Awards aplenty

The Knights have long been touted as having the best community programme outside Super League (and better than several inside Super League) and this award gives credence to those assertions.

Praise has come firstly to Guildford Construction and Sportsmatch, who have funded the community work initiated by the Knights, and also to those who have worked to make it a success, namely development officer Jason Ramshaw, player Chris Langley, former player Trevor Krause for his work last year, City of York Council's Neil Gulliver and local development gurus Mike Kilmartin and Tony Gargan.

Ferres said: "It's great credit to the people who have delivered the programme, and we are particularly indebted to Guildford Construction and the continued good work of Sportsmatch for being able to carry out a programme of this magnitude.

"Without their support it could not have been achieved, and it's meant we've initiated a programme that has gone to more than 50 primary schools around York."

IT was a shame Jason Ramshaw was unable to attend the Awards Ceremony on Tuesday given that he is away with the British Police RL Team - though it's probably fair to say he's enjoying touring New Zealand.

Incidentally, the squad had an interesting flight over - as a drunken yob had to be brought down to earth by one of Ramshaw's team-mates.

North East detective Mick Kent tackled the passenger at 30,000ft after the man became violent on the nine-hour flight from Singapore to Christ-church. He and two team-mates pinned the New Zealander to the floor and calmed him down so the flight could continue. Seems the guy picked the wrong flight on which to get rowdy.

Ramshaw's team had a tough opener to their playing schedule, losing 58-18 to professional representative side the Canterbury Bulls, who fielded four Kiwi internatio-nals who have been playing in the NRL in Australia.

ANYWAY, back to awards. The Knights Supporters' Club presented theirs in the Huntington Stadium bar after the win over Workington.

Austin Buchanan had a taste of things to come when he collected the Young Player of the year award, two days before he picked up the National League Two Young Player gong while the Most Improved Player accolade went to Jim Elston.

The Player of the Year award went to last season's Young Player winner, Danny Brough, who has broken the York all-time records for most goals and points in a season.

The Most Tries award went to Chris Langley, who is three ahead of Elston going into Sunday's Grand Final. (Let's hope, therefore, that Elston doesn't get a hat-trick tomorrow to mess it up. Er, actually, let's hope he does. Let's hope Langley gets a few as well.)

The Supporters' Club also issued three special awards.

Rich Hayes, who was forced to retire at the start of the season through injury, and fellow York RL legend Mick Ramsden received Special Achievement Awards for services to rugby in York.

And Lee Jackson was handed a special gong for his efforts as skipper over the year.

THE York Blind and Partially Sighted Society (YBPSS) have passed on their gratitude to the Knights fans who gave to their bucket collection at the game against Workington.

A letter to the Evening Press from fundraising manager Linda Hill reads: "What a great day it was on Sunday. The atmosphere was tremendous and the result wasn't bad either - and I don't just mean for the Knights.

"YBPSS held a half-time collection and, once again, the Knights supporters responded very generously and we raised £344.76.

"We wish the Knights the very best for Sunday."

G'day Bruce, says Aussie

Simon Friend picked up the Evening Press-sponsored Player of the Month accolade for September, as voted for by readers, before Sunday's game against Workington.

The Aussie thus became the first player to win two monthly awards, having been the first winner back in March.

He was presented with the award by life-long fan Bruce Wray, who was one of the readers who sent in a man-of-the-match nomination over the course of the month.

These votes decide the player of the month, and they also decide which player gets the bonus point each week in the Evening Press/Collier Plant Hire Player of the Year rankings.

There was a host of votes this week after the trouncing of Worky, and the player who came out top was Lee Jackson.

Mark Cain, Austin Buchanan, Scott Rhodes and Yusuf Sozi were all up there, but the skipper remained a clear winner.

That one bonus point adds to the two he collects for being deemed the Knights' second-best player on the day by the Evening Press, and his treble haul takes him back to joint-top of the standings alongside Scott Rhodes. Let's hope both players have blinders tomorrow. If the scores are still tied afterwards, then the winner will be the player with the most Evening Press man of the match awards over the season.

Five-try Cain was man of the match against Worky so picks up three points, while Bucha-nan was deemed the third-best player, although its fair any number of players deserved points.

Player of the Year leaders: Rhodes 32pts, Jackson 32, Brough 25, Ball 21, Langley 20, Friend 19, Elston 14, Callaghan 13, Sozi 12, Cain 9, Wilson 8, J Smith 8, Buchanan 7, Graham 7, Forsyth 6.

Sheehan first on the Mark

BELIEVE it or not, Mark Cain was not the first player in York RL history to score five tries after starting as a substitute.

His efforts on Sunday had been achieved in 1972, when Danny Sheehan came off the bench against Barrow at Clarence Street to notch a nap hand in a 60-0 win. The other sub that day, making his debut, was Gary Smith, father of current Knights hero Chris.

York RL's most tries in a match record remains with Brad Davis with seven against Highfield in 1995.

FOR the record, the Knights' previous biggest win before Sunday was 66-6 at London Skolars last season, when, coincidentally, Cain scored the new club's first-ever hat-trick.

(The margin of victory was the same as against Worky, but 70-10 saw more points scored so goes down in the records as a 'bigger' win.)

Cain's treble tally has been levelled since - by Jonny Woodcock, Jim Elston, Alex Godfrey (twice), Austin Buchanan (twice), Danny Brough and Chris Langley - but never topped until now.

LHF Healthplan have renewed their sponsorship of the National League for two more years. They initially came on board at the start of this campaign.

THE Knights Supporters' Club are taking six buses to tomorrow's triple-header.

The initial departure venue will be Huntington Stadium. Pick-up times are listed below.

Some coaches will return after the Knights match at 5.30pm, with a possible stop on the way home, while the others will stay on for the NL1 Grand Final, leaving at 8pm and coming straight back.

Prices are: adults £10; concessions and 12-16-year-olds £5; under-12s with adult or concession £1. No further bookings are available. Fans can turn up on the day - be at the stadium by 10.30am - but availability is not guaranteed.

Pick-up points and times: Haxby (outside Memorial Hall) 10.15am; stadium 10.30; New Lane (opp Anthea Drive) 10.45; Dodsworth Ave (opp shops) 10.50; Clarence Street (opp vets) 10.55; Exhibition Sq (outside theatre) 11.00; Blossom St (opp Odeon) 11.05; Tadcaster Rd (outside Marriott) 11.10.

ANYONE travelling by train tomorrow is warned that work may be carried out on the Manchester to Widnes line, which may require part of the journey being by coach.

Updated: 11:17 Saturday, October 09, 2004