"WE were robbed!"

So says Gary Hall, chairman of KISS, the Knights Independent Supporters Society, of the day York Rugby League Club so nearly reached Wembley for the first and only time since the war.

"I've just watched it all back on Youtube and their second try was a blatant knock-on under the posts."

It was March 24, 1984. York had gone rugby league mad, with their team, the Wasps, 80 minutes from a Challenge Cup final.

It seemed like the whole city had taken over Leeds for the semi-final at a sodden Elland Road. Alas, the dream ended with a 14-8 defeat to the mighty Wigan - a converted try being the difference.

Tuesday marks the 30th anniversary of that day, and this weekend will almost certainly see memories come flooding back, not least for those attending tonight's big sporting dinner in Bar 13 at Huntington Stadium, when the next batch of York RL greats will be inducted into the club's Hall of Fame.

It is quite fitting that legendary BBC commentator Ray French will be the guest speaker. He had commentated on that Elland Road encounter all those years ago, and it's pretty likely he will recollect it this evening. "These black and amber shirts, known as the Wasps," he'd memorably said. "Could they sting Wigan here?"

Lifelong York fan Hall has also been reminiscing, in words that will probably resound among many supporters.

"I worked at Sessions at the time and I ran a bus to the game but we couldn't get one - all the coaches were fully booked. We ended up getting one from Northallerton.

"Records say there were only 17,000 at the game but I reckon at least 10,000 went from York.

"It was in the days when football grounds had fences up to stop you getting onto the pitch. In the late 1970s and early 80s there was a lot of trouble at football grounds and at Elland Road they were used to football crowds not rugby league crowds. There was no bother whatsoever, of course, but there was a lot of security, with police forcing you to walk off the bus straight into the turnstiles. I got pushed through the schoolboys' turnstile - I was 29."

Wigan had led 4-2 at half-time, scoring two penalties to York's one, kicked by the quarter-final hero Graham Steadman.

Wigan then scored two tries. "One came when John Kain fumbled the ball over the line and the second from a blatant knock-on, scored by Mick Scott," said Hall.

Scott was to later play for York, while Kain, the winger had a stint in the Knights' backroom staff on the club's re-formation just over a decade ago.

"We scored a try by Chris Harrison and Graham Steadman converted, and for the last five minutes it was all York," Hall continued, speaking as if the game was only yesterday.

"We needed one more try and Trevor Hooper made a massive break... but nothing came of it."

Looking back, was it a good day, despite defeat?

"I think the quarter-final was the good day," Hall replied. "It was a great day. Unforgettable. No-one expected us to beat Castleford."

York and Wigan had been promoted to the old Division One in 1981, but York came straight back down. They were mid-table in Division Two when they embarked on this memorable Cup run. They won 17-8 at Rochdale and 20-12 at Wakefield, and then came Classy Cas, at Clarence Street.

Said Hall: "The kick-off was delayed for ten minutes because a crash barrier collapsed in the Popular Stand.

"It had just started raining and everyone went to the Pop Stand to get under cover, and then this barrier broke.

"It was a great game. Everyone went onto the pitch in celebration at the end. I had my son, Andy, with me, who was about eight. The pitch was so muddy he lost a shoe."

It's funny what you remember.

Hall added: "If you talk to the players who played that day, they knew they were going to win.

"They had lunch at the Viking Hotel (now the Park Inn) and one of the directors was a police inspector who had arranged for them to have a bus to take them to Clarence Street with police motorcycle outriders escorting them through town."

Asked who stood out that day, there is one obvious answer.

"Graham Steadman scored all our points," said Hall, a big grin forming as he recalled the winning try.

"He chipped the ball over the full-back, chased it and scored. Everyone went mad."

Steadman, who went on to star for Cas and play for Great Britain, is currently on the coaching staff at Newcastle Falcons having also been Scotland's defence coach in the 15-a-side game.

He is set to attend tonight's Hall of Fame dinner - no doubt with many fans saying he should be one of the greats to be inducted.

"What a player. Absolutely superb," said Hall. "My abiding memory of him was not actually that match but when he came as a trialist in an 'A' team game. He played stand-off and was outstanding.

"I couldn't believe we were able to sign him as he was so good. There were people at the time like Ellery Hanley, Steve Evans, John Joyner and Garry Schofield. They were tremendous players and we had this lad who came from Knottingley rugby union playing in our 'A' team.

"I watched him and thought, 'Bloody hell, he's as good as Ellery Hanley'."

He added: "A few years later, we sold him to Featherstone for, I think, £50,000. A few years later Cas bought him for about £170,000, which was then a world record fee."

Steadman went on to such success at Cas that he has already been inducted into their Hall of Fame.

As for York's Hall of Fame, we'll find out tonight who is to be added to the magnificent seven of Willie Hargreaves, Edgar Dawson, Baz Watts, Vic Yorke, Norman Fender, Gary Smith and Geoff Pryce, who were all inducted in last year's inaugural ceremony.


STAYING with nostalgia, it is 25 years ago this week - on March 27 - since Clarence Street staged its last-ever game before York moved out to Huntington Stadium.

It is fair to say, the much-loved old ground is very much missed to this day.

Feel free to email your memories of Clarence Street to peter.martini@thepress.co.uk, or phone 01904 567137, and we could feature them in this column next week.