A York City supporters' pressure group is calling on fans to join their protest at the rearranged annual meeting of the owners of Bootham Crescent.

As reported in later editions of yesterday's Evening Press, the Bootham Crescent Holdings' AGM has been rearranged for Thursday, January 30, starting at 9.30am.

The original meeting, which was also subject to a supporters' protest, was held on Monday, December 16, starting at 7pm but ended in uproar after just 90 seconds.

It was dramatically postponed by BCH chairman Douglas Craig when a letter raising procedural questions on the company's accounts were suddenly submitted to the board.

Despite the early start on the rearranged date, the Friends of Bootham Crescent have announced plans for another protest outside the meeting, which will again take place in the Family Room at the ground, and are confident supporters will still turn out in force.

Spokesman David Allison said: "We know how passionately every York fan feels about the behaviour of the board of BCH, as was so clearly demonstrated at the last farcical attempt to hold an AGM.

"BCH know as well as we do that the fight for Bootham Crescent is far from over - and this is a great opportunity to voice our anger peacefully but emphatically."

Allison added: "The Friends of Bootham Crescent are willing to hamper BCH's attempts to cash in on the ground all the way.

"Perhaps the BCH directors thought the fans of York City would just roll over and let them have their way. They certainly know that isn't the case now.

"By protesting at the AGM, we have another chance to remind them just what they have done to this club and indeed to their reputations within the city as a whole."

Regarding the early kick-off time for the meeting, Allison said: "We know that the timing of the meeting, being as it is midweek and first thing in the morning, might make it difficult for many fans to attend.

"However, we urge everyone who can make arrangements to get down there as early as possible to do so. Likewise, we urge shareholders not to miss this golden opportunity to question the BCH board. We hope many fans will do everything they can to be there."

He added: "A cynic might suggest that the timing of the meeting would make it harder for shareholders and protesters to attend. We hope to prove to the board of BCH that it doesn't matter where or when they hold this AGM, we will be there and we will make our feelings known."

Speaking to the Evening Press today, Craig indicated that the procedural questions raised over the company's accounts that had forced the previous meeting to be abandoned had been investigated and were without foundation.

Asked why the rearranged AGM was taking place in the morning, Craig said: "We have to get the accounts into the Companies House office by that same day.

"Normally, we would have been able to do that in the time-scale provided by the original date of the AGM but because of the objection which has since proved to be a non-objection in effect we have been put in this almost impossible situation."

Updated: 12:37 Wednesday, January 08, 2003