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My Home Town: From Durham to Dumfries

Posted on: Fri 26 Jun 2009

'My Home Town' ran throughout the whole season in our award-winning matchday programme and let PNE's players describe their home to programme-reading fans. Over the course of the next two weeks we will review the best entries here on the official website...

It was down to Chris Brown to do the honours for the 'My Home Town' featur e in the Doncaster Rovers programme back in December. He hails from Peterlee, County Durham and told us which former big brother contestant reportedly sells signatures there and a favourite saying from that area...

''Well there aren't many famous people or things to have come from there, but Jonny from the first Big Brother is, I think he used to sell his autograph for three pounds in the local supermarket.

"I would say 'canny' which is the thing to say if you're asked how you are. It's said all across the north east and that area in particular."

A few days later for the memorable Birmingham City TV game Liam Chilvers revealed all about Chelmsford, the Essex town where he grew up, singling out a couple of local visitor attractions that should be seen if any fans are down there...

"We've got Hylands Park where one of the V festivals is held each year - it's got quite a nice stately home. There's the cathedral too, other than that there's the cricket ground as well, but I have to say I've never been there. Cricket's seen as more of a rich man's sport down south, unlike up north where it's generally more popular with everyone.

"I don't know if it's still there, but there used to be a chip shop that used to win the award for being the best chip shop in Essex, if not a little bit further as well, so I'll go for their fish and chips."

Staying in the south, but slightly closer to Preston, is St Albans, home to goalkeeper Chris Neal and the former yts trainee informed fans about the history of the place and which town is described as their latest rival...

"It would definitely be Watford. If Watford ever play St Albans City at football there is always a rivalry. Both the place definitely don't have the best things to say about each other, so Watford would be St Albans' rival.

"The town was a Roman city known as Verulamium and people come from all over to see the ruins, there's also the Abbey (now St Albans cathedral) which is visited by tourists. It is quite famous because it is the spot where supposedly the first British martyr was beheaded."

We moved gradually further north after that, interviewing Irish international centre back Sean St Ledger about Britain's second largest city Birmingham, did you know the following fact about the midlands metropolis?...

"I do have a fact about Birmingham, I think it has the most canals in Europe, even more than Venice! So if you want to see some canals then this is the place to see them. Obviously the Bull Ring is well-known also because it's a good place to do some shopping."

With so many Scots in the squad it should come as no surprise that we crossed Hadrians Wall to talk to Barry Nicholson about Dumfries, he shared Michael Hart's disappointment with the absence of a certain culinary specialty in Lancashire and guided North End fans to some picturesque spots on the south west Scottish coast...

"I'm struggling to get square sausages from anywhere. Square sausage is a Scottish thing and you can definitely get that in my home town. They have haggis on Burns' night, but it's not a popular dish. As for deep fried Mars bars, I'd say that's further up Glasgow way, I'm not taking any credit for the deep-fried Mars bars!

"About a ten minute drive away there are some nice places on the coast, nice little beaches. I wouldn't say it is over exciting. Gretna Green's not too far away, if you want to run away and get married."

Next week we stay in Scotland to learn about Dundee from Ross Wallace and speak to Eddie Nolan about his home town in Ireland, as well as three more places where PNE's stars grew up.