YORK City fan Luke Dale has more than one quarter-final on his mind this weekend.

The 29-year-old Popular Stand regular will watch the Minstermen take on Brackley Town in the last eight of the FA Trophy today before his attention switches to his attempts at winning a semi-final spot of his own during his fourth appearance in BBC 2’s University Challenge on Monday night.

Representing the University of Edinburgh, Dale has caused a fair amount of confusion on the likes of Twitter over his choice of attire on the famous television quiz show with his Y-front, vintage tops from the Minstermen’s 1970s second division hey-day being mistaken for Star Trek costumes, jockey silks and even super-hero garb.

Unfortunately, he won’t be wearing club colours as Edinburgh bid for a semi-final place, but admits that he has enjoyed the attention his shirts have received.

“I’ve loved the reaction on social media,” he smiled. “It’s been my 15 minutes of fame and it’s been funny seeing people try to guess what the tops are.

“It’s always nice when somebody picks up that they’re York City shirts although, in Scotland when I wear them out, a lot of people think they’re Airdrie kits. I was on my own for the first three shows, so picked my own outfits, but my girlfriend came with me for this next one and made me dress more sensibly.”

A man who even likes his pets to be clothed in City apparel – his Facebook profile picture includes a scarf-wearing dog – Dale is clearly a Bootham Crescent fanatic and thinks nothing of making the 400-mile round trip from north of the border to witness a 3-1 Tuesday night defeat to Gateshead, as he did this week.

On his love for the club, Dale added: “I’m back and forward for most home games and try and buy advance train tickets. Luckily, my American girlfriend is hooked now after first attending matches in 2009/10, which was quite a good season because we got to Wembley.

“I went to my first game in 1995, so have been supporting the club for more than 20 years. My dad and brother are also fans and we watch games sat down near the away fans.”

Dale left Huntington Secondary School with two As, a B and a C after sitting A-levels in English Literature, Geography, Biology and Chemistry.

He went on to study Geology and Archaeology at Durham and York respectively, before completing his Late Antique, Islamic and Byzantine History course in Scotland at the end of last year.

In the past, he has worked as a lab technician at his old school and now runs his own part-time internet business.

Having failed the previous year to win a place on Edinburgh’s University Challenge team, he made the cut for the 2016/17 side after a paper quiz, taken in an examination environment, whittled more than 200 hopefuls down to a short-listed dozen.

Further tests saw a team of four, plus one reserve, settled upon from those candidates before another paper quiz, organised by the BBC, decided whether the chosen students were of the required quality for the show.

Edinburgh have since beaten Durham (190-155), the Open University (195-185) and Birmingham (220-195) and will take on Cambridge’s Wolfson College next, as they bid for a place in the last four.

Dale has played his part in that success, although freely accepts that Classics student Euan Smith, who sits to his left, is the star performer.

“We practiced a lot for the show at pub quizzes and, when people saw Euan, they tended to sigh but, while we won most, we didn’t win them all,” Dale pointed out. “There are some very good teams in Edinburgh.”

Going on to confess that some of the mathematical questions leave him wondering what on earth host Jeremy Paxman has just said – a familiar feeling for any regular viewer without a Mensa-sized IQ – Dale added that the former Newsnight anchorman is not as abrasive or condescending as he appears on the small screen.

“We met him in the Green Room and he’s quite nice in real life, but he’s obviously got a screen persona and it was quite intimidating when you’re sat behind your buzzer,” he declared.

Somebody looking forward to a new challenge, meanwhile, is departing City press officer Niall Cope.

After two years in the full-time position at Bootham Crescent, Cope is returning to the media department of his home-town club Stoke City.

He will be working at his last Minstermen game this afternoon, having started his job at a 3-0 defeat against Northampton in February 2015 after succeeding current supporter liaison officer Phil Howden, who had been carrying out the duties on a part-time basis.

Working with three managers - Russ Wilcox, Jackie McNamara and Gary Mills - Cope has overseen one of the toughest periods in City’s history following a second relegation from the Football League and this season’s struggles

Of the 100 matches he has presided over, 49 have ended in defeat, with 21 wins and 30 draws, while 112 goals have been scored and 167 conceded.

Henry Valantine will now take over the role, having assisted Cope over the last two seasons and worked specifically with the academy set-up.

I would like to wish them both the best of luck for the future.