I think I detect a couple of thousand people walking around York and North Yorkshire with a slight swagger, something not seen for a long time. I refer, of course, to the fans of York City who for seemingly decades have been dragged beneath a cowl of despair and disappointment.

How refreshing to get an FA Cup run in the big one, not that the excitement of Wembley last season did not whet the appetite, but it appeared that previous managers got bogged down with the need to get safe in the league. I admit I was a Martin Foyle sceptic last season. After so long dragging our feet, the club seemed to be going nowhere with poor players and a non-existent entertainment value. I admit I did stop going around Christmas last year with such drab players on show. The McGills’ must have been seriously worried about the club into which they have poured so much money and their lives.

I am extremely happy for both manager and the board especially the McGill family for keeping faith when to turn away would have probably been the more sensible option. The dream of the cup sparks a lot of people into coming back through the Bootham Crescent gates and I must say I welcome them even though I may have my space compromised by the twice a season brigade, who no doubt will depart back to the shopping areas on a Saturday once we leave the competition. For 40 four years I have been watching the club and joined the travelling bands to some far out places and I still love the thrill of the action and the desperation of the awful decisions made by the referee. At times the entertainment is sublime and at others like a pantomime, but, in all, I am a fervent City supporter and would like to wish the team and its management all the best in their efforts to return us to the league. It can be done. Stoke City? Now there’s a question.

Jim Dawes, Low Catton. Fantastic result for City against Cambridge to give us a place in round three and make a lot of money for the club.

This season has been a revelation to many die-hard City fans, Martin Foyle is doing a great job and with money from the cup run, hopefully we will be going back to the Football League.

However, why does he persist in defending a lead with a good 45 to 60 minutes to go in instead of building on what we have already got?

We have made some very poor teams at the lower end of the table look very good Let the lads play attacking football and stop this negative panic deep midfield defensive style of play. Come on City.

Mark Loveley, Lavender Grove, Acomb, York.