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To meet John Woodcock, whose grandfather was born before the Battle of Waterloo, whose home in a Hampshire village of antiquity contains a full set of Wisden and countless artefacts, and who has been a journalist since 1950, is to embrace cricketing history. Now that his close friend Richie Benaud has died, there can be no one alive who has seen so many Test matches, befriended so many great players and overseen so many controversies - all with enthusiasm for the game undiminished.Journalism has probably evolved even more rapidly than the game itself during his lifetime, yet Woodcock, who was cricket correspondent of the Times from 1954 to 1987, would choose no other occupation if he were starting out all over again. He doubts, though, whether he could cope with the greater pressures today. In a less hectic, less televised age, he relished the matches, the touring (for the most part), the sunshine, the friends. Particularly the friends, many of them made while sailing four times to Australia and once to South Africa from 1950-1963.Even in the 1970s, the Times had no objection to their correspondent driving from England to India before Tony Greigs tour - with Henry Blofeld, in a 1921 Silver Ghost Rolls Royce. There were precipitous roads, potential diplomatic incidents, copious quantities of whisky, a scary moment or two in the Khyber Pass, opium-smoking through a hookah near Mashad - We coughed ourselves stupid, said Blofeld - back-tyre blowouts, and dinners in exotic company. There were no health and safety concerns, no mobile phones, night matches or internet distractions.More recently, the chief sub-editor in the Times sporting department, as it was always known, was impressed and amused when he rang the Old Curacy in Longparish and was informed that it was a difficult moment to talk as the Bedser twins were just arriving for afternoon tea. A vision of a charabanc from The Oval floated before him. Alas, Woodcock feels there might not have been a place for Alec in the modern game, given the emphasis on agility in the field.Woodcock spoke to Colin Cowdrey on the telephone most weeks, if not days. He shared a room on tour with Brian Statham. Alan Knott asked to use his bathroom in one particular hotel - a rather superior bathroom - and spent so long in it that Woodcock was concerned for his well-being. Knotts fastidiousness was as fascinating to Woodcock, as was the strain that even such a great bowler as Statham felt on the first morning of a Test match.This bond between players and press could not have been more apparent than when Len Hutton invited Woodcock into the dressing room when he was recovering from illness, to watch England retain the Ashes in Adelaide in 1954-55. That would not happen now. We were probably more of a family in those days.Woodcock went duck-shooting with Harold Larwood, partridge-shooting with Imran Khan, played golf with the three great Yorkshire openers Herbert Sutcliffe, Len Hutton and Geoff Boycott (surely a record of sorts) as well as Don Bradman, fished with Ian Botham, and batted with Wally Hammond in his last ever match, at Richmond, near Durban, in 1965.Benaud would make the Old Curacy his summer base, at least until his views and Woodcocks differed on Kerry Packers World Series. The flamboyant Colin Ingleby-Mackenzie, who liked his Hampshire players to go to bed before breakfast, could not have been as nice as he appeared, but he was. Barry Richards was, Woodcock thinks, the finest batsman he saw, better even than his namesake Viv - if that is possible - Bradman having been past his best in 1948.Great cricketing names, and great journalistic names as well. Woodcock would observe John Arlott - he did have a touchy side but what a brain - drink three or four bottles of wine a day yet still be capable of writing four hymns in one evening. Neville Cardus would summon Woodcock, pull up two deckchairs, bring out two cigars and fetch two glasses of port on his first voyage to Australia. Come and listen to me and dont waste your time dancing, he would say. EW Jim Swanton expected peace and quiet and a glass of whisky when he entered the press box to write his report. Really, you wouldnt expect this noise, he once complained to Hutton, who had retired and was sitting behind him. Did you know that Broderick Crawford arrived at London airport this morning? was the characteristically cryptic response. There was, of course, more than the odd disagreement. The influence of the Times was such that Packer - not at all my sort of chap - had some sharp words for Woodcock, who, as with all the influential correspondents, was strongly opposed to what was regarded as a circus. Greig, too, came to resent Woodcocks having written that it has to be remembered Greig is not English through and through, when, as England captain, he had been secretly recruiting for World Series.Woodcocks comments mattered not only because they were in the Times and therefore read by those in authority, but because they carried authority. This was also the case when he wrote for the Cricketer and edited Wisden. Television had yet to set the agenda. Hard writing, easy reading was the advice Woodcock was given by the sports editor of the Manchester Guardian, for whom he worked for two years before joining the Times. And surprisingly, harder graft went into his articles than ever appeared to be the case. No one seemed to write with such ease and grace, or as Mike Atherton, his successor at the Times, whom Woodcock much admires, puts it, a lack of pretension compared with some sportswriters today.Apart from the World Series, the major controversies he had to cover were the DOliveira affair and subsequent unofficial tours to South Africa. Few people, Woodcock believes, came out with any credit other than DOliveira himself. As editor of Wisden, Woodcock had to decide whether the matches played by Graham Goochs breakaway side of 1982 should be first-class. I said that depended on the board of control of South Africa and was criticised in a leading article in the Guardian. Had I foreseen [FW] de Klerks incredible volte face, I like to think I might have thought otherwise and not seen the sporting bridge between the two countries as having something to be said for it.Some tours Woodcock went on wound their way wearily to an end, although, as a bachelor, being away from home for periods of up to seven months at a time were not so trying as for colleagues who had families.Although, inevitably, there are some aspects of the modern game he does not like - helmets, the reverse sweep, the brutal nature of batsmanship, the lack of identity in Hampshires team - he follows it avidly, his knowledge and memory undimmed. He is unfailingly helpful and generous to the thirsty array of writers, old players and obituarists who descend on the thatched Old Curacy.That said, the postman in decorous Longparish has had to handle letters forwarded by the Times to Woodcock containing some fairly unprintable messages, for he has been nothing if not a correspondent with strong views. None was more specific, though, than the postcard sent on in Sir William Haleys day as editor. Your cricket correspondent is either a pompous ass or a maiden aunt. God preserve him or her from a rugger tour. Fortunately for the game and his many friends and admirers, Woodcock stuck to cricket.Carl Banks Giants Jersey . "Jeff is a hard worker who was an important special-teams contributor for us last season," said Stamps GM John Hufnagel. Saquon Barkley Womens Jersey . Oyama had six birdies and two bogeys at Kintetsu Kashikojima in the event also sanctioned by the Japan LPGA Tour. 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Julian Love Jersey . -- New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis is retiring after a 16-year career to become the goalie coach for the Los Angeles Galaxy.Newcastle remain unsure on whether to replace Steve McClaren but Rafa Benitez and David Moyes are being considered as potential successors, according to Sky sources.McClaren took training on Tuesday and Wednesday morning but is still in the dark over his future as speculation grows on whether his nine-month tenure will come to an end.The 54-year-old is under increasing pressure after Saturdays 3-1 home defeat by Bournemouth in the Premier League, with the clubs directors holding talks without their head coach, who is also a board member, on Monday. Benitez was sacked by Real Madrid earlier this season Relegation is a real threat with the Magpies in the drop zone with 10 matches left, but as they prepare for Mondays trip to Leicester, live on Sky Sports, there remains a chance that McClaren will still be in charge at the end of the campaign if managing director Lee Charnley fails to find a worthy replacement.In recent years Newcastle have issued statements when both Alan Pardew and John Carver came under intense scrutiny, but the club have this time failed to back their current head coach publicly or privately since Saturday.Large sections of the home support chanted for McClaren to be axed during the Bournemouth loss but the former England coach has vowed to battle on, insisting he wanted to be in charge for the visit to Claudio Ranieris table-toppers. Newcastle fans have called for action after the home defeat to Bournemouth Benitez is out of work following his sacking at Real Madrid in January and may be willing to consider a short-term agreement, similar to his tenure at Chelsea in 2012.dddddddddddd.Moyes is another high-profile manager without employment after his dismissal at Real Sociedad last November.McClaren took training as normal from 8am on Tuesday and in the afternoon he stayed behind with backroom staff Ian Cathro, Paul Simpson and Steve Black for meetings before leaving the training ground at 4pm. McClaren has been in charge at St James Park for nine months Newcastles official fans forum has called for action in an open letter after growing frustrated with a season which statistically mirrors their relegation campaign in 2008/09.It read: What NUFC fans want is a team of 11 players in black and white shirts that understand their role to perform to their maximum - week in, week out.We have entrusted the board of NUFC to ensure that the right personnel are in place to carry out this basic expectation. Whilst we still have 10 games to go, NUFC Fans cannot accept the current work ethic of the players. Someone, somewhere has to be accountable and decisions must be made. We must urge you to review our position and initiate any changes you see fit to correct the current attitude of the playing staff. Maybe its time to accept that the head coach role simply doesnt work at NUFC and accept that a manager is required, a person who will not only coach but motivate and manage!Also See:The decision-makers at NewcastleNewcastle not a normal clubMcClaren not walking awayWhats wrong with Newcastle? ' ' '