AMY WINEHOUSE and Colonel Gaddafi were both still alive, and Bin Laden had only recently been buried at sea.

We still had a German pope, while Prince William and Kate Whatsername were fresh newly-weds, with Baby George, now third in line to the throne, barely a twinkle in an eye.

Meanwhile, in sport, Manchester City hadn’t won the English league crown for over four decades, and a certain Sergio Kun Aguero del Castillo hadn’t yet arrived on British shores. The London Olympics were still in the planning stages.

A lot has happened since June 26, 2011.

However, one thing hasn’t happened: York City Knights haven’t won in the league away from home. That’s some 790 days and counting.

In that time, Winehouse has won a first-ever posthumous Brit award, Gaddafi has long been consigned to an unmarked grave, and it has emerged Bin Laden might not have been given a watery send-off after all. Egypt, having recently had a revolution, are already into a second bloody political uprising.

Meanwhile, Man City have not only won the title – courtesy of Aguero’s unforgettable goal – but they’ve given it back. York City have enjoyed two trips to Wembley and a return to the Football League, and have even had time to survive the threat of falling back to the Conference.

The London Games has long since turned into a fond memory and arguments over legacy.

A lot has indeed happened since June 26, 2011.

Britain has even had a post-War Wimbledon men’s champion, and its first-ever Tour de France winner. No, make that two.

The Knights, meanwhile, are into a third different head coach, and a third away kit – make that four if you include the one recently unveiled. But still that wait goes on.

At this rate, they and neighbours City might even be playing in the new community stadium by the time it ends. Oh, hold on…yeah, maybe not.

Perhaps most importantly, however, if the Knights’ winless run on the road doesn’t finally end on Wednesday night, then they will be relegated from the Kingstone Press Championship.

And if we haven’t enjoyed our road trips in these last 26 months, just look at the long journeys that await in Championship One – Gloucestershire, London, South Wales. If anyone thought driving back from Workington on a Thursday night was bad…

A bonus point in defeat on Wednesday would mean relegation is not quite mathematically certain, but survival would require both Barrow and Hunslet to take nothing from their last games, and for the Hawks to suffer a quite remarkable hammering. So, forget a bonus point. Defeat on Wednesday means York are down.

One good omen, perhaps, is that Wednesday’s match is at the venue of the Knights’ last away win over semi-pro opposition – Doncaster’s Keepmoat Stadium.

The Dons were themselves a Championship One side when Chris Thorman’s York outfit won there, 29-18, in the 2012 Northern Rail Cup opener, on February 19 that year. They’ve improved greatly since.

The Knights, too, have improved this year on last, of that there is no question, and it’s fair to say luck hasn’t often been on their side. But is that likely to be of consolation if three points are not brought back to Huntington Stadium in midweek?

By then, it’ll be 25 games since that last away league win – and, with the off-season to follow, the wait will head into a fourth calendar year, and beyond the 900 days mark.

Here’s hoping this tiny little piece of history does indeed end this coming week, before much more happens.

WHETHER or not the grand finale to the Kingstone Press Championship campaign proves one for the Knights to celebrate with gusto, it is fair to assume the end-of-season presentation night will probably be a decent occasion.

This year’s bash takes place at the Park Inn, in the city centre, on Friday, September 6, with tickets costing £45 each or – and this is an easy one for arithmeticians – £450 for a table of ten.

To be fair, these are always excellent nights out and again this one will be raising money for the Knights Foundation charity. (Oh, and don’t forget, even if it isn’t a season to celebrate for the first team, the under-20s’ achievements need to be acknowledged.)

Tickets include welcome drinks from 7pm, a four-course dinner, the awards ceremony (with The Press Player of the Year gong one of several to be presented on the night), a charity auction and the Foundation’s ‘Summer Draw’, plus a disco into the early hours.

There are also some sponsorship opportunities remaining for the evening – phone the Knights office on 01904 767404 for details.

Tickets and tables are also available by phoning that number.


Appeal for welcome August votes

IT might be low down on people’s lists of priorities right now, but we will be needing votes for your Player of the Month for August after the midweek match at Doncaster.

This month has comprised games against Sheffield, Swinton, Hunslet, Workington and, finally, at the Keepmoat Stadium.

Whoever tops the poll of The Press readers will gain three bonus points for their Press Player of the Year tally.

To vote, email peter.martini@thepress.co.uk or follow the Player of the Month links on Knights match reports.

That leaderboard now has a clear front-runner, and one player clear in second, with just two games – and this Player of the Month award – to go.

Second-row Sam Scott extended his advantage by another three points thanks to his man-of-the-match accolade in the defeat to Hunslet Hawks last week, after a performance that had Hawks boss Barry Eaton drooling. “He smashed us down that channel,” said Eaton, whose team nevertheless came out on top.

Matty Nicholson again showed what the Knights had missed during his long injury absence as he followed his man-of-the-match display in his return to the side against Swinton with another good show, and two player of the year points.

The remainder went to centre Jack Latus, who again formed a decent left-flank alliance with Scott inside him and brother Sam outside him.

Scott moved six points clear at the top from a trio of contenders – Jack Lee, Adam Sullivan and Jonny Presley.

Lee, however, cut the gap back to three points on Thursday night, being named our man of the match (3pts) in yet another agonising defeat, this one at Workington.

The other points-winners that night were Ben Dent (2pts), who came up with some cracking plays out of defence to fully justify his selection, and Simon Brown (1pt), who took the team around the pitch pretty well.

The Press Player of the Year standings: Scott 21pts, Lee 18, Sullivan 15, Presley 15, Nicholson 13, Carr 12, Aldous 10, Brown 9, Ford 8, Flockhart 8, J Latus 8, Briscoe 6, Johnston 6, Freer 4, Dent 4, Hadley 3, Lineham 3, Lyons 3, Elliott 3, Mallinder 3, Pickets 3, Brining 2, Smith 2, Golden 2, Bowden 2, Potter 1, Kent 1, Stenchion 1.