BOOTHAM Crescent defensive sentinel Richard Hope is ready to repel all invaders to re-establish York City as kings of their castle.

The new-look Minstermen were getting their Division Three home campaign underway on Saturday with the visit of mega-bucks Northampton Town.

And City, expected to include at least five home debutants in the starting line-up, were anxious going into the tie to maintain the Crescent's growing reputation as a respected stronghold.

In the last 20 months, City have lost just three times at home in the League compared to six defeats in the five months leading up to that run.

It's a remarkable turnaround in fortunes and Hope admits any team with promotion aspirations has to keep their home fires burning.

"You have to try to make home a fortress," he reasoned.

"What we want is a visiting manager to tell his team, 'look, they don't give much away here'. We want opposition teams to have that mentality and little bit of fear, knowing they are going to have to work hard to get anything from Bootham Crescent."

Former Northampton player Hope, released from Sixfields at the end of last season, insisted he had no personal scores to settle today and wanted only what's best for City.

"To me, it's just another game," said the 25-year-old.

"I'm at York now and want to do well at York. I had a good four-and-a-half years with Northampton but that counts for nothing now."

Hope, buoyed by two impressive City performances, was unperturbed by Town's own reputation as promotion certainties.

"Carlisle was a very hard place to go and the lads got stuck in and did brilliantly," he enthused.

"On Tuesday, against a First Division side we coped well and put in another good performance.

"Northampton will be another big test, they've spent a lot of money, but they've lost their first league game while we won ours and it would be nice to make it two out of two."

Updated: 10:44 Saturday, August 16, 2003