not only records the Terriers’ Wembley visit in 1999 but that the first Penny Black was sent on a letter to a chap up there, that a particularly nasty piece of work called Amos killed two local police officers and a pub landlady and that the obelisk nearby is known because of its shape as The Nail. Hence, it is suggested, local tradesmen would turn up to pay on The Nail. The internet suggests many origins for the phrase, none of them within about 400 miles of mid-Northumberland. Not what you’d call nailed on, anyway.

...AND finally, last week’s column noted that the usual suspects were in the top four of English clubs who’s appeared in major finals over the past two decades – but who, we asked, was in fifth place? The answer, to some surprise, is Middlesbrough with five, one of which they won.

Chris Orton in Ferryhill today invites readers to name the five goalkeepers who’ve scored in Premier League matches. A more usual route to goal, the column returns next week.