80 YEARS AGO

IN A week when 375 people died during a heatwave in the United States, taking the death toll to almost 2,000 in the year, and the last day of the Great Yorkshire Show at Beverley was ruined by rain, neither supporters of York City nor York Rugby League Club came out of their respective annual meetings smelling of roses.

Cllr G Halliday said of the Minstermen fans: "This last season only proves one thing – the public of York have not grasped the significance of supporting an Association club in York."

Entertainment tax was one reason given for the club's debt, with treasurer William Sessions adding: "You cannot run a Third Division club on Midland League gates."

Meanwhile, the rugby league neighbours announced a loss of £789 – £100 more than in 1934-35 – with one consequence being that players' wages were likely to be cut.

Chairman G Stembridge said that they were struggling to compete with clubs in the West Riding and Lancashire and that there was little chance of them being a top-flight club or of them balancing income with expenditure.

Meanwhile, York City increased their Scottish connection by signing 21-year-old inside right George Denholm from Raith Rovers.

Twenty wickets fell in a day at Park Avenue as Nottinghamshire were dismissed for 84, Hedley Verity taking 8-42 – the fifth time he had managed an eight-wicket haul in an innings this season – before Yorkshire made 162 (Harold Larwood 5-59).

If the batsmen on that rain-affected wicket felt sorry for themselves, the weather eventually sealing a draw, then imagine how village team Gate Helmsley felt in the Derwent League after being dismissed for five by Sutton, for whom Nicholson took 7-1.

England won their two latest matches on their rugby league tour Down Under, defeating Brisbane 35-13 at the Gabba after being 8-5 down at half-time – with Edwards bagging a quickfire hat-trick – and then beating Northern Districts 19-15 at Armidale, New South Wales in what was the roughest game of the trip so far.

Arkwright was sent off twice, being recalled the first time by Districts skipper Kingston before being dismissed again minutes before the final whistle.

50 YEARS AGO

AFTER their 0-0 draw against Uruguay, England were beginning to build up a head of steam in the World Cup. They defeated both Mexico and France 2-0, Bobby Charlton and Roger Hunt netting against the Mexicans and Hunt bagging a brace against the French.

This gave England a quarter-final against Argentina. However, England manager Alf Ramsey came under pressure from the authorities to leave out his midfield enforcer Nobby Stiles, who was booked in the first minute against France.

Ramsey asked Stiles if the foul was committed on purpose and Stiles said it had just been mistimed. That was good enough for Ramsey, who stuck to his guns and told the Manchester United player that he would be playing against Rattin and company in the last eight.

Former York City player Billy Millar, landlord of the Yorkshireman Inn in Coppergate for over 30 years, died in hospital. He played for the Minstermen for their first two seasons in the Football League in 1929-30 and 1930-31 before retiring due to cartilage trouble.

Tommy Forgan (goalkeeper), Ken Boyes (centre half) and Norman Wilkinson (centre forward) received gold watches in recognition of their long-service to York City, while Gordon Kew (Leeds) and Pat Partridge (Middlesbrough) were among the new intake of 19 referees on the Football League list.

Yorkshire lost only their second game of the season – to 1965 runners-up Northamptonshire, who made 174 (Tony Nicholson 4-66, Fred Trueman 3-41) and 190 (Nicholson 3-33) compared to Yorkshire's 175 (John Hampshire 76) and 123 (Brian Close 32).

The Tykes bounced back by beating Nottinghamshire, with Geoff Boycott getting a hundred in both innings.

20 YEARS AGO

"WE NEVER wanted it," moaned York coach Stewart Horton after his side's 35-18 defeat at Barrow Braves in what was their sixth successive Second Division setback.

Hit beforehand by news that winger Paul Brown had broken his collarbone in three places against Hunslet, York's consolation was that they scored their best try of the season so far five minutes in.

Terry Smirk collected the ball five yards from his own line and passed to full back Adam Knighton, who reached halfway before putting in Chris Hopcutt, who beat three defenders on his way to the line.

York City, with goalkeeper Dean Kiely back in the fold following a trial at Plymouth, defeated West Yorkshire League opponents Knaresborough Town 11-1 in a pre-season friendly, with Gary Bull, Neil Tolson, Richard Cresswell and Nigel Pepper all bagging braces before they headed for Scotland and beat Dundee 2-1 before drawing 2-2 with Livingston.

Yorkshire's one-day form was so erratic that the joke was that the only trophy they stood a chance of winning was the Costcutter Trophy at Harrogate as they automatically started in the semi-finals.

But even that one-liner was wearing thin as they had managed to lose in the last four for five successive seasons, their latest setback being by 89 runs to holders Gloucestershire.

They did better in the AXA Equity & Law League, beating Northamptonshire by two wickets off the last ball, Richard Blakey hitting a boundary to mid-on with the scores tied.

Leg-spinner Marcus Wood took 7-67 as York defeated Sheffield Collegiate by 16 runs at Abbeydale Park in the Yorkshire League.