WHO'S the Greatest? Remember that? The flawed and short-lived ITV series that pitched sporting legends from different eras against each other.

The merits of theoretical battles between Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson, Ian Botham and Garfield Sobers and Diego Maradona and Pele were all debated but the problem was that the match-ups were always dream contests with no chance of a real-life match-up and, anyway, imagine Rupert Murdoch and Don King's nauseating salivating over the live television rights for such titanic struggles.

Worldwide media rights will not be the subject of multi-million pound contract wrangles for tomorrow's Past Players Festival but City supporters will get the answer to their own "Who's The Greatest" at Bootham Crescent when the Wembley heroes of 1993 take on the 101-point champions of 1984.

Kick off is 2pm and proceeds will also go towards off-setting the £60,000 abortive costs involved in the Huntington Stadium planning application.

It promises to be a great afternoon of nostalgia while younger fans will be able to meet their heroes with Chris Brass' class of 2003-2004 helping out in the club shop where there will be a 25 per cent off sale.

LAST week's Diary feature on hat-tricks has prompted a call from another former City goal-getter Barry Tait.

Although his most famous hat-trick was not the fastest, it was certainly quick and certainly one of the most dramatic.

The York-born forward was playing for Halifax Town in the 1962-3 season when the Shaymen found themselves 3-0 down at home to Swindon Town in an FA Cup tie.

"We were booed off at half-time and half the 4,000 or so crowd left," he recalled.

The early leavers missed one of the most remarkable turnarounds in FA Cup history when Tait scored goals in the 80th, 88th and 89th minutes to dramatically level the tie, which Halifax won with an injury-time winner from Brian Redfearn.

"I asked for the match ball but our manager, Harry Taylor, said the club could not afford to give me it," said Tait.

Now in his sixties, Tait went to Manor School and was an amateur with Doncaster Rovers before joining City in September 1958.

He could not cement a regular place and had spells with Peterborough, Bradford City, Halifax, Crewe, Notts County and Scarborough before returning to Bootham Crescent as assistant coach and scout in March 1990.

He joined the coaching and scouting network at Sunderland in 1995 before a long productive spell with Manchester United's Academy.

When Brian Kidd, the current England coach, moved from Old Trafford to Leeds, he persuaded Tait to join him at the Whites' Academy at Thorp Arch.

CONTINUING our feature on the number one hits that coincide with the birth date of City players, it is interesting to note that Survivor's Eye of the Tiger - the famous Rocky theme tune - was top of the charts when Stephen Brackstone was born but the midfielder has been told he can find another club by Chris Brass.

Maybe Stephen just did not fight hard enough to win back his first-team place?

Justin Walker's loan stay ends after today's trip to Kidderminster but his is unlikely to be plain "Sailing" for him when he returns to Cambridge United, where he awaits the results of a disciplinary hearing - the classic seventies Rod Stewart song marked Justin's arrival into the world.

Recalled midfielder Mitch Ward will be feeling more upbeat though after returning to action at Oxford. In fact, his mood could be summed up as "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" - the name of Middle of the Road's number one hit on his birthday.

CITY'S communications director Sophie McGill is preparing for her own match of the day.

While on holiday in Dubai last week boyfriend Paul Lawless popped the question.

But wedding plans won't get in the way of important City business.

The couple are planning to get married at the end of the 2005/06 season when she also hopes to be celebrating City success.

Congratulations to both Sophie and Paul from Dave's Diary.

Hyde seek more from Tolson

ANOTHER former City player - Neil Tolson - is spearheading Hyde United's charge to the Unibond League Division One title.

Table-topping Hyde are on course to bounce back to the Premier Division at their first attempt and Tolson, now aged 30, has found the back of the net 26 times this season.

But manager Steve Waywell, who also signed Tolson for Leigh RMI, believes his leading marksman should have scored more!

Quoted in this week's Daily Telegraph, Waywell said: "It could have been 56 because he has missed more than he's scored but he gets in good positions and that's the sign of a good striker."

Tolson scored 19 times in 69 league and cup starts for the Minstermen between 1996 and 1999.

He arrived at Bootham Crescent from Bradford and left for Southend but, since 2002, has been plying his trade in non-league circles with Conference clubs Leigh, Kettering, Halifax and now at Hyde.

Five to follow

FOUR of City's five games after today's trip to Kidderminster Harriers will take place at Bootham Crescent.

Here's your look at the forthcoming fixtures as Chris Brass' men look to climb back up the Nationwide League Division Three table: Tuesday, March 9 - Scunthorpe United (H); Saturday, March 13 - Torquay United (H); Saturday, March 20 - Yeovil Town (H); Saturday, March 27 - Bristol Rovers (A); Sunday, April 4 - Macclesfield Town (H).

Reason for clash

FOOTBALL and rugby fans have called our sports desk this week querying a clash between the Festival Match and York Knights' home game with Featherstone.

City's finance director Terry Doyle said last night: "The logic behind the timing of the match is that it needs to be on a Sunday when all the players were available.

"It also needed to be done at short notice because we have costs that need to be paid by April, principally the abortive costs that arose from the planning application for Huntington Stadium.

"When we chose a date we did not think people would come to watch football matches at Bootham Crescent on a Saturday and a Sunday.

"We have two home matches in March and there's a fundraising event also planned for the end of March so we did not want the two events too close together."

Making a Mark

THE "King of Saves" Mark Ovendale is catching up Darren Dunning in the race to be this season's Evening Press Player of the Year.

Ovendale (pictured above) took advantage of Dunning's absence through suspension at Oxford to close the gap at the top to three points with a man-of-the-match display.

City's goalkeeper also had the opportunity to make more ground on Dunning during this afternoon's away game at Kidderminster where the former Blackburn midfielder will complete his two-match ban.

Stuart Wise celebrated his recall to the first team with two points at the Kassam Stadium and player-boss Chris Brass picked up the remaining point, leading by example at the back.

Standings: Dunning 33 points, Ovendale 26, Bullock 24, Nogan 22, Hope 20, Merris 11, Ward 11, Wood 10, Edmondson 9, Brass 8, Smith 8, Cooper 6, Davies 6, Wise 6, Parkin 5, Walker 4, Yalcin 2, Brackstone 1, Fox 1, George 1, Shaw 1, Wilford 1.

Updated: 10:18 Saturday, March 06, 2004