FOOTBALL Supporters Federation chairman Malcolm Clarke has expressed his despair at the English football authorities' continued failure to introduce a rule preventing other clubs from suffering the same fate as York City.

Clarke believes football clubs are still vulnerable to the type of transaction that saw Bootham Crescent Holdings take over the ownership of Bootham Crescent under the chairmanship of then City club chairman Douglas Craig.

Speaking at the City Supporters' Trust annual meeting, Clarke said: "The three football authorites in this country (the FA, The Football League and the Premiership) were all advised by David Mellor's task force that there should be a rule against the transfer of ownership of football grounds to one person three years ago but we are still waiting for a rule now and the vultures are now circling around clubs like Port Vale.

"I think the problem in this country is that football is an extremely badly-run industry at club and authority level.

"I recently spoke to the new FA chief Mark Palios and asked when we are going to charge chairmen, owners and directors of football clubs with disrepute, as well as players and managers.

"I used the example of George Reynolds at Darlington knocking on fans' doors who had upset him at 3am with his heavies. He said he would investigate it.

"I know he had already had two letters and a video of the television documentary with Reynolds admitting his early morning visits to fans. The FA investigated it and said they would not be taking any action because it was a matter for the police and not the FA.

"I think that only in football could the regulatory body say they would not be involved in a matter of that case. Surely if it's a matter for the police, it's a matter for them.

"And if that is their policy why was Alan Smith pulled out of the England squad by the FA when he was being investigated by the police?"

Clarke also heralded City's Trust's achievement in being named the 2003 Supporters Direct and Co-operative National Trust of the Season award winners.

He said: "I think you are one of the most courageous and resourceful supporters' organisations that has ever existed in British football and you should be proud of that.

"There is more talent and skill in the supporters' base of football clubs than in any football club boardroom and so it has proven here."

Updated: 10:42 Friday, December 19, 2003