ANORAKS aside, there can be few York City fans that would be able to guess the identity of the only team the Minstermen are unbeaten against during 75 years of Football League fixtures.

City never played nine of the sides currently making up the Premiership and the three Coca Cola League divisions in a league fixture but, from the remaining 83 clubs, only moneybags Chelsea have failed to beat the Bootham Crescent outfit.

Wilf McGuinness’ 1975/76 team fought out a 0-0 draw against the darlings of the Kings Road at Stamford Bridge before goals from Jimmy Seal and Micky Cave secured a 2-2 scoreline in York on the final day of the season.

Sadly, it was not sufficient to save City from relegation from the old Division Two and the Minstermen have not faced Chelsea in a League fixture since and the clubs’ current contrasting fortunes over the past 30 years suggest that City’s proud record looks certain to stay intact for several more decades.

Apart from Chelsea, the Minstermen have claimed the scalps of 11 teams currently in the Premiership with five victories racked up against both Fulham and Portsmouth.

City have also been deprived the chance of beating Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool, Newcastle and Tottenham, as well as League Championship sides Ipswich, Leeds, Leicester and West Ham, because they have never met any of those clubs in a league fixture.

As the Minstermen wave goodbye to the Football League, they will feel sadness at no longer facing Hartlepool but will be glad to see the back of “bogey” team Wimbledon although their reinvention as Milton Keynes Dons will hopefully lead to a change in luck during any future fixtures between the two clubs.

City have racked up 120 points against Hartlepool, which is more than against any other League club, while they have failed to beat Wimbledon in eight attempts.

Chris Brass’s men will also miss happy hunting ground Spotland, where York have accumulated their most League points (52) on their travels over the last 75 years.

Darlington, meanwhile, were City’s favourite visitors to Bootham Crescent.

The Minstermen only lost six out of 49 games at home to their North-East rivals and accumulated 82 points.

City Football League Facts and Figures

:: City racked up more points (120) against Hartlepool than any other club during their 75-year Football League stint but failed to take a point against three clubs they faced (Manchester United, Sheffield United and Yeovil)

:: Arsenal, Everton, Ipswich Town, Leeds United, Leicester City, Liverpool, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United are the nine clubs City have never faced in a League fixture.

:: Eleven teams have unbeaten League records against City with Wimbledon the club’s official bogey team after eight meetings brought one draw and seven defeats. The other clubs are Maidstone United (six matches), Aston Villa (4), Coventry City (4), Rushden & Diamonds (4), West Brom (4), Chelsea (2), Sheffield United (2), Manchester United (2), Stoke City (2), Yeovil Town (2).

:: Chelsea are the only club City have an unbeaten League record against after two draws in the 1975/76 season.

:: City have enjoyed 24 League victories over 11 clubs currently in the Premiership. They are Fulham (five wins), Portsmouth (5), Bolton (4), Blackburn (3), Norwich (2), Birmingham (1), Charlton (1), Crystal Palace (1), Manchester City (1), Middlesbrough (1), Southampton (1).

:: City accumulated most points (82) in home League games against Darlington with a record of played 49, won 31, drawn 12, lost 6, goals for 113, goals against 47.

:: On their travels, City picked up most points (52) at Rochdale, where their 75-year record was played 50, won 20, drawn 7, lost 23, goals for 72, goals against 77.

:: City completed 68 seasons in the Football League after their 1929 election missing several seasons because of World War Two. Two were spent in the Old Division Two, 16 in the Second Division or Old Third Division and 50 in the bottom tier.

:: The club’s overall Football League record was played 3052, won 1,062, drawn 774, lost 1,216, goals for 4,310, goals against 4,541, points 3,261.

:: The home record was played 1,526, won 734, drawn 396, lost 396, goals for 2591, goals against 1714, points 2101.

:: The away record was played 1,526, won 328, drawn 378, lost 820, goals for 1719, goals against 2828, points 1160.

:: The League record at Bootham Crescent was played 1,464, won 694, drawn 383, lost 387, goals for 2,440, goals against 1,639, points 2,008.


City’s league record FOR the last ten seasons

1994/95 played 46, won 21, drawn 9, lost 16, goals for 67, goals against 51, points 72, Division 2, position 9th, top scorer Paul Barnes 16, average attendance 3,685.

1995/96 played 46, won 13, drawn 13, lost 20, goals for 58, goals against 73, points 52, Division 2, position 20th, top scorer Paul Barnes 15, average attendance 3,538.

1996/97 played 46, won 13, drawn 13, lost 20, goals for 47, goals against 68, points 52, Division 2, position 20th, top scorer Neil Tolson 12, average attendance 3,359.

1997/98 played 46, won 14, drawn 17, lost 15, goals for 52, goals against 58, points 59, Division 2, position 16th, top scorer Rodney Rowe 11, average attendance 3,847.

1998/99 played 46, won 13, drawn 11, lost 22, goals for 56, goals against 80, points 50, Division 2, position 21st, top scorer Richard Cresswell 16, average attendance 3,645.

1999/00 played 46, won 12, drawn 16, lost 18, goals for 39, goals against 53, points 52, Division 3, position 20th, top scorer Barry Conlon 11, average attendance 3,048.

2000/2001 played 46, won 13, drawn 13, lost 20, goals for 42, goals against 63, points 52, Division 3, position 17th, top scorer David McNiven 8, average attendance 3,026.

2001/02 played 46, won 16, drawn 9, lost 21, goals for 54, goals against 67, points 57, Division 3, position 14th, top scorer Michael Proctor 14, average attendance 3,144.

2002/03 played 46, won 17, drawn 15, lost 14, goals for 52, goals against 53, points 66, Division 3, position 10th, top scorer Peter Duffield 13, average attendance 4,176.

2003/2004 played 46, won 10, drawn 14, lost 22, goals for 35, goals against 66, points 44, Division 3, position 24th, top scorer Lee Nogan 8, average attendance 3,963.

Statistics supplied by York City historian David Batters.