50 YEARS AGO: IT SEEMS that there is nothing new under the sun when it comes to the Bradford Cricket League.

The late-season meeting in 1966 heard that 30 second-team matches had involved teams being short-handed, while there was a complaint from an Umpires' Association representative that some matches were not finishing until 9pm.

The choice of Yorkshire's Brian Close as England skipper for the final Test against the West Indies at The Oval proved inspirational as, 3-0 down in the series, they beat the West Indies by an innings and 34 runs.

But John Snow, one of England's heroes, almost didn't play, only coming into the team as a replacement for John Price.

The Sussex pace bowler, who played for Pudsey St Lawrence in the late 1970s, took 2-66 and 3-40, but, more importantly, scored 59 not out in a last-wicket stand of 128 with Ken Higgs (63) in England's 527, of which Tom Graveney made 165 and No 9 John Murray 112.

Bradford Park Avenue were the early leaders of the Fourth Division, but how much longer they could keep hold of record goal-scorer Kevin Hector was a moot point.

He opened the scoring in their 4-1 home victory over Notts County, netted a penalty in the 2-2 Football League Cup draw at home to Hartlepools United, and was also on target in the 3-0 home win over Chester.

Representatives from Liverpool, Norwich City and Rotherham United watched Hector in the League Cup tie, but, while Avenue were reportedly seeking offers in the region of £30,000-£40,000 for the striker, they had only apparently received bids of £15,000-£20,000.

Bradford City were getting to grips with a new 4-2-4 system and lost 2-1 at Southend United, drew 1-1 at home to Doncaster and beat Tranmere Rovers 1-0, also at Valley Parade.

Trialist goalkeeper Peter Butler made the odd mistake here and there but was generally earning rave reviews, but they had also signed part-time shot-stopper David Knowles from Bury.

Bradford Northern centre Ian Brooke scored two tries in Great Britain's 22-14 victory over New Zealand in Auckland that wrapped up the series, while Northern announced that former Halifax coach Albert Fearnley had joined in an administrative role, one of his jobs being pools organiser.

25 YEARS AGO

BAD behaviour at football grounds was being tightened up in a Government initiative.

Throwing objects towards or onto the pitch, indecent or racist chanting, and encroaching onto the playing area would all become arrestable offences, which made one wonder what such offences were before!

In addition, the offences could bring a ban from grounds for a length of time.

Promoter Don Robinson, excited by Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket, made a £150,000 outlay to organise a floodlit cricket match between Yorkshire and a World XI at Don Valley Stadium.

The World XI, spearheaded by 76 (six fours, four sixes) off 51 balls by man of the match Kapil Dev, who added 91 in 11 overs with 40-year-old Derek Randall (43), made 214.

Yorkshire, for whom Richard Blakey had made 73, looked in trouble at 161-7, only for an unbeaten stand of 54 by Darren Gough and Peter Hartley to see them home in a game that finished just before midnight.

Bradford City started the season with a 1-0 home victory over Stoke City, with wantaway Brian Tinnion hitting a superb winner.

Meanwhile, Charlie Browns Autocentres put in around £30,000 to sponsor the new family stand, which held 1,800, while Bantams legend Stuart Mc Call was signed by Rangers for £1.2 million from Everton.

Leeds United, remembering that they were forced to play their Northern Area quarter-final matches against Everton the previous season in the same week, withdrew from the Zenith Data Systems Cup.

Wyke's Harry Holroyd, who won the Bradford Snooker Championship six times and the Bradford Billiards Championship four times, died aged 65.

He was best remembered for a sporting gesture after he won the 1957 snooker title when representing Harold Club.

Harry received an electric clock, but only kept it for a couple of minutes before giving it to league secretary Rosse Hopkinson, saying that he had never seen the hard-working official presented with anything.

Haworth's Dave Rayner was picked in the six-man Great Britain team for the World Professional Road Racing Championships in Stuttgart.

TEN YEARS AGO

WIGAN Warriors had been docked two 2006 league points for breaching the 2005 salary, and days later Bradford Bulls, fearing a points deduction for the same offence, lost 28-26 against Harlequins in a Stoop stinker.

Tries came from Lesley Vainikolo, Marcus Bai, Shontayne Hape, Paul Deacon and Brett Ferres.

Bradford City beat Gillingham 4-2 at Valley Parade, causing manager Colin Todd to exclaim: "It's a pleasure to watch when we are flowing."

The Bantams were 2-0 down but recovered via Dean Windass (2), Mark Bower and Jermaine Johnson.

City, who fell 1-0 to Nottingham Forest in their opener, also beat Bristol City 2-1, courtesy of Windass and David Graham.

Anthony McGrath made 148 in a one-day match for Yorkshire Phoenix against Somerset at Taunton, hitting six sixes and 11 fours, and they were aided in their victory by Darren Lehmann and Craig White (59).

White (116) and McGrath (102) were also in the runs in the drawn County Championship match against Lancashire at Old Trafford, nightwatchman Steve Patterson making 46, Lehmann 68 and Jason Gillespie 36.