City's dash for cash

With the Minstermen's future hanging in the balance, the Trust is continuing to work to safeguard the future of professional football in the city.

The fans' body's bid to take control of the club from chairman John Batchelor has reached an impasse in recent days while the insolvency practitioners take stock of the club's problems.

But while any take-over talks are on hold, the Trust is continuing to work behind the scenes and is now looking to step up its fund-raising efforts in particular.

In a statement, the Trust said it "is seeking to increase its funds with a view to supporting the future of professional football in York".

It added: "That future could involve the Trust having some form of ownership stake in the city's football club.

"The level of that ownership stake depends, in part, on whether or not other 'investors' step forward to help support a future for professional sport in the city."

Bucket collections and an auction of football memorabilia have already raised around £10,000 in recent weeks, while Trust volunteers are also working through a huge list of fund-raising suggestions.

Work is being co-ordinated by a professional charity fund-raising manager, who has kindly volunteered his services.

But more ideas are still wanted and, crucially, more volunteers are needed to help to turn numerous ideas into reality.

Trust representative Sophie McGill said all fans had a vital role to play in helping the Trust as it works towards its aims.

She said: "What we now need is more City fans to step forward and to help to turn some of their fund-raising ideas into reality over the coming months.

"The Supporters' Trust continues to pursue its central aim, that is, to ensure that in the future the York community has a football club that it can be really proud of."

The Evening Press understands the club is almost £500,000 in the red and is losing a further £20,000 a week.

Anyone with fund-raising ideas, or able to volunteer to help with organising an event or project, are requested to please contact the Supporters' Trust via its mailing address at Bootham Crescent, York YO30 7AQ, via telephone on 01904 610747, or via email to enquires@saveyork.co.uk or enquiries@ycst.org.uk

LUTHER Blissett has turned up in the most improbable place.

The City coach, said to be away in Scandinavia on scouting missions over recent weeks, has become a cult figure on Italy's literary scene.

As reported in this column earlier this year, Blissett's name was adopted by a group of Italian anarchists following his one-season stint with AC Milan in the 1980s.

The mysterious and loosely knit movement has since spiralled and the group has played a series of hoaxes and pranks on the Italian media.

Now it has entered the world of literature with four members of the group, using the name Luther Blissett as their collective pseudonym, publishing an epic historical novel.

Titled 'Q', it traces the conflicts of an anarchist member of a radical sect of Protestant extremists and a Catholic spy turned double-agent as they journey across Reformation Europe.

A light-hearted read it probably isn't.

But the book has proved a cult success on the Continent and is due to be published in English next May.

PRESTON North End's attacking line-up could soon have a fuller York feel to it after striker Ricardo Fuller was ruled out for the rest of the season with cruciate ligament damage.

The loss of the 23-year-old Jamaica international, who has scored 11 goals in his first season in English football, has been tempered for boss Craig Brown by the form of his other front men.

"It's a massive blow for us but we have very good forward in David Healy, who has been waiting for his chance, and we have Richard Cresswell, as well as Pawel Abbott, who has come on tremendously this season," said Brown.

Cresswell, of course, first made his name at City, while Abbott is a former York schoolboy, who actually scored against City this season while on loan at Bury.

NAMES from York City's distant and not so distant past sprung to prominence over recent days.

Ex-City winger Rory Prendergast had an unsuccessful trial spell at Second Division Chesterfield, while striker Simon Parkes, on trial period at City this summer, has been deemed surplus to requirements at Halifax Town.

'TIS the season to be jolly, and it's party time for the City Reds.

The junior supporters will be holding a Christmas party on Saturday, December 21, from noon to 2pm with a number of players in attendance.

Tickets, priced £3, are limited and can be obtained from the club shop.

AFTER a 9-2 rout of Preston a week earlier, York City Ladies came down to earth with a bang.

The team crashed 6-2 at home to Doncaster Rovers Ladies, despite taking an early lead through Lou Ross.

After Rovers levelled, Ross fired York back in front only for Rovers to equalise for a second time just before half-time.

With the game evenly poised at the start of the second, it was Doncaster who found an extra gear after the break, with the visitors rattling in four goals without reply.

THERE'S no change at the top of the Evening Press player of the year rankings.

Last Saturday's FA Cup defeat to Brentford saw the plaudits go to players outside the front-runners.

Darren Edmondson was named man of the match and so earned three points. Lee Nogan moved into double figures with two points, while goalscorer Lee Bullock earned the one remaining point.

Brass 23 points, Smith 21, Duffield 17, Cook 13, Fettis 13, Parkin 13, Nogan 10, Cowan 8, Edmondson 6, Beresford 5, Brackstone 5, Reddy 4, Bullock 3, Hobson 2, Jones 1, Wise 1.

Autographed fund-raising venture is so note-worthy

ON the subject of fund-raising, the Supporters' Trust could soon be quids-in after quick-thinking fans turned a dud note into hard cash.

An old £1 note was just one of the items thrown into the buckets during one of the recent ground collections.

The note is no longer legal tender but rather than discard it, members of the supporters' pressure group the Friends of Bootham Crescent spotted a unique chance to turn paper into cash.

City players Lee Nogan and Chris Brass were persuaded to autograph the £1 note which has now been put up to auction.

So far, the top bid for the note - of symbolic importance given that was what it cost owner John Batchelor to acquire the club - is £40.

Anyone who can top that offer should contact FoBC member Ian Savage on 07974 574283 to stake their claim.

"It's nothing more than a bit of fun really, but it's certainly a unique novelty item," said Savage.

"The Supporters' Trust certainly needs every penny right now."

All pertinent to Persimmon

LAST week, this column did its best to dig up what facts are available regarding Persimmon's sponsorship deal involving John Batchelor, his motor-racing team and York City.

This week, I have obtained the accounts of BBI Motorsport Limited, the then name of Batchelor's motor-racing team, for the period July 2000 to October 2001 and filed at Companies House.

The documents show in that year, ending some four months before Batchelor took over at York City, the company received £184,876 in sponsorship.

Just days after taking over at York City, Batchelor was able to strike a sponsorship deal with Persimmon Homes for his motor racing team worth on its own £400,000 - more than double his team's entire sponsorship income in the previous season.

As explained in this column last week, Batchelor reportedly deemed £100,000 of that Persimmon sponsorship to be 'profit' and used that cash to wipe out the football club's overdraft at the time.

As stated, Batchelor, listed as a sales executive in BBI's annual returns, would argue that it was Persimmon's choice to sponsor the motor racing team and without the racing team City would never have seen that £100,000.

However, could it not also now be argued that without York City Football Club the motor racing team would not have been able to secure such a lucrative and massive deal with York-based Persimmon?

Again, only Persimmon can really provide the answer.

Updated: 10:24 Saturday, December 14, 2002