I HAVE supported York City since the 1960s, but have lived in Australia for the last 13 years so have not seen many games in recent years.

However this month I have seen two City games for the first time in five or six years, and I have to admit to being a bit disappointed.

As a rare City fan in Oz, I often tell people that the standard in the English Blue Square Premier is better that the Aussie ‘A’ League, but now I’m not so sure.

I was at the Crescent (rare trip home) to see the Grays Athletic game on December 6.

Although there were some decent individual skills, players seemed to have no idea when approaching the attacking third of the field.

More often than not, City resorted to a hopeful kick in the air in the general direction of the opponents’ goal and they were usually collected easily by the Grays ’keeper.

I have coached juniors and, like most kids’ coaches, I know that this “kick towards the goal and hope” tactic works well at under-9s, U10s, U11s and even U12s when you have a small ’keeper in a big goal (they play full sized pitches and goals here for kids U9s and upwards).

But from U13s upwards, the teams that actually pass the ball to each other in the final third of the field do a lot better.

City could do well playing like they are in our local leagues here up to U12s, but would be outclassed by a decent 13-year-old team.

The standard was a bit better at Burton (I saw it on Setanta back in Oz) and we were unlucky not to get at least a point, but they still gave it the big boot towards goal too often for me.

Midway through the game, it was comforting to hear Martin Foyle say something like “we have not strung two passes together in the final third yet” so he does know what needs to be done.

He has just got to get them to do it now – good luck.

Never mind, I’m still a fan and just bought the new shirt, which has a certain curiosity value here in the Antipodes.

Good luck to all at City for the new year.

John Gates, Australia