Little's six and out!

Feeling the pressure on the bench.

Urging on his troops before the beginning of extra-time in the division three promotion play-off final at Wembley against Crewe in 1993.

Acknowledging the crowd before his testimonial match against Middlesbrough at Bootham Crescent in July.

The unbelievable scoreboard at Old Trafford when City pulled off a fantastic victory in the Coca-Cola Cup in September 1995.

In the coach on the way to his first game in charge at Barnet in March

Alan Little's tenure as York City manager ended 48 hours after his sixth anniversary in charge.

As a throng of largely disenchanted supporters gathered at the fans' forum in Queen Anne's School Chinese whispers began to mutter as reality gradually took hold.

All the members of the City board were on stage, as was club secretary Keith Usher, player-coach Neil Thompson and senior players Barry Jones and Andy McMillan. But there was no sign of Little.

Master of ceremonies Malcolm Huntington banged his gavel and the tenor of the rumour-mill was confirmed. Little had been sacked, chairman Douglas Craig confirming the board had decided it 'should terminate his contract'.

Loud cheers gave way to an outburst of genuine anger from Craig, who when subsequently outlining the axed manager's qualities and achievements was greeted by a more favourable reaction.

Just over three months before Little too had been up on that same stage facing the flak in the inaugural forum as he intended to do last night at the second fans' get-together.

He knew he was in for a rougher ride after his sixth anniversary as manager was marked by defeat at Notts County 48 hours before. The sack spared him the expected onslaught, though that will be small consolation if any for a proud, football-ingrained man.

Six years earlier Little had made his way back from Barnet and his first game in charge, albeit then as caretaker-manager.

How the sun shone that March afternoon, the Minstermen stinging the Bees 5-1. Management must have seemed easy-peasy.

It never was for Little, nor is it for anyone who slides into that fabled, fated hot-seat. Remember Alex Ferguson? Now deified on Manchester, he was said to be just one game away from the dreaded sack.

Perhaps Little's reign was doomed from the start. After all, just how can you top Wembley, where he led the Minstermen out on May 29, 1993 to face Crewe Alexandra in the Third Division play-off final two months after he was installed as the gaffer.

Promotion was duly delivered in a nerve-jangling penalty shoot-out. It was hail the conquering heroes. And the very next season they almost repeated the feat, reaching the Second Division play-off semi-finals before bowing out to Stockport County.

The next season brought a respectable ninth place, while the term after another milestone.

The night of nights at Old Trafford. The Red Devils brought to their knees on their own turf. City won 3-0 in the Coca-Cola Cup - the only domestic team to inflict a home defeat on that season's double-winners. Oh what a night.

But League-wise it was the start of the fallow spell. Two successive campaigns were fought to inch away from relegation, while last term the threat only subsided in April.

Now City have been pitched into another dog-fight, Little's sixth year clanging to a sorry climax as his charges limped to the worst League sequence of a reign spanning 324 games.

Craig denies cash claims

Axed York manager Alan Little was not starved of resources, claimed chairman Douglas Craig.

The City leader countered claims that one of Little's problems during his reign was a lack of cash for new players. But Craig re-iterated his determination that the club would not bow to players' cash demands.

Supporter Alain Fairley maintained that the outgoing Little was hamstrung by not having the resources 'to do the job'.

That was denied by the City chairman, who said; "There's been no difficulty about making money available for transfers.

"But what is not available, and will never be available is that we are not going to be held to ransom by paying players £50,000, £70,000 and £100,000 a year on gates of 3,000-odd."

Craig also shot down a claim that transfer-listed midfielder Steve Agnew was on a weekly wage of £2,100.

He added: "I am not prepared to discuss the individual contracts of individual players, but the range of wages is between £150 to something like £1,700 or £1,800."

As City started the process of getting a successor to Little, Craig conceded that City were in 'a serious situation' in trying to recruit new players before next week's March 25 transfer deadline. The priorities were a defender and midfielder, with the former hopefully easing City's weakness to crosses, which had been exposed during the ten-game run without a win.

"We will be moving heaven and earth to get at least two players, one a centre-half and the other a central midfielder either on transfer or loan. We would prefer to have loans because it will not conflict with whoever eventually takes charge."

Clubs urged to join forces

Shareholder Gerry Davitt championed a bid to team the York Wasps rugby league team with York City at Bootham Crescent.

He believed bringing the rugby side to City's home would provide a massive injection of revenue, which could then generate a re-building programme at the Crescent enabling the city to realise the dream of establishing a major sports base.

But Davitt's appeal for greater links between the two clubs met with a lukewarm response from City chairman Douglas Craig. He maintained previous talks had foundered on a lack of cash from the rugby club.

A close tie-up between football and rugby clubs was mooted by Davitt as he saluted the work of sacked manager Alan Little.

"I think Alan Little did a damned fine job for York City with the resources at his disposal," said the businessman. "But we cannot survive here on gates of 2,500 to 3,000.

"Has the board really looked deeply into the possibility of sharing Bootham Crescent with the rugby league club?"

Davitt ventured such a transfer would attract £100,000 a year in rent from sharing the ground. That would help to spruce up Bootham Crescent by providing new sponsors' boxes and a refurbished social club open seven days a week to raise even more cash. He said: "If we don't bring more money into this club then we have not got the resources to survive in this division. "Surely it would be great to have something like a 16,000 all-seater stadium with a First Division football club and a Super League rugby club."

Craig countered that talks had been held with the previous chairman of the rugby league club. But when City asked about rent - 'we are talking about £25,000' - the money was not there 'up front'.

ALAN LITTLE FACT-FILE

Born: Newcastle, February 5, 1955.

Married: wife Sue; daughters Hayley (18), Helen (15).

Playing career: Aston Villa, Southend, Barnsley, Doncaster Rovers, Torquay United, Halifax Town, Hartlepool.

Managerial career: assistant to John Bird at York City 1988; assistant to John Ward 1991; made caretaker-manager at York City March 12, 1993; appointed manager of York City March 24, 1993.

First game in charge as caretaker-manager: March 13, 1993. Barnet 1, York City 5.

First York City line-up: Kiely, McMillan, Hall, Pepper, Stancliffe, Atkin, McCarthy, Canham, Barnes, Swann, Blackstone. (Only McMillan and Hall still playing with the club).

First goal: Paul Barnes (ninth minute at Barnet).

First defeat: March 20, 1993. York City 1, Bury 2.

First game as manager and first home win: March 26, 1993. York City 2, Northampton 1.

First signing: Steve Cooper £30,000 (Tranmere Rovers).

Little's League record as manager

1992-93 (Division 3)

P10 W6 D1 L3 F19 A12 Pts19 - position 5th - (plus play-off semi-finals and Wembley promotion win)

1993-94 (Division 2)

P46 W21 D12 L13 F64 A40 Pts75 - position 5th - (plus play-off semi-finals)

1994-95 (Division 2)

P46 W21 D16 L9 F67 A51 Pts72 - position 9th

1995-96 (Division 2)

P46 W13 D13 L20 F58 A73 Pts52 - position 20th

1996-97 (Division 2)

P46 W13 D13 L20 F47 A68 Pts52 - position 20th

1997-98 (Division 2)

P46 W14 D17 L15 F52 A58 Pts59 - position 16th

1998-99 (Division 2 - to March 15)

P35 W9 D9 L17 F42 A61 Pts36

Total

P276 W98 D78 L100 F348 A353 Pts381

Cup-tie log (FA Cup, Coca-Cola Cup, Auto Windscreens)

P48 W15 D12 L19 F63 A70

Overall total of League and cup games

P324 W113 D90 L119 F411 A423

Alan Little was the sixth longest-serving manager in the Premiership and Nationwide League: Dario Gradi (Crewe) 15 years 9 months; Alex Ferguson (Manchester United) 12 years 4 months; Brian Flynn (Wrexham) 9 years 4 months; Joe Kinnear (Wimbledon) 7 years 3 months; John Duncan (Chesterfield) 6 years 1 month; Alan Little (York City) 6 years.

Little's transfer dealings

Players bought: Steve Cooper £30,000; Paul Baker £20,000; Paul Wilson £15,000; Tony Barras £25,000; Paul Stephenson £25,000; Rob Matthews £90,000; Adrian Randall £140,000; Gary Himsworth £20,000; John Sharples £70,000; Neil Tolson £80,000; David Rush £85,000; Rodney Rowe £65,000; Mark Tinkler £75,000; Barry Jones £40,000, Gordon Connelly £70,000.

TOTAL: £850,000.

Players sold: Steve Cooper £65,000; Paul Baker £20,000; Paul Wilson £15,000; Ian Blackstone £10,000; Jon McCarthy £450,000 (plus £280,000 sell-on); Darren Williams £150,000; Rob Matthews £100,000; Adrian Randall £140,000; Dean Kiely £125,000; Paul Barnes £350,000; Nigel Pepper £100,000; Neil Campbell £10,000, Jonathan Greening £350,000; Graeme Murty £700,000.

Total: £2,865,000.

Transfer profit: £2,015,000

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.