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for fundr shelp to create tomorrow’s Fighting s group is asking for you
A local martial art rtial Arts have n 12 members of York Ma champions. No less tha oming World thc for ent England at the been selected to repres e the talent, but they hav y The tugal in October. Championships in Por there. need the funds to get rks out at about £1,000 rld Championships wo “To compete in the Wo Long of York Martial our means,” says Craig each, which is beyond raise the cash they w desperately trying to Arts. The group are no tch this space fundraising activities (wa need, through various local people and g pin ). But they’re also ho for forthcoming events d sponsorship. ward with donations an businesses will come for ail craig@kikbox.co.uk Craig on 783459 or em Q If you can help, call
Anyone for tennis? York Tennis Club has switched from carpet to artificial grass on five of its six courts – and members are thrilled with the new playing surface. Club chairman John Linfoot says: “You can play in all weathers, even snow if you brush it from the court. You can even play when it’s dark because the courts have floodlights.” So now is a good time to join the club which benefits from the excellent modern facilities at Clifton Park, Shipton Road. It caters for social players and those that want to compete in local leagues. It has 16 teams – men, ladies and mixed – playing in various leagues. The club is also keen to encourage youngsters to take up the game. It employs a fulltime junior coach as part of its development programme. Q For more details, call John on 470754.
SPORTS REPORT with DAN TAIT
Get the lowdown on all the happenings in the city and elsewhere from our resident sports fan
York City are suffering from Wembley blues after losing 3-1 to Oxford United in the Blue Square Premier play-off final at Wembley. The defeat means there will be no return to the football league for the Minstermen after a six-year absence. Now City fans must get behind the club next season and cheer the team to promotion. Meanwhile, they should praise manager Martin Foyle for the magnificent turnaround he has achieved, turning the club from near relegation fodder, into promotion candidates in his first full season in charge. Despite bookies predictions York came through the test of Luton Town, or Luton City, as Archbishop John Sentamu hilariously welcomed them over the Tannoy at half time in the first leg. Unfortunately for York’s amazing efforts overcoming Luton in the semi-finals, events were overshadowed by the appalling crowd trouble. Gracious in defeat Luton chairman broadcaster Nick Owen stated that Luton threw everything they had at York; whether he was including coins and bottle, as well as the shots at Michael Ingham’s goal only he knows. Aside from the obvious winning formula that has been evident at York City this season; the fans have had more songs for individual players than I can previously remember. From the generic ‘Super Michael Ingham’ and humorous ‘We all love Gash’ chants comes the more original composition about striker Michael Rankine to the tune of Lady Gaga’s ‘Paparazzi’. When looking for the most popular chants of the past decade, none come bigger than crowds supporting teams opposite Bobby Zamora when they sing to the tune of Dean Martin’s That’s Amore; “When your sat in row Z and the ball hits your head, that’s Zamora”. “Nani are you ok, are you ok Nani?” is Man United’s version of Smooth Criminal and stereotypes a plenty with West Ham’s “we’ve got Di Canio, you’ve got our stereos” to ardent Liverpool fan’s. For me the gems lie with the lower leagues and the genius creation of “your just a poor man’s evian” sung to Buxton FC’s supporters. A hat-trick of York win’s in May over Luton occurred when Heworth’s welterweight boxer Matt Doyle notched up a third straight win in as many fights when he beat Gavin Putney on points at Hull’s Gemtec Arena. Originally Doyle was lined up to face a rematch with his second conquest Monsoor Wali but a late change of plans saw him face an older, slightly more experienced customer in Putney but with the same end result. Another Yorkshire success story is in the cricket where Yorkshire have had their best start for years in the county championship, with solid wins against Somerset, Warwickshire and Essex where they won by a massive innings and 96 runs. Durham, and more prominently, the rain, have only halted Yorkshire’s early season form with a drawn game. Dunningtonbased Johnny Bairstow played a big part in the Essex triumph with three catches, two stumpings and a handy knock of 62. June provides some respite from the County Championship and more time devoted to the T20 form of cricket with Headingley home games against the ridiculously named cohort of Derbyshire Falcons, Durham Dynamos, Northamptonshire Steelbacks, Lancashire Lightning, Worcestershire Royals, Nottinghamshire Outlaws and Leicestershire Foxes.
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