Sponsorship hoodoo

The independent York hostelry, on Tanners Moat, just down from the railway station, has got involved in player sponsorship at York City Knights for the past three years but, on each occasion, the deal has ended in long-term injury.

The first player the Maltings sponsored was Rob Kama in 2004. The Fijian winger suffered badly damaged ribs in the second game of the season and thereafter struggled to get back in the side, making only six more appearances that season.

The Maltings then switched to local favourite Mark Cain in 2005, only for the utility ace to suffer a horror shoulder injury after just seven appearances and miss the last five months of the season, undergoing surgery in May.

In fact, the jinx on the 29-year-old continued into this year. After battling back to fitness, he then suffered bad medial knee ligament damage on the opening day of the season and is out for some time.

Without looking at the photograph, just have a guess who the Maltings sponsored this season. That's right, Dan Potter.

The Maltings hoodoo struck even before the campaign started when, on the eve on the opener against Hull KR, the new Knights team skipper injured a hamstring and had to sit out the first three games of the season.

Then when he finally got to wear the armband, he shattered the bones in his right thumb just minutes into his first appearance of the year.

Said the crocked captain: "If I'd known about this, I would have had second thoughts about accepting the sponsorship. Maybe we should give it to another team!"

Les Collinge, the stand-in landlord of the Maltings while his dad, Shaun, is on holiday, joked: "We couldn't believe it. After what happened to Rob Kama and then Cainy, we got a bit worried we might be cursed and then this happens to Dan.

"The Knights will probably think again if we continue to sponsor players."

SEVERAL Knights stars were helping to raise funds for Macmillans Cancer Relief today.

Craig Farrell, Jon Liddell, David Buckley, Paul Thorman, Nathan Priestley and captains Dan Potter and Lee Paterson were out in town rattling tins to collect cash for the charity, the York branch of which Knights chairman Roger Dixon is a former chairman.

DON'T forget to send in your vote for the Knights' Player of the Month for March, as sponsored by the Evening Press.

Whoever tops the poll of Press readers will follow February winner Jimmy Elston in taking the award.

Everyone who votes will go into a hat to win two tickets to a Knights match, plus the chance to present the player with his award on the Hunting-ton Stadium pitch-side.

Simply send in your choice of Player of the Month by email to peter.martini@ycp.co.uk or on a postcard marked Knights Player of the Month (March) to Sports-desk, Evening Press, 76-86 Walmgate, York, YO1 9YN.

The deadline for votes is noon on Thursday.

The Player of the Year standings will be updated next week.

Foundation stone

THE formation of the York City Knights Foundation will have excellent knock-on effects for the rugby league club.

As revealed in the Press yesterday, the Knights have formed a charitable trust which means they can continue taking tag rugby into schools around North Yorkshire and building their development programme.

All donations to the foundation, such as the whopping £30,000 given by Shepherd Building Group, are ring-fenced - ie they cannot be siphoned off to go into club coffers - but the benefits of the scheme go further than giving the club a good name in the community.

Explained chief executive John Guildford: "The idea is to get kids involved in playing rugby and hopefully enjoying it so they come to watch us and bring their parents and just get into rugby league.

"And, obviously, the more children who play the game, the more youngsters will come through the systems. There are about 14,000 kids playing under our current programme and if, down the track, we get a handful coming through into our first team, then we will be delighted."

Guildford admitted setting it up to aid the club as well as the community. He said: "As a business, should we be taking money out of the Knights to pay for development or should we be spending this money on players? This is all part of the bigger picture and I'm happy it helps both. It helps the club but it's a massive help to the community."

Guildford consulted with leading clubs who have similar set-ups, such as Super League giants Bradford Bulls and top rugby union outfit Newcastle Falcons, about how best to form the foundation.

He added: "If the scheme pays for itself, there's no problem. All it does is make rugby league bigger in York and in a way it helps to safeguard the future of the club."

The foundation will raise its own funds, largely from avenues not open to the Knights, and effectively pay the club to run the scheme. This in turn means the Knights can continue to employ development officer Jason Ramshaw, who is also assistant-coach to Mick Cook, and they will have more scope to get the likes of Cook and contracted star players into schools to help teach the kids.

"Mick Cook, for example, does a lot of work for nothing at the moment," said Guildford.

The aim is to get between £80,000 and £100,000 per year to help the foundation meet its community goals - the more money it raises, the more work the Knights can do - and Shepherd was "delighted" to be the first business to provide a huge financial boost.

Patrick Shepherd, deputy group chairman, said: "The Group's head office is a near neighbour of the Knights at Huntington, and we are full of admiration for what we have seen them achieve on and of the pitch in the last few years."

Win Knights Cup tickets

THE Knights will be vying to match the efforts of last season when they visit Swinton in the fourth round of the 2006 Powergen Challenge Cup a week tomorrow.

The Knights reached the fifth round last year, with that memorable night in St Helens, and you have the chance to see for free if they can get that far again, or even equal the memorable run to the quarter-finals in 2004.

The Evening Press has teamed up with Powergen to offer readers the chance to win a pair of tickets to the game at Swinton a week tomorrow.

All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is answer the following simple question:

Which team won the 2004/5 Powergen Challenge Cup?

Send your answers on a postcard to Evening Press Sportsdesk, 76-86 Walmgate, York, YO1 9YN, or on email to peter.martini@ycp.co.uk

Mark them "Knights Cup competition" and include your full name, address and daytime contact number. The deadline for answers is noon on Wednesday. Two pairs of tickets are up for grabs

E.ON UK, the company that runs Powergen, is one of the largest energy suppliers in the UK, and also offers a range of additional home energy services including boiler and central heating installation, maintenance and insurance.

For tickets to the Powergen Challenge Cup final, call the RFL Ticket Office on 0870 990 1313 or log on to www.engagesuperleague.co.uk

Terms and Conditions: There is no cash alternative and the prize is not negotiable. E.ON is not responsible for late changes in the date and kick-off time or postponement of the match. Always check details before travelling. All prizes are non-refundable and non-transferable. The prize is only available to adults or a child accompanied by an adult. All travel expenses to be paid for by the winner. The judge's decision is final and is not open to negotiation. E.ON employees and their families are not eligible. The winners, by accepting the prize, agree to publicity if required. No purchase necessary. Other usual Evening Press rules apply.

Updated: 08:55 Saturday, March 25, 2006