IT is FA Cup Third Round weekend, which football fans regard as the most exciting weekend of the season as absolutely anything can happen.

The Northern Echo: 60 years ago

So here is The Northern Echo's back page from exactly 60 years ago, reporting on the 1962 Third Round. Sunderland were content with their thrilling draw at Southampton, and Hartlepool had not disgraced themselves in their match against Fulham, but Newcastle were deeply disappointed by defeat to Peterborough – surely not an omen for their tie today against Cambridge?

The front page of the paper on January 8, 1962, was not especially interesting as it concerned the West German Chancellor, Konrad Adenauer, agreeing to help with the cost of maintaining British troops on his soil, and the main picture showed the two-and-a-half hour visit of the world’s longest ship, a French liner, to Southampton. Fortunately, the football on the back made up for all that, unless, of course, you were a Magpie.