York City have snared a second captain from Scarborough in six months after signing Neil Bishop for a rare cash fee.

The fine print of the deal is being kept under wraps but Billy McEwan yesterday announced that the 24-year-old midfielder had switched sides for "a small fee".

The new recruit is therefore thought to be the first money transfer into the club since Terry Dolan signed striker Peter Duffield for £10,000 in June 2000.

Bishop joined Scarborough in March 2005 from UniBond League side Whitby Town and has been a virtual ever-present since.

He skippered the Seadogs in both North Yorkshire clashes over the Christmas period making his move a coincidental replica of former Boro captain Mark Hotte. Hotte, though, led the coastal side to two derby wins before jumping ship to York City.

And Bishop, who was yesterday at KitKat Crescent watching the reserve match between the Minstermen and Sheffield United, is another who will have to quickly clean up his act to fit in with McEwan's high-disciplined approach, having picked up seven yellow cards and one red so far this season.

Manager McEwan, however, was pleased to have tied up the deal. He said: "He's the Scarborough captain and he will come on board and join the club which is good.

"We need competition in the midfield and we need to improve the size of the squad. We've lost a few players for different reasons so we needed to get some bodies in.

"We've been looking to get him in for a while, so we're delighted to have him.

"He will give us presence in the squad, which we need."

In a move the other way along the A64, striker Leo Bretos, who was on trial at City, sealed a short-term deal with Boro.

McEwan ran the rule over five trialists yesterday as City reserves tackled a young Sheffield United side but later said there would be no rush to sign them despite the closure of the transfer window.

Centre-half Sam Lancaster has been released by Chesterfield so will not come under transfer rules, as has former Darlington midfielder Steve Thomas.

Paul Smith is at UniBond League Premier Division Ilkeston Town, while both Ryan Laight and Nathan Joynes are part of the Barnsley youth set-up.

Boro signed Barnsley midfield man Richard Kell in a loan deal, which could extend to the end of the season, and, as well as Bertos, offered a short-term move to ex-Barnsley midfielder Tom Baker, who has been at Gainsborough.

Of Kell, Boro boss Neil Redfearn said: "He is a great box to box player and a good footballer."

Updated: 11:02 Wednesday, February 01, 2006