York City players applauded by hundreds of fans as they walk to civic reception (From York Press)

York City players applauded by hundreds of fans as they walk to civic reception

2:36pm Tuesday 15th May 2012 in News

HUNDREDS of fans applauded York City players as they walked through the city centre with the FA Trophy to a civic reception at the Guildhall.

With another massive game to come at Wembley on Sunday - the Blue Square Conference play-off final against Luton Town - club officials decided on ‘low-key’ celebrations yesterday (tues) to mark last Saturday’s victory against Newport County.

A victory parade on an open-top bus was ruled out and the players wore their tracksuits after completing a training session to emphasise their view that they were effectively only at half time.

And supporters responded by showing their appreciation of the team’s achievements with prolonged clapping rather than over-the-top cheers and Manchester City-style jubilation as they arrived in a packed St Helen’s Square and raised the trophy aloft on the steps if the Mansion House, although a chorus of ‘We are York’ broke out a couple of times.

Escorted by police, the players had taken a route from their Bootham Crescent ground along Bootham and High Petergate, stopping to pose for photographs with the trophy at historic Bootham Bar and then outside York Minster, with groups of fans breaking out in applause along the way.

Supporters who got close to their heroes for photographs included one of York’s oldest fans, Pauline Westbrook, 79, of Acomb, who said: “I’m really pleased for all of them.”

Another was Tony Khou, of Burton Stone Lane, who said: “It’s fantastic. I really, really enjoyed it at Wembley. I have never shouted so much.”

John Bonarius, from Heworth, managed to get Matty Blair’s autograph for his five-year-old son Matthew, who went to Wembley on Saturday.