PAUL Robinson and Paul Robinson made York City history last Saturday when two namesakes played together in the same team for the first time.

Both Robinsons were introduced as substitutes at Northwich Victoria and could only be distinguished by Robbo mark one's middle name - Derrick.

In the past, however, there have been some very close claims to this unique record.

Phonetically, there was nothing to differentiate between former Minstermen Tony Moor and Tony Moore, who both played in three matches together during the 1962/63 season.

Both were local amateur players although goalkeeper Moor enjoyed a more prolonged career than striker Moore.

Moor replaced reserve goalkeeper Mick Granger at Bootham Crescent and for a time ousted 1955 FA Cup final hero Tommy Forgan from between the sticks.

He played 64 games for City in two years but, having signed from Scarborough, Moor later returned to the coast - after a successful spell at Darlington - and led the town's cricket club to two National Club Knockout final victories at Lord's.

Striker Moore played with the "e-less" Moor against Mansfield, Workington and Lincoln City in the 1962/63 season but that was the end of his City career.

He signed for City having impressed in the York and District League with Heworth and worked for British Rail.

The highlight of his City career was a 7-1 thumping of Stockton in the North Riding Cup but he soon left for Bridlington Trinity and later played for Selby Town.

Moore was also a keen cricketer and was well known as a fast bowler for Heworth in the York Senior League.

The overlapping Bootham Crescent careers of Tony Barras and Tony Barratt will also have caused visiting radio commentators a few mid-1990s' nightmares while namesakes spanning the decades for City - but never to play in the same side for the club - include two Thomas Kellys, a pair of John Scotts and a couple of Richard Taylors.

Two of these pairings are somewhat flawed however.

Scottish right-half John Scott, who played for York between 1933 and 1934, preferred to be called Jack, while his 1960s' Northern Irish counterpart answered to Jackie.

Attacking left-back Tom Kelly played for the Minstermen under John Bird between 1989 and 1990 but his 1951 predecessor Thomas William Kelly, a goalkeeper who is the only City player to have made an FA Cup appearance for the club without playing a league game, was known as Bill.

That leaves the two Taylors who have few other claims to fame in City's history other than sharing the same name.

Richard Herbert Taylor was a promising former England youth 'keeper but was forced to retire at the age of 25 with back problems after playing just two matches for the Minstermen in 1980.

Left-winger Richard William Taylor, signed from Sunderland, lasted marginally longer, playing 29 games before being released in 1973.

Widening the net, there is a whole football family Robinson christened Paul with enough having played at professional level to field a five-a-side team with two subs.

Apart from the two at City, there's England goalkeeper Paul William Robinson, who was at Bootham Crescent as a youngster before moving on to Leeds United and Tottenham.

One of his team-mates at England U21 level was left-back Paul Peter Robinson, formerly at Watford and now at West Brom.

Another current Robbo is Millwall central defender Paul Mark James

Robinson and the Lions also had an England youth international called Paul Robinson, a left-back, on their books between 1979-83.

Closer to home, striker Paul J Robinson joined Scarborough in May 1989 when they were in Division Four and scored Boro's equaliser in a famous 3-3 League Cup victory over Chelsea before going on to play for Plymouth and Hereford.

And undeniably the ideal candidate to referee such a game involving our five-a-side team would be East Yorkshire's Football League official...Paul Robinson.

Updated: 10:14 Saturday, December 18, 2004