THIS column today is going to put aside all the latest controversy and politics surrounding York City Knights after another tumultuous week off the field, and instead focus on a positive - the Hall of Fame dinner.

Indeed, organiser Gary Hall was quick to hail the honour of the occasion after five more greats were inaugurated into the official York RL roll of honour.

The sporting dinner, held this year at New Earswick Bowls Club and with former international referee Ronnie Campbell as guest speaker, was attended by die-hard fans and ex-players, with this year’s turn-out also including York City chairman Jason McGill, who was there to celebrate distant relative Tot Moore’s inclusion into the list of club legends.

Obviously this is a sensitive time, with McGill’s JM Packaging company having offered to buy the Knights in the wake of their off-field crisis, and with the Knights Independent Supporters Club (KISS) calling for owner John Guildford to sell up.

But Hall, chairman of KISS, wanted to focus only on the event itself.

“It was great to catch up with some of my heroes and it’s quite touching when you present an award to a player who’s not expecting it and see how honoured they are to receive it,” he said.

“We also held it at the bowls club rather than a hotel so that any profit was kept in sport. That venue is a great one for an occasion like this.”

The five inaugurated were: 

* Dave Dunkerley, who played 208 times between March 9, 1975 and May 13, 1984, scoring 12 tries

* Peter Foster, who played for York from April 19, 1555, to April 5, 1967, making 338 appearances and scoring 169 tries

* Mick Ramsden, who had two spells at the old York club either side of a stint at Wakefield, offered to play for free during the Wasps’ financial struggles and, after they folded, came out of retirement to play three more years for the current Knights club. He has remained on the backroom staff in the ten years since hanging up his boots in 2005. In total he played 217 times for his home-town club, scoring 38 tries, two goals and a drop-goal, between August 25, 1991 and March 17, 2002, and, for the Knights, from January 19, 2003 to September 9, 2005

* Danny Sheehan, who made 384 appearances between March 19, 1962 and 14 April, 1975, scoring 89 tries and one goal 

*Thomas ‘Tot’ Moore, who made his debut on October 12, 1901, against Wakefield at Clarence Street, and went on to play 287 times for the club until 1914, scoring 15 tries and 34 goals.

In between times, Moore had a spell in Austral ia, rturning in 1913 after an appeal was made in this newspaper to find someone willing to pay £5 to bring him home. Reportedly, the then York supporters’ club helped to pay the money. It was also reported in the Australian Press at the time that Moore was “the smartest full-back in all Australia”.

Hall said: “Dave and Danny were absolutely delighted, and Tot Moore’s family were so honoured.

“His son, Alexander, was unfortunately not well enough to attend but his granddaughters, Catherine and Carol, were there.

“It’s such a shame but we were unable to contact Peter Foster, while Mick Ramsden was already away for the weekend, but we’re hoping we’ll be able to honour these two players with a pitch-side presentation in the future.”

Club historian and statistician Stuart Evans lauded the quintet who were inaugurated.

Evans said: “Dave Dunkerley was such a hard-working player, an unsung hero for nearly a decade.

“I only saw Peter Foster in the later years of his career when I was a youngster. At that age you don’t look at things as much as long as your team is winning but he was undeniably a great player.

“He’s the record try-scorer for the club - what more can you say?

“I don’t know about Tot Moore except what I’ve read in the papers, but there’s a great story behind him and he must have been some player.”

Evans, a former league referee, continued: “I obviously know Mick Ramsden. He was a good, honest young amateur at New Earswick All Blacks and came to York.

“I remember when he went to Wakefield Trinity - I was a match official in games he played. He came back to his home-town club and, through ups and downs, is still dedicated to the cause many years later.

“He’s given outstanding service to the club. I know Danny Sheehan too. To play that amount of games and then go to Batley and have another good stint there, it takes some doing.

“He’s another good, honest local lad who did so well for the team, even if it wasn’t a successful period for the club. He used to put it in in every game.”

The quintet join 12 players previously inaugurated - Willie Hargraves, Geoff Hunter, Charlie Taylor, Geoff Pryce, Kevin Harkin, Gary Smith, Rich Hayes, Vic Yorke, Norman Fender, Baz Watts, Edgar Dawson and Graham Steadman.

Evans added: “They’re from different eras with different styles of play, but anyone who’s included in the Hall of Fame is a worthy recipient of a great honour.”

KISS, meanwhile, are hopeful the York RL Hall of Fame will be a focal point in the planned new community stadium, and have spoken to City of York Council about incorporating a York Sport Hall of Fame - for local legends of all sports - and a Walk of Fame on the site as well.