OUT-OF FAVOUR York City player Chris Brass has been allowed to stay at Harrogate Town until December 13 after an 11th hour U-turn by the Minstermen.

But manager Billy McEwan said he wished Brass was gone for good.

McEwan had originally said there would be no further extensions to Brass's loan spell at Wetherby Road even though that would mean the former player-manager missing out on the crucial FA Cup first round replay against Torquay United tomorrow night.

But after lengthy talks between the two clubs, a deal was arranged to keep Brass playing for another four weeks for the Nationwide North team which have yet to lose with him on the field.

McEwan said: "He wasn't going to stay but negotiations between the club and Harrogate Town have led to him going there for another month. That will help him a little bit and it also helps Harrogate Town a wee bit.

"It helps the player get more games under his belt but to be honest we would rather he left the club and sort out his bits and pieces."

McEwan has made no secret of the fact that Brass has no place in the first team under his rule with money so tight, and he conceded that Brass being at Town freed up some cash to pursue other loan players.

But he added: "He is in the shop window and at least he's out there playing, but he will struggle to get somewhere on his salary.

"The problem is that he's a Conference player on Championship wages and that makes it more difficult for us to bring players in."

Brass, writing in a national football magazine this weekend a year to the day he was sacked as City's manager, admitted the last 12 months had been "bizarre".

He believed he still has something to offer City as a player and that he was looking to get a move to a League club in January.

Brass figured in Town's 1-1 Conference North home game on Saturday and will now line up against Torquay tomorrow.

The replay is not all ticket. Fans will be able to pay at the turnstiles. Segregation will apply with home supporters entering via turnstiles A, B and D.

Torquay fans have been allocated an area on the Wetherby Road side of the ground and will enter via turnstile C.

City's juniors lost 2-1 at home to Notts County in the Football League Youth Alliance on Saturday. Robbie Haw scored the goal for the young Minstermen.

City's reserves game at Darlington in the Pontin's Holiday League east has been put back 24 hours to Tuesday (7pm).

There will be a full preview of Harrogate Town's big game in tomorrow's Evening Press.

Updated: 09:29 Monday, November 14, 2005