THIS is not a crisis for York Wasps. This is THE crisis.

The Wasps have hit bad times before and have had crises aplenty in recent seasons. The danger is that people in the city will think the current situation is just another to add to the list.

It is not.

This is no time to sit back and expect the matter to resolve itself. It won't.

Unless something is done by Tuesday, York will not have a professional rugby club, something it has proudly boasted for 134 years.

This is not a ploy by the board to rustle up latent support. The board have folded the club.

Indeed, they handed in a resignation letter to the Rugby Football League. If that letter is accepted by the RFL on Tuesday, it would mark the end.

There are many excuses for the club's dwindling match-day support, not least the tired old line about moving from Clarence Street, a prolonged failure on the pitch, apathy towards the current board and a plethora of false dawns that have chipped away at the trust of the York public.

But this is not the time to look for excuses. This is not the time to point the finger of blame.

This is the time to rally round, not just as fans but as people of York.

This is no longer about the current board. It is not about the current sponsor nor the council.

It is not even about the Rugby Football League - forget them.

It is about the fans. It is about the tradition. It is about the memories York Rugby League Club has given the city over the past 134 years.

There have been the great players, the great moments, the great triumphs, the great disappointments, the great cock-ups.

There have also been the great times enjoyed by the fans, with or without the action on the field. The pints before the game, the grumbles afterwards, the jokes, the great tries, the on-field punch-ups, the rubbish referees.

If the club folds, those times will end, those memories will lose their significance.

To the average person, the current debt of about £30,000 is unthinkable. However, in professional sport it is not that great, on the face of it.

Many professional sports clubs have had debts running into the hundreds of thousands, some into the millions. It is believed some fellow Northern Ford Premiership clubs are no better off than the Wasps.

The difference, however, is that the Wasps' debt is mounting. As it stands, current expenditure - despite being kept to a minimum by the board - outweighs the income from sponsorship and gate receipts.

The current board have said they cannot rectify the situation and, as the club in its current state was going to keep losing money, they decided to fold it.

As individuals, therefore, there is little the fans can do. But as group, we can do a lot and, more significantly, we can prove a lot.

A chink of light was given to the fans when the RFL decided to wait until Tuesday, March 26, to see if anyone comes forward to take on the club before accepting the Wasps' resignation.

That glimmer of hope has been seized upon, with lifelong fan Gary Hall leading a bid to set up a supporters' trust or similar body.

Of course, there is not enough time for a trust to be formed and save the club, but at this stage there is a different immediate aim.

As Gary says, there is good chance potential saviours would only come in to rescue the club if they believed there was something worth saving.

They need to believe that enough fans are out there, that the club has a loyal and strong backing, that its tradition and its existence means something to the people of York.

Therefore, as individuals we can indeed do something. We can gather in force at Huntington Stadium for tomorrow's public meeting.

A small turn-out might effectively be the final nail in the club's coffin. A massive turn-out, on the other hand, will prove there is something worth fighting for.

The stage is set. Get yourself there, take a friend, a neighbour, a family member. Take your dog, take a drunk off the streets.

Show the RFL and the potential buyers, show the world you care about the club.

That was the week that was

AT the beginning of this week, Wasps fans were mulling over the disappointment of another heavy defeat.

By the end of the week, that result paled into insignificance as the Wasps teetered on the brink of extinction.

This was the week that was...

Sunday

- Wasps lose 60-4 at Workington Town, their tenth defeat in 11 Northern Ford Premiership games this season. No physio on duty.

Monday

- It is revealed players were still awaiting payment of wages due on Friday and prepare to make a stance against the club.

Tuesday

- Directors drop the bombshell that the club had folded after the board took the decision to cease trading at 6pm. Players and coach are informed of the decision at 7pm.

Wednesday

- Rugby Football League confirm they have been informed of the board's decision to fold. RFL receive the Wasps' resignation from the league but give the club up to Tuesday, March 26, to find a saviour before accepting the resignation.

- Gateshead Thunder are informed that Sunday's scheduled game is off. All Wasps' fixtures are cancelled until further notice.

- Players, coach, directors tell of their devastation.

- Idea to form a fans' trust is mooted.

Thursday

- Price tag of £105,000 is put on Wasps, to include £35,000 of current debt and £70,000 commitment to cover costs for the rest of the season.

- All systems go for the formation of a supporters' trust or similar body. A public meeting is arranged for 2pm Sunday at Huntington Stadium - 18 years to the day after 10,000-plus York fans saw their side play Wigan in a Challenge Cup semi-final at Elland Road. Initiators realise time is not on their side but hope a massive show of support would encourage a saviour to come forward.

- Messages and pledges of support flood in from all over the country. Fans' bodies offer advice regarding formation of a supporters' body.

- Main sponsor World Rugby League and global marketing director Paul Faires rule themselves out of taking over the club but state they would be willing to continue sponsorship if other parties also stump up cash.

- Players hold a meeting and decide to stick by the club at least until Tuesday's deadline. Fans' favourite Mark Cain, however, signs for Hull KR.

Friday

- Chairman John Stabler explains to the Evening Press the club's financial problems.

- RFL state any plan to save the club must be workable and sustainable. RFL say Tuesday's deadline is most unlikely to be extended.

- Pledges of financial support start to come in for a fans' body. Fundraising activities already begin.

Today

- Coach Leo Epifania says that, if asked, he would help any new owner formulate a structure and plan for the club.

Updated: 10:36 Saturday, March 23, 2002