York City have no legal basis on which to reclaim Bootham Crescent from current landlord Douglas Craig.
The club's board of directors have investigated the transaction that gave Craig ownership of the land in 1999 during his time as chairman of the football club and have also studied the original contract when York City bought Bootham Crescent from the Barkers Charity in the 1948.
But neither deal included a clause that would ensure the continuation of a football club playing out of the stadium.
Club director Michael Brown, speaking at last night's Supporters Trust annual general meeting, said: "There was no covenant in place to protect us from the original sale in the 1940s. I know because I spent three weeks looking at the old contract.
"I tracked the Barkers Charity down and they still exist. They are a small £1,000-a-year charity.
"There were conditions about redevelopment but lawyers looked at it and it was to do with war reparations. The conclusion was that it was an entirely exhausted avenue.
"We are all working on Plan A though to keep the club at Bootham Crescent and, if we are successful, I have the menu from the original dinner at the Royal York Hotel to celebrate owning the ground and I hope to be eating the same food at the same hotel with all of you in 2004."
About Craig's ownership of Bootham Crescent, club chairman Steve Beck added: "The legal issues of all the transactions that took place with Douglas Craig have been looked at and we have been advised that it would prove almost impossible to overturn them."
Updated: 11:29 Thursday, December 18, 2003
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