1768 It was not about the cricket

It quickly became a challenging day after a brilliant start. I was awake, packed, feeling good and all well before seven. It was warm but cloudy although the atmosphere suggested sunshine was on the way. I stopped with my case on a deserted road apart from occasional vehicles to cross over and post the letter I had brought with me. I also noted the name of the coffee shop where I sat at a street table on my first morning-the Tassili.

Better still having reach the west side of Kings Cross here was a bay with three or four luggage trolleys on the street and I took one for £1 and saved a lot of puff for the rest of the way along the front of the station, crossing over the road and then down the side to the entrance to national and suburban St Pancras where I was the only approaching the left luggage at ten minutes past seven. I was asked to open the case when disclosing that it contained lap top to check that it was not on and there were not other electronics. I joked that I had taken the battery out of the clock for similar reasons.

It was time for coffee and pan au chocolat at Starbucks. I could not open the top of the coffee and a young Asian woman, part of party of other who looked younger came over to assist although for a moment I misunderstood my intentions and thought she had mistaken mine for hers. She was successful in opening but spilt hot coffee over her hand such was the force required to open for the sugar. I thanked her apologising for the spill.

Close by there were some comfy armchairs and I selected the last one with a table and settled to enjoy both. A young woman was reading from another armchair at another table, also on her own. Then a grey haired woman who I judged about sixty came and asked if she could use the table for her coffee having sat at a third armchair a little to the side. Her accent was American. At first I continued to finish the coffee which was very good- also an Americano. I could not resist saying to her are you from the United State. She apologised for her country I said it was one of the great nations of the world and like Britain it had its shortcomings. I was soon telling why this was a special day, a pilgrimage of a kind and she was enthralled with the story I told her. It was becoming a better day by the moment. The omens for the cricket were encouraging.

Then she told me part of her story. She was with a tour /family party from the USA, arriving midweek, I mentioned the weather forecast of an exceptional good day. She was visiting as a present from her son who logically would be around forty: she did not mention being with her own partner or the son with his family. They were scheduled to travel to Paris for a couple of days and then return for a few more days to England. It was a trip of a lifetime or should have been. The son had developed all the symptoms of what she was convinced was the Swine Flu. She had been in contact with the American Library who had advised to get a thermometer. The Boots chemist nearby was said to have a new supply in the morning. The opening hours were from seven but of course on a Saturday it was later eight. It was approaching eight. I was anxious about being in her presence and about her son and their holiday and the likelihood of being put in quarantine. I did not want to cause alarm but she appeared unaware of the sudden doubling of cases from 50000 to 100000 Mail on Saturday which had advertised £20 of vouchers at Tesco’s . When I returned the chemist had opened and she was at the counter explainer her predicament. I hoped she in good hands and I continued on day the edge having been removed, but only to a degree. It reminded that if the media was correct in up to 100000 households there was panic and severe anxiety.

I made my way out of the station crossing over the road to catch a bus to Baker Street station when I believed I would be able to catch a bus to Lords. I had to walk a little way to a road at right angles because of the one way system where there was choice of four or five buses although not the first as I joked with two other men who were on the same trail with over the shoulder bags of a substantial nature. One checked with the bus driver when the next arrived and he said it was about a five walk away. It was more than that although not more than ten at a good walking pace.

There are only a couple of shops in the area and the local tobacconist newsagents local store only had a couple of packets of sandwiches available although sandwiches were advertised. I bought I small carton of Pringles’ crisps and a Danish pastry.

I was once again at the home of cricket the most import cricket venue in the world agreed by every player from every country throughout the ages. The ground was ready for a full house, or almost. The gates were opened within seconds of arrival and a security steward looked into every compartment of my shoulder bag which I had to open and then a male steward did a body check by hand. The sun was out and it was a very fine morning with a live group playing by the nets which were adjacent to a large screen like Wimbledon and the food and drink area. I enjoyed a bacon and egg role with some Brown sauce and then had another coffee. One stall would be selling Veuve Cliquot champagne. Another was selling beer, Pimms and sane brand champagne for £35 a half bottle around £ 65 for bottle and over £100 for a magnum. There was a smaller stall selling rum.

Before going for second breakfast I had found a bench next to band and looked at the excellent value programme which cost £5. Given the cost of the ticket and accommodation this was going to be a £100 expenditure day.

Around ten am I made my way to allocated seat in the Grand Stand which sides on to the playing area. I missed the fact that there two lifts at either end of the stand and made by way up the stairs where at each level, there were three, a steward checked and placed a blue wrist band tight over my right hand on which was written Grand upper tier. I could put my ticket except to find my seat. The grant part is the price and that one has access to two bars and a restaurant, but not toilets on this day which were being kept for the hospitality boxes. The stewards, waiters and lift staff called everyone sir and well dressed and groomed. My seat was in the middle of a row between aisles and at the back. Next time I must ring rather than used the internet and ask about the location. It was bird’s eye view, not good. I would move if possible. Concern about the height viewing level was shared by others.

Sussex won the toss at 10.30 and elected to bat on what said to be a good wicket. The Hampshire captain admitted he would have dome the same. Those around me were divided between the two teams. I explained to one neighbour my neutrality as a Surrey man who became a Durham member who adopted Sussex along with Nottingham, was supporting Sussex although had sympathy for Hampshire who Durham had beaten two years ago and given Hampshire Members a bad day to remember.

The game was effectively over within the first hour as both Sussex openers were effective and the aging Dominic Cork brilliant taking the first three Sussex openers including England’s Pryor for 39, 30 30 and 39. When the fourth wicket fell at 43 and the fifth at 77 you knew it was already over and that the team managed to make 219 for 9 in the 50 overs was due to Captain Mike Yardy who made 92 and everyone gave him an outstanding ovation when he was eventually out.

Hampshire in contrast did lose their first wicket until their total was 93. They won by six wickets with over 9 overs to spare. It was one sided from almost the first ball and everyone except the most partisan of the Hampshire supporters had wanted an exciting and close game. It was not.

After the opening debacle I had waited another half an hour before going down to the toilet after discovering the lift and then queuing for a diet coke for close on twenty minutes as the bar men took their time as a matter of policy. Rather than return to my seat I notice one spare a couple rooms from the front on the aisle and checking it did not belong to someone who had popped out. It was a very different view still too far away for my liking but justifying the price. I only had the seat for half an hour when the tickets holder arrived causing a return of others to their seats. I found another a little way back and found myself among a party of about five men of mixed ages with lots of food and drink, whose language was inappropriate for a mixed and young audience. The view was great but the company awful. I felt sorry for those seats were around them and retreated back to my original seat for the last overs of the innings. I should have then taken my bag with me as I found there was a choice of seats at the back of the lower Compton Stand behind the bowlers arm. However here are two draw backs. The first is that one is more in the shade than the covered ground stand and on a different day it would have cold. I had such an experience at a test match there once before. The main draw back is that one cannot see the scoreboards and these days the two replay screens. To make up for this there is small notice board where the number of the batsmen is given in red lights plus their totals together with the overall total and wickets fallen. This service is OK but with a little investment it could be a lot better. I stayed there until the first drinks break of the second innings and collected by bad advising neighbours of where I was going and the availability of other seats.

The second advantage in addition to being able to watch cricket on a similar basis to that at Durham is that I had chosen the stand with Sussex supporters and I learned to sing, I am up to win the cup for Sussex by the sea. There were few opportunities to burst into the song though. With what was only five overs before the loss I needed a comfort break and found several hundred people sitting on the grass and watching the big screen. I decided I would not stay for the bus rush and made my way out of the ground when there was a few minute wait for a bus to Baker Street and then around the corner for a bus to the British Library and across to St Pancras where I would find a trolley after getting a ticket. As I let Lords I noted two black long legged young lasses in the briefest of hot pants one of whom insisted on handing me a card despite my saying I am too old for whatever it is. She said but you will be very welcome. It was a VIP entry pass to the Spearmint Rhino Gentleman’s Club in Tottenham Court Road. I knew just the group who would be interested.

Then Disaster. There were no trains to London Bridge weekends from St Pancras and the stated bus service was not operating. I could go by Tube which involved a long passage way and stairs or catch an ordinary bus from outside of Kings Cross. I found a trolled but decided to invest in a taxi as I crossed over the road between the mainline stations. I guessed that the roads to and through the city would be quieter than across the West End to Victoria. This proved to be so and the basic fare was £13.60 plus tip. There was a choice of trains for East Croydon and I decided on a drank and made the only bad decision of the trip. I selected a diet cherry flavoured coke by mistake. It was vile. After arriving at the Travel and adjusting to my room I went out to McDonalds around the corner for a McChicken meal and a diet coke unflavoured by the cherry. My room is set aside for someone in a wheel chair. It has three windows each with control to open and open and close the curtains. There is room for a married couple and half a dozen children such is the space about three times the size of a normal room. I loved the walk in shower with flip down stool.

I have enjoyed listening to Duffy’s Rock ferry Album twice. Last night while writing I enjoyed Dire Straits, Acker Bilk and Chris Barber.

I did it Mabel rest in peace. Pity about the result.

1763 An important match for Durham Cricket

Having failed to attend the opening of Durham’s important championship game against Nottingham because it looked as if there would be no play, I set off on Thursday morning full of determination and enthusiasm, and prepared to sit watching the grass grow if it rained and there was some [prospect of play later in the day..

Little did I know what an important day of cricket this was to be, possibly settling the future of the championship although the prolonged season is now only half way.

As anticipated the journey to the ground took less than half the time previously and there here was less traffic hold up because of the morning rush hour as I travelled up the M1 to the A610 and into the city. Nor was there any difficulty in finding a car park space at the Forest, or taking a tram to the Old Market Square where I found a number 2 Green Line bus waiting opposite a pub restaurant. This stopped on the main road from Trent Bridge and I had to cross over the wide road to walk outside the William Clark stand and then continue with the new partially covered stand inside the ground on my left before reaching the small ticket office with the local Coop store and post office across the way. On the Friday the journey took even less time although the number 3 bus or was it four travelled around the housing estate between the train station and the ground. In both instances the journey was around half and hour compared to the hour previously.

I had bought a tub of spicy chicken wings for lunch and a carton of large red cherries from the M and S store at the M1 Trowell service area which I was to enjoy later but noted that I could have obtained an adequate lunch from the Coop at a fraction of the price. I was one of the first into the ground such was the quickness of the journey. My first thought was to get a seat in the restricted Member’s area in front of the Pavilion and which I was to explore the following afternoon. The actual Members lounge is small with no more than half a dozen large tables and for many matches you sit in artificial lights as the windows have to be covered with white or black blinds to form a sight screen and those members sitting immediately in from outside have to sit motionless. You can peak under the blind to see some of the play through non reflecting glass which contains what appears to be a black gauze filter. That some Members do this is extraordinary.

It is the only situation where Members can sit behind the wicket in front of the sight screen anywhere in any major cricket ground in the UK. There is a bar but lunch and the cream scone tea has to be brought from elsewhere and placed on a table in one corner. Upstairs there is a Member’s executive viewing lounge which is an amazing area with over the top luxury seating, and a bar from where Notts members could drown their sorrows as this extraordinary game progressed. I also noted a simple back room area which was being prepared for the player’s tea and another staircase led to the player’s dressing rooms and viewing balcony. The stewards have to wear white costs and the main door into the pavilion has to be closed on alternate overs as this too is being the bowler’s arm. There is one other door to the front which is for club officials and another leads to the outside courtyard.

Instead of subjecting myself to the restrictions of movement in this areas I went to the opposite end of the ground and got an ideal seat at the back of the first level of terracing, under cover and next to the sight screen giving a perfect view over the bowler’s arm. You cannot gain entry into the main areas of the stand from this seating but have to go back into the surrounding walkway and into the main reception area which reminds of a first class hotel. There are bedroom suites which used to be hired out but are now for visiting officials, players and their families. I enquired here about refreshments and was advised to take the lift to the first floor where there is a basic restaurant area overlooking the Radcliffe Road with a small bar about a dozen tables including two TV screens only one of which was showing the Test Match and with food served at one end with a doorway leading to the kitchens. The scones were warm at tea time having been freshly baked and one was given an enormous pot of light cream and a small individual closed pot of jam. The only disappointment was the tea served in throw away plastic, but it tasted good and cost was an inexpensive £2.60. I wager the price for a cream scone tea at Lords will be double. There are toilet facilities by the lift and the media viewing area is the other side of the facilities.

As mentioned on my visit last year Trent Bridge has been transformed into one of the world’s best cricket grounds from the viewpoint of the general spectator. The stand complex along the Radcliffe Road has three tiers of seating as well as hospitality boxes.

Along the Radcliffe Road there are a number of places to eat with the most popular the take away fish and chip restaurant which many go over to buy their lunch which they then bring back into the ground to eat at their seating. There is a pricey Greek style restaurant and an Mediterranean bar restaurant which I was use in the evening before returning to the Travel Lodge.

On either side of the ground side on to the wicket there are new stands and what has become standard for English grounds some overhead cover although at Trent Bridge more attention has been given to style than practicality. The new replay scoreboard screen is an oddity perched at the top of a new building which appears to have its own media viewing area which I assume is for Sky. And where there appears to be offices as well an area to entertaining visiting school children and young people. The floodlights have great style encased in a circular framework

Now to the match. There had been almost a full day’s cricket on the Wednesday as I ventured into D H Lawrence Country. Nottinghamshire had won the toss and decided to put Durham into bat and with Di Venuto, Stoneman and Muchall departing before lunch with the total 63, it must have seen to be a good decision at the time. Then present Captain Will Smith, returning to his former club in that capacity for the first time in a championship game commenced a stand of close on 200 runs with former captain Blenkenstein. Both went within one run when the score was 256 and 257 with Benkenstein getting 105 and Smith 87. Durham were something like 270 runs for 5 overnight with Mitch Claydon the night watchman. In the morning which was damp with always a hint of rain in the offing Durham continued to score runs slowly at less than thee an over and the task became that of reaching 350 runs within 120 overs to gain a fourth batting point. Still assuming the game would be drawn after what happened last year and with the prospect of further rain Blackwell 38 and Mustard 40 and then Plunkett did the best to score more quickly, losing their wickets as a consequence and failing to get the additional point by 1 run. The innings was over at 356 just before lunch with Mitch Claydon bowling 2 overs without a run or wicket and Davies at the other end.

Over lunch there was a great surprise as Steve Harmison called to the Test as a standby by if Andrew Flintoff had been released and taken the train from London and under new rules was allowed to replace Claydon and immediately open the after lunch bowling. It was Steve who gained the wicket of opener Wood when the total was 14. It was his only wicket and he ended the day having bowled 16 overs and taken 1 for 45. Not Test match standards. The Durham success came from returned from injury Liam Plunkett with match figures of 4 for 56 and the spin bowler Ian Blackwell with the amazing 8 overs, 3 maidens, six runs adn three wickets. The wickets fell at 17 33 47 54 135 158 166 169 and 171. The Nottingham batsmen appeared to be over awed by the fierce attack from Harmison and started with a run rate of ,20 an over, that is one run every five overs which was sustained over the first ten overs. Durham enforced the follow on but play was halted because of bad light and an impending down pour. I retreated to Amici in the Radcliffe Road sitting in a comfy chair in the window as the food tables were being cleared to make way of a Salsa class at 7.30. I enjoyed a large plate of prawns in a cocktail sauce on a bed of lettuce. I less enjoyed the vegetable pasta, mainly because of the quantity.

While there is the residential area of West Bridgeford to the other side of the ground, the Football and cricket grounds are rather cut off surrounded by the river and overlooked by two large municipal offices, one the County Council is within the ground while the other covers district services. It is difficult to see how the restaurants survive in the evenings and at weekends unless those coming to the football on an evening eat a meal beforehand or stay after the cricket or weekend afternoon football game. You have to get round the ground from the student lodgings and multi occupational houses in West Bridgeford so the sa class is one solution. Sky Sports was another. The food and the prices alas were not.

There had been about 1000 people in the ground at best for the second day and I was surprised how many less there were when I arrived for the third day although there had been heavy rain overnight and more was promised. I joked with a member of staff about rain intervention but he explained that if the match was over in three days they would have a paid free day on Saturday. There were no more than 100 people in ground during the morning.

What happened that third morning has become an instant legend in the history of Durham. The wickets fell as follows 9 19 38 51 55 60 66 and 68 and then a few minutes before the normal luncheon interval the rain commenced. Had it not then the play would have continued as the match was over for all intents and purposes.

The rain had fallen with intense pressure in large drops and the ground staff had been slow adn then decided to cover the whole area of wickets before the bowling run ups. The covers then became saturated with water that the ground staff could not lift them. I charge the staff with incompetence and would have complained to the authorities had no play been possible in the match as a consequence. However after inspections at 1.30 and 2.30 the decision was taken at 3.30 to commence play at 3.55. Why the delay remained a puzzle as a fine rain was falling then and continued to fall until about five past four when further rain ended play for the day. In the ten minutes one further wicket was taken but it became necessary to play six balls the following morning before the final wicket was taken.

I had enjoyed the morning talking to a Nottingham supporter who lived in Northampton and attended a number of cricket grounds in the Midlands when he had the opportunity and he was young enough to be engaged in a full time work although I had the impression that he was in a position to take time off as and when he was inclined. He and the other Notts supporters who and brave the conditions and state of played appeared to suffer shock as the second collapse occurred within the space of 26 hours. One had joked about the game being over by lunch time and it nearly was.

Few supporters remained after the downpour There had been seven people visible when I arrived at the ground. I had again brought with some spicy chicken wings and fruit but called over to the Coop for use of their cash machine. Next to this was a copier and a young mother with an eight year was copying a summer holiday project which he was required to complete and return by August 1st. She was put out but the requirement and needed assistance with the use of the machine. Later I returned and purchased a half bottle of scotch to keep the weather out!

With the prolonged delay I had moved over to the pavilion and it was at this time that I explored the arrangements. There were only media people about and a handful of Durham supporters who appeared to be relative or friends of the players. Such was the enthusiasm for ending the game that day that the equipment was already down stairs for removal to the team coach. In fact it was a further two hours before the game was called off for the day. I was long gone by then

It was a devastating performance by Durham. Steve Harmison took 6 wickets for twenty runs with 4 maidens from 13 and his best figures for Durham Davies took two wickets for 13 and Ian Blackwell 1.16 with Thorp the other. Durham had won by an innings and 115. The regional TV programme described the defeat as humiliating,

The defeat has to be placed in perspective. Durham with 9 games played have a total of 138 points and 5 wins. Notts are now fourth but have played onl7 7 games and should they win the two in had with maximum bonus points they will have 125 points cutting Durham’s lead to three points. Somerset who have one game in hand have 102 points thus with a win and maximum bonus points they would have 122 points and they would need to continue their run with Durham losing or drawing games in succession to take top position. Lancashire present fourth have 97 from 9 and Sussex 82 from 8 Yorks are yet to win a game back in 7th and still in a relegation struggle with Warwickshire who have played two less and Worcestershire who are hopeless having lost three times as many games as anyone else.

The Durham players did not over do the celebrations which was to their credit and I imagine the Nottinghamshire Inquest was painful and the psychological damager will take time to recover. I am not overstating in saying the win could prove the most important in the twenty odd year history of the club.

1758 Of interest only to those attending Yorkshire cricket ground and the development of British motorway networkhe

I awoke this morning feeling physically shattered and overwhelmed by 36 hours of intense experiences and inclined to stay at home rather than take the ferry to North Shields and the free bus service to Tynemouth for the start of the Mouth of the Tyne festival. I have played some chess against the computer without making irreversible mistakes and will shortly enjoy a pre-packaged breakfast of egg, bacon, sausage beans and hash brown. Part of the inclination to stay was the wish to write separately about the Louis Armstrong’s early music recreation show at the Sage Newcastle on Thursday evening, my day at the cricket at Headingley Leeds yesterday or the impact of the last two episodes of Torchwood, coupled with overhearing a conversation between two men at the cricket one of whose parents were both General Practitioners and who had expressed concerns about the impact of the spread of Swine Flu on the ability of the Health and public services to cope.

I will start with the visit to Headingley but may transfer to something else as the day progresses. I decided to stick with what I had started and leave the more rewarding Jazz and Fireworks and the Armageddon pieces till Sunday.

I have been trying to remember the first occasion that I visited the Yorkshire County Cricket which is located at Headingley, a small area of the greater Leeds city conurbation. I do not think I visited when I lived and worked in Yorkshire based at Wakefield and living at Lofthouse midway between Wakefield and the City of Leeds for a year 1969-1970. More likely it was after moving to the North East in 1974 and deciding to go for a day to a Test match although I believe I also went to watch Yorkshire in a domestic championship game or two before Durham became a first class county. I believe the last Test visit was in the early 1990’s but there have been almost annual trips since for at least a day, sometimes a couple for matches between Durham and the Yorkshire County.

My interest in the Yorkshire Cricket club arose in the in late 1940 and throughout the 1950’s when my local club Surrey won the championship 1952 1958 and Yorkshire their main rivals outside of Middlesex in London regained the championship in 1959. There is a special display in the new Member’s lounge and viewing area at Headingley commemorating the event of 50 years ago. Then Yorkshire comprised the likes of fiery Fred Trueman, a young batsman called Brian Close who went on to captain the side in its most successful post second world war years in the 1960’s, the spin bowler Ray Illingworth and Dickie Bird who became the famous international Test umpire, and took the title from the seven successful Surrey years, whose team included Locke and Laker, the Bedser twins all bowlers and the England great batsman P B H May. The equally great Sir Len Hutton had retired by 1969 but I have a signed copy of his book just my story, and where I saw a similar one in the collection of cricket books, scorecards and other memorabilia which is also on show and for sale in the Member’s lounge.

On Friday I had set off late, closer to 9am than 8 which has been my traditional preference although I did stop for a breakfast twister sold by the K.F,C as a tortilla but is more like a pancake filled with egg bacon and tomato. I should have also drank some of the prepared coffee but decided to get on the way. It was bright morning for most of the trip and I alighted from the car in warmish sunshine two hours later. However that jump in the tale covers getting lost in North Leeds on the way to ground and for which there is no excuse because I had a large map and a detailed street map book with me.

On the journey I noticed the progress which is being made in converting the existing two lane A 1 dual carriage way between the junction with the A19 back towards the famous Scotch Corner and where shortly afterwards the road becomes the A1M again all the way close to Durham City, the Riverside Ground at Chester Le Street before forking to the edge of South Tyneside and into and around Newcastle before joining up with the A19 to continuing as the East Coast route to Edinburgh, the capital City of Scotland. This next bit is likely of interests only to me or those with an interest in the history of the British motorway network!

At the age of four I made the journey from Wallington in South London by ambulance along the original A 1 to Catterick army camp in North Yorkshire, now the largest military complex in Western Europe. In the mid 1950’s someone at the office where I worked said that it took him and his family to travel the 500 miles to where they were staying in Scotland and mentioned Scotch corner. This is located in Yorkshire some 100 miles from the Scottish border. The reason for name is that at this point one can take a road which leads to the west of the UK into Scotland and Glasgow.

It was in the 1960’s that the first stretch of the parallel motorway to the A1, the M1, although to say parallel is a loose expression, was created between London and Leeds and I can remember taking journeys from Oxford in a near deserted motorway. It is only recently that the M1 has been extended around Leeds to the East side and joins in with A1M, close to where the M62 traverses the country from the east at Hull, through Manchester and on towards Lancashire and Liverpool where it is in turn bisected by the M6 going north towards the English Lakes, Carlisle and Glasgow and South through Manchester towards Birmingham, where the M5 goes to the South West and M40 towards to Oxford and London.

For sometime I had noticed that the fencing of farmer’s fields between Scotch Corner and the A19 junction had been moved away from the roadside and then that properties began to be boarded up. For several decades one marker was where there were Little Chef restaurant services stops on both sides of the carriage way. Then one was closed and demolished. The on a recent use of the roadway I noticed the creation of machinery compounds and the clearance if stretches of field revealing various coloured earths. When I lived at Seaburn it was easier to go into the Sunderland City Centre and taking the east ring road around the city until it joined the A19 from Northumberland, through the Tyne Tunnel to Jarrow and then Bolden in South Tyneside, and then motor past Middlesborough and the turn off to York and Hull before reaching where the A1M commences as a three lane motorway. Since moving to South Shields the A1M from the outskirts of Hebburn was a faster and therefore a quicker route.

From the junction it was a fast track all the way to the new vast service area called the Wetherby/York services to mark the road between Wetherby and York. KI came off for Leeds at this point and made he mistake of taking the road which led into the north side of the pleasant Yorkshire town by a horse race track and with its nearby racecourse and which has a centre of old pubs and residential housing much loved by those with brass who used to play football for Leeds united or cricket for Yorkshire. I could have done without the delay from slowing down for the 30 miles per hour limit and traffic lights. Eventually the road came out on to the south east of the city and the roundabout with a hotel on the corner which had been my original intention. It is about 12 miles from here into the city centre although my purpose was the northern ring road.

This road is again slow but even the short spells of freeway at 70 miles an hour and become 50 and included stretches at forty and third through small villages and residential areas. I passed a couple of pub restaurants where I have taken lunch or an evening meal on journeys to or from London in the past before the M1 extension was built around Leeds directly leading to the A1M/A19. The first part of the northern ring road is also speed restricted and there are traffic lights for turn offs into the Leeds, to Roundhay Park which holds a major music festival each year at the same time as at Reading. I made the mistake of taking a turn before the junction to Harrogate and went too far south towards the city centre or so I thought before cutting diagonally into Headingley adn then seeing a sign Headingley I followed the road and coming to a T junction with no sign post turned right and north when I should have gone south and left. I found myself in pleasant countryside and back onto the ring road so I travelled a little way further in my original direction of travel and took the first turning left and bingo within a short distance I was at the first traffic lights just before the Arndale shopping centre building on Headingley High Street. The next but is of interest only to those who wish to visit the Yorkshire Cricket ground and have never visited before, or those who have not been since the various changes commenced which are transforming the ground from a revered but dilapidated place into an twenty first century arena for the best of International cricket viewing.

Had I found the correct road I could have parked in a side road at this junction among a tree lined avenue of large stone mansion houses which was the closest I dared to park for Test matches at the Yorkshire ground. For domestic cricket it was sometimes possible to find a space within 100 or 250 yards of what is known as the Kirkstall Lane entrance close to what was known as the Winter Shed stand. To get to the ground it is necessary to turn right at a second set of traffic lights at the other end of the Arndale shopping street, passed a pub which has become popular with students and a building converted into a trendy night club and bar and to the Kirkstall Lane. The ground is on the left but on the right there are terraces of tall multi occupational houses and here if you arrive early enough to can find a car parking space or two. Although I had made the detour into Wetherby and around North Leeds and had set off just before nine I had made the 100 mile journey within two hours arriving just as 11 was striking. I would have witnessed the opening over had it not been for the fact that the entire West and North stand, now a continuous huge bank of bright blue seats was closed together with the food concessions stalls in the walkway around 95% of the ground around the inside of the stadium. Fortunately the Gentleman‘s toilet was not blocked off so I made myself comfortable for the rest of the morning.

The first point of entry into the playing arena was at the end of the blue seat stand which now occupies a good third of the arena to where one of the most curious viewing stands in the United Kingdom was built in the early twentieth century. This is the Main Rugby Club stand, Leeds being a northern city Rugby League which has more in common with American Football than American Football has with British Soccer, or with British Rugby Union, except the players do not wear any padding but sometimes looked padded from muscle weight. Yes this is a stand with two sides. The cricket side comprises a lower tier of seats at either end separated by the area of sight screens as this side of the stand looks directly over wickets from the bowlers running up to the wickets. There are one way screen from which the players can watch the game from their respective dressing rooms. There is also a continuous top tier of seats but you can not now enter these from the cricket side of the stand. You have to go to Rugby pitch side of stand and climb to the high level and then go through doors into the cricket side. It is a fair climb. The stand is the same as when it was built which means it is ready to be pulled down along with most of the rest of the cricket stadium had this not been done or was in the process of being done. The North and West Mound of a stand was a collection of rotten seats when I first attended in 1974 adn even when improvements were made there was a plan to build a stadium for the 21st century on a Greenfield site at Wakefield close tot he junction between the M62 and M1. However the Yorkshire members were solidly against, and the future of the club was question as it failed to meet the minimum requirements of the English Cricket Board for International matches which bring in their one millions pounds a day plus, revenue for the five days the Sky televised event. It is many years since the BBC provided both the televising of Test matches and the ball by ball radio commentary for which it continues to have world wide fame and which was the basis of my childhood knowledge of Test cricket in the days before Television broadcasting of any sport or any programming. The Members of the Club had a facility for food within the bowels of the stadium when I first visited as a Durham Member and the players dressings rooms were in a pavilion on the other side oft he ground and which is now a separate building called the Pavilion stand and which is also unused for Championship matches.

As with Lords incorporated into one end of the main stand is a public house overlooking the play. This has become the Yorkshire Taverner’s club, for Member’s only and their guests, I sat in the lower tiers overlooking the left oft he wicket and a little way above were two Taverner boxes which could be used by those members who preferred to over look the wicket than rather have a corner angle view. Here was evident a continuous stream of hot coffee or tea and people were drink more wine than beer throughout the day with ladies as much in evidence as men, in contrast to Lords where the Long room and outside side seating is still restricted to men wearing jackets and ties. Those members who prefer to sit outside rather than from behind all weather glass have two types of comfortable leather seats with one set with high backs rather like those in Gentleman’s clubs but which looked incongruous overlooking a cricket field. It is possible for ordinary mortals to sit in the lower tier of seats below those of the Taverner’s. There is also a sports bar next to this which was also closed, There two reasons for the closures. The main one is the comparatively new Members East Stand and 36 room hotel. This is at the St Michael‘s Lane entrance to both the cricket and Rugby ground. Across the road from the entrance is the Indoor cricket centre, restaurant and club building sponsored by the Bradford and Bingley Building Society which became a bank and then was divided between the mortgages which has been nationalised and the savings and which although keeping the name was taken over by Abbey National which in turn is owned by the Spanish Santander group.

There was always seating here popular with some members but behind was the shell of a building which became hospitality boxes for International matches. This has all been replaced by an excellent facility for Members with good terraced seating and on the first floor level, but second floor by the standards of most housing there is a full length and members indoor viewing area, with a bar and meals and other food served at one end. In terms of length and width it is larger space than at Durham. It also has the attraction of two rows of viewing seat through larger picture windows, something which Durham lacks. Above this level are two floors of motel type bedrooms, 36 in total which are available to general public for £50 weekends and £40 weekends with extra, presumably match entrance charges for playing days. There is on side car parking next to a small area of gardens with four maybe five park type benchers. There is a similar area at Lords. Next to the Member’ the news stand and motel building there the new North East Stand which has two tiers and area designated as the family stand where alcohol cannot be taken into the seating area. Between the North East Stand and the Members stand there is the new electronic scoreboard which is the best I have seen on any cricket ground to-date.

What is left is a building site where once was the Winter Shed stand and which is to one side of the Kirkstall Lane entrance. Now there are four huge concrete core structures to the new building which I assume are lift and service shafts and towering above these two of the biggest cranes I have ever seen and with warning lights at the top as these are below one of the main flight paths in and of Leeds and Bradford Airport, an airport I once used on a holiday trip to Spain.

The Shed became infamous for corporately all day drinking and rowdiness. Although in fairness as did the north and west mound stands and other public areas at Headingley. This, together with the escalating prices was why I stopped going to the opening days of Test matches. I liked the shed stand because it also provided a view over the wicket. One was fairly high up as below there was a tier of hospitality boxes and open seating restricted to Members of the club. Headingley is no longer Headingley but Headingley Carnegie, the name of its main sponsors, the Leeds Metropolitan University which has become one of the largest universities in the UK with 30000 students and covers the West Yorkshire area rather than Leeds City. The new building rising on the street end of Kirkstall Lane is a new teaching block for the University. Facing the playing area will be corporate boxes and a new media centre and learning facility similar to that Durham which I understand they visited and were impressed by. I assume there will be some seating on the lower tier for Members which will variable according to where the wicket is placed and therefore the sight screens.

The less said about the actual cricket on this occasion from the viewpoint of Durham that is, the better. Durham after all won the toss and elected to bat at first the openers looked like true representatives of the current Championship holders, playing at the home of the side that has won the championship more than twice that of any other county, albeit with two thirds of the winds before the second world war and only one win after the post war heyday in the 1960’s with Geoff Boycott as lead batsman and for England and Brian Close the Yorkshire Captain. The problem after that is the insistence of the club that players other than official overseas players had to be born with the geographical county of Yorkshire. This prevented the club from recruiting promising young players who were not born in the county although it was stretched to those whose parents were born in the county.

The decision to bat looked good until a splendid piece of fielding had Stoneman run out when the total was 47. Then there was disaster with Coetzer and Muchall were out to Shahzad at 53 and 55, both without scoring. Worse followed with Di Venuto who had promised much going for 29, Blackwell for only 12, both cleaned bowled by the impressive spin bowler Rashid.

Now it is worth telling the tale of Rashid as it is his inclusion in the Yorkshire 20 20 side which led to their expulsion from the competition and non match at Durham which I still believe was the fault of Darren Gough, that is the non match and not the expulsion. Adil Rashid is a brilliant spin bowler who captained the English youth team. He was born in Bradford but did not hold a British Passport and therefore should have been registered as an overseas players but Yorkshire already had their quota for the year. This has now been rectified and he could play for England if selected. I was impressed by Adil when he came to the Riverside but on Friday he was outstanding taking 3 for 32 from 18 overs that is less than two runs an over. Only Beckenstein seemed able to cope although he was supported by Mitch Claydon for a time, 62 and 26 runs respectively and somehow Durham struggled to only 176. It was never going to be enough to win this match as events today proved with Gale getting 84 runs and Shahzad not out at the close on 41 contributing to a total of 313 and Durham with 135 runs to make up were 26 for 1 by the close of play on Saturday. Hopefully the weather will be poor tomorrow and therefore a draw is possible otherwise I can see Durham losing their first match of season within three days and which wrecks my plans for Monday.

On Friday evening Harmison was fiery and impressed the Yorkshire supporters with his pace and bounce and there were several comments as why he was not playing for England, especially as the Australian were playing havoc with the English attack. However on Friday Harmison did not take an early wicket but he took three of the opening batsmen this morning and at one point Yorks were 93 for 5 and it looked as if the match had evened itself out, However 100 hundred runs was added for the loss of only two further wickers and an eight wicket partnership added a further 84 runs. Harmison took five wickets for 60 from 25 which will again draw his attention to the English selectors. We also missed Graham Onions. Plunkett back from injury failed to impress again with no wickets for 68 from 19 nor did Claydon 1 for 76 from 21 but Davies I for 33 from 13 puzzles why he did not bowl more unless further injury has occurred. I enjoyed the day but not the Durham performance.

On the way back I went out the way I had come and this is definitely faster than my previous efforts although longer in terms of distance. Instead of returning from the ring road as before I continued on the ring road following the directions to A!M/A19 north. This is a much faster route with few speed restrictions and traffic lights. However it does involve in effect travelling three side of a rectangle. The best way to the ground is in fact to take the monocot and turn off towards Harrogate and from their join the Leeds ring road. The journey should still be done in two hours but with setting off at 8.30 this should provide time to find a car parking space and find a seat comfortably before the opening overs. Time for a coffee and an early roll.

Talking of food I was quite peckish as I set off and was tempted to stop for fish and chips but not for a proper meal because of wanting return before darkness. I also remembered I had not bought lottery tickets. I decided to try and hang on until reaching home for food, but stopped at the Wetherby service to see if they sold lottery tickets and also fro a comfort break. It was here I noticed that a jacket potato with filling costs 4.99, a Burger King or McDonalds type meal £6 and fish and chips just under seven pounds. For these sums you get fast food cardboard cooking. A muffin , although a large one costs £1.99 and a doughnut £1. There were some takers although many took one look and motored on after investing in a hot drink. I arrived home just after nine. Bought lottery tickets through the internet and then watched Thursday episode of Torchwood on the I player and then after waiting half an hour, the final episode for this five hour series shown every night of this week. It is worth a separate Blog although first must come more traditional jazz and swing time.

1755 The Ice Age, Federer 15 and Lords in view

I begin the day with a feeling of mild irritation at having overwritten the outline of my writing for yesterday, but it became such a good day overall that the usual sense of frustration and failure did not occur. The day was marked by two bouts of good sunshine followed by lightening thunder and torrential rain. You cannot kid me that this is cyclical and not a fundamental change in the British pattern of weather for the summer.

The consequence of this and other competing attractions is that I did not get to see the free Toyah Wilcox in the Park concert, supported by Carol Decker of T -Pau who has appeared here before, and Sinead Quinn.

The first competing attraction was the semi final of the Friends Provident Trophy between Sussex and Gloucestershire at Hove. The heat wave on the south coast continued for another day after a successive week of such days and which has left the outfield brown and lightening fast. The visitors won the toss and decided to put Sussex in to bat on what was regarded and as a fast scoring and rue wicket which had been used before and glued with resin to stop it from breaking up during the day.

Sussex started well with a good flow of runs preferring to hit fours than take individual runs. At 62 Nash missed the line of a slower ball by Dawson and was bowled off stump. Luke was true to character and also played for the big hits making 36 before being caught on the boundary. It was then left for Joyce to continue his solid start with Murray Goodwin and they doubled they more than doubled the score to 263 when Goodwin was out for 60, Joyce having reached his century. However at this point the momentum of runs ended Smith and Hamilton Brown going for 6 each and Yardy 11 and then Joyce run out for a magnificent 146. The innings ended at 326 for 7 about 25 runs short for safety, given the wicket and the conditions.

At this point I went out for a quick shop at Asda fir milk, coffee, some Milano cut salami still £1.08 100 grams compared with £1.37 vacuum packed, some strawberries and sliced melon. I resisted more rolls and pastries but remembered some small tomatoes for salad.

As the sky had darkened with rain in the air I abandoned the idea of going to the Park concert and returned to watch the cricket and the men’s single’s final at Wimbledon. The cricket became a concern as Gloucestershire took a different approach going for every individual run possible but keeping to the run rate of 6 and over which brought them very much into contention as they also did not lose wickets after an early loss at 8 Gidman with Marshall added over 150 before the second wicket. It began to look as if the visitors had made the right decision to make Sussex bat first. However Sussex held their nerve and bowled well and the last six weeks fell for forty runs so that Sussed won by 34 runs in the 48th over with the last two wickets in two balls.

Meanwhile over on the centre court before some of the greats of the past thirty years, especially Pete Sampras an epic struggle unfolded as Federer could not break the Roddick service and all four sets going to a tie break and ending 2 sets each. Te the final set followed the same pattern although there were opportunities for both to reach match point. 66-6 became 10 10 and 14.14 and the players were effectively in their seventh set. It was here that Federer won his serve and then got to match point and the became the winner 16-14. It was his 15th major title beating Pete Sampras who had held 14.

The tickets for the Friends Provident Final will be available from Sussex from Tuesday or direct from the ECB depending upon the take up by the competing clubs. I hope to be there.

In the evening i watched Ice Age 2 brought to the TV screen with Ice Age 3 now in the cinemas. The film is subtitled the great flood and follows the flood causes by the melting of the ice age. As before it follows the adventures of a motley collection of creatures including a Mammoth who believes he may be the last, but finds a mate as well as a herd. Harmless family entertainment preaching individualism, loyalty to others and collective action for survival. It is also a tribute to the creative odd balls in our midst.

I did some washing and ironing and eat reasonably with gammon and roast potatoes for lunch with cherries and melon slices plus the remaining rolls with salami. There was not as much walking activity as I should or work.

There was much game playing where I am unable to progress more than 16 consecutive wins against the computer at chess but achieved 1234 wins at hearts and had been progressing with spider but with a run of over 50 until accidentally closed a game at the wrong time. Drats.

1763 Kevin Keegan's Newcastle

A year ago my mother was 100 years of age and I decided to celebrate the event by going to first home game of King Kevin Keegan back in charge of the Toon army and found that the only available tickets in the fourth level area, not too high and not too low but above to where I had my season ticket for decade, before moving to other parts of the stadium. It was fate. I hope to recapture the kind of football I first experienced from a high located seat Gallowgate stand on my first visit in the Keegan era.
Going to bed at midnight on Friday I awoke early again and decide to continue the sort out of papers, stuff to throw out, stuff to keep and organise, in tray pending and in tray to do. I will have an early midday proper meal, then take stuff to the tip and park at Heworth, collect my ticket perhaps do some shopping, return to the car to deposit, collect tea for the half time break. However my approach will be flexible taking account of the weather this afternoon. The weather proved to be bright but cold and this affect my approach, There was a time in this Keegan days especially that year 1996 when the league title came without our grasp when one could not await for the next match and Saturdays in particular were built around the match. I decided to go later than first planned, watching the pre match introductions on the BBC and Sky and a lunch of rolls filled with lettuce, tomato and a couple of olives. I left the house at 1.30 and was at the ground after 2pm. In the metro from Heworth where parking has increased from 50pa day to £1.50 over recent years and walking to the ground there was no immediate sense of big match build up. My first task was to locate the box office which used to be in the North West area with windows in the wall near to the main entrances. It is now located in what used to be the ground level of the shop in the South west corner. I was directed to the turnstile level in the South Stand where there are two lots of three windows for the collection of tickets A to L and M to Z but which would not be opened until two hours before the match i.e. 3.15. I decided it was time for a cup of something arm and set off to the shopping centre whenever every the usual places were crowded with Saturday shoppers taking a late lunch break, including the quick do it yourself place within Marks where people were waiting for seats to become vacant. I had bought a copy of the evening chronicle and sat in the bus station to have read before deciding to see if there were was anywhere on the other side of the road. I was able to enjoy a cup of coffee with a custard tart costing £2.55 the price of an all day breakfast or part of a 2 for 1 meal deal.

After collecting the ticket which was something of a relief, I had a look at the changing view across the city. The former Gallowgate bus and coach station is now a several storey stone clad office block. The former Dept of Environment office blocks has been completely transformed probably knocked down and rebuilt from its appearance and the car park next to it had become a major building site although for what is yet to be established.

I then took a first look at the Legends centre and museum which used to be part of the old shop and the first floor area above. Here there are photographs of former winning teams, autographed shirts and of former stars to be bought from £50 upwards or for £10 you have your photograph taken and then implanted into a match playing scene. The cost of the museum is £2 for adults and £1 for juniors and other concession but I was not in the mood, nor was I for Shearers bar which crowded out and showing the cup game against Stoke with the latest results from the Premier League, Sunderland were losing 1.0 against Spurs. The original plan was to have gone back to car and listen to the first half with a flask of coffee. I also had a look to see what the crowd was like in two level club shop were I overhear a conversation between staff that sales looked to be over 100% up on usual match days. Everyone everywhere was being a black and white cardboard hat The Return of the King and I was there 19.1.2008. Some 60 thousand had been quickly manufactured such is the capacity of the club these days.

The hospitality partakers were arriving in the car parks with some built into the North Sir John Hall stand. You can hire the Langley Suit with seats in the Directors Box for around £8500 a band A game for up to 20 guests. (About £6800 for this game )For this you get 4 car parking places, a champagne reception three course meal with house wines lager and soft drinks, Programme, team sheet, badge and ex player interview. Extra drinks you have your own account, hostess and bar staff as well as betting facilities. There is a corner Flag Suite with private balcony seating for the same prices. You can also have a seat in the Director's Box under Club 206 but have to book four places to get a car parking space. You get a three course meal in the lounge area but no champagne reception. The price £250 to £350 plus VAT. There are executive boxes available for 8, 10 or 12 persons for the same price with one car parking per box, a hostess and champagne reception. Seating is in the private balcony.. Those in the boxes and balcony level have a more distant view from pitch than were I was sitting on level four and I felt too distant to feel part of the play. For these prices there are also competitions with prizes to add to the sense of occasion. Club St James offer a hot three course buffet style meal where you have to share a table for ten Prices 200-£250.

I have been to the Magpie Suite which is located in the North West Corner next to the surveillance suite where there are two banks of recording TV monitors which cover every individual seat and the immediate environs to the ground and which were immediately above my location for the game. However I could only afford to watch away games where the three cost meal was £25 compared to £10 for watching a large screen transmission in what was then the only club lounge area. Today for a three course meal with live entertainment sharing a table for 8 the cost is £180 to £225 on match days There is no ex player interview. The Bamburgh Suite meal which can be a hot or cold buffet with seating in the Milbourn stand also offers live entertainment and the man of the match presentation price £170 to £200 plus VAT. You can also buy match popshop from £6825 plus VAT for up to 25 guests where the group can have their photo taken pitch side, there is selection of the match day mascot with photograph and gifts for each guest. I have been a guest on two match parsnip occasions at the former Sunderland ground of Roker Park. The git was a club tie in once instance and cuff links on the other as well as a photograph taken at the dining table.

In addition to these facilities where no club shirts trainers or denims can be worn there are the special club facilities with pre and after match lounges bars and food, large screen TV's team lists and special seating. The Platinum Club £40 to £62 with £40 to £50 for concessionaries; The Sovereign Club £45-£58 £38 to £50, The Sports Bar £37-£45 which is behind the North stand goal for me. Bar 1892 which has pitch side seating £45 £52 less for first row where you can get wet,, Black and White Club £39-£50. These facilities which only provide seats and lounge facilities there cost £750 upwards a season. At the back of the North Stand there is the a lounge with facilities for children including babies with supervision and where the cost for the child can be as low as £5 or £11 for the Category A games.

It is important to be aware of this structure and facilities to understand that first team squad players will earn upwards of £1 million a year and that a top player in club and European and international matches can earn £5-7million a year and that one game at St James will bring in only £2 million plus in ticket and hospitality sales less the cost of staffing, stewarding and other match day running costs such as ex player fees, entertainments, gifts, turnstile operators and programme sellers, floodlights etc. With TV rights payments and merchandising across the world the level of buy new players and their wages could not be met. The emphasise on code of dress is fascinating as the new owner of Newcastle United wear a club shirt stands up and dances when his teams scores a goal, has sat with fans at away games and goes out to the bars and clubs after games to talk to the fans.

When Kevin states that there is something different about Newcastle as a club, even from Sunderland it is difficult to be precise about from the days when the majority of those attending games were coal miners, shipyard workers and other who worked in manual labour for their wages. Now the composition of those attending games has changed given the increase in the number of single and married women attending as well as female children. in the past Newcastle had a thing about flamboyant centre forwards but over recent decades the appearance of flair players such as Ginola, Asprilla, Lua Lua, Beardsley, Waddle and others has added a further dimension which became encapsulated in the suicidal defensive romantic performances achieved in the Keegan era at Newcastle. This was expressed on the Sky Sunday Supplement as the difference between those watching Sunderland which has always been primarily a work class we want to wan supporting club and Newcastle which since its development has been more of a middle class entertain us environment.

It will be regarded as perverse that having spent so much time on scene setting so little devoted is to the game which was a 0.0 draw where Bolton were the better team in the first half because of their defensive organisational skill and could have nicked the winner in the dying seconds. I did not feel that I was close enough to the action from my location to make a judgement except that there was an air of disappointment and flatness in the ground within a few minutes the start. I felt happier after watching the replay this morning. I had intended to watch the match on Satanta at midnight. What happened is that on arriving home after a prolonged journey at Haymarket station a whisky, a large Tex Mex is that I went sleep on the settee at 9.30 woke just after 10.30 and when I had got myself together I had missed the match on the programme, only being able to hear the chat in which Alan Shearer admitted he had spoken to Keegan and would speak again after returning to England at the end of this week. I decided on going to bed and slept well; with the usual break until after 6am. This morning there was opportunity to watch and record Match of the Day, the Sunday Supplement discussion and then the greater part of the replay of the game on Satanta, which overlapped the discussion programme. The discussion and the Sunday papers review revealed that on he previous Friday Keegan had been open about the coldness which developed between him and Alan after Keegan had failed to attend his testimonial farewell evening. Keegan had been on a family holiday in the USA but could have taken a plane return plane ride given what international players and their managers. It was also suggested that Keegan had been upset that after deciding to come to Newcastle from Blackburn and not Manchester where it is said he also had the opportunity to join subsequently. It cannot be denied that Keegan is wholeheartedly emotional in everything that he does, but tends to go off when things do not go his way, he loses interest or is engaged with something else. I have had my reservations about Alan who liked the team to revolve around himself and to win, but what not as committed to the flair and individuality as Keegan or to others. For example one never felt he was at home with Lua Lua or Bellamy. What cannot be denied is what Keegan achieved during his years at Newcastle a series of thrilling games with what is still regarded as perhaps the greatest game of the Premiership so far the 4.3 win by Liverpool at Liverpool. In some sixty years of watching football this was the time when I could not wait for each game to come. There were some great moments at Sunderland when survival or promotion was at stake and great disappointments. Emotions soared and plummeted but there were times watching Keegan's Newcastle which can only be described as football ecstasy. Alan Shearer always impressed with his work rate and commitment and his goal scoring record merit's the praise that he has been given. My view is that two men complement each other and could make a formidable team. There is something of the Tony Blair and Gordon Brown situation which needs a clear agreement between the two from the outset. I hope it happens.

However this is secondary to the main question. Can Kevin do it the second time around. The basic problem is that world class performance are unlikely to be attracted to move from the top European Teams to Newcastle knowing there is no prospect of Champions League football next season, and with European Cup competition unlikely as there is the next round game against Arsenal away next Saturday. The issue is whether the home crowd will be willing to accept some better performances than they have experienced since Sir Bobby got the club in to the Champions League but more draws and some loses so that the club may finish in the top half but outside European places. Much will depend on the quality of any purchases during the next fortnight and those made in the Summer. Usually in this situation it will not be until the second full season that the team becomes that of the Manager and if successful as a unit then a challenge in the Premiership can be mounted to achieve a top four position as well as reaching the final and wining now and again a domestic cup competition. However it is not clear that Keegan, the owner and the crowd would accept what in effect will be another two years before reaching the top flight again. They were not prepared to give Sam Alladyce the time because of the style of play and the lack of major performer or two who could grip the imagination. In part because of injury but also his on field personality is such that Michael Owen has not delivered nor would I anticipate his ability to do so. I would swap him for the Spurs man whose name I do not know how to spell ( Dmitri Berbatov) or even less likely Chelsea's leading front man, Didier Drogba. Even Bellamy offered more. What no one disputes is that Keegan's openness during games and with the press has ignited football and the media and replaced the hole left by the departure of Murinho.

I fear for Sunderland's survival and Mr Keane appears to be more and more depressed and his failure to bring in the two or three necessary players suggests that rumour about his lack of man management may have some foundation. The home games against Birmingham Tuesday week and Wigan ten days later must be won, especially as we will not expect anything from the visit to Liverpool.

This morning I spent an hour working on the kitchen sinks and work tops and had intended to devote more time to get the kitchen clean and in good order, the flooring in particular needs attention. After an excellent roast chicken lunch with a full glass of wine the afternoon had to be written off. It has been a self indulgent day and there will have to be better resolve and application from tomorrow. As one of the romantic heroine's in Sense and Sensibility declared in the repeat showing in the evening. You have to judge not on what people day, however fine their speeches, but on what they do.

1753 A sporting day of two halves

The first Friday of July 2009 proved a day of two distinct and contrasting halves. I was not surprised to find that the sea fret ground level cloud had returned over the hill as I rose to greet another day. The greater concern was the forecast of heavy and persistent rain which could ruin the opportunity of Durham County Cricket club winning their fourth championship game in a row and with the prospects of Nottingham drawing, to open sufficient of a gap to make their game in hand less of a problem.

I was therefore pleasantly surprised to find on arrival at the ground that the sun was bright and warm and the sky cloudless as I parked the car around 10.15 and enjoyed an early salami roll and cup of coffee before making my way to an end aisle seat backing the media suite and within easy reach of the stairs to lower deck of the corner stand should protection from the sun or rain become necessary. I engaged in conversation the two other members one in the same row and the other at the front. I optimistically forecast we would get the runs by 12.30 forgetting that 120 were needed rather than 90. What a forecast this turned out to be in the circumstances.

It was evident that the Durham batsmen and Worcestershire fielders were only too well aware of the weather forecast as the Durham set about the task with positive aggression and risk. This included Michael De Venuto who with a 143 to his name this season went on to complete his fiftieth first class 100 scoring precisely that. He achieved this with a single that tied the scores and the winning run was scored by Mustard with five wickets to spare. On another day the win would have been by more wickets but with rain pending the team result took precedence.

It was a brilliant innings and a brilliant win. I made my way to the car and into Chester Le Street Town centre as the first proper drops of rain commenced to fall. I took a different route from the roundabout heading towards the station and then taking the road which led directly tot he large car park near Wilkinsons and the new Morrison’s in the making. It was just a quick nip through the small shopping precinct to the High street where I tried a cherry at the nearby greengrocers, but it was not a patch on those brought form the other side of he road a little way up the hill. I was no disappointed as they had a further supply of the same large and sweet cherries. I bought close one four pounds worth in money as well as weight.

It commenced to rain more heavily as I returned to vehicle and made for home. I detour became necessary as a road sign indicated that the branch into Newcastle was closed and all three lanes were full of traffic competing with this and the road works. On the d radio I heard there had been a major accident and the air ambulance was on its way. I headed off the motorway into Washington and Sunderland to Morrison’s for a petrol refill. The firm has introduced two of the new pay at the pump stations, but although intending to have a go I was put out when I could not find my credit card. I had taken the light brown jacket with me and though I had checked this thoroughly. On return home I checked everything and everywhere and it was only making a second check before ringing the company to cancel that I found the card where it should have been, in the brown jacket.

I had eaten all three rolls, two with salami and coleslaw during the nervous excitement of the morning and made an early afternoon salad while watching Roger Federer demolish his opponents in three straight sets. It was then time for the first appearance of Andrew Murray in a Wimbledon Semi Final. His opponent Roddick was not going to make the same mistakes in previous contests between the two and the guidance from his new coach had great effect coupled with his extraordinary ability to his great first serves, converting many into aces. Murray had no answer at first but then successfully put all his effort into breaking the service in the opening game of the second set which he managed to hold to square the contest one set each. However the effort appeared to drain him and he was quickly broken against so that Roddick was 5.2 up and serving for the set, which he lost and Murray, with the help a crowd in frenzy took the game to the set tie break and then missed an easy chance to go one point up with his two serves to follow. He failed and lost the set and after that there was an inevitability about what then happened. He has the ability and mental strength together with youth to fight for another day but he is unlikely to have had such a great chance of reaching the final although Federer was awesome.

The defeat was unsettling and I could not concentrate on anything further flipping channels, playing games against the computer. I went to bed early for the third night in succession

1260 Kevin Keegan De Ja Vu

Today an announcement was made which immediately changed people's lives for the better and lifted the morale for a city and its region. For over half a century Newcastle and the Northern region were in decline with an increasing loss of morale. Only a handful of occasions since the 1950's have events which raised morale from the relentless decline in the heavy industries which had created work and prosperity. Until the attempts to regenerate local economies, primarily with the development of higher and further education the future had looked bleak as unemployment levels increased and more and more families became dependent on the welfare state for their survival.

In the 1950's Newcastle United won the Football Association Cup three times 1951 1952 and 1955 and the legend of the football team was recreated since the previous glory days during the first decades of the twentieth century. The last occasion when the club won the top English League was 1926 1927. In 1969 it won a European cup competition known as in the Inter Cities Fairs Cup. Between 1992 and 1997, although the club failed to win any level of trophy a phenomenon occurred which those old enough to experience will never forget. This was the era of Kevin Keegan. There was one other event which had a similar impact on the region when in 1973 Sunderland won the FA Cup, an event celebrated everywhere in the UK except in the city of Leeds and the most die hard of Newcastle supporters.

Until 1992 Kevin Keegan had only a limited involvement with the football club and the city. Born in Doncaster in 1951 and rejected by his home town club and he got his start at Scunthorpe where he made 130 before being transferred to Liverpool in 1971 for £35000. It was two year's later that the famous partnership with John Toshack developed and Liverpool won not only the championship but the UEFA Cup. Although Leeds won the championship the following year Liverpool beat Newcastle 3.0 to win the FA Cup with Keegan scoring two of the goals. Such triumphs usually create life long enemies but Kevin Keegan is one of those rare individuals who not only overcame such hostility but became identified as the Messiah of Tyneside. In 1977 Keegan shocked Liverpool by announcing his intention to gain experience abroad, a year which saw his club win the championship and the EUFA cup once more, and only failing to win the treble buy losing to Manchester United in the FA Cup.

His move to Hamburg 1978-1979 resulted in winning the German championship and being awarded the title of European Footballer of the year. In 1980 under Lawrie McMenemy he joined Southampton. The next event of significance in terms of his Tyneside links is after the 1982 World Cup he was dropped from the English squad by Geordie Sir Bobby Robson and Keegan announced he would never play for his country again having been captain 31 times. Disappointed with the failure to strengthen the team Keegan moved from Southampton to Newcastle for £100000 for the 982 83 season and stayed until the end of the 1983 and 1984, making only a total of 78 appearances but scoring 48 goals. He departed on the last home game of the season by helicopter deciding to retire and move to Spain with his family.

In 1992 having no managerial experience and spending his time playing golf and enjoying family life he was appointed manager of Newcastle United ,a club then facing relegation form the second to the third division, a fate which was befall Sunderland subsequently. Until this season, this was the worst time for North East Football fans and morale in the region, including myself, albeit for other reasons was at the lowest. For a year I turned my back in Football and having concluded that I had only enjoyed one of the 20 home games witnessed at Sunderland. The change of fortunes was dramatic and in the Spring of 1993 Newcastle won what had become the first division championship into the new Premier League. However what quickly caught the public imagination beyond the region interest was the style of free flowing attacking football on the principle of scoring more goals than the opponents.
I remember well my first visit in the 1993 1994 season way back of the Gallowgate stand feeling as guilty as if I had changed religion but having the time of my life and immediately sending off for a season ticket and being allocated a seat in the East Wing Corner which I was to hold for a decade. Unlike commentators and a proportion of those who filled the ground it did not matter to me that we did not win the championship although Wembley visits were a disappointment but it was the quality and style of play and which led the team to being branded entertainers.

Why despite being appointed a Director of Football and a contract for 10 years he quit at a time when the club was about to become a stock exchange listed company is likely to remain a mystery, although one suggestion is that he fell out with one of the individuals behind the move although the more likely reason is that he felt he had taken the club as far as possible as runner's up after having 12 point lead and the title within touching distance as the season came to its end. Among the players who fans enjoyed in the Keegan years were Peter Beardsley, Any Cole, Les Ferdinand, Tino Asprilla and Ginola. However the most stunning signing was to bring Alan Shearer to play for his home Town club
Several months after leaving Newcastle Keegan was appointed by Al Fayed as Football Director at Fulham with Ray Wilkins as the Manager who he then sacked and took over the coaching role, taking Fulham into the Premiership in 1999.Then came a move too far with his appointment as the Manager of England, Losing to Germany at the last game played at the old Wembley he resigned and in eh following year became coach at Manchester City. It is one of the those quirks which led to Sven-Goran Eriksson appointed in succession to Kevin and following his departure taking over at Manchester City and taking the club to the higher levels of the Premiership for the first time in the club history. In between Stuart Pearce who had been at the heart of Newcastle's midfield took over at Man City just as Keegan appointee Chris Colman had taken over at Man City.

Since then Newcastle had some success under Sir Bobby Robson, but managers Kenny Dalglish, Ruud Guillit, Graham Souness, Glen Roeder, and latterly Sam Alladyce after only 26 games all coming and failing to recreate the Keegan magic.

I for one was horrified with the prospect of Harry Rednap, Mark Hughes or Gerard Houllier knowing that only the return of Kevin Keegan or the appointment of Alan Shearer would have any chance instantly changing fortunes. And so it came to pass when later afternoon, within hours of the replay FA Cup game against Stoke, it was announced that Kevin was back. Immediately an estimated 10000 people descended on the ground to buy tickets for the match and although I listed on the radio and watched excepts on TV it was evident that the mood among supporters and players changed instantly and that old excitement returned. Men hugged each other all over the city and some wept and apart from the isolated dissent. And the game 4.1 with ten men for a greater part of the match, but with Arsenal away in the next round the attention was all on Keegan who entered the ground some twenty minutes after the game commenced with the start delayed for 15 minutes such was the demand for tickets. However I had already taken the decision to accept that my days of season tickets had come to an end

The evening before film was Layer Cake, British gangster food. The moral is simple enough live by the sword you die by the sword and if you are part of the criminal world in order to survive you have to cheat on those above you as those below you attempt to cheat on you. The makers of the film like to argue the story is a metaphor for society on general. According to Wikipedia one expletive is used 201 times and there are ten violent deaths although talk of a sequel suggests our hero does not perish, and one other is said to have survived. However I was entertained and rounded off the night with one of those episodes of the Sopranos where it does and does matter what went on before or after. In the this series there is less hypocrisy among the criminals who know they are destined for hell., except in relation to their wives and priests.

Somewhere I have of the Little Tanyas whose track the Little Birds David of Madrid has selected before the Joni Mitchel and James Taylor version of Track 11. The first great track of the day was Carole King's Will you love me tomorrow? Stop look and listen with Michael McDonald and Toni Braxton. I am waiting Rolling Stones seems an odd choice of all their songs, except I go through phases of waiting something to happen rather than trying make it so! Crazy Willie Nelson live performance. Inside by Sting was a new song for me which I listened to twice. Serious Anita Baker.. Her Town to James Taylor. Gravity Shaun McDonald. Star Mile Joshua Radin. Rebecca Pat Mcgee band. Fly me to the Moon Sitti Navarro. Something else Garry Jules. Please come to Boston David Loggins. Someone like you and Moondance Van Morrison. Eye of the storm by Noa.. Russians by Sting. I wish you were here Marty Casey. Sweet baby James by Dixie Chicks and James Taylor. Nothing but flowers .Curcurrucucu Paloma by Caetano Veloso also in Spanish. By Heart Sylvia Lewis. Crazy Love as the session commenced but by a different artist Brian McNight. Some 20 of the titles listed do not play. The only problem is when first loading the single Tomaszow by Ewa Demarczyk overplays the Crazy Love so one has to be stopped for the other to be heard.. The cycle is ongoing should you wish to hear the series over and over again. How long will I keep up the resolution to experience the profile of those added but not given time previously? Today a new friend request was for large size female fashions!

The new political season commenced with a new seriousness and the Prime Minister appearing more self confident about Question time. The new Liberal boss is going to prove a big mistake for his party. Mark these words. Tomato rolls and lettuce for lunch with a banana. Lost and then pictures? Yep I went to see Charlie Wilson's War. More on that tomorrow.