ALL this pie-in-the-sky stuff about Wayne Shaw, Sutton United’s heavyweight reserve goalie, rang northerly bells with Dave Rowlings in Totton, near Southampton.

“You’d cause to mention him a lot of years ago,” recalls Dave – and, he might have added, to compare him to the legendary Fatty Foulke.

It was January 30 1999, Shaw – considerably younger but not noticeably lighter – was Lymington and New Milton’s keeper in a 4-1 FA Vase win over Northern League side Dunston Fed.

It was also the time that the England manager had been dabbling in the spiritual. “For the benefit of Mr Hoddle,” the column observed three days later, “Fatty Foulke has been reincarnated and keeps goal every bit as massively for Lymington. He may also be every bit as agile.”

Describing Shaw as “highly competent”, a similar piece appeared in the Northern League magazine – which Dave, a South Shields supporter, immediately gave to the goalkeeper, who lived nearby.

“He loved it,” he recalls. “He still lives in Totton and is an ice cream man. A really lovely guy.”

“FATTY” Foulke, 6ft 2ins and upwards of 22 stones, made 299 appearances for Sheffield United in the early 20th century – helping the Blades to the Football League and two FA Cup final wins – before a £50 transfer to Chelsea after being replaced at Nramall Lane by William Bigger. Bigger, of course, was very much smaller.

Foulke also kept wicket for Derbyshire, said to be the heaviest man to play first class cricket. When he came out to bat, it’s reported, they appealed against the light.

After the FA Cup final against Southampton, however, Foulke is said to have been so enraged at a late equaliser that he emerged starkers from the dressing room and chased the ref into a broom cupboard. All poor Shaw did was take a bite out of a pasty.

Closer to home, many still recall with great affection the late and lamented Steve Tierney, a true Hartlepool heavyweight, who kept goal with much distinction for Billingham Synthonia, Horden CW and for Hartlepool Lion in the FA Sunday Cup.

Tino had reported late for his first game at Horden. “There was a queue at the pie shop,” he told his new teams mates. Clearly it’s just an occupational hazard.”

ON Saturday to Tow Law v Heaton Stannington, decidedly parky, the programme including a question about the non-league team which knocked Newcastle United out of the 1972 FA Cup – slightly surprising because programme editor Neil McKay is a lifelong Mag. “It took me 45 years to pluck up the courage to ask that one,” he said.

WORD arrived at Shildon’s match last Wednesday of the passing of Neil Edgeley, a lovely guy who was the club’s kit man but also a Stoke City season ticket holder. We were due to watch their defeat by Arsenal next month.

“A massive part of the dressing room, from sorting the kit to clubbing in Newcastle,” tweeted team manager Daniel Moore. The second bit, it has to be said, came as a bit if a surprise.

Quiet and characteristically generous, Neil was a long distance driver until chronic heart problems compelled the surrender of his HGV licence – but he’d still go an awfully long way to help others. RIP.

LAST week’s note on the passing of former Bishop Auckland Grammar School teacher Geoff Hill, he who thought that fast bowling was cheating, omitted that he’d spent several years as Durham County Cricket Club’s public address man – once announcing that the incoming batsman had been out for a duck on his last appearance at Durham. The chap came to see him full of hell, recalls Geoff’s widow, Jean. “I didn’t blame him,” she adds.

MANY may remember Bobby Lumley as a stalwart of Hartlepool United, 27 goals in 155 games in the 1950s.

Older hands at the Echo recall him as landlord of the Red Lion in Darlington, in the days when journalists – night shift usually – would occasionally live down to their hackneyed image.

Bob, the friendliest of men, died last Saturday. He was 84.

Born in Consett, he began his Football League career with Charlton Athletic, was signed by Pools manager Fred Westgarth in 1955, scored twice on his debut. In 1956-57 he was in the side which finished second in the Third Division (North) – but, back then, only one promoted.

After spells at Kings Lynn and Gateshead, he returned to the Vic, played a further 40 games and was reserve team manager in the 1980s. He has also run the Northern Eastern pub in Hartlepool.

….AND finally, England’s three oldest surviving cricket captains (Backtrack, February 23) are Ray Illingworth, who’s 84, Mike Smith (83) and Ted Dexter, a mere 81. Martin Birtle first up with the answer.

Last week’s papers reported that Eric Cantona has taken to the stage, a 50-minute question and answer that’s £60 a head or £150 meet-and-greet. None was impressed. “The evening matched his beard, long and dark with a few highlights,” said The Times.

The gentleman may best be recalled, of course, for the kung-fu kickabout at Crystal Palace. Readers are invited to name the referee.

Generously proportioned, the column returns next week.