Though the feat was remarkable, much sadness overshadowed Gretna's promotion to the Scottish second division on Saturday.

Ian Dalgleish, devoted to the club for almost 60 years and chairman throughout a memorable decade in the Northern League, died suddenly just hours before the kick-off at Cowdenbeath. He was 74.

Had snow not caused the postponement of the match against bottom of the league East Stirling the previous weekend, he would almost certainly have lived to see their finest hour.

Ian was a warm-hearted, haste-ye-back Scotsman who, after Gretna improbably became Northern League members in 1982, developed a deep affection for the football folk of the North-East of England.

His welcomes were wondrous, his goody bags magnificent, his wee drams simply monstrous.

Gretna managing director Brooks Mileson, the former English cross-country champion from Sunderland, heard the news 45 minutes before kick-off at Cowdenbeath.

"I went into the bar and there was just a hush among our fans. I put it down to nerves until someone told me what had happened.

"It's so tragic that Ian missed us taking another step towards our dream, but I genuinely believe that he'd have been watching from somewhere. He was simply Mr Gretna, still working at the ground until his death."

Actively involved since the club's formation in 1946, Ian helped German and Italian prisoners of war awaiting repatriation to turn a farmer's field into the present Raydale Park pitch.

The only Scottish club official to win a 50-year award from the English FA, he was rarely happier than when Gretna were elected to the new Northern League second division.

"He just seemed to strike a chord with Northern League people and there's no doubt it worked both ways," says league vice-president Gordon Nicholson. "Clubs simply loved going to Gretna and to talk football with Ian."

Gretna formed a particular and lasting bond with Whitby Town, at the Northern League's opposite extreme, and visited for a friendly last August.

"There can't have been a better example of Anglo-Scottish friendship, but there were some awfully late nights," said former Whitby secretary Charlie Woodward.

Yesterday the wedding town was in mourning; a romance with an unhappy ending.

Gretna's promotion with ten games remaining - 71 points from 27 matches, 100 per cent at home - means that the title is between them and Peterhead, five points behind from the same number of games.

One of the Sundays, however, insists that Cowdenbeath - still third despite Saturday's defeat - still have a "slim" chance of promotion.

Cowdenbeath, ten games left, are 30 points adrift of Peterhead, who have a goal difference of 44. Cowdenbeath's is -12. There's slim and there's anorexic.

A severe headache looms for Steve Harmison, recent darling of English cricket and barking mad fan of Bedlington Terriers FC.

Terriers' splendid win over Newbury on Saturday puts them into the semi-final of the FA Vase for the third time in eight years. The final's at White Hart Lane on Sunday May 15, the day that Durham host Yorkshire in a totesport fixture at Chester-le-Street.

Though chiefly on England duty last season - just 13 "one- day" overs for Durham - Harmi would undoubtedly be lined up for that one.

"I'm equally sure he'd want to be at the final. He was always ringing for our score even when he was in South Africa," says Terriers' president David Perry.

Steve wasn't at Saturday's game, either - preferring Freddie Flintoff's wedding - so we couldn't ask him. A Terriers victory, says David Perry, would be a wonderful warm-up for the Ashes.

Newbury's a town best-known for bypass and racecourse, Saturday's going described as "good to soft". At Bedlington it was simply clarty, and so cold that several of the southerners wore gloves.

The Terriers are getting a bit pampered, too. They'd spent the previous night at the ultra-posh Linden Hall Hotel, near Morpeth.

Newbury's manager is 40-year-old Guy Whittingham, best remembered for his free scoring days at Portsmouth - 40 in his first season, 88 in 149 League appearances - and known, apparently, as Corporal Punishment.

Saturday's programme mentioned it, the websites mention it, none explains why. Can it simply be because he gave defences lots of stick? Perhaps there'll be a Pompey chime.

Sir Bobby Robson's only disappointment at last week's Freedom of Newcastle ceremony was that his old Fulham team-mate Johnny Haynes - capped 56 times, 70 gone August - couldn't make the do. It wasn't that Johnny didn't set out, but snow meant that the train got no further than Stevenage.

While the team continues to under-achieve, the Middlesbrough fanzine Fly Me To The Moon has been named best in Britain - among all sport, music, student and "lifestyle" publications.

"It stood out as one of the funniest fanzines around," said judges of the Emap-sponsored competition.

"I'm quite pleased," says editor Rob Nichols, by way of understatement.

Rob began FMTTM in 1988, has produced an issue for every home match since and, full-time for ten years, is now working on number 353.

Its best-known feature may be Rufus, the cartoon dog who pines equally for the muck and bullets days of Ayresome Park and for Dawn Thewlis, her off Tyne Tees Television.

Sadly, however, Rufus has gone down with something and has been missing from the last two issues. "I think he has a canine virus in his computer," says Rob.

The last issue, for the Charlton match, forecast the "traditional" goalless draw, carried a picture on the cover of a lone groundsman working on a white-carpeted Riverside Stadium and the caption "We're putting the snow back on."

It ended 2-2. As they may never say at FMTTM, you can't win them all.

Still with the Boro, Gordon Thubron in Newton Aycliffe - Rufus Green, coincidentally - seeks information on Jed Simpson, whose photograph in a Boro shirt he's found. Rob Nicholls reckons the kit to be mid-20s but can find no record of Simpson. Offers welcomed.

And finally...

The first goalkeeper to captain England (Backtrack, March 4) was Frank Swift - who by way of a clue had been mentioned earlier in that day's column.

Dave Kilvert in Darlington not only knew the answer, not only recalled Swift's testimonial against Arsenal - "0-0, no surprise there" - but that big Frank cried buckets thereafter.

Dave also remembers that Swift was succeeded between Manchester City's posts by a keeper called Powell, who in turn quickly gave way to a Central League goalkeeper called Bert Trautmann.

"This led, not unreasonably, to a boycott by the south Manchester Jewish support, which lasted only until they realised how brilliant Bert was. Sport healing wounds."

Similar theme, the Stokesley Stockbroker invites readers to name three England captains who've played for Scunthorpe United.

We lead by example on Friday (when there's a stinker from Mr Kilvert, an' all.

Published: 08/03/2005