The blog, bless it, has been retro-shopping at Doggarts, the North-East department store empire upon which Grace Brothers could seamlessly have been modelled.

Founded by Arthur Doggart in Bishop Auckland in the 1890s, the chain grew rapidly. “Father’s philosophy was that if there was a counter, there should be someone behind it to serve,” Jamie Doggart once told these columns.

The family were also prominent sportsmen. Hubert Doggart, the founder’s grandson, still holds the record for the highest score in a maiden first class innings – 315 not out for Cambridge University v Lancashire in 1948 – captained Durham and became MCC president.

Now 92, he’s England’s second oldest living test cricketer after Sussex man Don Smith.

Graham Doggart, his father, won both full and amateur international football caps and became FA president. He died during the annual meeting in 1963.

Particularly, however, we are taken by the advert for the Bishop Auckland store which appeared in The Northern Echo on December 23, 1899 and which has been sent by Ray Ion in Newcastle.

Headed “Savage South Africa”, it announces the arrival – “procured at great expense” – of a mechanical savage that dispenses penny toys.

“Place a penny in the slot and immediately from out an African Encampment there emerges a Savage with the desired toy. No sooner has he finished his errand than another savage with upraised tomahawk glides out of the forest in pursuit of him.”

The last Doggarts branch closed in 1980. Arthur Doggart became president of the Baptist Missionary Society.

Wild and westerly, our friends at Lands Cricket Club – splendidly set alongside Cockfield Fell – are anxiously seeking new players. Last year they lost the second team, now the survivors are looking a bit threadbare. “We’ve lost a lot of experienced players over the past few years and are desperately in need of new talent,” said Jonathan Milroy. He can be contacted on 07989 068425 or Symun Sowerby on 07375 674286.

Billy Day, the former Middlesbrough and Newcastle United winger who has died, aged 81, was the most affable and open of men. We’d interviewed him in 1995, last seen him at the great George Hardwick’s 80th birthday bash five years later.

It was held at the Riverside, principal guest Brian Clough helping almost to re-form Boro’s fabled front five of Day, McLean, Clough, Peacock and Holliday. Three played for England; none cost more than the £10 signing on fee.

Billy became a bookie, loved it. Martin Birtle, a regular customer, recalls Billy’s disappointment when Cleveland Park dogs ran out of steam. “He reckoned the only exciting thing left in Middlesbrough on a Saturday night was when someone got mugged. It seemed quite profound.”

By the time of the august 80th, Clough had been teetotal for six years – “bloody Perrier water,” he said – but still bore the appearance of a man who (how may this be put?) had lived life to the full.

“Now that you’ve seen him in the flesh,” said the comedian, “you know that there’s nothing wrong with your telly.” I don’t remember Cloughy laughing.

Sunderland Under 23s, effectively the reserves, play most of their home games at Hetton-le-Hole – a memorial to the great Bob Paisley out the back.

In Bob’s day – or Cloughy’s – they’d have been the Stiffs, clogged it out in the Football Combination and probably not cussed as much. Now it’s Premier League 2, last Sunday lunchtime entertaining Arsenal.

Sunderland’s squad appeared largely of yeoman stock: Williams, Young, Taylor, Robson, Elliott Embleton (who scored.) The Gunners were altogether more cosmopolitan.

The team sheet listed Konstantinos Mavropanos, Vlad Dragomir, Xavier Amaechi, Tolagi Bola and Josh da Silva (captain in the absence of the injured Julio Pieguezuelo.)

No matter that Jordi Osei-Tutu, the right back, spoke like he might have been born beneath Bow Bells chimes or that some swear that Deyan Iliev, the goalie, sounds more Scottish than Billy Connolly.

Whatever the ethnicity, the poor PA man may have been up half the night trying to get them all right.

Arsenal, who’d put five past Bayern Munich Under 23s in the week, win this one 3-1 – two for Tyreece John-Jules, a lovely opener from Emile Smith-Rowe.

Some of the younger squad members may be back in the North-East tomorrow when the Under 18s play Middlesbrough in the FA Youth Cup. The game’s at Bishop Auckland’s Heritage Park ground, 7pm. Unlike the Stiffs, they’re unlikely to be carrying their boots in a Co-op carrier bag, or on the last train home.

….and finally, the seven English football internationals in the last 50 years whose surnames have begun with Mc or Mac (Backtrack January 25) are Malcolm Macdonald, Steve McMahon, Steve McManaman, Gavin McCann – one cap wonder – Roy McFarland, Terry McDermott and Bob McNab, the Arsenal connection.

Neil McKay in Lanchester today invites readers to name nine Newcastle United managers who represented their countries in the World Cup’s final stages.

More finals thoughts next week.