IT seems York City Knights have been getting shirty this week – but in a good way. (Yes I know that pun was poor.)

While it’s a quiet week on the playing front as Gary Thornton’s squad take a break, it’s been quite busy in Huntington Stadium’s heritage kit department, with two announcements that have been well received by fans eager to forge further links with the city’s long rugby league past.

For those that don’t know, the club are to launch a special one-off commemorative shirt to mark the creation earlier this year of York Rugby League’s first Hall of Fame.

Comprising the classic amber and black colours that the Hall of Famers wore with distinction down the years, it will be adorned by the first team when they host arch-rivals Hunslet Hawks in the Kingstone Press Championship clash on August 18. The jersey will also feature the names of the Hall of Fame inductees, along with their number of appearances.

If that’s not good enough, this limited edition strip is for charity, as money it raises (through sponsorship and an auction of the playing shirts as rare sporting memorabilia) will go to the Knights Foundation.

Then there was more. Following the positive reaction to that news, Knights chairman John Guildford agreed it right to give the York faithful deserved recognition too, and so offered them the chance to have their name imprinted in the club’s away shirt for 2014, in return for squad builder funds.

The idea had been put forward by a supporter to squad builder chiefs as a way of boosting the coffers.

Basically, the names of 100 supporters who are first to pay £30 or £50 for two – money which will go direct to player recruitment – will be sublimated into the design. A quarter of the available slots were snapped up within hours of the press release.

The Press understands this jersey will also be in those traditional old amber and black colours, a nice touch.

Some younger supporters might not know but when the Knights formed in 2002, an executive decision was made to move away from York RL’s traditional colours, to mark a brand new start and a clean slate, and to disassociate the new set-up from the sorry demise of York Wasps, the then name of a once proud club.

A few fans were sad at the time but most understood. Blue was now the colour.

There has been one away kit – the white, black and amber hooped number of 2010 – which touched upon past colours, and the York Select XIII have also donned amber and black in charity friendlies. But, over a decade on from York RL’s re-formation as the Knights, it seems a good time now, especially with the success of the Hall of Fame, for the club to properly hark back to the past with pride.

Simon Hall, of the Knights Independent Supporters Society, summed up the thinking behind the one-off shirt and next season’s away colours.

“After talking to the club it was clear we all wanted to create something unique for the fans and something to embrace the history of York RL,” he said.

Guildford added of the decision to have fans’ names imprinted on the 2014 shirt: “As a club, we are always looking for ways to offer something unique to our supporters and after their glowing response to the Hall of Fame charity shirt, we thought this would be a perfect way to reward them.

“It’s a unique and famous design in York RL’s history and one that will stand out in the Championship next season, giving fans the chance to wear their colours with pride.”

Assuming some slots remain, to have your name on the shirt, phone Simon Hall on 07887 811854 or email info@alldesignandprint.co.uk


THE Rugby League World Cup 2013 is to officially launch its volunteer programme today at Old Trafford – and York fans may be pleased to know that the Knights will be represented there.

Lauren Ruddock, a massive Knights fan and a match-day volunteer for about three-and-a-half years, has been accepted as one of 800 volunteers for the autumn extravaganza, where she will act as a match-day assistant and customer services assistant.

She was going to Old Trafford – where the World Cup final will be played on November 30 – for today’s event.

She says: “I’ll be wearing something with the Knights logo on as I thought this way I could promote the Knights and highlight the connections (of the World Cup) to local rugby league.”

Good stuff.


THERE are some tickets left for the Knights Independent Supporters’ Society’s question and answer session with head coach Gary Thornton and assistant Mick Ramsden, which will be on July 6 at the Huntington Sports Club, starting at 8pm.

It will be followed by a hog roast supper and disco until late.

Tickets are £7 for adults and £4 for under-16s and are available from KISS committee members or by phoning Gary on 01904 634902.

Tickets are limited. All proceeds will go to the squad builder fund.


KNIGHTS supporters are running a coach to next Sunday’s match at Leigh.

It will leave the Ainsty pub at 11.30am, Clarence Street at 11.45am, and Huntington Stadium at noon. Seats cost £18 or £12 for under-16s. To book, phone 07763 121732 leaving your name, departure point and phone number.

The nearest train station to Leigh Sporting Village is Atherton, four miles away. Visit www.topexpress.co. uk for train times and prices.


Here’s hoping ties will prove a decent draw

THE Knights are not in action this weekend because it’s Northern Rail Cup quarter-finals time (and York didn’t make it there).

The draw for the semi-finals, for those still interested, will be tomorrow at about 4.50pm. BBC Radio Leeds will conduct the draw live and it will also be broadcast live by BBC Radio Cumbria and Radio Manchester.

Ties will feature the winners of last night’s clash between Sheffield and Dewsbury, and of tomorrow’s games between Batley and Workington, and Leigh and Whitehaven, along with Doncaster, who beat Swinton on Thursday night.

The final will be at Halifax on Saturday, July 20. Tickets cost from £15, or £10 concessions.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that the Tetley’s Challenge Cup final at Wembley will kick off at the traditional time of 3pm, on Saturday, August 24. The match will be televised live on BBC1. Tickets are on sale priced from £21.

To buy tickets for either final, visit www.rugbyleaguetickets.co.uk or phone 0844 856 1113 for details. Visit www.tpexpress.co.uk for train details to Halifax and London.

AS an aside, did anyone see the attendance figure at Thursday night’s televised cup tie between Swinton and Doncaster?

No? Me neither. I couldn’t find an official figure anywhere, nor was one submitted to the RFL yesterday. But then that’s not too surprising given unconfirmed figures of anywhere between 81 (the number of people counted in the stand on a freeze-frame) and 150 (a high estimate).

Now, I know there are reasons and extenuating circumstances, and tomorrow’s attendances will be far better. And I know I’ve banged on about this too much before. But, come on, nobody can say the game is in rude health at this level when so few people show up for a match.

In-form Knights winger George Elliott, a few fans and Norris the Knight will be making use of the free weekend by doing the charity ‘R U Taking The P?’ fun run starting in Rowntree Park tomorrow morning (or fun walk/stagger/waddle in the cases of some supporters and Norris).

The five-kilometre race raises money to combat prostate and male cancers, and it will involve about 180 valiant chaps. To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/Andy-Hall9