THE call has well and truly gone out for the good folk of York to get behind the Knights this weekend as their push for promotion reaches fever pitch.

All the great work in the regular season - lifting the Championship One league leaders’ trophy on the back of a York RL record winning run of ten matches - will count for little if similar success is not replicated in the play-off series.

As such, the club have appealed for a season’s best crowd to roar them to victory over Oldham tomorrow, topping the 1,006 that watched the league match between the same two clubs in July - the best attendance throughout Championship One this term.

“We need your support, your club needs you and your city needs you. Lets make this an afternoon to remember,” wrote club media man Ben Hall on the club’s website, a write-up that has been doing the rounds on social media.

“Spread the word, and let’s get as many people as possible to the game to cheer on the lads and push them over the penultimate hurdle.”

Season tickets and vice-president’s packages do not count for play-off matches so it’s pay on the gate for everyone, which, unfortunately, often has a negative effect on attendances. (The perhaps disappointing attendance of below 800 for Hunslet’s play-off against Oldham last week being a case in point.)

But the Knights reckon York’s rugby league supporters will gather in numbers to play their part in carrying the team to the Grand Final at Headingley.

Furthermore, victory would mean no more semi-finals, in which case tomorrow’s game would be the last ever at Huntington Stadium before it is demolished to make way for the new community arena. Whatever your thoughts on the Monks Cross venue in its current guise, be they good or bad, it’s probably worth saying goodbye to it.

“This is the time for the people of York to come out and make their support for the York City Knights truly count,” added Hall.

“We’re just one win away from a place in the Grand Final on October 5, while it would also signal the final action to ever be held at the Huntington Stadium with the stadium to be demolished following the 2014 season.

“For the Oldham game in July, we achieved a crowd of 1,006, the best in the league this season.

“With this being such a special occasion, we’re confident we can achieve even better this time. Therefore, we’re aiming to continue to keep breaking records on and off the field in 2014.

“We urge all supporters, and the people of York, to turn out and support the players as they start their play-off path towards promotion.

“Even if you have never been to a YCK match, or even a rugby league match, then come down because we can promise you this record-breaking side will put on a show and you’ll have a great time among the company of our friendly fans and staff.”

Here’s hoping that last line is more a case of top-quality foretelling than counting chickens!


NOT wanting to tempt fate at all, but hospitality packages are available for the Grand Final at Headingley in Leeds on October 5.

Finals days comprises the Conference Challenge Trophy final at 11.45am, a university 9s tournament from 1.30pm, then the Kingstone Press Championship One Grand Final at 4.05pm, followed by the Championship Grand Final at 7pm.

Hospitality can be bought through the Rugby Football League but if it’s bought through the Knights office, the club get a cut, so do it that way by phoning 01904 767404.


WHATEVER happens in the play-offs, the Knights will be playing at Bootham Crescent next season, moving in with York City as Huntington Stadium is knocked down and rebuilt as the shared Community Stadium.

The club will get money from the new stadium budget to cover losses through having fewer sponsorship, hospitality and bar-based income opportunities.

But they are also launching “bespoke” advertising and/or marketing opportunities for 2015, which, according to community sponsorship manager Jack Stearman, are tailored to meet the needs and budgets of partner companies and organisations.

For more details or to discuss possibilities, phone Jack on 01904 767404.


IT seems training at the Knights has been geared towards this play-off for some time.

Assistant-coach Mick Ramsden revealed after the victory over London Skolars on the last day of the regular season that the team had been preparing for tomorrow’s match even before the Skolars game, focusing on Hunslet’s and Oldham’s strengths and weaknesses rather than those of the Londoners.

That game was York’s only competitive outing in five weeks, due to the disjointed regular season fixture list, so would rustiness be an issue? The answer’s no, according to captain Jack Lee this week - due to those intense training sessions. He also suggested Oldham’s surprise win over Hunslet last week - meaning it is the Roughyeds coming to Huntington Stadium - will not have caught anyone on the hop.

Said Lee: “We’ve been training on Sundays as well as in the week, with the sessions being equivalent to a game.

“We’ve been preparing well - prepping for both Oldham and Hunslet. We weren’t bothered who we got really as they’re both good teams.

“Training has been really good and we’re happy with how everything is going.”


MATCH-DAY admission prices tomorrow are at usual rates and the same for standing or seating.

Admission costs £15 for adults, £12 for concessions or £6 for under-16s.