LAST week this column asked fans to delve into their memory banks in readiness for York Rugby League Club’s first-ever Hall of Fame – and we’re going to do it again today.

This time it’s to help out our friends (or arch-rivals) from South Leeds, Hunslet, to commemorate a notable occasion in their history, and one which involves York.

Come April 21, it will be 40 years since Hunslet left their famous old Parkside ground (yep, for supporters of a certain vintage, it really is four decades ago), and their last match there happened to be against York.

Ken Sykes, formerly a long-standing Hunslet player and erstwhile of Heworth ARLC’s committee, actually played in that game, and he’s been in contact asking if readers can help him get in touch with the members of the York side that won 22-5 that day. Hunslet want to invite that team to the Hawks’ present-day home, the John Charles Stadium, for their game against York on April 28, when the departure from Parkside will be saluted.

Said Sykes: “They’re trying to commemorate that last match, and it’ll be almost 40 years to the day when York go to Hunslet this season.

“They’re trying to get the Hunslet team (of 1973) there and they’d also like some of the York players who played that day to attend.

“From my personal perspective it would be nice for myself and others who played in that game to get as many there as possible, for a bit of reminiscing.”

The York team comprised: Keith Gullen, Hill, Dave Rippon, Derek Quinn, Mick Major, Gary Smith, Tony Sullivan, Mal Dixon, Ian Payne, Colin Forsyth, Frank Dunham, Charlie Hillman, Danny Sheehan, Brian Meillam and Pete Cookland.

Anyone who can help and wanting further details can phone Hunslet chief executive Darren Williams on 0113 271 2730. Players from that 1973 team who are interested in going to the game can also email Peter Jarvis on peterjarvis8@sky.com

• THIS week’s decisions regarding the venues for this season’s finals days were both, it’s fair to say, curious.

It was announced on Wednesday that the Northern Rail Cup final, on July 20, will be held at Halifax’s The Shay, and 24 hours later it was revealed that Grand Finals Day, on September 29, will be staged at Leigh Sports Village, home of the Centurions and for the nomadic Swinton Lions.

Firstly, it’s worth saying the new format for the Northern Rail Cup is probably a good one. Straight knockout rounds make it more exciting and clubs in the Championship no longer have the group stage, which, for many, became a burdensome extension of pre-season. Championship One clubs still have group games, which are needed to make their season long enough, given there are only 16 league fixtures, and the creation of the Northern Rail Bowl (the two teams that qualify for the knockout rounds also compete in the Bowl at Halifax) gives them something realistic to play for.

However, back to the venues. Two points sprung to mind.

One, shouldn’t finals be played at grounds or cities/towns that don’t form part of the regular season?

Blackpool was the home of the Northern Rail Cup final for eight years and, while the Lancastrian resort is somewhat past its heyday, it still makes for a day out. Grand Finals, meanwhile, have been played at Super League grounds such as, for the last five years, Warrington. It makes the occasion a bit more special than a stadium teams already go to once or, with Leigh, twice a year.

Two, neutrality.

Halifax and Leigh are among the stronger clubs in the Championship and there’s a chance either will reach the final being played on their respective home patches. Which would give them something of an advantage, would it not. (Even if, for them, it makes the final even less of a special day out.)

• THE Rugby Football League comes in for its fair share of stick from supporters here and there, but critics may be interested to learn the organisation has been shortlisted for the 2013 Sport Governing Body of the Year Award – for the third year running.

Others shortlisted are British Cycling, British Olympic Association, UK Athletics, British Horseracing and England Hockey, with the winning organisation to be announced at the ceremony on May 2.

Said RFL chief executive Nigel Wood: “This news is a welcome boost at the start of the biggest year for rugby league in two decades, with World Cup 2013 in England and Wales this autumn.”

Good stuff. Now to sort out the dual-reg furore...

• THERE was apparently more than one reason the Knights chose to train today rather than last night.

The fact Hull were playing last night was one – like in previous weeks it meant the dual-reg lads could join in with York’s match preparation safe in the knowledge they’d be available to play in the actual match, without being recalled to the KC Stadium in the wake of the Friday night events.

But there was a special other reason too. Apparently, the players had asked for last night off so they could romance their partners, given they had to train on Valentine’s night on Thursday. Aw, how lovely.

With a hard game on the horizon, here’s hoping they all, ahem, got an early night.