YORK City desperately need bumper crowds over the Christmas and New Year to help to keep the club afloat.

With the club losing a massive £20,000 a week, big attendances over the next few games will help secure the club's short-term future.

It is crucial that fans turn out in big numbers at the upcoming trio of Bootham Crescent games against Lincoln City a week tomorrow, against Hull City on Saturday December 28 and then Scunthorpe United on New Year's Day.

The Lincoln match was moved from the last Saturday before Christmas, traditionally a poor day for football attendances, to Friday night as an experiment.

With crowds of around 6,000 needed to break even it is vital that fans turn out in force to show the city of York wants the club to survive.

Liam Cotter, of insolvency experts Jacksons Jolliffe Cork, said that the club's chances of survival would be better if 1,000 to 1,500 extra fans joined the die-hards on the terraces.

Cotter and his team have had numerous meetings with creditors over the last few weeks in an effort to guide the club to some form of financial stability.

The role of the insolvency experts was confirmed in a statement from City's Chief Executive Keith Usher today.

Said Usher: "Talks are taking place with several interested parties who have expressed an interest in the future of the club. This includes local professional business personnel, the Supporters' Trust and the City of York Council."

Updated: 12:23 Thursday, December 12, 2002