Newcastle United's other Jackie Milburn - "NOT the famous one", it says with necessary curtness on his paper-thin packet in the Northern Echo library - has died, aged 85.

Not as famous, anyway, but loving and much loved, a very good footballer and foot runner - and he was at St James' Park first.

The other Milburn was born in Crook - their Jackie, not Wor Jackie - three years before his Ashington namesake. He never left. After kicking about in the Northern League he signed for the Magpies in 1939, by which time the RAF was after his signature, too.

"They sent him to Cairo for two weeks," recalls Kathryn Dunn, his daughter. "When they realised he could play football, he stopped for two years."

Though he played a number of wartime games for Newcastle, for Chelsea - the only non-international in the side - and for the RAF, just one United appearance is recorded against J N Milburn, outside left, in Paul Joannou's encyclopaedic Complete Record of the club.

J E T Milburn, conversely, signed in 1943, hit six in his first trial and scored 200 goals in 397 League and Cup appearances.

Crook's Jackie turned out before the war for Crook, Willington and Stanley United - "In those days you could be on with more than one," Jack told the column in 1990 - and when peace was declared, for Consett.

In 1990, he'd also been Newcastle's guest at the match against Sunderland, introduced to the crowd before kick-off.

Newcastle had wanted to re-sign him full time, but he preferred to continue his trade as an electrician, not least because the council had made up his money during the war.

"He'd never met the Ashington Jackie Milburn but had a lot of respect for him," says Judith Milburn, his other daughter. "We once thought about trying to arrange a meeting through Jim'll Fix It but nothing came of it."

His fleet-of-foot running was in the days of big bets, weighted body belts and lead in the pumps, anything to bamboozle the bookies.

"He'd always say Shildon Show was the one to win," says Kathryn. "We could hardly believe it, all that money at Shildon."

Jack, happily, was a hoarder, didn't just keep Newcastle's "Dear Milburn" letters and telegrams but the envelopes as well. One tells him that he's picked but to bring his own boots, another to meet the motor bus at Nevilles Cross twenty minutes after it left St James' Park. A third offers a match if he thinks that his knee's all right.

The last is the shortest of all. "I regret that your services are not being retained for 1946-47 and you have been granted a free transfer." No thanks, no kismet, no nowt.

The programme's include one from a guest appearance at Chelsea, complete with advice on what to do in the event of an air raid warning. "Those who wish to leave can do so. Play will proceed unless the 'Spotter' reports enemy activity in the vicinity."

Jack's wife Mary died seven weeks ago after six years in a care home at Billy Row, above Crook. There wasn't a day when he didn't visit her.

"He loved her to bits," says Judith. "At first he'd go every morning and every afternoon, then eventually the home said he might as well stop for his dinner."

Kathryn recalls the gentlest man she ever knew. "I never once knew him get angry, shout or raise his voice. He was always very modest, if you didn't ask him he'd not tell you.

"I'm sure the other Jackie Milburn was a very nice man, but to us there'd never be anyone like our dad."

l Jackie Milburn's funeral is at St Catherine's church, Crook at 12.45pm on Thursday.

The 1990 column which re-discovered J N Milburn also reported a survey in The Mag, the Newcastle Untied fanzine, on whether the "notorious" Gallowgate End toilets should be made all-seated. "No," someone had written, "there'd be nowhere to swim."

Inspired by the Demon Donkey Dropper, there since the very first over, the magnificent cricketers of Eryholme mark their 50th anniversary with a "celebrity lunch" on Sunday June 11. Around 200 are expected to gather in a marquee in the Demon's farmyard.

Eryholme's four miles south of Darlington, on the Yorkshire bank of the Tees. Since Yorkshire folk waste nowt, the tent will also be used for two family wedding receptions the day previously and for a church do on the Sunday evening.

"We like to get our money's worth," says Charlie Walker (for the Demon is he.)

What with the weather and one thing, Charlie's not turned his arm over all season. "When it's fine I'm not picked and when I'm picked it buckets down," he laments.

Among former players attending will be Len Green, who also made 56 first team appearances for Darlington FC in the late 1950s and who from 1977-87 was secretary of the Darlington and District Cricket League.

Len's expecting to say a few words. "Among them," he says, "will be that Charlie Walker is magnificent."

Another marquee on Friday night for Darlington RA FC's sportsmen's dinner following a triumphant return to the Northern League after an 80 year absence. "It's been phenomenal," said team manager and former Quakers midfielder Dave Woodcock. None demurred.

Talk in recent columns of the nine international footballers who've been sent off on full international duty reminded Sunderland fan John Briggs that Stan Anderson was dismissed in an Under 23s match against Bulgaria in 1957.

"It's always said that the stigma ruined his full international career," says John.

Horden born Anderson - the only man (of course) to captain each of the North-East's big three - won just two full caps, against Austria and Scotland in 1962.

The Sunderland players' history All the Lads also notes the claim. "The truth about whether this misdemeanour was held against him," it adds, "is never likely to be revealed."

Following the coach outing to the Scottish Cup final, Friday's column reported that celebrated gourmand Peter Sixsmith from Shildon had gone down with severe food poisoning. Blame was laid alongside the scotch eggs. Now, however, we hear from Mr Paul Dobson - also on the trip - that after seeing off his breakfast and two emergency food parcels en route, Sixer and his equally ill mate could be seen snacking on blueberry muffins at the motorway service stop. "The rest of us had full Scottish breakfast," says Paul. "I think it might have been the muffins."

...and finally

The five long serving Yorkshire post-war wicket keepers whose surname began with the letter 'B' (Backtrack, May 19) were Don Brennan, Roy Booth, Jimmy Binks, David Bairstow and Richard Blakey. Ted Scotter in Darlington got the lot.

Binks, incidentally, is the only Yorkshire keeper ever to claim 100 victims in a season, though Booth did it twice for Worcestershire after moving south.

Friday's column also sought the identity of the man to have taken most wickets in Roses matches - Wilf Rhodes had 237.

Alf Hutchinson in Darlington today seeks the identity of the only test cricketer whose surname has been shorter than the total number of initials of his Christian names.

Short and sweet, the column returns on Friday.

Published: 2/05/2006