Archive

  • Falcons star Mower returns to face Wasps

    WHILE Newcastle Falcons will unleash Scotland flanker Andy Mower at home to Wasps tomorrow, the visitors have had to abandon similar plans for Lawrence Dallaglio. It was hoped the former England captain would be ready to make his comeback after knee surgery

  • Boro's late show dumps United out of FA Cup

    For Dwight Yorke and Diego Forlan in particular, the Riverside Stadium proved a cold and forbidding place. The booing that emanated from a section of home fans when Middlesbrough target Yorke made a substitute appearance ten minutes from time was surely

  • Robinson delighted to have pal back at Pool

    MARK Robinson last night welcomed 'the happiest man in football' back to Victoria Park. Hartlepool United's left-back is delighted Newcastle's James Coppinger has signed a loan deal to return to Pool, because he will be reunited with one of his closest

  • Sunderland fan Cullen hoping to get one over arch-rivals

    WHEN Newcastle United travel to Peterborough United tomorrow there is one player in particular who would love to see an FA Cup upset more than most. Posh midfielder Jon Cullen is a Sunderland fan and he admits that it would make his day to see his side

  • The would-be Quakers' 'saviour' who lost it all

    THE flamboyant businessman once hailed as the saviour of Darlington Football Club appeared in court yesterday charged with managing a company while bankrupt. Reg Brealey was seen as the man who could take the Quakers to the top of the premiership when

  • Police fears over 'civvie' officers

    POLICE chiefs and front line officers across the region closed ranks last night against plans for a new breed of civilian patrol officer. The measure, a key part of Home Secretary David Blunkett's police reform Bill, could see community support officers

  • Magpies boss Robson relishes Fry showdown

    NEWCASTLE manager Bobby Robson has revealed how much he is relishing his first managerial meeting with Peterborough's ebullient boss Barry Fry. "There is going to be some fun on the touchline," predicted Robson, who believes the romance of the FA Cup

  • Ant and Dec pop back for Sammy show

    Pop Idol hosts Ant and Dec have signed up to be part of a star-studded spectacular in memory of actor Sammy (Ronnie) Johnson. Ant and Dec will be flying back to their Geordie roots following the live showing of Pop Idol on February 3 - and will be joined

  • Bursting with pride in our bubble boy

    BRAVE Alex Herbert's first public appearance since undergoing a bone marrow transplant was to help raise awareness of the hospital and medical staff who saved his life. The four-year-old spent eight weeks in Newcastle General Hospital's bubble unit after

  • Baby, you were born to be a star

    FROM a bouncing baby to a superstar, Pop Idol sensation Zoe Birkett started performing before she could talk. Teenager Zoe, from Darlington, had star potential from a very young age and will make her mark on the pop world if, as expected, she storms into

  • Mandelson joins board

    HARTLEPOOL MP Peter Mandelson yesterday joined the board of the newly-formed Tees Valley Urban Regeneration Company. The former minister was one of seven new appointments, including Middlesbrough Football Club chairman Steve Gibson. The company was formed

  • Hear All Sides

    Letters from The Northern Echo BLUE CIRCLE I WAS dismayed to learn of the proposed closure of the Weardale cement works (Echo, Jan 24). As the last clerk of Weardale Rural District Council, I am only too aware of the tremendous effort put in by the council

  • Boro hoping to make it a double celebration

    MIDDLESBROUGH boss Steve McClaren today faces a battle on two fronts with Manchester United - trying to beat them without more than half a team and talk them into a deal for Dwight Yorke. McClaren has seven players out of the FA Cup fourth-round clash

  • Magpies pip Posh

    Newcastle won an important FA Cup Fourth Round tie against Peterborough 4-2 today. However, Bobby Robson's side endured some difficult moments along the way. It appeared that at the interval Newcastle looked to have the game under controle, thanks to

  • Proposed £6.2m link road wins Government funding

    A LONG-AWAITED road scheme could begin next year following a successful bid for Government cash. Durham County Council has submitted a planning application for the £6.2m A688 Wheatley Hill to Bowburn link road. The road would run from a proposed new roundabout

  • Regional hopes and fears taken back to Bank

    A MEMBER of the Bank of England's influential Monetary Policy Committee returned to the capital this week after a fact-finding mission to the North-East. But while Kate Barker will take back to the Bank first-hand some of the hopes and fears gleaned from

  • Big win for Darlington

    Mark Sheeran, Darlington's teenage striker, jumped off the bench in the dying minutes of the match to score two late goals and bag a 3-2 victory for the Quakers. Luton took the lead after 13 minutes when Steven Howard headed in. The home side levelled

  • Second chance for Lord

    HAVING strongly recommended readers of this column to put their hard-earned cash on Lord Noelie at 33-1 for Newbury's Hennessy Gold Cup in November, it was desperately disappointing when the horse finished just out of the money in fourth spot. It's no

  • Coppinger shines for five-star Hartlepool

    AS far as debuts go, James Coppinger couldn't ask for more. Almost two years ago he moved to Hartlepool on loan, netting his first goal minutes after appearing as a debutant substitute at Barnet. One Saturday, things were even better second time around

  • Shower firm's success is example for others - Blair

    A NORTH-East firm's £1.2m factory expansion was officially opened by the Prime Minister Tony Blair on a visit to the region yesterday. Shower and bath firm Roman Ltd will create 52 jobs with the extension to its premises on the Aycliffe Industrial Park

  • Bosses buy the company

    HARRISON Render Systems based in Darlington has been the subject of a successful management buyout. Managing director Russ Rowntree and operations director Peter Coatsworth led the buyout from parent company Harrison Brothers Steeplejacks Limited. Harrison

  • Quakers rely on walking wounded

    Having recovered from the disappointment of missing out on a cup clash with Newcastle by drawing at Cheltenham in midweek, Darlington must pick up at least a point against high-flying Luton today to stay clear of the relegation dogfight. Injury and suspension

  • Making a start despite the chill

    THE mild weather that we have recently enjoyed has encouraged many of us to think about gardening. It is unwise to do much outside, for we could get quite severe weather soon which would scupper everything, but it is possible to be selective and start

  • Marching on to new glory

    THE morning after the many splendoured day before, the new Bishop of Jarrow walked down the drive and started work in earnest. It was the Rt Rev John Pritchard's first day at the face, as probably they used to say in Boldon Colliery, a chance - if only

  • Piling on rail agony as strikes escalate

    THOUSANDS of North-East commuters are facing further misery after a dramatic escalation in the regional rail strike last night. First, staff at stations said they would be balloting for industrial action in a new row over pay with Arriva Trains Northern

  • Comment from The Northern Echo - Can we trust this convert?

    IT'S a bit rich for the Prime Minister to accuse the Conservatives of denigrating public services. We recall, after all, a speech by him just two-and-a-half years ago, in which he said: "People in the public sector are more rooted in the concept that

  • Boy sent home with broken collarbone

    AN NHS hospital praised by the Prime Minister as a shining example of Britain's public services was plunged into a row over standards last night as it emerged a boy with a broken collarbone had been sent home without an x-ray. Tony Blair's attempt to

  • Economy just avoids grinding to complete halt

    BRITAIN'S economy grew at its slowest rate in nearly three years in the last quarter year - but managed to avoid grinding to a halt, figures showed yesterday. Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the economy grew 0.2 per cent in the

  • Frayed nerves put to the test

    The frayed nerves of investors in the telecoms sector will be further tested next week as Vodafone and Orange update subscriber numbers. Quarterly figures from a mixture of blue-chips should add to an interesting week. Chip designer Arm Holdings' final

  • Man admits affray over bottle threats

    A MAN threatened to slit a policeman's throat with a broken bottle and then chewed on pieces of smashed glass, a court heard yesterday. Paul King, of North Road, Loftus, admitted a charge of affray at Teesside Crown Court. Paul Newcombe, prosecuting,

  • And that's not all folks!

    The old industries may have long gone, but Teesside is now reinventing itself as a home for creative technology. Nick Morrison finds out how cartoons can be a serious business. AFTER years of admiring his work, Shaun Featherstone finally managed to meet

  • Congestion is real pain for small firms

    A QUARTER of small firms in the North-East claim road congestion has a serious impact upon their business - leading to lost man-hours and increased costs, according to the Small Business Watch survey by Yellow Pages. More than 80 per cent of companies

  • Strike to hit JobCentres and benefits

    BENEFITS offices and JobCentres across the North-East are set to close for two days next week when thousands of civil servants stage a 48-hour strike. Claimants and job seekers will find offices closed on Monday and Tuesday in the latest strike by members

  • Confessions of a funny girl

    KITTY Flanagan is the first to admit she didn't quite get the idea of stand-up comedy straight away. She never frequented comedy clubs in her home town of Sydney, and made only the briefest of reconnaissance missions before her first time on stage, so

  • Keep on running

    THE idea seemed simple enough. The team behind the Great North Run would use its expertise to stage a similiar mass participation event in Ethiopia, a country whose runners had suppported the world's biggest half-marathon from the start. Sports presenter

  • Rail line set to open despite plant closure

    A disused railway remains on track to reopen next year despite the devastating closure of the cement works which could have provided its biggest customer. The enthusiasts behind the plan to restore passenger services along the scenic Weardale line said