HE might not necessarily be the players’ best friend, but York City Knights’ new backroom staff member should have a positive effect on their performances.

That’s the view of head coach Dave Woods on Alan Dickinson, who has come on board to help out with fitness and conditioning not only for the business end of this season but possibly also for next year too.

‘Dicko’, formerly worked with Woods at Castleford and Gateshead, both teams going on to win promotion from their respective divisions. He comes with a reputation as a tough task master, but Woods reckons that is no bad thing.

“He can be an angry little ant, but that’s what you want from your conditioner,” said Woods.

“The blokes hate him but they respect him and hopefully we can bring him on board.”

Dickinson, 40, is not being paid at present. Explained Woods: “He’s been down giving me a bit of a hand.

“One thing we’re looking at is our conditioning, our weights and the players’ physical shapes. We’re looking at bringing him in next year if it works out on the budget. He’s just coming down and doing a bit of work with us.

“I had him at Cas and Gateshead. He knows his stuff, he knows how to get blokes’ body shapes right. He’s very good at what he does. He knows about fitness programmes and getting blokes in shape. You can see their body shapes change. They’re quick, strong and big.”

He added: “It’s really important to have someone that can do what he does. He can do programmes according to each blokes’ needs and it can get them to peak at the right times to get more quality out of them. He knows when to lay off and when to work hard.

“That extra strength can make a big difference. Some blokes are strong naturally but if they did some gym work they would be even stronger, fitter and better and we would get more quality out of them. It makes a difference when you’re carrying the ball or defending.”

Dickinson, a former Castleford and Doncaster player, has been seen leading warm-up and warm-down sessions on match-days as well as providing another eye and opinion on the touchline.

It seems his methods have quickly ruffled some feathers but Woods said a meeting with the players this week ironed out some reservations.

“I told them what he was like and what he could do for us,” he explained.

“They were able to raise some points about what they did and did not like. It was all good. They were really positive about it.”

Dickinson has also taken some of the workload off Mick Ramsden, who replaced Brett Wilkie last winter as the guy in charge of fitness training but who is also reserves boss, a scholarship coach and a first team assistant.

Woods said: “It will help Mick out. I’m speaking to Rammo about things and what he wants to do.

“He’s been doing bits of everything and he feels he’s not getting the quality out of one or another because he’s been doing so much.

“He’s planning to get on the coaching side. He enjoys working with the younger blokes – the reserves and the scholarship kids – and he would still be helping me with the first-grade coaching.”


THE Knights Supporters’ Club coach to tomorrow’s match away to Swinton leaves The Ainsty at noon, Clarence Street at 12.15 and Huntington Stadium at 12.30pm.

The price is £14 for adults, or £6 for under-16s and travel club members. To book seats, phone 07958 569266.


Parkinson gives solid display on first York run-out

BEN PARKINSON enjoyed a decent first run-out for York City Knights in the reserves’ 48-18 loss at Keighley Cougars.

The prop, a recent signing from Leeds Rhinos who has been inactive for a month due to a shoulder injury, needed to go off to have stitches in a head cut, but returned to the fray.

His solid display was capped by a try, and also on the scoresheet was Paul Stamp, the first-team hooker who was returning to action after being out since May with a knee problem. However, head coach Dave Woods deemed both needed more training sessions under their belts before being called up to the first team.

The Knights’ other try-scorer was teenager Ed Smith, with goals added by Jonathan Schofield (2) and Dan Mole.

First-team second-row Chris Clough was also in the side, following his indifferent display for the first-team in the win over Workington last weekend, but the Knights were again predominantly a young side, and they were given a masterclass by veteran Keighley schemer and first-team coach Barry Eaton, who booted five goals, and the Cougars’ first-team hooker, James Haythornthwaite, who was returning from injury and crossed for two tries.


The force is with Luke as he rises into award contention

FOR those who didn’t realise, it’s been Player of the Month time again and, just so potential voters don’t miss out, we’ll extend the deadline for votes until this coming Wednesday.

Tomorrow is the start of August so the game at Swinton Lions does not count towards the July award. The matches that count are the home win over Doncaster, the loss at Hunslet and last week’s defeat of Workington. The Northern Rail 9s in Blackpool can also be taken into consideration.

The award is decided purely on Press readers’ votes. To have your say, email peter.martini@thepress.co.uk before noon on Wednesday. The award will be presented pitch-side at the next available Knights home game. All voters can also request to present the award.

The winner of the award will also gain three bonus points towards his Press/Northern Rail Player of the Year tally.

The big beneficiary in that competition this week was Luke Hardbottle, who took the three points from being our man of the match last Sunday.

The former Leeds junior, known for his textbook tackling, has slowly but surely become more influential in the team and in turn has gradually moved up the standings and now has an outside chance of getting among the prize winners. Northern Rail have put £500 into the prize pot for the top three players.

In-form Jack Stearman was the sponsors’ man of the match last week but just missed out on our award. He was deemed our second-best player on the day (2pts), while fellow prop Nathan Freer also got on the board (1pt) after his big and consistent stint in the front row.

Northern Rail/Press Player of the Year standings: Lee 20pts, Waterman 19, Ross 16, Waller 11, Hardbottle 10, McLocklan 10, Freer 9, Ratcliffe, 8, Thorman 7, Tuffour 7, Benson 6, Stearman 6, Blakeway 5, Lineham 4, Applegarth 4, Stamp 3, Fallon 3, Bromilow 2, Wilson 2, Reittie 2, Hill 2, Lewis 2, Clough 1.