The afternoon when referee Alf Grey backed himself forever into one of football's most infamous corners will be recalled at a book launch next Thursday.
Grey had charge of the FA Cup fifth round tie between Wrexham and Blyth Spartans, the Northern League side ahead until the 89th minute when Wrexham forward Bobby Shinton kicked the ball out of play and the referee - wrongly, as Match of the Day cameras proved - gave the Welshmen a corner.
Dave Clark, Spartans' heroic goalkeeper, fisted the ball behind for a second corner - which he caught cleanly, clutched to his chest, reflected that only seconds remained to sensation.
That's when the Spartans realised that Grey had blown for the kick to be re-taken.
A corner flag, replaced in the frozen ground before the first kick, hadn't been straight for the second. From the third kick, Dixie McNeill headed Wrexham level.
It was February 18, 1978. Cockfield farmer Pat Partridge interrupted his milking (said the Echo) to be told that he'd be a referee in the World Cup in Argentina. 22-year-old Ian Botham took a career best 7-59 for England in New Zealand, Alan Kennedy of Newcastle United was named in the England B squad and Olympic steeplechaser Dennis Coates (whatever happened to him?) was lambasting Cleveland Council for not clearing snow off the "all weather" track at Clareville Stadium.
Meanwhile back at the Racecourse Ground, Blyth chairman Jim Turney was having a particularly Grey day. "As far as I'm concerned he'd have kept us on the field for another ten minutes until Wrexham scored," he said.
Almost 24 years later, Spartans fan Mick Scott has written "And the Corner Flag Fell Down", an account of one of the more extraordinary runs in Cup history and of Alf Grey's part in their own downfall.
He was 13 at the time, among 8,000 Spartans who'd travelled to Wales. Until recently he used his Newcastle United season ticket but has now given it away - "I became a bit disenchanted with the volume of money at the top of the game," he says.
After a quarter of a century, however, he can afford to be philosophical about the Racecourse afternoon when Blyth fell at the last. "The referee making the wrong decision about the corner was one of the things that happen in football, but it's still a bit galling that the kick was taken a third time because of a leaning corner flag.
"I always thought I had a book in me. I guess it gives me chance to get it off my chest."
Over 43,000 at St James' Park - Newcastle United' biggest gate of the season - watched the replay nine days later, winners home to Arsenal in the quarter final. Blyth lost 2-1.
The book costs a fiver, of which £4 goes directly to the club - a bit harried by the Revenue of late - and £1 to the Charlie Bear appeal at Newcastle General hospital. Postal copies (plus £1) are available from Mick Scott (to whom cheques should be made payable) at 2 Sunlea Avenue, Cullercoats, Tyne and Wear NE 30 3DS.
Bobby Smith - East Cleveland, Spurs, England and the Backtrack column last Friday - scored six for Redcar Boys Club on the long gone morning that Stan Coates was watching.
"I remember going home, telling my parents about the Boys Club centre forward built like a World War II pocket battleship and venturing the opinion that the Boro scouts should have been there," says Stan, now in Guisborough.
Bobby was spotted by Chelsea instead, as was Mike Collins, the Boys Club goalie that day - one League appearance for the Pensioners, 43 for Watford. Whatever happened to HIM?
"It niggled me that Bobby did so well in London when he could have followed the great George Hardwick from Lingdale to Ayresome Park," says Stan though Bobby, in truth, simply wasn't asked.
"I'd love to have gone," he says. "Middlesbrough had always been my heroes."
After last Friday's column, we also heard from Ian Forsyth in Durham, who took just exception to the description of Bobby's brother Keith as "once a former professional with Millwall and Barnet" - "Do tell, when did he STOP being a former professional?" - and from Peter Moore, in the pub.
Peter, Spurs man too, has a brother who's about to star in pantomime at the Intimate Theatre in Palmers Green, across the road from Bobby's flat in London N13.
The panto's Jack and the Beanstalk: Pete's brother plays the gorilla.
Speaking of pantomime, the reason that full back Geoff Young flew to Tow Law's match at Ash United on Saturday was that he wanted to see his son in Peter Pan the previous evening.
The reason that teammate Scott Nicholson joined him on the flight from Newcastle was, as Tuesday's column noted, that he'd been pacing the maternity ward at Bishop General.
Scott, whose partner Tracy Poskett is the goalie's sister and who lives in Newton Aycliffe, was back by nine o'clock on Saturday evening. Baby Cameron John, having patiently waited his moment, was born at 11.31pm.
Mum's already out of hospital; baby should be home by the weekend. "They're both lovely," says Scott.
The Lawyers, meanwhile, travel to Lewes - county town of Sussex - to fight for a place in the Carlsberg FA Vase quarter final. The ground's called The Dripping Pan.
"Modern folklore", says Kerry Miller's History of Non League Football Grounds, has it that the name comes from the ground's natural shape, with sloping grass banks almost all around.
However, adds Miller sagely, it almost certainly originates from the time when monks used to pan for salt in the nearby river. The football club has been at The Dripping Pan since 1885.
The game's on February 9, the usual boisterously male excursion already planned. Our next report may be circumspect, however: as they used to say in World War II, Lewes talk costs wives.
Former Spennymoor headmaster and FIFA referee George Courtney met one of his former pupils the other day - at a disciplinary meeting of the Northern League, of which George is president. Gary Lormor, reports the League magazine, had rather too graphically informed an assistant referee of the error of his ways. "He didn't learn it from me," insists George.
Over 40s League news: the Masons Arms at Middlestone Moor, top of the premier division and flagship of the piratical Captain Maurice Flint, are playing The Board from East Herrington, second bottom.
The Masons lead 2-1 with 50 minutes gone when Board kingpin Stan Boucher decides to bring his two new signings off the bench.
Mickey Ford is 56 but a youngster compared to 59-year-old George Neale, a Wearside League star the best part of 40 years ago.
The Board win 3-2. "The subs let the ball do the work," reports league secretary Kip Watson.
And the dastardly Captain Flint? "For the first time in his life, he's speechless."
From Middlesbrough General - bit of a back job - Chris Willsden reports a conversation with George Siddle, West Auckland's right back in the 1961 Amateur Cup final in front of 45,000 people at Wembley and Queen of the South - against Queens Park - in front of about 45 at Hampden Park.
Though it must be ten years since we wrote of him, George - also an FA Trophy winner with Scarborough, still in Bishop Auckland - has pointed out a mistake. Doubtless due to a mishearing, we said he was a postman. He wasn't, he was an upholsterer. Better late, apologies.
it will be recalled that Tuesday's column invited the identity of three Premiership footballers whose surname is the same as their club manager's first name - a poser which caused much consternation at the Newcastle Blue Star v Billingham Synthonia match that night.
A gang which included Paul Tully, Newcastle United's esteemed programme editor, swiftly cracked Stephen Gerrard and Gerard Houllier, finally paired Ipswich boss George Burley with his midfielder Finidi George but was utterly stumped by the third.
"There's definitely no Bobbys at St James's Park," insisted Paul, and was (of course) only half right. The last pairing was Laurent Robert and his Langley Park born manager, past whom the question is now being run.
Mrs J Watson from Harraton, Washington, wrote with the answer. "Easy-peasy" she added, as if to tweak the poor Magpie's tail.
Since we have been talking of unusual names for football grounds, readers are today asked to come up with the non-league sides which play respectively at Roker Park, St James's Park, Highbury, Victoria Park and the Hawthorns.
Entries by telephone, post or e-mail. A copy of the Northern League's acclaimed millennium history - in which at least one of the answers can be found - to the first out of the hat on Monday morning.
Published: 25/01/02
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