50 YEARS AGO

IN A week when former actor Ronald Reagan won the Californian Primary to become the Republican candidate for the state's governorship in November 1966, Bradford Northern signed 28-year-old centre or stand-off Alan Kellett from Halifax for a fee approaching £1,500.

Northern centre Ian Brooke scored two tries for Great Britain in their 15-14 victory over Sydney at the SCG.

Bradford City were moving their pitch three yards nearer the main stand in order to accommodate the building of a stand on the Midland Road side of the ground, while England were announced as 5-1 second favourites for the 1966 World Cup behind Brazil (7-4).

Other odds were: Argentina (7-1), Italy (9-1), Russia (10-1), West Germany (16-1) and Portugal (20-1).

Former Huddersfield Town and England winger Vic Metcalfe was announced as Fourth Division club Halifax Town's new manager in succession to Willie Watson, who had taken over from Bill Harris at City.

Brian Close described it as "rather disappointing" that no Yorkshiremen had been selected for the first Test against the West Indies at Old Trafford, which the tourists won by an innings and 40 runs.

However, that situation was remedied before the second Test at Lord's, with Geoff Boycott and Ray Illingworth called into the 12 alongside Barry Knight and Tom Graveney, with captain Mike Smith, Eric Russell, David Brown and David Allen being axed and Colin Cowdrey being the new skipper.

Yorkshire moved 12 points clear in the County Championship after defeating Warwickshire, with Boycott making 136 not out, Doug Padgett 79 and 59, Close 60 not out and Illingworth taking 6-66.

Idle's last pair of Martin Sherred and Mike Reynolds survived for 16 overs to deny Pudsey St Lawrence in their Bradford League top-of-the-table clash.

Meanwhile, Leeds United's Jim Storrie was fined £50 and warned as to his future conduct in the wake of their Inter-Cities Fairs Cup tie against Real Zaragoza on April 20, when Storrie was pulled up for dangerous play.

Cyclist Beryl Burton (Morley CC) won the women's national 25-mile title in a new championship and course record of 59min 54sec, Joan Kershaw (Liverpool Eagle) finishing second 2min 40sec behind.

25 YEARS AGO

SPORT'S revolving door never stops moving for long and as Bradford Northern put former Great Britain winger Henderson Gill and forward Simon Tuffs on offer for £20,000 and £10,000 respectively, Bradford City signed Millwall left back Alan Dowson and were open to offers from southern clubs for homesick 20-year-old midfielder Darren Treacy.

In addition, Northern dropped the transfer fee on Glenn Barraclough from £70,000 to £40,000, while Steve McGowan's price was £125,000.

Headingley did not stage a Test match in 1990, so there was much anticipation before England faced the West Indies in the first Test there and the hosts triumphed by 115 runs in a low-scoring match.

England made 198 (Robin Smith 54, Graham Gooch 34) against a fearsome four-pronged pace attack of Curtley Ambrose, Patrick Patterson, Courtney Walsh and Malcolm Marshall – but that was still good enough for a first-innings lead of 25, despite 73 from skipper Viv Richards and 38 by opener Phil Simmons as Phil DeFreitas took 4-34.

Gooch carried his bat for a magnificent 154 not out as England made 252, Mark Ramprakash and Derek Pringle both chipping in with 27s, but the Windies could only make 168 second time around, Richie Richardson making 68 and Jeffrey Dujon 33 as DeFreitas took 4-49 and Steve Watkin 3-38.

Craig Hodgson and Gary Havelock were showing form for Bradford Dukes but they still did not qualify from a Four-Team Tournament that also involved Belle Vue, Wolverhampton and Cradley Heath.

Keighley-based caddy Billy Foster was coining it in, meanwhile, on the bag of legendary golfer Seve Ballesteros.

TEN YEARS AGO

BRADFORD City manager Colin Todd reckoned the Bantams had given Jermaine Johnson his last chance in England after signing him in a week when they unveiled Bradford & Bingley as the shirt sponsor replacement for JCT600.

Meanwhile, after England had opened their World Cup finals campaign with an unconvincing 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the 90-degree heat of Frankfurt courtesy of a third-minute own goal, some were saying that it was ridiculous that they had left Jermain Defoe behind. Will history repeat itself?

It was also 90 degrees at The Jungle, where Castleford Tigers drew 26-26 against Bradford Bulls thanks to a late goal by Craig Huby.

Water breaks were a feature of the match – as was some sloppy handling by the Bulls, whose tries came from Terry Newton (2), Shontayne Hape, Paul Deacon and Michael Withers, with Deacon adding three goals.

Keighley Cougars led 18-0 at half-time at home to Newcastle Thunder but lost 31-20.

In-form former Yorkshire player Gary Fellows scored 89 not out to help the Bradford League to 290-5 in their Yorkshire Senior Leagues' Trophy quarter-final against the York & District Senior League at Spen Victoria.

Mark Robertshaw (33) and Amar Rashid (35) chipped in on their debuts, before James Smith and Steve Lane took three wickets each as York were dismissed for 226 – although David Greenlay was adamant the Smith delivery that dismissed him should have been a no-ball as it was a chest-high full toss which he hit to Richard Gould at cover.

Bingley motorcyclist Ian Hutchinson, who has had great success at the Isle of Man TT in 2015 and 2016, was runner-up to Bruce Anstey in the Superstock race around the Mountain Course.