Sang this at Stony Stratford.

It's "a new ball sting in the tail" - a convoluted cricketing metaphor which, I believe, refers to an unexpected score of runs by the last batsmen to take the crease (the tail), taking advantage of the new ball that was being used by the bowler(s).

Geoff is almost certainly Geoffrey Boycott, a controversial but sometimes brilliant Yorkshire and England batsman. I agree with Harvey about John Snow.