BRADFORD Salem have an added reason to win Sunday's Yorkshire Shield final against Bridlington at Hull Ionians (3.30).

Victory for the SSE Yorkshire Division Two champions against the club that finished 11th in Yorkshire Division One would again put the Heaton club on the Twickenham trail.

"That is a massive incentive," admitted Salem's first-team manager Neil Klenk, remembering that the Shay Laners have a rich history in both competitions.

They won Yorkshire's middle-tier cup in 1960, 1962 and 2009 and were runners-up in 1974, 1991 and 2006, when Bridlington beat them 11-10 in the final at Pontefract with a penalty ten minutes from time.

As far as headquarters are concerned, Salem won the first two stagings of the Provincial Insurance Cup in 1991 and 1992, both against Bicester, but lost the 2007 final to Nantwich in the EDF Energy Vase.

You would think that having the final in East Yorkshire would be an advantage for Bridlington, but, as Klenk pointed out, although the mileage is in their favour, the journey time is nowhere near so advantageous.

He said: "On AA Route Planner, it is a 62-mile journey for us, and less for several as they are coming from south Bradford and are virtually on the motorway, but it is only 37 miles for Bridlington.

"However, in estimated journey time it is an hour and 13 minutes for them and an hour and three minutes for us.

"We won't be short of backing. We are going over with two coachloads – one for players and officials and a 55-seater for supporters – while many supporters are going under their own steam."

Klenk added: "We have always had a good rapport with Bridlington as we have sent two teams to them on a Saturday and they have sent two teams to us for the return fixture but we were a little bit surprised when they beat Malton & Norton in the semi-finals."

If Salem triumph, it will be their fifth straight Yorkshire Division One scalp in the Shield as they have already beaten Wath (14th in the table and relegated) 31-25 at home, Old Brodleians (sixth) 23-14 away, York (third) 24-17 and Yarnbury (seventh) 50-20, both at Shay Lane.

Salem have named prop Simon Davies in their starting line-up as he continues his recovery from a knee injury sustained in the semi-final home win over Yarnbury, but they have John Bradbury and Jordan Ashworth on the bench as cover.

Simon Markey, who scored their try, Davies and John Morrell are survivors from the 2006 final with Bridlington, while Ryan McKessar, Chris Clough, Dan Scarbrough, Rhys Green and Matt Child all warmed up for Sunday by playing in the Richard Birkett Memorial Match at Shay Lane last Sunday, when an Old Bradfordians XV defeated a Salem Chairman's Select XV 49-48.

Bradford Salem (v Bridlington at Hull Ionians on Sunday): D Belcher; S Savage, D Scarbrough, C Wood, R Smith; A Robinson, J Mitchell; R McKessar, A Veitch, S Davies, J Cunliffe, R Green, D Snowden, J Booth, J Fawcett. Replacements: C Malarkey, C Clough, J Bradbury, J Morrell, J Ashworth, S Markey, M Child.