Call for blades to be banned from football

boots after needing 39 stitches in gaping wounds to his head and eye.

Doctors at Darlington Memorial Hospital were so shocked that they took photographs of his injuries.

"They said they could see the eyeball through the eyelid, that's how bad it was," says Andrew, who owns a successful cleaning company.

"There've been concerns about bladed boots before but it looks like it's going to take someone to die, maybe a child, before anyone in authority does anything.

"I don't care what some of the boot manufacturers may be putting into the FA, the boots are just pure dangerous and have to be banned. I wore them myself but now they've gone straight in the bin."

An FA spokesman insisted, however, that there was no "evidence-based research" to suggest that bladed boots caused any more injuries than traditional studs.

The incident happened in the final minute of last weekend's Over 40s league third division game between Darlington RA and Marsden Veterans, from South Shields, with RA leading 5-0. Andrew, RA's 45-year-old player/manager, had brought himself on as a sub with 15 minutes remaining.

"I'd gone up for a corner. The goalkeeper spilled it and the ball was bouncing around," recalls Andrew, over a coffee in Durham, where he lives.

"I turned to try to stick it in with my left foot, but it's not very good and I literally ended up on my knees, three feet high.

"I could see the lad's boot coming. I remember thinking Oh shit' and luckily had time to close my eyes, but it got me full in the face, from the cheek right up to above the eye. The wound was a good inch and a half deep.

"It didn't knock me out, but everyone was panicking because there was so much blood about.

When they got it all cleaned up, the nurses were telling me that almost every weekend they had children in with gashed limbs from bladed boots.

"What if what happened to me had happened to a child.

They could have been scarred for life, or worse."

"Bladed" boots, commonly with 10 or 12 studs, were popularised by the "Predator"

boot invented by former Middlesbrough midfielder Craig Johnston.

Studs are thought to become sharper when the wearer walks frequently on concrete or other hard surfaces.

The weekly Non League Paper has launched a campaign against bladed boots, so far without success. "We do feel that the FA and some of the boot companies are perhaps too close," said NLP spokesman Stuart Hammonds.

"It's not a problem when they're new, but when they've become sharpened they can be almost lethal. We've had stories about some horrific injuries, but nothing as bad as this one sounds."

The FA spokesman said that a file had been passed on to FIFA.

"As these boots are produced and worn around the world, a definitive judgement would lie with the world governing body and we are not aware of any concerns at their end.

"The key is for players to maintain their boots properly, and for referees to check all boots for safety before matches."

Andrew Scullion, a familiar North-East football enthusiast, once paid £5,000 to play in goal in a fund raising match when Darlington FC had one of its crises.

A former private in the Parachute Regiment, he rose to become a captain in the Royal Military Police, 20 times played football for the British Army and counts many former professionals among his friends.

"Kevan Smith told me that when he was at Hull City, bladed boots were completely banned.

"David Speedie wore bladed boots when he was at Liverpool, and reckoned he'd seen some terrible injuries."

Despite his own injures, he hopes to play in a cup match in a fortnight. "It's like riding a bike, if you fall off you should always get straight back on again.

"To be honest, I'm just very glad that I can still see. One day, I fear, someone else isn't going to be so lucky.

GETTING THE BOOT - TEN THINGS YOU MAY NEVER HAVE ABOUT FOOTBALL BOOTS HENRY VIII is said to have worn the first football boots, which were listed in the Great Wardrobe of 1526. Made by his personal shoemaker, they cost four bob.

Stanley Matthews boots from the Co-op seemed forever to cost 19/11d.

Adidas was founded in Germany in 1948 by Adolf Dassler, known as Adi, after a disagreement with his brother Rudolf, with whom previously he'd been in business.

Rudolf formed Puma.

Three-quarters of all players in the 1966 World Cup finals wore Adidas boots.

Alan Ball, a hero of those days - "I'm your after-dinner squeaker,"

he'd later announce - was the first English player to wear white boots.

Stylo Matchmakers3, were they not?

Former Middlesbrough star Craig Johnston (pictured) designed the top-selling Predator "to provide greater traction between boot and ball."

A football boot website talks of "outsole traction technology", laser technology, wet control technology and shark technology. There's also something about "cutting edge advances" which to Andrew Scullion may be a bit ironic.

No matter how great the technological advances, most of us would still be utterly useless.

Boots in five different colours, plus clarty, were spotted at the West Auckland v Billingham Synthonia match on Wednesday night.

The column's best remembered boot story concerned Seaham lad Leo Smith, then 71, who burned his boots in his Amsterdam hotel room - thus setting off all the smoke alarms - after being told he was dropped from a tour game. No longer running along the cliff tops - "two new knees", it's explained - the retired bookie marked his 85th this week with a big do at Bobby Kerr's pub near Houghton-le-Spring. Happy birthday, old friend.

A tale to warm hearts

SO bitter-sweet that you could weep buckets, a poignant and very precious love story involving the column's old friend Peter Charlton.

Peter, a delightful man generous of time and talents, is an estate agent in Sunderland. He loves his sport, not least Sunderland FC, most recently played cricket for Philly III and for Durham Pilgrims when they were short of a messiah.

Combining his two loves, it was Peter who once provided video evidence that Welshman Trevor Ford - Sunderland's centre forward from 1950-54 - really was fielding on the boundary, a twelfth man in seventh heaven, when Gary Sobers hit six sixes in an over at Swansea.

It was Peter who, refused admission to an overflowing Gretna game last season, blagged admission by posing as the man from the Sunderland Echo, on the grounds that the Echo was unlikely otherwise to be represented.

He also kept himself right, three or four times a week down the gym at Chester-le- Street.

It was immediately after one of those sessions, on June 29 last year, that he suffered a very severe stroke.

More than six months later, Peter remains in the neuro-rehab unit at Bishop Auckland General, where he is able to communicate only by use of an alphabet board.

The magnificent Claire, his long-time partner, has been ever at his side. On Christmas Eve they were married in the day room.

"They took the television out," says Claire.

To say that it won't be easy is an all-time understatement. "If you love someone you want to marry them," says Claire, simply.

"It's just what we wanted to do."

She'd rung with a message from her brave new husband, tortuously spelt out on the alphabet board. "Tell Mike Amos I'm like Mark Twain,"

it said.

It was Mark Twain, of course, who famously observed that the report of his death had been an exaggeration. For Mr and Mrs Charlton, we wish every happiness.

BACKTRACK BRIEFS

FOREVER a hero in Hartlepool, Brian Honour is to be the subject of a biography out in August.

Inevitably it'll be called The Life of Brian.

The man the locals know as Jackie spent three years at Aston Villa before being released because he was too small, then signed for Darlington on £60 a week. After 84 games, Cyril Knowles also freed him: too small.

His first football memory, however, is of Stan Matthews coming to the family home in Horden to sign their John for Port Vale.

Happily for Hartlepool, mnaager Billy Horner knew the adage about good stuff and little bundles, spotted him up the road at Peterlee Newtown and offered terms. Brian, now managing Bishop Auckland, spent 11 years as a Pool player and four on the coaching staff.

The book's by retired probation officer and freelance journalist John Riddle, Hartlepool lad, who's also compiling a biography of Morton legend Andy Ritchie. "The King of Cappielow" is expected in October.

FOLLOWING Tuesday's improbable reference to irritable bowel syndrome, Mr Peter Sixsmith could himself be observed in a state of some agitation at the West Auckland v Billingham Synthonia match the following evening. "I hate A's, detest E's and absolutely loathe I's," he said. Asked what on earth he was on about, Mr Sixsmith replied that he had irritable vowel syndrome.

PLENTY of interest in Tuesday's memories of Bobby Hull and the Durham police football team of the late 1960s. We've even heard from Bobby's first girl friend, back in East Boldon. "He was ten and I was 11," she confesses.

It also gave Ray Morton, a chief inspector with Cleveland police, the chance to report that the side he runs has reached the quarterfinal of the National Police Cup after victories over Northumbria and West Yorkshire.

Ray was in the last Cleveland team to reach the final, 1980-81, when they lost 2-1 to the West Midlands at The Hawthorns. The polliss's reaction was in character.

"We were robbed," says Ray.

KIP Watson has sanctioned the unexpected Over 40s league transfer of Kevin Burke, from Mill View to Wearmouth - who play on almost adjacent pitches - Thompson Park and Wearmouth cricket club, in Sunderland. Asked the reason, Mr Burke came clean at once.

"Thompson Park hasn't showers and Wearmouth has. I'm fed up of going home mucky."

AFTER Canada Dry, Canada sopping. Canada's the Liverpool side, named after an area of dockland, whom holders Coundon Conservative Club visit in the last 16 of the FA Sunday Cup.

Last week's attempt was waterlogged, this Sunday's prospects of play seem a bit diluted, too. Competition rules say that is a tie's twice postponed, it switches to the other lot's ground.

"They'll be sucking up water with straws," says Cons Club manager Paul Aldsworth.

Paul, alias Pele, was also within hailing distance of KK - Platinum Club, no less - at Newcastle's game on Wednesday night. "He wanted to know," he says, "how a North-East side gets to win a national competition."

THOUGH it ceased operations at the end of last season - all ten clubs deciding to seek pastures new - the Collingwood Groundworks Trimdon and District Sunday League hopes, if there's interest, to kick off again in 2008-09. To that end there's a meeting at Trimdon Community College on Wednesday January 30 at 7pm to which all interested people, clubs and potential clubs are warmly invited.

Further information from David Robinson on 01429 880579.

AND FINALLY...

TUESDAY'S column sought the identity of the last person to score a hat-trick against Manchester United at Old Trafford - the first reply from David Wright in France, the second from Martin Hurst in Spain. Many followed.

It should perhaps have said the last "league" hat-trick, which was by Dennis Bailey in Queens Park Rangers' 4-1 win on New Year's Day 1992 - United's first home defeat of the season.

Ronaldo also hit three for Real Madrid in the 2002-03 Champions League. David Bentley's hat-trick for Blackburn in 2006 was the first that United had conceded, home or away, in the Premiership.

Bailey, who played for nine Football League clubs and an awful lot at lower level, attributed his fitness to being a born-again Christian.

Peter Maddison in Coxhoe, another who had the answer, today invites readers to name the two players who've scored in Manchester and Merseyside derbies in the same calendar year.

Tomorrow's plan is to watch Poole v Consett, though Poole may well be overflowing. Whether from Dorset or elsewhere, we plodge back on Tuesday.