80 YEARS AGO: MISSING a connection can be frustrating at the best of times but there was a real worry that York City's kick-off at Crewe Alexandra would be delayed after the visitors were too late for their train at Manchester.

However, helpful rail officials sped the next train up and, although they had to change in a saloon car en route (shades of getting stripped in the team bus or a charabanc), the Minstermen made it to Gresty Road just in time.

It didn't seem to hamper them too much, however, as they drew 2-2 in a fast and furious contest, leading twice through Peter Spooner and James Nicol only to be pegged back.

York also handed Hull City their first defeat of the season in the Northern Section Cup, coming from 2-0 down in 18 minutes to win 3-2 via Jimmy Hughes (2) and Stan Fox, but they followed that with their first setback of the campaign – 2-0 at home to league leaders Chester in front of a best-ever crowd of 11,000.

A first away loss then arrived in a 3-0 reversal at Rochdale as the Minstermen handed a debut to Bill Hewitson, who had been signed by Arsenal after he had bagged a record 78 goals in the Birmingham League for Shrewsbury Town in 1935-36, with the Gunners profiting from his ten goals for their reserves in September.

However, he had little chance to show his prowess at Spotland.

York's rugby league team, meanwhile, were making good headway in the Yorkshire Cup, defeating Batley 8-2 in the rain at Clarence Street before beating Dewsbury 14-2 at the same venue.

Realising there was little point in trying tricky handling moves against the Gallant Youths due to the conditions, York relied on Thomas to kick the ball behind the scrum, Rees and Hardgrave getting tries and Dingsdale adding a goal.

The most impressive thing about the win over Dewsbury was that ten points were scored after skipper Jeff Moores left the pitch with knee ligament damage, with Welsh and Hunt bagging the tries.

League form was not as inspiring, however, and York lost 9-2 at home to Hull KR, ending a run of 11 straight wins against the Robins stretching back to Boxing Day 1931.

It was also their first home defeat of the season, although that might not have been the case had they capitalised on their dominance in the opening 20 minutes.

50 YEARS AGO

YORK referee Peter Rhodes found himself in the spotlight for his handling of the all-Welsh clash between Wrexham and Newport County at The Racecourse Ground.

About 100 youths came onto the pitch at the end of the match and mainly moved towards County's players, but one made a beeline for Rhodes, who realised that he was about to be hit.

The whistler, who criticised Wrexham police for not having enough men on duty (they only had seven or eight), got his retaliation in first, saying afterwards: "Anyone who comes onto a football field like that is entitled to the same treatment as a burglar in my bedroom."

York schoolgirl swimmer Ann Barner was in superb form, breaking 18 British or English records in a six-week period.

The 15-year-old lowered three records by winning the women's 220 yards butterfly at the National Championships in Blackpool, and a further four in the 110 yards butterfly in times of 2min 34.7sec and 1min 8.8sec.

York City won a thriller 4-3 at home to Halifax Town in a game where the lead changed hands four times, and was settled by an own goal by 19-year-old Dick Lee two minutes from time.

Andy Provan had scored twice but the Minstermen trailed 3-2 with 11 minutes remaining before Barry Jackson levelled by heading in from a corner.

They also turned round the home match against Notts County with four late goals in 15 minutes, the marksmen being David Dunmore (2), Phil Burrows and Tommy Spencer, Dunmore starting the revival in the 73rd minute.

Best game for York's rugby league counterparts was the 24-16 victory over Keighley, which included four scintillating tries for the winners from Storey, Foster, Evans and Horner.

However, the cost of running teams was pointed out at York RLFC's annual meeting at Clarence Street, where it was pointed out that it cost £493 in wages for the A team in the 1935-36 season, but that they only brought in £46 in receipts.

20 YEARS AGO

ROTHERHAM-born Nigel Pepper sank the not-so-Merry Millers with a stoppage-time goal to give the Minstermen a 2-1 victory at Bootham Crescent.

Paul Stephenson, with an audacious flick, had got York's other goal.

There were also celebrations for the city's rugby union team, who broke their seasonal duck in North Division Two with a 23-21 victory at Clifton Park.

They really should have won more convincingly as they dominated for long periods, but had to settle for tries by Neil Lineham, Rob Liddle and Andy Sleightholme, while York RI kept up their winning run in Yorkshire Division Four with a 27-12 home success over Old Rishworthians.

Great Britain's rugby league team, in a finish that seems typical of what happens to them, snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in the first Test against New Zealand in Auckland.

Leading 10-2 at half-time, the tourists paid dearly for having Adrian Morley sin-binned for holding down, and conceded two tries in the final seven minutes to Canterbury Bankstown winger John Timu to lose 17-12, with skipper Matthew Ridge landing both kicks at goal.

Alan Hunte and Denis Betts, from a great team move, scored Great Britain's tries.