It used to be said that whenever a football manager needed a goal scorer all he had to do was travel to the north east call down a mineshaft and up would pop a centre forwardbut while the careers of alan shearer raich carter bobby robson brian clough and jackie milburn all attest to the famous description of the north east as 39the hotbed of football39 the region39s miners and shipbuilders were just as likely to be formidable boxers rowers runners cricketers or pigeon racersin played