The Republic of Ireland team beaten 1-0 by England on Charlie Hurley’s international debut. Charlie’s fifth right at the back, Noel Cantwell on his left. Anyone recognise the others?
I never met “King” Charlie Hurley, whose death at 87 was announced today, but twice conducted lengthy telephone interviews – a bit surprised the first time that the great Sunderland centre half’s accent was more Isle of Dogs than Ireland, more Cockney than Cork.
Though he’d probably been asked the same questions – most of them, anyway – a thousand times before, he was courteous, talkative, wholly accommodating. He seemed a lovely chap.
A nugget from one of those chats, exactly 20 years ago, was subsequently acknowledged by the Cork Echo in its Leeside Legends series.
For some reason the conversation had turned to hurling. Inexplicably. I knew – and Charlie didn’t – that Cork had just won the All-Ireland championship.
“It’s bigger than football in some places but worse an’ all, horrible” said Charlie. “I was a good footballer and I could mix it if I had to but I wouldn’t have fancied hurling.”
Doubtless those conversations also turned to his Sunderland debut, a 7-0 defeat at Blackpool, and to the 6-0 thrashing at Burnley in the next game. Things improved thereafter.
Charlie made 400 Sunderland appearances and scored 26 goals, many of them headers from a corner. He won 40 Eire caps, was named Sunderland’s player of the 20th century, was runner’up to Bobby Moore as footballer of the year, was awarded an honorary degree from Sunderland University and is remembered in many other ways on Wearside.
Hurl hearted beyond doubt.
*How many times in the 1960s did the Sunderland team sheet begin Montgomery, Irwin, Ashurt, Harvey, Hurley, McNab?
Cecil Irwin was from Ellington, north of Ashington, addressed in the Northumberland coalfield as “Seece”. After reitrement he three times managed Ashington FC, ran a paper shop, enjoyed his golf.
I’d interviewed him – face-to-face this time back in Ellington – in 2018, Cec pronouncing himself still pretty fit but a bit corned beef.
Beg pardon? “Deef” said Cec, a perhaps unique example of Cockney rhyming slang meeting Ashington pitmatic. He blamed King Charlie, of course.
*A first visit, somewhat surprisingly, we head today to Wooler, population 2,000 or so, for lunch with the Rev Charlotte Osborn, wife of the late and much lamented former Northern League chaplain Canon Leo Osborn.
At noon it’s three degrees, the car beeping its warning. Hailstones stot staccato off the car roof but then stop. It turns to snow. It’s nearly May.
It’s also St Mark’s Day, Charlotte advises, seemingly oblivious to the imminence of St Totteringham’s.
Wooler’s in north Northumberland, the heart of Glendale. Isn’t that where Postman Pat delivered? Was Jess a Northumberland cat?
A sign advises without explanation that we’re on Tower Hil and that locally Tower Hill is known as “The Tory”. It may not be the only Tory is in those fairly affluent parts.
It’s precisely 22 minutes and 12 seconds before Charlotte mentions that wretched defeat by Aston Villa at the Emirates which may yet cost the Gunners the title. Leo would have taken precisely 22 minutes and 11 seconds fewer.
*Homeward, we enjoy a drink in Morpeth with Denise Haworth, whose marvellous husband Martin died in March and who, with Martin, ran both the Northern League Club and the league website.
We head for The Office, a multi-award winning micropub which since our last visit has moved around the corner but which retains the welcoming excellence of the old place.
Thursday’s also cheese evening, when many regulars bring their own to add to a groaning board and others are invited to partake in return for a small donation. The ladies take no asking, a great night at The Office.
*….and finally, those Cavalry horses on the loose in London reminded former Tow Law Town chairman John Flynn of a visit with his bairns to play Evenwood Town.
“As we walked towards the ground half a dozen horses suddenly appeared and came belting down the road towards us. It was almost as frightening as seeing Tony Nelson coming towards you like a guided missile to get in a tackle.”
Mr Nelson, it may be recalled, was a combative Lawyers’ midfielder of the 1990s who was sent off in the 1998 Vase final. “He was a gentle soul off the field” says John, though whether the same can be said of Evenwood’s horses is unknown.
Grass Routes 