Falcons Survival TV Documentary

By Ridley Hall
August 14 2002

Which Newcastle Falcon player would be the first one to volunteer if asked to rip the head off a live chicken? Well I know, but I'm not going to tell you as it would spoil a Tyne Tees TV documentary to be shown on November 1st.

The lads spent a couple of days on an Army survival course in Northumberland and had to kill the chickens to eat.

Presenter Dawn Thewlis, who roughed it along with the lads, says the chicken sequence is one of the reasons the show will be on late at night.

She adds: "There is the odd swear word as well because parts of the course were sheer hell - including asking props like Micky Ward and Ian Peel to run a mile uphill carrying a tree trunk."

By all accounts the Falcons impressed the Army specialists. They were split into three teams and aked to compete against each other in various teambuilding and stamina testing exercises.

Apparently a few stars emerge ... but you'll have to watch to find out exactly what happened. But here's a clue ... the South African Army must be some outfit!