Columnist

We like to celebrate landmark anniversaries and this week marks the opening 40 years ago of the first JD Wetherspoon pub.

So what was happening at Thrum Hall around this time?

Andrew Hardcastle’s records show that on Sunday December 9th 1979 Halifax were at home to Doncaster and won 27-7.

Three points for a try in those days remember.

The team was Jimmy Birts, Mick O’Byrne, Graham Garrod, Dave Cholmondeley, Keith Waites, Mick Blacker, Terry Langton, Peter Jarvis, Paul O’Hara, Alan Wood, Mick Scott, Dave Busfield and Kenny Loxton.

The substitutes were Sharp and Ashman.

Tries came from Birts (2), Scott (2) and Garrod. Birts kicked five goals to give him a personal tally of 16 points and Blacker added another to maintain the promotion push of Maurice Bamford’s team.

The referee was the redoubtable Robin Whitfield, elder brother of Colin and the attendance a commendable 2171 given the opposition and time of year.

Having said that this was a successful side which had only just failed to achieve promotion the previous season and which would go onto reach the challenge cup semi-final in the campaign in question.

The only player in a team of bargains to have cost a sizeable fee was Busfield who Bamford had persuaded the board to pay £5,000 for to Featherstone.

It was a side which revolved around the old fashioned notion of a “magic triangle” of two halfbacks and a crafty loose forward and when one them was injured Bamford produced a masterstroke in signing Johnny Blair on loan from Oldham.

His drop goal feats made him a folkhero.

It was also the team which was famous fed on baked beans and ice cream before every game to theoretically improve their energy levels!