YORK City vice-presidents’ chairman Richard Adams has claimed a ‘No’ vote at Thursday’s Supporters Trust special general meeting will plunge the club into “even more turmoil” than in 2003.

Back then, the Minstermen were recused at the 11th hour from closure after former chairman John Batchelor had taken the club into administration.

A January home match with Swansea had been billed potentially as the last-ever at Bootham Crescent, before £92,000 was raised by the Trust and £50,000 donated by current owner Jason McGill to secure a stay of execution.

A month later, the Trust raised £50,000 in 72 hours, including £20,000 from bucket collections at a home fixture against Bury, to meet another financial ultimatum before taking over ownership of the club in March until McGill assumed the reins in 2006.

Adams – a City supporter since 1950 who has been a vice-president for the last 38 years and the group’s chairman for the last 14 – is now arguing that the situation could become just as serious if Trust members vote against the Golden Share Proposal to hand over the fans’ body’s 25 per cent stake in the club to 75 per cent majority shareholder McGill at Millthorpe School this week.

In a statement, published on the club’s official website, Adams said: “From conversations I’ve had over the last few weeks, I honestly believe we are overseeing the demise of York City – I hope I’m wrong. A ‘No’ vote will see the club cut to the bare minimum - we are looking at redundancies and players’ contracts being cancelled or paid-up.

“The football club is a big part of the community – the Foundation is doing a remarkable job offering and delivering free and meaningful programmes to various people and organisations. The academy and youth teams are well established and producing players that will progress in the game, but each requires money to continue and everything could change in the next few weeks.

“Who is going to take the helm at this point in the season? Look at the clubs that have moved up the football pyramid recently - Forest Green Rovers and AFC Fylde are fully owned and financed by their chairmen for example.

“Jason McGill has stated that he is still prepared to finance the club up to our move to the Community Stadium and beyond. I am sure that at some point he will consider selling his stake in the club, but I can guarantee that he will ensure it is sold to the right person or consortium that will look after the club for many years and future generations.

“Before registering your vote on the night think hard – a ‘No’ vote will see even more turmoil than in 2003. Can I see the present Supporters Trust Board stepping up and running our Football Club? – No.

“We need stability for the next few years until we find our feet in the new stadium. We can achieve that with our fans’ support and the continual commitment from Jason McGill and JM Packaging.”

Adams went on to eulogise over McGill’s work at the club – first as a board member and, for the last 12 years, as its owner.

“I have always found him to be an honest and reliable person, but the one thing that stands out is his passion and dedication to achieving what is best for the football club,” Adams declared. “He is a true supporter of our football club and has worked tirelessly over the years to make sure the club survives and makes the move to the new Community Stadium.

“The chairman stepped in when the Trust started to flounder with the running of the club, taking a 75 per cent stake. In conjunction with his successful company JM Packaging, he was prepared to cover the losses of the club until we moved to the new community stadium.

“Through the failures of the City of York Council and objections to the scheme, the proposed move has been delayed until 2019, but JM Packaging has honoured its part of the deal to finance the club and offered further support. I am sure he would have wished to use his own money for the benefit of his family rather than risk it on the football club and, as supporters, we should be standing up and thanking him for his continual commitment to ensuring that York City has a future.”

Adams added that the vice-presidents have raised more than £275,000 over the past decade from an average membership of 35 and criticised the relative efforts of the Trust in that area and others, saying: “The Trust, along with fellow supporters, helped save the club in 2002-03, but the Trust has since failed in so many ways.

“My wife and I are both life members and, like the majority of members, handed over our money only to be ignored for the next ten years. There has been a failure to communicate, publish any accounts or finance the club in any way.”