LEE Bullock is hoping to thank York City's fans for their support with a winning performance tonight before he joins Cardiff City on loan.

The 22-year-old midfielder wants to sign off with maximum points against Scunthorpe as a parting present to the Bootham Crescent faithful.

Cardiff will take Bullock until the end of the season after tonight's match but have already agreed a transfer fee in the region of £75,000 with City and another £75,000 due in installments based on the fulfillment of certain clauses.

But Bullock, who has been monitored by the Bluebirds for the last two months and even trained in Wales for three days, will not think about his move to Ninian Park until after his farewell apperance for the Minstermen tonight.

He said: "The interest has unsettled me a bit and I think my performances have shown that. I'm glad it's all over now and I can concentrate on winning tonight's game to say a perfect goodbye to the fans, if it is to be goodbye.

"The best way to sign off would be with a goal and a win but, as long as we get three points, that would mean a lot to me to say thanks to the fans because they have been brilliant to me. They deserve all the success in the world and we need a win in the position we are in.

"I'm still a York City player until the final whistle goes and only then will I start thinking about Caridiff."

Bullock admits that his excitement at joining First Division Cardiff is tinged by sadness at the prospect of leaving his first league club.

The Minstermen's longest-serving player said: "It's exciting and a massive chance for me but, at the same time it's hard to leave York. Every person at the club has helped me from the people who put me up in digs through to Paul Stancliffe, Brian Neaves, Adie Shaw and Terry Dolan and now Chris Brass, Lee Nogan and the board this season.

"The manager has been great to allow me to go. It's something that has been done to further my career.

"Unfortunately players move on but it's in my best interests and the club's.

"I've got ten weeks now to prove my worth and make some money for the club."

Player-boss Brass has already stressed that the door will still be open for Bullock to return to York if Cardiff manager Lennie Lawrence does not follow up his interest with a permanent deal.

The City chief is not expecting that to happen but Bullock has told the Evening Press that he would happily return to Bootham Crescent if the Welsh club back out of a transfer.

He said: "Of course I would come back. I'm not jumping ship. I'm just trying to achieve something in my career.

"It's a brilliant club and if things don't work out I would be more than happy to stay."

Bullock is also backing City to halt the slide that has seen the side take just two points from a possible 27 and drop to 16th place in the Division Three table.

He said: "We had some hard games like Hull, Mansfield and Huddersfield and narrowly lost. We could have picked up a point or three from all those games and then our confidence would have been high but we just lost out to late goals and it's gone on from there.

"The confidence has gone and some of the younger players have never experienced that. The team needs to pull together and make sure we are still in the league but I'm sure that won't be a problem."

Bullock's move to Cardiff has involved a loan fee which, along with the money saved by Justin Walker's return to Cambridge, could fund a mover for a new striker.

Updated: 11:08 Tuesday, March 09, 2004