DEFIANT York Rugby League Club fans are to fight on as they step up the pressure for an Easter rising.

Supporters of the Wasps are urged to attend another public meeting at the Huntington Stadium bar tonight (7pm) in a concerted drive to form a working party towards establishing a supporters' trust.

After an inaugural gathering at the stadium, which attracted a heartening 400 fans, tonight's meeting is aimed at stiffening the resistance to the end of professional rugby league in York after more than 100 years.

Loyal followers of the club were rocked by yesterday's late collapse of a planned takeover by a mystery buyer which would have enabled the Wasps to at least complete the current campaign.

That meant the club were unable to meet the Rugby Football League's 3pm deadline by which to find a new buyer or confirm a re-financing package to see the 2002 term through.

But while that deadline has elapsed die-hard followers of the stricken club have turned their endeavours to squeeze more time out of the RFL.

Gary Hall, who has been the driving force behind the Save Wasps' initiative to establish a supporters' trust, now wants the RFL to allow the club to withdraw from the National League Cup. The Wasps were due to open the salvoes in that event on Good Friday against Featherstone.

If they were allowed to come out of the format that would effectively give them until June - when the Northern Ford Premiership season resumes - to ensure adequate finances are in place for the club to be resurrected.

Hall maintained that cash revenue of £10,000 a month would be enough to keep the Wasps afloat as a league club and he insisted that money could be raised by fans not just of the club, but of sport in the city of York.

Meetings he had with York-based players and the official York RL Supporters' Club last night drew even more backing.

Said Hall: "There may be a feeling of 'aah well, it's all over. But the fight goes on. The cause is not lost. Together we can survive. Now what we have got to do is move forward by forming a supporters' trust and proving that the city of York has the desire for a professional rugby league club in the city.

"We need time now to prove to the RFL that we have got a business plan to get us moving forward."

Hall reminded any doubting fans that the last club to go out of the Rugby League in mid-season was Bradford Northern in 1964. Just this year Bradford Bulls, as they are now known, were crowned world club champions.

"Some people may argue that Bradford is a much bigger city than York and so it is," ventured Hall.

"But Castleford have got a Super League club and by comparison to York, Castleford is a village."

Hall's overall vision was to transform York RLFC into a members' club where subscriptions were paid on what fans could afford.

"If we could have that working capital of say £10,000 a month, then that would keep the club going without even looking at gate receipts or sponsorship. They then would be the icing on the cake," he said, adding that he hoped pledges of cash would be forthcoming at tonight's meeting.

Fans will be able to pledge more cash tonight following Sunday's inaugural meeting when more than £10,000 was raised. Of that total, £2,700 was in hard cash and Hall explained that should there not be sufficient support or cash to form a supporters' trust then that money would go to continuing the York Academy side.

Updated: 11:35 Wednesday, March 27, 2002