80 YEARS AGO: NOT every change of strip works – just ask Manchester United, who ditched their grey kit after no wins in five matches (four losses) in the 1995-96 season, with manager Sir Alex Ferguson claiming that his players couldn't pick out their team-mates at distance.

However, York City, who ironically had ditched their chocolate and cream kit because there were too many colour clashes, seemed very happy with their red jerseys (with white collars), white shorts (knickers to you, which is what they were called then) and stockings at the start of the 1936-37 season.

The Minstermen, whose original kit was maroon (the new strip was York's third), won 2-1 at Halifax Town – their first victory in eight matches at The Shay – and beat Tranmere Rovers 4-0 and drew 1-1 with Mansfield Town, both at Bootham Crescent.

Solid in defence and full of energy, York's fitness must have delighted trainer 'Jock' Collier as Ted Hathway (penalty) and Jimmy Hughes netted against Halifax, and Peter Spooner (2), Hathway and James Nicol were on target against Tranmere, with Alf Agar scoring against Mansfield direct from a wind-assisted corner.

The respective crowds were 10,000, 7,500 and 8,000, and expectations were also growing among fans of York Rugby League Club.

They finished pre-season with a 43-14 home victory over Bramley in the York Hospital Supporters' Cup, and backed that up with a 16-8 victory at Clarence Street over Liverpool Stanley in a game that turned on the dismissal of visiting hooker Lowe.

Stanley were leading 8-6 on one of the hottest days of the year when they went down to 12 men, York's tries coming from Western and Hunt, while Dingsdale added five goals.

A crowd of 6,000 watched that match but 16,000 were at Headingley when York visited, suffering a heart-breaking 14-12 defeat to a last-minute try.

An earlier try was disputed by York because of a forward pass, but they ultimately paid the penalty for Dingsdale missing two kicks at goal and by them kicking into the wind once too often.

Rees and Coldrick got York's tries in a match that contained a double dismissal in the second half, Bradley being sent off for the visitors.

A nine-wicket defeat to Kent at Dover finally scuppered Yorkshire's chances of retaining the County Cricket Championship, Derbyshire winning their only title to date as Yorkshire finished third behind Middlesex, while there was surprisingly little coverage of the Berlin Olympics.

However, four-time gold medallist Jesse Owens – he won the 100 metres, 200 metres, long jump and was part of the winning 4x100 metres relay team – did give a brief interview at Waterloo Station en route back to America.

He said that he was feeling the strain and wanted to forget about athletics for a while, and was looking forward to being reunited with his wife.

Owens said that he had had no offers from Hollywood, but wasn't ruling out returning to Great Britain later in the year.

50 YEARS AGO

YORK City built on their 0-0 League Cup draw at Middlesbrough by winning the replay 2-1, thanks to goals by Andy Provan and Tommy Spencer.

It was their first victory of the season, but no players were in better form than goalkeeper Harry Fallon and defender Barry Jackson, with no less a keeper than Bert Trautmann – then Stockport's general manager – praising Fallon for his display in a 3-1 defeat at County.

York Rugby League Club started the season with a bang, defeating Rochdale Hornets, Blackpool Borough and Dewsbury, the latter two by a point, but then fell to defeats at Halifax (30-9, the margin being unjust as York had three tries disallowed) and at home to Hull KR (31-13).

The choice of Brian Close as England skipper for the final Test against the West Indies at The Oval proved inspirational as, 3-0 down in the series, they beat the West Indies by an innings and 34 runs.

But John Snow, one of England's heroes, almost didn't play, only coming into the team as a replacement for John Price.

The Sussex pace bowler took 2-66 and 3-40, but, more importantly, scored 59 not out in a last-wicket stand of 128 with Ken Higgs (63) in England's 527, of which Tom Graveney made 165 and No 9 John Murray 112.