RIGHT, how about we kick off this year’s Knights diary pages with a piece of jolly news in among all the strife about the ground situation?

It’s nearly Hall of Fame dinner time, and again it promises to be a cracker.

What’s more, guest speaker Ronnie Campbell is giving his time for free, thus handing a big boost to the Knights’ Squad Builder Fund, the beneficiary of the evening.

The colourful - some would say outspoken - former international referee, who was the man in the middle for York’s 1984 Challenge Cup semi-final against Wigan, will provide the main turn at the annual event, which will be held at Chalkers Restaurant, New Earswick Bowls Club, on Saturday, March 21, starting at 8pm.

But unlike most after-dinner speakers on the circuit, the Widnes whistler will not be charging a fee - which is obviously laudable but at the same time leaves organiser Gary Hall feeling just a bit contrite.

Said Hall, the chairman of the Knights’ Independent Supporters’ Society: “He’s coming all the way over for free, which I think is a tremendous gesture - especially considering I for one have called him all the names under the sun over the years. It makes me feel a bit bad really!”

Hall was obviously joking - though he couldn’t resist having another dig about a key incident in the 84 semi-final, which the Lancastrians won 14-8 at Elland Road.

“He can’t bloomin’ count,” joked the lifelong fan. “Wigan scored a try on the seventh tackle.

“And it was from a knock-on.”

Campbell was also the central figure in another refereeing incident which amuses Hall to this day.

“It would have been about 1979, playing at Clarence Street,” he said. “Dave Dunkerley was penalised but then mouthed off to Ronnie, so Ronnie penalised him by moving play ten yards forward.

“So Dave Dunkerley chased after him and mouthed off again, so he moved play another ten yards. So Dave chased again and he moved play forward again.

“This keeps happening until Dave has enough and kicks the ref’s feet from under him, tripping him up.

“I think Dave got a four-match ban for it.”

He added: “These days they’re all friends, of course, and have a bit of banter. In fact, even then, when they went to RFL headquarters for the disciplinary hearing, they apparently did a crossword together waiting to be called in!”

It’s this camaraderie among former pros and refs that actually helped to book Campbell for the Hall of Fame dinner.

Explained Hall: “I was at the Castleford v Bradford game last year with (former players) Paul McDermott and Kevin Harkin talking about speakers we could get, and Ronnie Campbell was mentioned as a good one.

“When I got home, the phone rings and it was Ronnie himself. Kevin Harkin had got in touch with him and he asked if he could speak at our dinner. I know refs get a lot of stick but it says a lot about Ronnie as a person.

“It also fits in well with the speakers we had at the last two dinners.

The first was Alex Murphy, who was coach of Wigan in 1984 and last year it was Ray French, who commentated on the semi-final. This year it’s the man who refereed it.”

The first two events saw a total of 12 players inducted - Willie Hargraves, Geoff Hunter, Charlie Taylor, Geoff Pryce, Kevin Harkin, Gary Smith, Rich Hayes, Vic Yorke, Norman Fender, Baz Watts, Edgar Dawson and Graham Steadman.

It’s likely that four or five will be added this year. The criteria for nominees is that they must have played a minimum of four years for the club and been retired for at least five years.

KEEPING the flow of positivity, it’s worth pointing out last week’s 78-10 win at London Skolars was the biggest-ever opening-day win in the Knights’ history and most probably in York RL history.

It is also the biggest-ever win in a York coach’s maiden match and, unless someone can find a stat to contest it, it could be the biggest-ever by anyone taking his first-ever match as a head coach in pro rugby league. Well done, James Ford!

The Knights’ highest score against pro opposition also came at New River Stadium - 80-6 in 2009.

Their biggest win, of course, is the Challenge Cup record 132-0 success over Northumbria University in 2011.

Their biggest margin of victory over pro opposition, meanwhile, was last year’s 76-0 league bashing of South Wales Scorpions - tomorrow’s Challenge Cup hosts.