YORK City could be the next destination for the much-travelled Harrogate Town chairman Bill Fotherby.

The Evening Press has been led to believe that millionaire Fotherby has expressed a tentative interest in a possible take-over of the ailing Division Three club.

And the one-time clothing boss has added to the speculation by refusing to rule his name out of the running.

"I am trying to keep things quiet," he said. "I have had several phone calls over the past two days about this and I have had to say that I'm always interested in things, but now is not the right time. Everything is confidential at the moment."

Fotherby refused to go into further detail, but the Minstermen would certainly offer him the route back into the Football League.

Fotherby made his name at Leeds United after first joining the board in 1981 and he progressed to become the club's commercial director in 1987 before becoming chairman in April 1996.

After little more than a year at the top at Elland Road, Fotherby, who is believed to have made £5million from the deal that saw Caspian take over Leeds United in 1996, moved into rugby league where he led Hunslet Hawks to the verge of the Super League.

From there, Fotherby swapped the 13-a-side code for Harrogate Town in February 2000. Fotherby has enjoyed some success at the Wetherby Road club, guiding them to their most successful season-ever last year.

However, his name has constantly been linked with a return to a Football League club, with him reputed to be interested in taking over Bradford City earlier this season.

Updated: 11:40 Wednesday, December 11, 2002