Bill Marshall's regular look into the archives for the sporting headlines in this week...

50 YEARS AGO

IN A week when 25-year-old Alex Caygill was appointed as the golf professional at Cleckheaton, 23-year-old Hawksworth amateur Rodney Foster missed the cut at the US Masters after shooting rounds of 82 and 79.

He did see something memorable, however, calling Peter Butler's second round of 71 as the "finest exhibition of golf I have seen by a Briton".

Jack Nicklaus won the 18-hole play-off against fellow Americans Tommy Jacobs (72) and Gay Brewer (78) after recording a 70, thus becoming the first player to retain the title.

England football manager Alf Ramsey named his preliminary squad of 40 for the 1966 World Cup.

It included three Leeds United defenders in Paul Reaney, Norman Hunter and Jack Charlton, but the surprise pick was Chelsea's 19-year-old centre forward Peter Osgood.

The big sporting attraction in Bradford was Northern's third-round Challenge Cup tie against Wigan, which attracted a crowd of 27,459 to Odsal.

Northern didn't play badly, but Wigan were just better in all departments in a 15-6 victory that showed all that is good about rugby league when many people were only too happy to moan about the sport.

Birmingham City manager Stan Cullis was at Vale Park to watch Bradford City's 19-year-old right back Stephen Ingle (he didn't sign him), centre half Alan Fox impressing for the Bantams in a 0-0 draw, while Leeds United defeated Chelsea 2-0 at Elland Road, Billy Bremner scoring one and making one as a centre forward.

Bradford City drew 1-1 at Chesterfield on Easter Monday, Derek Stokes getting the goal on a day when their finishing was generally ineffective, while Leeds United won 3-1 at relegation-threatened Fulham with goals from Jim Storrie, Albert Johanneson and Bremner.

It was another red-letter day for Bradford Park Avenue's Kevin Hector as he scored a hat-trick in the 4-2 win at Chester, his first goal being the 100th of his career, Albert Broadbent having opened the scoring.

Meanwhile, Yorkshire's cricketers decided it was too cold for an outdoor net at Park Avenue, opting for indoor practice instead.

25 YEARS AGO

THINK of clubs from West Yorkshire who have done well at Twickenham, and Bradford Salem immediately spring to mind.

It was the first Provincial Insurance Cup final at HQ, which attracted a surprisingly good crowd of 7,000, and the Shay Laners were looking good at 17-0 up after 51 minutes with tries by Kiwi flanker Shane Goble (2) and fly half Andy Gannon.

However, Oxfordshire opponents Bicester scored 12 points in the next 13 minutes to make for an exciting climax, with Salem having to use all of their replacements, including 42-year-old Peter Breaks for the last six minutes, after Mark Heap (fractured thumb), Graham Sharp (ribs) and Richard Gillgrass (badly bruised leg) were injured.

Neil Lamb spent £1,500 in travelling from Australia for the final but declared it money well spent after watching his elder brother Craig lift the trophy.

Bob Grogan-inspired Bradford Northern defeated another top-four side in Hull FC 28-16 at Odsal, with Brett Iti and Karl Fairbank both getting two tries to add to a Paul Medley effort, but if you wanted to follow a winning side, there was no-one better than Northern A.

Already with 26 straight wins under their belt that season, they defeated Castleford A 25-4 in the Slalom Lager Alliance Challenge Cup final, with tries by man of the match Paul Rhodes, Paul Grayshon, Darren Moxon and Steve Barnett.

And, from the following Tuesday, Northern A only had SEVEN matches to play in 13 days as they tried to protect their 100 per cent record for the campaign!

City, who had discovered that the Football Trust would give them a 70 per cent grant towards the £600,000 it would cost to put up an 1,800-all seater family stand at the Holywell Ash Lane end of Valley Parade, lost 1-0 at bogey side Shrewsbury Town.

After that blow to their play-off hopes, the Bantams won 2-1 at home to Southend United, 34-year-old Robbie James showing off his passing skills as Steve Torpey and Sean McCarthy scored, while Lee Chapman totalled three goals in Leeds United's 5-0 home win over Sunderland and 1-0 victory at Wimbledon.

TEN YEARS AGO

HAVING held on to Steve McNamara as assistant coach after interest from Hull FC, who wanted him to replace the sacked John Kear, and persuaded Andy Lynch to sign a three-year deal, Bradford Bulls suffered their first Odsal defeat since June, with Warrington Wolves winning 22-18.

Karl Pryce (2), Joe Vagana and Ben Harris got the Bulls' tries, but Keighley Cougars' coach called his side's display "heartless" as they lost 44-12 at Sheffield Eagles.

Bradford City's point from a 1-1 draw at Brentford put them on 53 points, which is normally enough to stay up, and the display was certainly appreciated by Bantams manager Colin Todd, Michael Symes getting their goal as JCT600 announced that their nine-year sponsorship deal with City was ending.

Dudley Hill beat Kippax Welfare 28-22 in the Pennine President's Cup semi-final to book a match against Sharlston Rovers, while Bank Top Harriers won a Bradford derby 19-10 against Undercliffe in an Andrew Bennett Memorial Trophy semi-final.

Lee O'Connor (2), Alex Dickinson, Ryan Dickinson and Tony Huby got Hill's tries, and Farsley Celtic won the UniBond League Challenge Cup final 1-0 against Stocksbridge Park Steels, Simeon Bambrook getting the only goal in the 44th minute.

Bradford & Bingley beat Leicester Lions 42-0 in National League Three North, but only got the vital bonus-point try four minutes from time.