CAPTAIN Darren Edmondson is determined to prove York City's doubters wrong when the new Division Three campaign gets underway at Carlisle United tomorrow.

The Minstermen are being tipped for the drop by the bookies and pundits this season but new skipper Edmondson is delighted with the disdain, admitting the critics are providing the players with the perfect ammunition.

"How can it not be?" he told the Evening Press.

"The players read the papers and hear what's been said and now we're thinking 'we'll show them'.

"We are favourites to get relegated in many people's eyes but we know we have got good enough players to be better than that.

"The nucleus is there for this team to do well.

"We started pre-season with a small squad and just because we are paying out less does not mean we are not signing quality.

"That's the situation football is in now and we have managed to attract good quality players to the club."

Edmondson admits tomorrow's opponents, Carlisle, will be nobody's pushover

"They will definitely be tough competitors," he insisted.

"They have got a good squad together up there but, rather like us, they are being written off.

"Both teams have got something to prove and so both teams will be up for it and that should make it a good game."

Another major boon for Edmondson is the fact City is a club now owned by its supporters.

The City skipper maintained the strong links between the pitch and terraces provided yet more motivation for the players to succeed.

He recalled: "Last season, we saw the supporters out with the buckets and everyone putting their hands into their pockets.

"We knew they had families to feed and Christmas presents to buy, even when they were donating to the football club.

"We sat down and realised we couldn't forget what people were doing.

"The supporters got organised and saved the club which enabled us to carry on playing football.

"That hasn't been forgotten about and we will be trying just as hard this season as we did last to give them some return for all their money and effort.

"We played for two months without pay so the supporters know we are professional and committed and we are just glad that they are backing us.

"Hopefully, we can be back up there again this season, with the same sort of attendances and the team can go from strength to strength."

Coniston-born Edmondson, who started his career at Carlisle, admitted he couldn't have asked for a better game to usher in his reign as captain.

"It's a great start for me, it was one of the fixtures I always look for and to go back as captain has put the icing on the cake really.

"What we need though is three points because we need to get off to a good start. The first five or ten games are so important."

Coral make City 28-1 for the title with Hull as favourites at 7-2, followed by Northampton (9-1) Oxford and Yeovil (both 10-1).

Match points:

<bullet/> Thirty-nine previous league trips to Carlisle have resulted in six wins, 15 draws and 18 defeats.

<bullet/> City's recent record at Brunton Park is good with only one defeat (2-1 in 2001/02) in their last five visits.

<bullet/> Last season the corresponding game was drawn 1-1. City's line up on April 15, 2003 was: Whitehead, Edmondson, Smith, Brass, Hobson, Cowan, Potter, Cooper, Bullock, Graydon (Shandran), Nogan.

<bullet/> The goal netted by Anthony Shandran was to be the last scored by City last season.

<bullet/> Along with new skipper Darren Edmondson, other players to have appeared for both clubs included Gordon Staniforth, Keith Walwyn, Scott Endersby, David McAughtrie and Paul Baker.

<bullet/> It is 20 years ago since City last won away on the opening day of the season. On August 27, 1983 they beat Stockport County 2-0 at Edgeley Park with goals from John MacPhail and John Byrne. City went on to win the Fourth Division title that season.

<bullet/> 2003/04 is City's 68th season in the Football League and their 28th in the bottom division.

Updated: 11:14 Friday, August 08, 2003