MUSIC history was made this week, when (Is This The Way To) Amarillo topped the first chart to take into account songs downloaded from the internet.

But the success of Tony Christie's re-released Seventies anthem is no surprise to York City Knights' Gary Hall.

He has been blasting Amarillo over Huntington Stadium's loudspeakers ever since helping to resurrect the club. The tune is often played to celebrate a home try, with fans singing "York City Knights" to the tune of the sha-la-la chorus.

Gary, then, must be a big fan of the song.

Er, no. "It's not a favourite of mine. To be honest, I don't even like it."

His fondness for inflicting it on the Knights' supporters stems from experience running a mobile disco.

"I'd had that record in my collection since it first came out in 1971," Gary told the Diary.

"It's always been a floor-filler. A lot of modern music only suits young people, whereas everyone knows Amarillo and sings along to it."

So does he think the Knights' faithful have helped to catapult the song to number one?

"No, not really. I'd like to think so, but the 1,500 people they get at Huntington Stadium wouldn't get the record into the charts."

And he's not looking for a slice of the royalties for the song, which was revived by comedian Peter Kay for Comic Relief.

On a trip to see the Knights play Chorley, Gary met Kay at nearby St Gregory's Social Club, the backdrop to his TV series Phoenix Nights.

"He's brilliant, he's absolutely superb," said Gary, before lamenting the fact that he couldn't see him live in York due to a work commitment in Australia.

So what's going to be a hit next? Well, the other music played at Huntington Stadium includes Fox On The Run by Sweet (when Peter Fox scores); Down Under by Men At Work (when Aussies Chris Levy and Simon Friend score); and the Clash's I Fought The Law And The Law Won (ditto Neil Law).

And when the team totals 50 points, the Knights are rewarded with the theme to Hawaii 5-0.

TALK of York Chief Superintendent Tim Madgwick's skimpy running shorts prompted Dale Minks to drop by with this photograph.

He writes: "No, it wasn't just a dream, you're seeing 'road runner' Supt Tim Madgwick in his 'ooh-la-la' shorts, heading for the new Coyote Bar in York.

"We saw his back-up unit - PC Wile E Coyote in his 'air force' bottomless shorts, coming from the Fulford Road canning factory. Beep, beep!"

The plastic backless shorts in the picture are being used for another Minks masterpiece, to be, ahem, revealed later.

Updated: 10:32 Tuesday, April 19, 2005