LEISURE chiefs from City of York Council will be meeting York City chairman Douglas Craig before the end of the week to discuss a consortium bid to buy the football club 'lock, stock and barrel'.

Coun Alan Jones, the city council's executive member for leisure, said the consortium, which is supported by the council, was prepared to put a 'significant amount of money' on the table to buy the club and its Bootham Crescent ground - though not the full £4.5 million the club's directors were asking.

"I think that's an overestimate of the club's worth," Coun Jones said. "A more realistic price would be where the directors receive the original amount (that they invested) plus a bit of interest for all the hard work they have put in over the years."

The existence of the consortium was first revealed in the Evening Press on Saturday. Consortium members are being kept under wraps, but are understood to include local businesses, as well as the council. A mix of private and council money is likely to be involved.

The bid would include the Bootham Crescent ground, Coun Jones confirmed. "The consortium bid is interested in taking over the whole thing, lock, stock and barrel, football boots, lockers and everything.

"We are very determined to do our best to keep professional football in the city. We don't believe that any one person or group of people own football in York."

If successful, the bid would allow the club's debts to be cleared and would leave something over to help the Minstermen begin rebuilding, he added.

York City director John Quickfall told the Evening Press: "I haven't had any details of the offer at this moment.

"Until we see the details we can't comment."

Updated: 10:46 Wednesday, January 23, 2002