KEVIN Stonehouse, Shildon lad and proud of it, was back on home ground last Friday evening to talk of a successful football career.

Someone in the clubhouse audience even recalled that, circa 1975, Kevin had appeared in the local Amateur Operatics’ production of Oliver.

“One of Fagin’s boys,” confirmed Kevin, now 57. “It’s what you did back then. These days they smash up bus shelters.”

He’d worked at the Wagon Works, played Northern League football for the Railwaymen, signed for Blackburn Rovers and played subsequently for Huddersfield, Blackpool and Darlington, where he became football in the community officer.

Now he’s one of Newcastle United’s international scouting team, usually spending long hours researching those he intends to scrutinise.

When Germany’s Under 21s met their Austrian counterparts last summer, however, Kevin – top bloke – decided to let instinctive impressions speak for themselves and was so taken with one of the German youngsters that his report recommended “Sign for development.”

It brought a telephone call from his gaffer. “Bit late for that,” he said, “Manchester City have just paid £47m for him.”

Some say that Leroy Sane might even be worth it. Kev Stonehouse says that in future he’ll always do his homework.

FORMER Bishop Auckland Cricket Club captain John Snowdon, who also made four Durham appearances in Minor Counties days, has died. He was 78.

Raised on the family farm at North Bitchburn, near Crook, John played for the village side before joining the Bishops from 1958-67, scoring 2,872 runs. “A very stylish batter,” saus former Bishop Auckland and Durham County scorer Brian Hunt.

His Durham debut came in 1961 against Yorkshire II at Gargrave, almost in Red Rose country, his top score 27 not out against Staffordshire, on home soil at Kingsway.

John also managed East Thickley farm, known locally as Elephant’s Trunk, at Shildon. His funeral is at Durham Crematorium at 3 30pm today.

The Northern Echo:

Former Archbishop of York David Hope

IMPOSSIBLE to mention Gargrave without recalling the most memorable start to a sermon in ecclesiastical history. David Hope, retired Archbishop of York, was preaching at the annual cyclists’ service in Coxwold, North Yorkshire. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto the cyclists’ café in Gargrave,” he began. Subsequent experience suggested that he might have had a point.

WANTING it both ways, the peripatetic Hartlepool mafia at last Wednesday’s game between Stockton Town and Durham City noted that Kallum Hannah – Stockton ‘s all-time record goal scorer – has a palindromic surname.

It sparked a fruitless trawl for others, though Ugo Ehiogu – seven goals in 126 appearances for the Boro – came spectacularly close to the perfect palindrome.

Even with just a surname, Northern League or elsewhere, can anyone add to the list?

CRICKET'S started its run-up, but without the greatly familiar figure of Shildon BR stalwart John Brennan. After a long and peripatetic career in cricket, football and rugby, the retired Co Durham headmaster has variously been chairman, secretary, treasurer groundsman, captain and much else but last week headed off to spend the summer in the Murcia region of Spain. He and his wife may decide permanently to relocate there. “I believe I did my bit,” says John. “It’s our own version of BR-exit.”

KEN Thwaites, that great all-rounder, has contributed an affectionate obituary on long serving Normanby Hall wicket keeper David Cook to the 2017 NYSD League handbook.

It recalls David’s frequent visits to Northampton – where brother Geoff opened the county batting – and the great array of “gifts” with which usually he would return.

“Bats, pads, sweaters, ties and blazers. The only thing that eluded him was one of Bishen Bedi’s turbans.”

NYSD president Chris West adds an anecdote of his own, about the time that David turned up at a match with a packed suitcase and was asked where he was going.

“It depends on the 3 30 at Aintree,” he said.

AT the time it cost twopence, old money: now the programme from the 1952 FA Amateur Cup tie between Co Durham village side Cockfield and big city Sheffield is being offered for more than £50 on eBay.

Cockfield were in the Durham Central League, playing on the verdantly named but now sadly redundant Hazel Grove ground. They’d reached the Amateur Cup final in 1928.

“Cockfield triumph over adversity,” said the Echo headline the following Monday, reporting two goals from Calvert and a third by Robinson in the 3-2 win. Cockfield, we added, had played “stubbornly.”

Elsewhere that December Saturday, Sunderland (“swept away”) went down 4-1 at Cardiff, goals from Mannion, Fitzimmons and Walker gave Boro a 3-2 win over Portsmouth and Newcastle beat Aston Villa 2-1.

One other headline: a 6,000 crowd paid £360 to watch the Amateur Cup tie between Shildon and Bishop Auckland. Bishops won 7-2, but we don’t talk of that round here.

….AND finally, last week’s column invited the identity of the two England football captains since 1966, other than goalkeepers, who never scored for their country. They were Mick Mills and Trevor Cherry.

Readers are today invited to identity the sport which once had 35 major venues in London alone but which staged its final event in the capital last Saturday.

The column, conversely, just runs and runs – and after a short breather, returns in a fortnight.