YORK City chairman John Batchelor is considering selling shares in the football club.

That could lead to fans having a greater say in the club while helping help ease the Minstermen's current financial problems.

Batchelor has admitted such a scheme could mean he relinquishes total control of the club but said it was a sacrifice he was prepared to make provided he could maintain control of City's commercial activities.

The City supremo said a share issue scheme set up by Chesterfield Football Club which raised around £300,000 for the Spireites could be used as a model for City.

Batchelor said: "Unfortunately, what we have got is a bucket with no bottom. I would want to raise enough money so we can plan ahead.

"At the moment, we do not have that great a debt but nor do we have that great an income."

Currently, Batchelor is the only shareholder in the football club, which has no assets but for the club's training ground, a plot of land near Clifton Moor and a house in Grovesnor Terrace.

Batchelor revealed his share-holding in the club comprises some 200,000 shares, created as part of his take-over of the club from Bootham Crescent Holdings in March.

Under the proposed City share issue, those 200,000 shares would be put up for sale along with a number of new shares created and made available to would-be shareholders.

Batchelor, who said he had not yet established what the shares would cost or just how much money he would be looking to raise from the scheme, admitted he could lose his overall control of the club.

"A share issue could dilute my share-holding in the club. I would like to maintain my position as the majority share-holder but as long as I can maintain commercial control of the club who actually owns it does not really bother me, as long as we are all pulling in the same direction.

"It may be that the shares prove extremely popular and I would need to come to some sort of deal with the shareholders that gives me day-to-day control of the club."

Batchelor said it could be possible to have the scheme up and running within a 'few weeks'.

"It all depends on how the Chesterfield model works and what sort of legal work would be required, but I would not envisage there being any major problems."

Batchelor, while giving a further indication as to the financial problems the club is currently facing, admitted a share issue scheme could work to everyone's benefit.

"If we can use the adverse circumstances we are currently in to encourage more people to invest in the club then the fans can have a greater stake in it and the club will benefit financially.

"These situations are never good ones to be in, but if we can derive some sort of benefit from it then we can make the best of a bad job."

The City chairman, who admitted at the weekend City, like all over Football League clubs, were suffering financial problems, appealed for fans and businesses to rally around the club.

"We need to drag money in from where ever we can.

"We are moving in the right direction but we still have a mountain to climb and if anyone has any ideas that may help then we would look at everything and anything."

The City chairman welcomed the announcement by the Supporters' Trust, revealed in later editions of yesterday's Evening Press, that Steve Beck and Sophie McGill were the members it wished to see installed as fan directors.

Batchelor said the news had come too late for the Trust representatives to take part in tomorrow's next board meeting.

However, he said he hoped the duo would be on board by December's board meeting.

"I am delighted that the Trust have people who are now in a position where they are almost on the board.

"We have just one or two i's to dot and t's to cross. Now more than ever we need to work together to take the club forward."

Updated: 12:36 Wednesday, November 13, 2002