York City chairman Jason McGill has warned that the football club’s future is being threatened by continued hesitancy over the building of a new community stadium.

In a hard-hitting statement, emailed to The Press, McGill has questioned City of York Council’s commitment to the project and called on political leaders to make their views public.

The Malton businessman and majority shareholder of the Minstermen added that he now doubts a new stadium will ever be built in the city and certainly not before 2015.

With the club accruing losses between £200,000 and £400,000 in a typical financial year, McGill has stressed that his company – JM Packaging – are unable to continue meeting that shortfall with no prospect of relocation.

The City boardroom chief has also accused the council of sending out ‘negative and underwhelming’ messages on the subject of a new sports stadium.

McGill said: “There have been various recent meetings with the Football Stadia Improvement Fund and with City of York Council to discuss timings, potential sites and financial implications of the new stadium. Although work is progressing, it has become a slow process and I feel there is political manoeuvring and hesitancy expressed within the council in committing to the project.

“At present, the messages coming from certain York council leaders are negative and underwhelming. To protect our future, I urge everybody with an interest in York City Football Club to insist on unequivocal public statements from the council leaders stating their position on the new stadium.

“It will not do to palm us off with statements about the economy, hard times for the public purse and the questioning of the financial health of the football club.”

McGill added: “Deloitte have given us a clean bill of health after a recent extensive, forensic accounting investigation so come on City of York Council, make a definite statement of intent towards the new stadium and put smiles back onto the faces of the people you represent.

“If you cannot make that commitment then, at least, we all know where we stand. We can say we have done our best to save York City Football Club. With your hand on your heart, can you say you have done the same?

“Enough of the talking, delays, false promises and political posturing. It is now time for positive action.”

McGill added that running the club on a break-even budget would reduce the playing staff’s wage bill by between £350,000 and £400,000 a year, leading to serious implications over the Blue Square Premier play-off chasing club’s chances of future success.

The commercial opportunities offered by a new stadium would help to achieve sustainability.

McGill admitted, however, that the club could not continue to haemorrhage money in the meantime.

He said: “A new stadium would help mitigate the losses but, in my opinion, that is at least five years away if, in fact, it happens at all.

“JM Packaging have been the club’s ‘bankers’ since 2003 and has funded the annual shortfall but the financial commitment, agreed with the Supporters’ Trust in 2006, has now been made with no mechanism in place to allow for further funding.

“A full council commitment to invest in the provision of a new community stadium with seven-day-a-week income generating facilities, constructed in two to three years, would provide a light at the end of the tunnel.”

McGill pointed to neighbours Hull City as an example of what can be achieved if a local authority provides support for its sporting community.

The Tigers climbed from the foot of the Football League to the Premiership after the council donated funds to build the £44million KC Stadium, which opened in 2002 following just 14 months of building work.

McGill said: “There appears to be an opinion that York City Football Club only affects a small percentage of York’s population and that the councillors have to consider the majority.

“Well, Hull is a city with a large population that has a fabulous stadium which only caters for a minority of Hull residents, but having such a facility breeds pride, positivity, passion and a sense of ownership for the whole community.”

Coun Steve Galloway, the council’s executive member for city strategy who represents the Liberal Democrats, said: “We are continuing to follow the timetable we have agreed with the football club. We would expect the next report to be published in the summer.”

The Press were unable to reach Labour leader David Scott, but Coun Ian Gillies, Conversative leader, said: “Jason McGill knows it would be totally unacceptable to commission a report, which is due out in July, and to take action in advance of that report.

“The football club is a limited company and needs to live within its means. Public money cannot be used without due consideration, and like other developments, any potential site would have to go through the proper planning procedure, however frustrating to Mr McGill that may be.

“Interesting that Hull City has been quoted, who despite millions of public money, are now in a precarious financial position.

“I have been a supporter of both professional teams in the City since the 1950s, and would not want to see the demise of either team. Laying the blame at the door of the Council for potential demise really is a poor excuse and does no credit to the MD.

“I am happy to work with both sets of directors to secure the future of professional sport, but if Jason McGill wants a commitment now of millions of pounds of public money to be spent on York City now, then as an elected representative I will have to disappoint him.”