THE boss of York’s rugby league club has called for the city’s community stadium project to be shelved.

Rather than bulldoze the Knight’s current Huntington Stadium home and replace it with a new arena, York City Knights executive chairman John Guildford said the present stadium should be modernised and a groundshare with York City FC abandoned.

The Minstermen said they were “very disappointed” by the “negative” comments and ditching the scheme would be fatal for them and City of York Athletics Club, also based at Huntington Stadium. The ground is the chosen site for a new 6,000-seater arena housing the Knights and City, with athletics facilities moving to the Sports Village at Hull Road.

A Knights statement said they had been “willing to participate in discussions” but felt they were being “compelled” into an "inferior" ground-sharing scheme and claimed this would cause "devastation" to the club.

Mr Guildford said: “It has become evident sharing a stadium is not a workable option. If there was the possibility of a good, sustainable scheme, we believe City of York Council would have been able to announce it by now. This delay and uncertainty is not good for the long-term planning of the club and it has gone on long enough.”

But City’s communications and community director Sophie Hicks said: “York City and City of York Athletics Club do not have a future without a new stadium and new athletics facilities, and both clubs are under severe time pressure to move in order to survive.

“We believe sharing a stadium is a workable option. Moving to a refurbished Huntington Stadium is not acceptable to our supporters and does not adhere to the criteria of our Football Stadium Improvement Fund loan.”

A council spokeswoman said: “There are examples across the UK where both footbal and rugby clubs successfully operate together.

“To upgrade both existing stadia would not provide the modern, top-class community facilities we are aspiring to achieve for the city, nor would it enable the significant improvements a new stadium would bring for both of the professional sports clubs or deliver a new community, county-standard athletics facility.

"The council will reiterate its commitment to the football, rugby and athletics clubs that they will not be financially disadvantaged by the community stadium project. We have provided a guarantee that a draft business plan covering the key elements by the partners will be provided shortly.

"The project's progress is discussed at the community stadium advisory group meetings and the Knights have an open invitation to attend these meetings, but have decided not to. The council has made signficant progress on the project over the past two-and-a-half years and work is ongoing to ensure a timely and successful delivery of the project."