IF anyone had missed the past 15 months or so and just arrived back in the country this week, the trials and tribulations of the York City Supporters' Trust have been summed up perfectly over the last few days.

With more twists and turns than a Frederick Forsythe novel, the last 15 months have been far from rudimentary for the Trust.

Even when they had the winning post insight this week, there was still the final plot before the knockout ending.

Monday's double adjournment of the creditors' meeting on the day the deal was supposed to be done was adjourned for two days.

Even Wednesday's reconvened meeting was delayed as the finer points of the Company Voluntary Arrangement were finally ironed out.

With the taxman resolutely standing firm, it seemed that the Trust would stumble at the final hurdle. But, echoing the never-say-die spirit that has seen the City players perform miracles on the pitch, the fans' body have refused to sway.

How gut-wrenching it must have been for the likes of Steve Beck, Sophie McGill, Paul Rawnsley, Mike Brown, Jason McGill, Michael Shannon et al who have dedicated their lives to the cause only to be frustrated so many times.

But the determination of the few has to be admired. They could have stepped back, citing work and family reasons, but they haven't. They have rolled up their sleeves and said: "We will fight on, we will succeed."

And they have succeeded, when many have doubted fans would be capable of running a football club. The lunatics have not taken over the asylum, far from it.

At precisely 1pm yesterday, the agreement for York City Football Club Limited - the new company formed by the Trust - to acquire the business and certain assets from the administrator of York City Association Football & Athletic Club Plc was formally completed.

Today the celebrations reached their climax with a day of events planned to mark the occasion.

However, after the party, the real work begins. The Trust are not nave enough to think that there will be a honeymoon, they know only too well there will be no time to sit back on their laurels.

As Steve Beck, who after 35 years as a City fan takes pride of place at the helm of the club as chairman, rightly pointed out this week: "We are now at the start line, the race begins now."

Money still has to be raised to keep the club going as the debts may be on the way to being cleared, but the bills will keep coming in.

A restructuring of contracts, for those players who at the end of their present deals, will go along way to easing the situation - while the squad size was already trimmed by four on Thursday.

They may not be any more bucket collections - the work done by Ian Savage, the Friends of Bootham Crescent and the other hard-working volunteers must be applauded - but fans will have to continue to dig deep to see the club survive, with every single penny vital.

The more the club gets in, whether through donations to Trust, sponsorship or, perhaps more vitally, the gate, the better the outlook for the future.

Like a broken record, the call for bigger crowds has been heard constantly over the years and although there has been an increase this season, the Trust will want to see this continue.

Expect other fund-raising events and initiatives to be announced over the coming weeks, with the need to address the inactivity of the club during the summer months a must.

However, today was a day to 'be loud and be proud' for York City.

Updated: 11:30 Saturday, March 29, 2003