York Wasps chief executive Ann Garvey hopes the Rugby Football League kick out plans to return to a full winter season to avoid further damaging the sport's image.

She believes that reverting back to a September start next season would be not be in the best interests of the Wasps or the sport as a whole.

Northern Ford Premiership clubs voted 13-5 in favour of starting the season in September at a meeting last week.

However, that decision still has to be ratified by the full council when they meet on June 6 - and Garvey is keeping her fingers crossed they turn it down.

Despite reports that Leigh, Widnes, Sheffield, Gateshead and Barrow were the only clubs to vote in favour of summer, Garvey revealed the process was not that straight-forward.

"We didn't vote for September, we voted for December," she explained.

"Initially we were asked to vote on summer, starting in March, which was 13-5 against.

"Then we voted as to when it should start in winter - September, October, November or December.

"Nobody voted for October or November, five of us voted for December and the rest voted for September.

"My feelings on behalf of the club are that it would be too early to start in September, not only in terms of promotion and relegation but also getting a team together and sponsorship.

"If we keep changing the dates I think it will be our own downfall. How many times have we changed the season - it's making a mockery of the game.

"We shoot ourselves in the foot. People don't know when it's being played.

"The general feeling is that it won't get passed by the council. I think they might say we can't start in September but we can start in December."

She pointed to clashes with the Great Britain-Australia Test series in November and the cost to supporters as further reasons for not starting in September.

But she is not in principle against a return to a full summer season. However, she believes it would have to be done in stages to gradually bring the NFP in line with Super League.

"It would be very difficult for York to survive without any income until next March.

"The beginning of July is the end of our season. We have no other income coming in after that but we still have to keep the Academy going.

"If you are going to go back to full summer rugby it should be done in stages, probably starting in January then each year drawing it forward so that the gap between the end of the season and beginning of the next season isn't so long."

Wasps coach Lee Crooks admitted he was "a summer man" but accepted the gap between seasons would be too long to start in March.

He said: "It's not viable finishing in June then starting again in March. The only way round that would be to have short season in the winter then start again in summer but that's not really a viable proposition.

"Going back to September would make things a bit awkward in terms of preparing players. But the clubs seem to think that's the best way for getting revenue.

"If we do go back to winter then we have to market the game properly."

Updated: 09:59 Tuesday, May 22, 2001