WHAT a shame the incredibly exciting wins over Gateshead and Dewsbury had to be marred this week by allegations some simpleton shouted racial abuse during the win over Thunder.

It's important we all keep it in perspective - there is clearly not any kind of racist problem at the club, while Gateshead themselves feel whatever happened did not warrant an official complaint.

But it appears something stupid must have been said by someone on the terraces for this matter to arise. And in immediately vowing to ban for life anyone guilty of such behaviour, the club - as all clubs must do - have taken an appropriate stance to underline how everyone feels about it.

By all accounts, it was an isolated incident involving at worst only one or two people in a crowd of 1,600, so it must be kept in proportion. It is also fair to say that every club in every sport probably has a wally or two in their midst.

But it is important to shame any idiot who leaves the rest of us feeling embarrassed to be associated with them.

One numpty shouting racial abuse is one too many, and highlighting the contemptibility of such comments - as this week's article headlined "Kick It Into Touch" and this column intend to do - does not equate to blowing it out of proportion, but rather to humiliating the guilty party.

The Knights as a club have always had a strong anti-racism stance and, in my knowledge, this is the first time it has been tried in any minor way, while rugby league as a sport has a long, proud history of embracing people of all colours and creeds.

One foolish comment should not detract from all that. But nor should one foolish comment be allowed to pass without condemnation, even if it was "in the heat of the moment".

I don't think anyone has a problem with fans heckling, or a bit of banter, or the occasional player/fans interaction - after all, players are professionals and we are paying customers (and referees are referees!). Comedy chants or a few jeers are all part of the atmosphere and entertainment.

But most fans do have a problem with anything racist or unnecessarily abusive and, the odd choice word aside, it is usually obvious when some plank oversteps the mark.

If they do, they should not be allowed to embarrass themselves, the club or the fans again. Let's hope this is the end of it.

RIGHT, enough of that. Let's be happy.

The Knights enjoyed a wonderful July, with last week's nailbiting win at Dewsbury completing an unbeaten month and taking them three points clear at the top of National League Two.

It was in particular a wonderful month for York born and bred Lee Paterson, who has come out on top in the fans' poll for Player of the Month.

The loose-forward has put in consistently high quality performances this month, taking the man of the match accolade against Gateshead and coming close to the gong last week when he put in a non-stop, tackle-anything-that-moves display. Surely his first try of the season will come soon.

The excellent month was reflected in the high number of votes cast, with Matt Blaymire and Dan Potter just missing out on the award.

Blaymire remains second in the Evening Press/Collier Plant Hire Player of the Year standings, with everybody else needing to make a move quickly to catch up long-time leader Adam Sullivan.

Potter and Paterson may have begun late surges. The former was man of the match at Dewsbury, having shown real class in a big game scenario, to thus bag three Player of the Year points, while the latter collected two points for being deemed York's second-best player on the day, in addition to his three points for being Player of the Month, to jump up to third in the table.

Blaymire closed the gap at the top by a point after being deemed the third best Knight on the day.

Latest standings: Sullivan 20pts, Blaymire 14, Paterson 12, Levy 10, Smith 9, Fox 9, Sozi 9, Potter 8, Kirke 7, Elston 7, Bates 6, Rhodes 5, Jackson 5, Law 5, Buckenham 5, Ross 3, Ramsden 2, Liddell 2, P Thorman 2, Cain 2, Friend 2, McDo-well 2, Watson 2, Callaghan 1, Forsyth 1.

TRY ace Peter Fox equalled Chris Langley's Knights record for 21 tries in a season last week.

Fox's vital try, which levelled the scores at Dewsbury with 12 minutes to go, was his 21st of the season in his 21st appearance. Langley scored his 21 in 34 appearances.

Fox remains the top scorer in National League Two with 17 from just 12 matches, two tries ahead of Wayne English, the Swinton full-back, while the top scorer in NL1 is Castleford's Waine Pryce with 16.

English and team-mate Marlon Billy are level with Fox on 21 tries from all games this season. They are the top scorers of all NL2 players, behind Cas duo Pryce (24 tries) and Michael Shenton (23) in the National League's standings.

HERE'S an interesting statistic from last week's game, especially for anyone thinking about criticising the defence for conceding three first-half tries.

The Knights made a whopping 315 tackles during the 80 minutes, which is about 30 more than they have had to make in any game so far this season, while they made no fewer than 175 tackles in the first half alone. The usual average is about 220 to 250 tackles per game.

Let's hope all that effort hasn't taken too much out of them.

THE buoyant mood of the fans after last week's win even touched a horde of Leeds supporters, so my mole tells me.

Several Rhinos fans on their way back from their Cup semi-final in Huddersfield ended up on the same train as an in-voice Knights crowd, sparking an exchange of chants which ended with a rousing "What's it like to see a crowd?" from the York fans - a reprise from earlier at Dewsbury - to stun the Rhinos into silence.

But they soon rediscovered their voices when both choirs apparently joined up for a spot of mutual Hull-bashing.

Updated: 11:58 Saturday, August 06, 2005