The DAFT lads’ day out samples some real history

Not for the first time, they went to the National Football Museum in Preston, opened seven years ago and described by FIFA president Sepp Blatter as “a superb realisation, a real jewel.”

Hunter Davies, the author, professed himself “dazed by all the wonders”, The Times thought it “fantastic”, Sir Bobby Charlton said that he couldn’t think of a better museum anywhere in the world.

Though it’s possible that Sir Bobby meant “except for those with working steam engines and stuffed polar bears”, the museum’s brochure maintains the theme. “The world’s finest football museum with the best collection of football memorabilia ever assembled,”

it boats, and whatever they say about self-praise, few have ever doubted it.

Best of all, and like one or two other among the best things in life, it’s free.

Funding exhausted, however, the museum is due to close at the end of this month. Sometimes you wonder who are the daft ones.

For proud Preston read peeved Preston, possibly apoplectic Preston. Keith Belton, the Trust chairman, had visited a couple of times before. “If they’re a bit fed up,” he said, “who on earth could blame them?”

THEY’RE good lads, the DAFT lads, most of them getting on a bit but like so many bairns when let loose in a place as replete with possibilities, as ingeniously conceived and as imaginatively executed as the National Football Museum.

Save for Barbara Wood, the youth policy is Sam Smith who works three days a week in the Trust office in Shildon and the rest of the time drives steam locomotives at Beamish Museum, a portfolio most moderately described as enviable. They plan a summer exhibition at Beamish, another at the Durham v Lancashire cricket match.

Mind, Sam was a bit subdued on the way down. It was the morning after Barcelona. Sam, it was explained, is an Arsenal fan.

Four went by car, another seven in what probably is called a people carrier. Neil Walton, the driver, had a football pedigree, too – a long Northern League career and two FA Amateur Cup semifinals with Whitley Bay.

The museum’s part of Deepdale, Preston North End’s home since 1874 – originally cricket and rugby.

It’s the oldest Football League ground in continuous use, the ground where in 1889 the Old Invincibles completed the first double.

Funded for the first six years by the Football Foundation, the museum’s location seemed perfect.

Deepdale’s much changed, of course. A sign outside the Bill Shankly Kop urges “No ball games”, Trust press officer John Phelan insistent that on a Wembley tour he’d seen a sign enjoining “Please do not wash muddy balls in the bath.”

The road to the stadium is called Sir Tom Finney Way, the statue outside is of Tom’s legendary steeplechase course – Stamford Bridge, August 1958 – and immediately inside is a maquette of the same pose.

They call it The Splash.

Upstairs a whole gallery is dedicated to the local lad made very good indeed, the approach illuminated by one of Shanks’s immortal aphorisms: “Tom Finney would have been a great player in any age, in any team in any match – even when wearing an overcoat.”

Many will recall that he was the Preston Plumber, how many that he drove front line tanks in Italy with the Eighth Army?

The higher floors are all inter-activity and things, any amount to keep the youthful absorbed. Down below there’s a journey back in football time and, right at the start, a case shared by Rio Ferdinand and Arthur Wharton, England’s first black footballer, in whose memory Shaun Campbell is leading an admirable campaign for a statue in Darlington, where he kept goal.

A bit further on, utterly up-to-date, is the Liverpool beach ball which deflected worldwide attention at the Stadium of Light earlier this season. Like about 50,000 Sunderland fans at the time, the ball itself is now deflated.

Silverware’s reflected everywhere. So that’s what became of the Auto Windscreens Shield. There are more cups than the Co-op crockery department, more caps than a vintage car rally, more talking points than a decade of Match of the Day.

There’s Gazza’s Spitting Image dummy – he had something to laugh and cry about back then – the chair on which Jimmy Hill sat (and clearly made an impression) when negotiating the abolition of the maximum wage, the collar that Pickles wore when discovering the Jules Rimet trophy in the back of an English hedge, the coracle – get this the coracle – moored until the 1970s at the back of the main stand at Gay Meadow, Shrewsbury, so that the lads might get their ball back.

Fatty Foulke features – looms large – too. The museum even claims the socalled kicking block, said to have been kept in the Wolves dressing room so that players might break in new boots against it. It saved them kicking the wall, it’s explained.

There are World Cup Willies and World Cup wallies, Swedes 2 Turnips 1, Hungary 1953 and Munich 1958, Hillsborough, Heysel and hooliganism, in which last connection former Colchester United manager Mr Bobby Roberts is prominently quoted.

“I know it sounds a bit drastic,” said that gentleman back in 1980, “but the only way to deal with hooligans it so shoot them. That’ll stop them.” Shanks was rather more original.

There’s also a salver presented to the late, great George Hardwick – Middlesbrough lad and captain of England – to mark what is still the country’s record victory, 10-0 in Lisbon in 1947.

Another record, it’s about 25 minutes before Dickie Longstaff mentions Bishop Auckland, getting on an hour before Joe Nicholson mentions Eldon Albion.

That’s how wonderfully diverting the experience is: all that the museum may not have, in truth, is a few working steam locomotives and a stuffed polar bear.

WE’RE also given a private tour of the stores – maybe 1,000 items on display, but 30,000 out of sight. Peter Holme, one of the collections officers, says that the museum already has travelling exhibitions in Turkey, France and, er, Skipton. The replica FA Cup was last heard of in Carlisle Peter also recalled that they could almost mount an entire blow football exhibition, though games – beautiful games, no doubt – all but overflow the place.

Another museum volunteer proves to be a Hartlepool United historian. Mr Phelan gets him to confirm that Terry Turnbull was, indeed, the oldest player to score on his Football League debut.

It’s reckoned that John’s a bit of a magician. What probably they mean is that he doesn’t miss a trick.

Sound tracks play everything from Blaydon Races to the Harrow School song – “Play up, play up, fellows” – and from Kenneth Wolstenholme to Gabby Logan. Visuals abound.

Even the cafe sells proper football food, Bovril (just like the tea hut used to make) and pie and mushy peas.

Word arrives while we’re there of a meeting with Lancashire County Council on April 16 which may yet give the place a reprieve. The reality, however, is that some staff face redundancy and it’ll be at least two years before the museum can relocate, probably to Manchester.

“It’s a crying shame. The work that’s been done here is fantastic. We could have spent a week here,” says Dickie Longstaff.

“If every professional footballer gave up just a day’s wages it could probably keep it going for another five years,” says Barbara Wood, though she knows the lessons of history.

Staff at Preston aren’t allowed to talk about the issue. Few appear hopeful of an added-time equaliser. For Preston and for Deepdale, the National Football Museum could soon become a thing of the past. There’s DAFT and there’s insane.

Double celebration for West

AS IF a 3-0 derby victory over the Bishops weren’t sufficiently satisfying, the lads at West Auckland FC had double cause for Easter Monday celebration.

Club president John Elliott, in attendance a few days earlier, had recommended that they put a few bob on his horse Sendali, out at Redcar that afternoon.

It won at 7-1.

John’s chairman of the Ebac group, a mile down the road, and also led the successful campaign against a North-East regional assembly. Another horse, Nesno, was an acronym of North-East Says No. Sendali is simply an amalgamation of dam and sire.

For the owner, however, the bank holiday was to get even better. “When we get home from the races, one of our sheep was having a really difficult lambing,” says John, who leaves near Crook.

“The sheep was under tremendous stress, really shocking. We spent an hour and a half with her and finally made it. Happily they’re both coming along well. It proved a very good Easter.”

THEREAFTER, the West officials headed for St James Park, their World Cup paraded at half-time to promote Alf Ramsey Knew My Grandfather, the play telling the story of the Thomas Lipton Trophy – Theatre Royal, May 11-15.

Ed Waugh and Trevor Wood, the authors, now seek to gain audiences for their plays Waiting for Gateaux (“about the worst slimming club in the world”) and Dirty Dusting (“about female pensioner cleaners who set up a telephone sex line at work”) The first tours the UK in June and July, the second’s back from Australia in June.

“They’re an antidote to the other World Cup,” says Ed.

JOHN Lee, an assistant referee in today’s skilltrainingltd Northern League match between Birtley and Thornaby, is 62 though he reckons to look 40 years younger. Willie Moat, who’ll be in Birtley’s colours, certainly won’t see 40 again.

Are they, wonders John – Durham lad – the two oldest in the league?

HAVING been given a medal from the SEI Cup final, 1922, Tom Purvis wondered several weeks ago what the initials might stand for. The number of readers who offered Sunderland Eye Infirmary was gratifying.

Since then, Tom’s come up with the teams, the ref, the colour of the strips, the venue – Roker Park – and even the match ball sponsor.

What he’d been unable to find was the score.

It was Saturday May 6.

The Professional Footballers’ Association, chaired by James Lawrence of Newcastle United, met to demand better wages.

Durham City beat Wigan Borough 5-0 in the Third Division North, Ferryhill Athletic clinched the Palatine League and in the Sunderland Eye Infirmary Cup final, Dawdon Colliery saw off Horden Athletic 5-1.

THE Durham Amateur Football Trust, featured above, also sent a copy of the wartime League South Cup match programme between Arsenal and Reading. It was February 1945, the Gunners including the likes of Flt Lt Joy, Flt Lt Drake and Leading Aircraftsman Mortensen. The referee may have been even less popular than usual. He was Mr German.

and finally...

THE Northern League clubs who’ve reached the FA Vase final since 1996 (Backtrack, April 6) are Whitby Town (1997), Tow Law Town (1998), Bedlington Terriers (1999) and Whitley Bay in 2002, 2009 and, upcoming, on May 9.

Fred Alderton in Peterlee today seeks the identity of the Scottish club nicknamed the Staggies. Time for thought, the column returns on April 20.