IN 1988, Ryedale District Council decided to build a stadium at Huntington to serve as the home of York RLFC.

Thirteen months later, it opened on schedule and on budget. Compare this with the Community Stadium, which is years late and seems to have an ever-expanding budget.

The reason for this contrast is simple. Ryedale councillors (of whom I was one) concentrated on the key aim of building one thing - a stadium.

We set a budget and told our contractors it couldn’t be exceeded. It wasn’t the biggest stadium ever built, but it was what the rugby club wanted and it was ready when they wanted it.

In contrast, York’s scheme has strayed far from the idea of building just a stadium, the last Labour council adding swimming pools, a cinema and shops, the cost rising far above the funds provided by the Vangarde development’s planning gain.

This introduced inevitable complications and delays, which always result in cost increases and funding problems.

The result of this has been that York City Knights have been without a home for two years, reliant on the goodwill of other clubs.

Finally, they have paid the price; I just hope that some way will be found to resurrect them.

I do not envy the current council who now have to sort it out.

If they had simply concentrated on the key purpose, the stadium would probably be there now and the Knights would be secure.

Tony Fisher, West End, Strensall, York