Champion fan
11:11am Saturday 19th April 2008
ITV commentator John Champion has made a £1,000 donation towards the appeal to save York City's youth team.
Harrogate-born Champion, who was also seconded to Setanta Sports last year, was reluctant for his gesture to be made public.
As the club's highest-profile supporter, however, he has agreed to explain the reasons behind his offer in the hope that it could help meet the £10,000 shortfall for funding next season's junior side.
The former Radio York reporter - a regular on the Champions League and Premier League circuit these days - added that the likes of Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson will, no doubt, take a keen interest in the plight of City's youth set-up.
A total of £3,500 has now been raised towards the five-figure target after first-team coach driver Colin Swann launched the appeal with a £500 contribution last week.
One of the Minstermen's vice-presidents has since matched that amount, as have two more anonymous donors with the second doing so by dropping a bundle of £20 notes through the club's letter box along with an attached note, prompting club secretary Nick Bassett to respond: "It was a terrific surprise when I opened the post and I want to pass on our appreciation of this gesture."
Stewards, turnstile operators and other members of the club's staff also handed over their earnings from last Saturday's home match with Woking while Janet Thornton did the same with her York Minstermen monthly draw winnings.
Such charitable offerings persuaded Champion to follow suit as he explained to the Diary, saying: "The club was the launching pad for my career for which I will always be grateful. I'm a York lad and their result is still the first I look out for.
"Everywhere I go, everybody talks about York City with a great affection. I was speaking to Alex Ferguson a few weeks ago and he has a great regard for the club's youth system having signed Jonathan Greening in 1998.
"Mark Lawrenson is always interested in the club as well. He knows people in York and was a good friend of the old groundsman Brian Foster.
"York is still regarded as a proper football club even though we have gone through the mill over the last few years but if there is to be a future then the youth team has to be at the centre of that.
"I remember watching the likes of Gary Ford and John Byrne behind the goal as a schoolboy. They both came through the youth scheme and managers like Denis Smith, John Bird and John Ward have all benefited from it. It would be a shame if Colin Walker is denied that opportunity.
"The benefit of a strong youth programme is two-fold as well with the obvious financial rewards of selling players on."
Anybody wishing to make a donation to the appeal, should call Nick Bassett on 0870 7771922.
- Stewards and turnstile operators are needed at KitKat Crescent next season.
A number of positions are available, which will involve working between two and five hours on match days from July.
For more information, email nick.bassett@ycfc.net or call 0870 7771922.
McGurk bags prize of March
DREADNOUGHT defender David McGurk received his March player of the month award from City fan Reece Binks.
McGurk presently lies second in the rankings behind Martyn Woolford.
Latest Press Player of the Year standings: Woolford 44 points, McGurk 39, Elliott 26, Purkiss 22, Sodje 21, Panther 19, Parslow 19, Robinson 18, Brodie 16, Craddock 15, Kelly 14, Wroe 14, Farrell 12, Evans 10, Brayson 9, McBreen 7, Lloyd 6, Hegarty 4, McWilliams 4, Beadle 2, Rusk 2, Jones 1.
Press Player of the Month for April latest standings: Woolford 11, Elliott 6, McWilliams 6, Craddock 5, Brodie 3, Sodje 3, Beadle 2, Evans 2, Wroe 2.
Goals: Sodje 17, Woolford 16, Farrell 14, Brodie 11, Wroe 10, Brayson 5, Elliott 3, Kelly 2, McBreen 2, own goal 2, Parslow 2, Robinson 2, Fortune-West 1, Lloyd 1, McGurk 1, Panther 1.
Assists: Woolford 18, Brodie 11, Sodje 11, Wroe 9, Panther 8, Brayson 6, Elliott 5, Farrell 5, Purkiss 5, McBreen 3, Robinson 2, Beardsley 1, Craddock 2, Fortune-West 1, Fry 1, Greenwood 1, Rusk 1.
Bad boys: Elliott 2 red, 9 yellow; McGurk 8 yellow; Brodie 1 red, 5 yellow, Craddock 1 red, 5 yellow; Panther 4 yellow; Robinson 1 red, 2 yellow; Kelly 3 yellow, Rusk 3 yellow; Brayson 2 yellow, Parslow 2 yellow, Wroe 2 yellow; Evans 1 red; Beardsley 1 yellow, Fortune-West 1 yellow, Greenwood 1 yellow, Lloyd 1 yellow, Sodje 1 yellow, Woolford 1 yellow.
Par for fund
Golf-loving City fans can contribute to the club's youth scholarship scheme this summer.
The club are holding a Golf Day at Pike Hills on Wednesday, August 6 with tee times from 1pm.
Teams of four are invited at a cost of £180 with an evening presentation dinner included.
Past and present Minstermen players can also be requested to play in teams and anybody interested should call Elliot Stroud on 0870 7771922.
City fans can also raise money for the club while they are surfing the Internet.
Supporters' group York Minstermen have signed up with EasySearch and every time City fans use http://yorkminstermen.easysearch.org.uk/ as their search engine the club will receive just under 1p.