AFTER all the publicity, campaigns and march in the past few weeks, what a pitiful turnout on Tuesday night for York's game against Rochdale - a match which was a lot more crucial than Saturday's 'glamour tie' with Fulham.

A meagre crowd of just over 2,300 showed how seriously the football fans of York view the plight of 'their' team.

Where were the thousands who so readily snapped up the tickets for Saturday's 'Match of the Day'? No doubt glued to their Sky TV to watch Manchester United or Liverpool, from the comfort of their armchair.

How can they criticise the current board, for their 'sell-out' when they can't be bothered to turn up for the bread and butter league games - unlike the fans who were there on Tuesday but couldn't get a ticket for Saturday's game?

I say to all the 'true' football fans in York that want to maintain a York City FC for the future, forget the Premiership giants - at least for now - and get yourselves down to Bootham Crescent until the end of the season and let's show any prospective investors the residents of York do want to maintain a football club.

Fans should bring at least one friend to all the remaining games. Let's prove that we want a football club in York.

Val Duggan

Holgate

York

BOOTHAM Crescent, last Tuesday, home to Grimsby - 6,600.

Bootham Crescent, this Tuesday, home to Rochdale - 2,300.

This Saturday's game against Fulham is a sell out and we are reading of incidents of loyal fans missing out on tickets for the game. Fans who turn up home and away.

The same fans who turn up on a Tuesday night home to Rochdale.

Those 'fans' who turned up for the Grimsby game and are attending the game on Saturday but did not turn up last night should be ashamed of themselves.

When you are sat in your seat or stood on the terrace spare a thought for those real fans whose place you may be taking.

If the worse comes to the worse and City do not survive part of the blame must be laid at the door of these so called fans who turn up only when they think they might get their faces on 'Match of the Day'.

Supporting your club means you turn up through thick and thin, home and away, Saturday and Tuesday.

Although it hurts me to say it but Douglas Craig does have a point when he blames the lack of support. However he is not criticising the loyal few who turn up every week but those that pick and choose their games.

Neil Rooney

Catterick Garrison

North Yorkshire

Updated: 16:19 Thursday, January 24, 2002