From Cara Shipp in Australia - these columns get everywhere - we hear of plans further to immortalise Charles Perkins, Bishop Auckland's most improbable footballer.

Down under he was declared a "living treasure". At Kingsway, perhaps inevitably, they simply knew him as Polly.

Perkins was an Australian Aboriginal, if not quite Aboriginal and best - Everton trials proved fruitless - then useful enough to raise eyebrows in the Northern League 45 years ago.

"A good player who just needed someone to get hold of him to turn him into a top class one," legendary Bishops' goalkeeper Harry Sharratt once recalled.

It's for his ceaseless campaigning for Aboriginal rights, not for his prowess as a left half, that Australia best remembers him, however.

Cara works for the Institute of Aboriginal Studies, who plan an on-line exhibition on Perkins' fabled "Freedom rides" - in the style of Martin Luther King.

The team picture is taken from his 1975 autobiography "A Bastard Like Me", not to be confused with "The B*****d in the Black", which is the title of Mr Jeff Winter's imminent autobiography (and of which we have doubtless not heard the last.)

Charles Perkins was born on a table at Alice Springs telegraph station. When the number of children reached 11, his father upped and left.

An Everton scout spotted him and offered half his air fare. When things didn't work out at Goodison, Sharratt - then living in Wigan - persuaded young Perkins to accompany him on the regular Pennine crossing to Bishop Auckland.

Harry recalled an independent minded youngster who could be volatile when things didn't go well. Derek Lewin, like Harry Sharratt an England amateur international, said after Perkins' death that they'd never "noticed or cared" that he was black.

Others did. In 1966 he was named "Young Australian of the Year", having become the first Aborginal to graduate from an Australian university.

He was also the first Aboriginal to become a Federal government minister and was a member of the committee which brought the 2000 Olympics to Sydney.

Just a year before his death in October 2000 he called Australian prime minister John Howard a "dog" and a "racist" and warned British tourists not to come to the Sydney Games. He died aged 64, the freedom ride ended but never to be forgotten.

In the middle of all this, Spennymoor Boxing Academy secretary Paul Hodgson rings to announce that they're off on May 26 to fight a tournament in Australia. "They've promised to take us to the Gold Coast to see the sharks," he says. Sharks? Probably, adds the incomparable Hodgy, they know half of them already.

A chap at the North Shields v South Shields derby on Saturday, crowd rather smaller than in heyday skirmishes across the Tyne, was waving around a website print-out headed "Thierry Henry's career is over." So it seemed, a leg broken in several places.

Sadly for the Boro, suffering simultaneously, it referred not to Arsenal's unequalled genius but to a greyhound at Wentworth Park dogs.

Last week's news that Darlington FC's former Feethams home is finally to be bulldozed sent Alan Shutt in Hartlepool searching for his scrapbooks.

The picture is from the fearful winter of 1963, in the days when Britain still had snow and the Quakers still had the likes of Ron Greener, Brian Henderson, John Peverell and dear old Lance Robson.

Alan's mate Jim Reed, more familiar in Grammar School Old Boys colours but an occasional Darlington reserve, is second left. He thinks that Jim Lawton - 60 goals in 120 League games before moving on to Swindon and Watford - is also in the picture.

Last heard of, Jim was playing in the quiz team at the Royal Oak in Great Ayton. Does anyone, asks Alan, recognise any of the others?

Reporting the demolition decision, last Wednesday's paper reproduced a poster for a baseball match at Feethams, reminding Bob Harbron in Norton-on-Tees that the sport was big in the North-East around 1900.

Stockton, Thornaby and Middlesbrough all had teams, Stockton beating Newcastle en route to a cup final against London Corinthians, watched by a 12,000 crowd.

"Stockton didn't have a chance," the papers of the day reported. "The Corinthians fielded an all-American team of expats."

Chambers Dictionary defines "Corinthian" as "profligate" or "an amateur sportsman." You take your pick.

So on to the new place, formerly the Reynolds Arena and now something to do with TFM Radio. Yesterday's Telegraph - with thanks to Bob Elliott in Darlington for his sharp spotting - reported that Saturday's 2-1 win over Peterborough was gained on Hurworth Moor.

Numerically challenged, Friday's column wondered what the odds were on all 20 Premiership clubs being drawn apart in the FA Cup third round, as they were two weekends ago.

Andy Mollitt, Richmond Cricket Club captain and Richmond School maths teacher, reckoned 12 in 1,000. Others figure it differently.

Estimates range from 10-1 (Don Clarke in South Shields) to 19619.7 billion to one (Bob Foster in Ferryhill.)

Before the 64 balls next go in the bag, can anyone provide an authoritative answer?

Still with numbers, Don Burniston in Darlington recalls reading that Ryan Giggs' name on the back of his Manchester United shirt looked - from a distance, anyway - remarkably like 61665, the number of the B17 steam engine allocated to the Old Trafford club shortly before the war. Nice story, David checked. Sadly 61665 was Leicester City. United, three down, were 61662.

The good folk of Evenwood, where the column has spent many a congenial evening, are trying yet again to reinvigorate facilities at the Welfare Ground - home to Durham County League cricket and, until recently, to Northern League football.

"In all honesty they're a disgrace," says working group secretary John Teesdale. "The pavilion has already been condemned and unless something is done, we see the whole place being a wilderness within five years."

The working group still embraces football, cricket and athletics clubs and has the solid support of the Coal Industry Social Welfare organisation. The next meeting is in the Travellers rest at 7 30pm this Thursday. Anyone, John stresses, is most welcome.

And finally...

the only two footballers to have played in North-East, London, Merseyside and Milan derbies (Backtrack, January 13) are Paul Ince and Christian Ziege. Newcastle United publications editor Paul Tully was first ("after much head scratching") with the right answer.

Having read Sir Bobby Robson's autobiography, Jamie Corrigan in Ferryhill points out that Sir Bobby, hardly surprisingly, rates George Best as the best ever player from the British Isles.

Who, however, did Sir Bob rate as second best? Within touching distance of the answer on Friday.

Published: 17/01/2006