A wash-out can't stop the column

It was to have involved an afternoon at Durham City Cricket Club, watching the under 13s match between Durham Chorister school and Terrington Hall school, near Malton, catching up with the Glen family and, quite possibly, sloping off for a quick one in the Dun Cow.

The match was called off in mid-morning. "I wouldn't care," said Jon Glen, headmaster of Terrington Hall, "but it's a lovely sunny day down here."

The last time that the Glen men appeared in The Northern Echo was in 1981, when David Glen came out of cricket retirement to maintain a 50-year family tradition.

There'd been Glens in Durham City's sides every season since 1932 when David Glen senior, Pittington lad, first took guard.

He also played for Durham County from 1934-38, including matches against the New Zealand tourists in 1937 and in the innings and 179 run defeat to the Australians, at Ashbrooke, Sunderland, the following season.

Durham totalled just 204 in their two innings, skittled twice in under three hours before a 3,000 second day crowd. Ever-combative spinner Bill "Tiger" O'Reilly claimed 10-67 and slow left armer Les Fleetwood-Smith - whose mother was editor of the Pleasant Creek News - 10-90.

David Glen scored just nine runs and failed to take a wicket, the Echo reporting that only Blackhall pro Jack Carr, whose 14 in an over off Fleetwood-Smith included two sixes, had enlivened the "monotonous procession."

Even the Australians, we added, had applauded his mighty hits.

That same morning we reported the possibility of a midweek football league covering the North-East, that Middlesbrough's footballers had warmed up for the new season by playing bowls against Carlin How WMC and that in South Shields there'd been a swimming gala in aid of the Shoeless Children's Fund.

Two decades later, Trevor Glen also represented the County, taking 4-87 in two games but amassing just three runs in as many innings. "He was the only left-hander in the family, you can't really bat cack-handed," says Jon, by way of explanation.

Trevor remains in Durham, has just been invited to join the county's formative ex-players' association, still enjoys his cricket. "Like all of us getting on a bit, I don't think it's as good as it used to be," he says, cheerfully.

Many others - brothers-in-arms, nephews and cousins, Glen to Glen - came and went at Hollow Drift, Durham. In 1981, however, the family tradition seemed set to end when young Jon, then 21, broke his leg before the season began.

In order to ensure its continuance, David - Jon's father - came out of retirement in early September and thus got all their pictures in the paper. Jon played the following season, but then moved away.

On Wednesday, 25 years on, another Glen was due to take the field at Durham City - Becky, Jon's 13-year-old daughter, the only girl in the school team. "She's there despite my being the headmaster, not because of it," he says.

"If she were a boy, I'd say she was highly promising as a bowler who can bat a bit, as a girl I think she's a bit better than that.

"She's red-haired, feisty, gives as good as she gets in the boys games. I'm hoping she might be the next Glen to play for the county."

The weather still being beautiful in the Howardian hills, she played instead in a rounders tournament - which, we suggested, wasn't a proper game at all.

"She'd agree with you," said Jon, "but it's still better than having to do maths, isn't it."

It probably won't be this season but he still hopes that Becky will become the latest, and least likely, of the Glens to play at Durham City. Nothing much else to say really; it was just something for a rainy day.

Andy's back in action at Ingleton

Durham's wicket-keeper when they entered the County Championship in 1992, Andy Fothergill is back playing cricket - for Ingleton, now his home village, in the Darlington and District League.

Last Saturday he was out for 65 - "the LBW decision was very dubious" - and took a couple of catches, though not behind the stumps. "Keeping wicket would kill me off for good," insists Andy, 45.

Also a familiar Northern league footballer, he made 12 first class appearances for Durham - 19 victims, batting average 7.93 - and 50 in one-day games. He last played for Darlington six years ago.

Though he describes wickets as "very average", he's much enjoying his cricket again. "When you actually play in the Darlington and District league, you realise there are some very good players who should be at a higher level.

"The crack's fantastic, the teas are fantastic and I really love it. I wouldn't say I was coming into my prime, more that I've finally found my level."

On Monday, as ever, to the annual presentation evening of the Crook and District Darts and Doms League, where the game's the thing and the prize money goes elsewhere.

Almost all the money that would have been spent on tawdry trophies goes instead to charity, this year chiefly to the Breast Nurse Trust Fund.

"We've a wonderful bunch of people," says Alan Mangles, himself league secretary for 21 years, and 40 years with the scout movement.

As always among the winners was 63-year-old former England darts international Doug McCarthy, still sharp enough to score three 180s on finals night, including two in the same game.

"Doug's absolutely on fire, as good as ivver he was," someone said.

Doug, it must be confessed, hasn't lost his domino prowess, either, winning 5-2 the annual showdown between Crook lad and columnist. He, of course, was at home.

Vocally familiar across the Arngrove Northern League - and on many NYSD cricket grounds, too - former manager and wicket-keeper Ray Gowan, 63, has finally turned gamekeeper.

"As you know, I've always thoroughly supported those who uphold sporting law," he says and - a bit too old to take up refereeing - has qualified as an umpire in both the Airedale and Wharfedale and the NYSD leagues.

Perhaps best remembered for guiding Shildon to the FA Cup first round a few years back, Ray was also a long-crouching cricketer with Normanby Hall and with Doghouse.

The umpiring's going well, he reckons, and never better than last Saturday at North Leeds when the opening bowler at his end - "an innings full of unsuccessful LBW appeals" - not only told him how much he'd enjoyed the crack but invited him to the club dinner. He'll stand for that, an' all.

A final word, perhaps, on former Referees' Association national president Fred Lightfoot, Spennymoor lad, who died 12 days ago, aged 81.

Mark, Fred's son, recalls that a few days before his death, they'd had a ferret race at his local in Bedfordshire (where clearly they do strange things.) Mark called his entry Top Ref.

"Two other ferrets had almost reached the finishing line but stopped for a chat, enabling Top Ref to come through and overtake them - but were the other ferrets on the line or over it? What did the action replays show? Was Top Ref completely over the line. He did enjoy that."

Two days before his death, poor Fred by then unable to speak, they debated the prospects for the England v Brazil match. Would it be worth watching? Fred shook his head and Mark went to the pub, instead. "Good call, dad."

A year ago we wrote of the hugely visionary plans to develop community sports facilities in the villages around Lythe, north of Whitby.

Exactly to time, exactly to budget - first phase £700,000 - they're now anticipating a visit from former England man Peter Beardsley on June 25 and kicking off on the football pitch in September. Cricket follows in the Spring, when the grass has taken. Bowls is phase two.

"It's absolutely fantastic, even better than the artist's impression," says Doug Raine, chairman of Sport Mulgrave. "You've not seen anything like it on a sports field, the surfaces are out of this world."

The land (and much else) was given by Lord Normanby, owner of the Mulgrave Estate. The Football Foundation, which Beardsley will represent, gave £271,000.

"He's coming as an ambassador," says Doug. "The Football Foundation want him to tell everyone about what can be achieved." The official opening will probably be in September.

Tuesday's piece on the three cricket groundhoppers - "We like to think of ourselves as a sort of Holmfirth Light Infantry," wrote Tony Hutton in acknowledgement - quoted an unnamed Lancastrian's surprise that Yorkshire Gentlemen could so much as raise a team.

This has enraged a colleague of the Stokesley Stockbrokers, who happens to be a committee member of what may be that veritable league of Gentlemen.

"Even as we speak, he is consulting higher authorities," says the Stockbroker. "The outcome may be to invite you to a fixture."

They play Durham Pilgrims quite soon. We'll see who's valiant then.

AND FINALLY...

We sought three days ago the identity of the six post-war footballers - other than the late and lamented Warren Bradley - who had won England caps at both amateur and professional levels.

"Anyone who knows is a genius," e-mailed Don Clarke - and no one did.

They were Terry Venables, Bill Slater, Tony Waiters, Spurs full back George Robb, David Sadler - like Warren, with Man United - and Luton Town goalkeeper Bernard Streten, whose sole full international appearance was in the 4-1 win over Northern Ireland in 1950.

Terry Simpson in Darlington today invites readers to suggest what - in 20th century terms, anyway - was unique about the Lord's test on the Australians' 1934 tour.

As unique as it's going to get, the column returns on Tuesday.