A THROWBACK, as it were, the year's first column recalled how Shildon football fans had stoned the referee - a house brick missing him "by the lower fraction of an inch" - after a match in 1909 against Hartlepools United.

The poor chap had to be rescued by the polliss, escorted to the railway station and missed four days work because of his injuries.

"A section of the crowd, " observed The Northern Echo, "allowed their anger to outweigh their discretion."

Colin Foster, from whose new book on the early days of Hartlepools United we pinched the original story, now discovers that Shildon supporters again took up arms in 1927.

It was Wednesday, March 2, Consett the visitors in - of all the unfortunate casualties - the Newcastle Infirmary Cup. That the Railwaymen lost 1-0 was, said the Echo, a "very great surprise". To their followers, action spoke louder than words.

It was also the day that Chilton CW sold George Gray - described as "physically well endowed" - to Bolton Wanderers, that Middlesbrough refused to re-arrange a reserve game so that South Bank could play their Amateur Cup semi-final at Ayresome Park and that seven New Zealand rugby players were banned for life after going on strike during the tour of England. All Black books, apparently.

Durham FA, meanwhile, was again called upon to consider Shildon's misguided missiles. Having fined the club £3 in 1909, they upped it to £5 18 years later.

It is not just for reasons of home town loyalty, however, that the column declines to condemn such barbarity.

As it says in the Good Book, but may never have been said at Dean Street, let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

ON Saturday to Bedlington Terriers v Sudbury, FA Vase replay, joined - bright-eyed and woolly-hatted - by arch-Terrier Steve Harmison. England's top fast bowler is so keen that he'd also attended the first game, in Suffolk.

"We were much the better side, should have won easily, " said Steve.

Bedlington joint manager Keith Perry had resorted to his own brand of dressing room psychology, involving an iron bar and a tray of eggs.

"I think he must be trying to make omelettes or something, " said a puzzled newcomer to the squad.

Sadly, the Terriers failed yet again to crack it against Sudbury.

"At least it saves on the phone bill, " said Steve, philosophically.

"I'll be in India for the next round, anyway."

FRIDAY'S piece on the Rev Alan Comfort, formerly with Middlesbrough and now Leyton Orient's chaplain, reminded Alan Gray in Sadberge of the time they trained together as part-time sports reporters for BBC Radio Cleveland.

Alan's first match was at York City - on the afternoon that City's David Longhurst tragically collapsed and died during the game.

"He thought he was in for a fairly easy afternoon, just being asked every 20 minutes what the score was, " says Alan Gray. "By the end of the day, every journalist in Britain wanted to know his opinion."

Reference to Orient manager Martin Ling also prompted Terry Garnett in Darlington to consider a side made up entirely of what might be called fisher men. There was also Peter Haddock of Newcastle United, he suggests.

Anyone want to complete the shoal goal?

TO mark 50 years of supporting Hartlepool United - "more thin than thick, " he supposes - Peter McLure hired an executive box for himself and friends on Saturday.

Golden jubilee? "It was an absolute shambles, " he says. "I've seen a lot of bad performances but that was among the worst. After Blackpool's third goal I went out and watched television instead. I just couldn't stand any more."

Pete, now a full-time carer for his 91-year-old mother, reckons his first game was the 1956 FA Cup tie with League champions Chelsea, which Pools lost 1-0.

"I can't remember a thing about it, but I clearly remember the following year, when we lost 4-3 to Manchester United." Twenty years later, United manager Matt Busby reckoned it the most exciting game he ever saw.

Phil's most memorable match, however, was May 6, 1968 when, at Swansea, the eternal also-rans clinched a first ever promotion.

"There were still only 16 Hartlepool fans there, 12 on one minibus.

"We were invited afterwards into the dressing room, two bottles of champagne to go round. I still have one of the empty bottles at home."

Saturday was different. "The club looked after us brilliantly, but the performance was terrible. If I hadn't left, I might have shouted something I regretted later "We've spent six years climbing the mountain and got to within eight minutes of the peak. Now we're sliding all the way back down again."

Scott out? "Undoubtedly.

There's not a good team in the division, and I was confident of going up. Nice chap, but he should never have been in in the first place."

Published: 31/01/2006