They might be giants (From York Press)

They might be giants

9:52am Saturday 3rd December 2011 in TKO Tony Kelly By Tony Kelly, Deputy sports editor

SOMETIMES you just wish there were such things as giants. No, not sporting giants, I mean 100 per cent, fully paid-up, grade one, gung-ho-ho-ho giants, who occupy those fabled beanstalks.

If there were, then the good citizens of York could hire one to descend from its haven of foliage in the clouds and – mindful of not stepping on York Minster or Clifford Tower, oops – grab hold of Tweedle-dee (York City) and Tweedle-dum (York City Knights) and bash their bloody heads together.

I don’t know about you, but quite honestly I am heartily sick to the back of my tonsils at the claims, counter-claims, recriminations, rancour, argument, response, response to the response, response to the response to the response, and the general my-dad-is-bigger-than-your-dad, tit-for-tat behaviour of both main sporting clubs in this city.

There has never been over-much harmony between the two, but at least in the past they did co-exist, they did rub alongside each other cotton jersey by cotton jersey, sponsored shirt by sponsored shirt.

Now though it looks as if the chief protagonists in the bid for a one-suits-all community stadium could barely breathe the same air in the same city, let alone the same room.

So much for a united front, so much for shared sporting interests, so much for mutual respect.

There has always been a worrying and sorry tradition in this country’s media, especially among the red-topped variety, to personalise key issues and demonise the major personalities.

It’s getting that way now in York with the witterings of certain web warriors fuelling the enmity.

In the red, blue and white corner, the McGills of Bootham Crescent; in the blue and white corner, the Guildford of Huntington Stadium.

There may be more of one than the other, but both camps are as culpable as each other in increasingly turning people off the entire campaign.

For two professional sports clubs, for the only two professional sports outfits in the city, to be at each other’s throats over a potential new home in which they will be tenants is as bizarre as it is mystifying.

There’s no denying both rivals – should they ever be rivals over a common purpose? – have their own interests to consider. They want the best for their respective clubs, so such a stance is understandable.

But should either of those postures be unbending, unyielding, unequivocal?

The question of the community stadium, the building of which will impact on the City of York Athletics Club too, lest anyone forget, is also racked by another portentous and thorny issue – that of how retail development in and around the city is to be furthered.

As the debate widens and the prospect of jobs and cash being generated, or diluted from elsewhere, grabs more of a hold – retail development at Monks Cross or within the city walls – surely it makes some sort of commonsense for the sports side of the entire project to find common ground?

It’s not as if the subject of new sites for both football or rugby league clubs has suddenly crept up.

Ever since the tumultuous events when Bootham Crescent was put up for sale more than a decade ago, and, before that, York’s then rugby league club, the Wasps, also pondering a potential ground-share at City’s home away from the unsatisfactory aspect of the Huntington Stadium, there’s been a hankering for pastures new.

That it has taken so long and still has yet to be delivered is a downright shambles and reflects ill on both football and rugby league clubs, as well as on the city’s previous administration which shillied and shallied, dallied and dithered like a wallflower waiting to be asked for his or her first dance at the school disco.

Strangely, when I first shipped up in York as a sports reporter, the rugby league club had just moved from its adored Clarence Street home to Huntington Stadium (then Ryedale Stadium). Indeed, one of my first tasks was a vox pop at the opening match at said stadium.

Not many fans then were in favour, especially since the new location had denied them the tradition of a few pints and a gentle walk to the base that was once Clarence Street.

That argument is now being used by some City fans, some of whom want to remain at their city centre domain.

But Bootham Crescent is finished, or soon will be, as a ground for reasons already outlined by the club. Meanwhile, the Knights’ stronghold is unsuitable as it presently stands for a ground-share. In fairness, it is hardly ideal for rugby league given it has the running track around it.

Irrespective of the contrasting demands of retailers, both clubs need to share a ground, the site of which has been identified – at long last – as Huntington Stadium.

With the city’s athletics club keen to move to the impending sports village at the University of York, then come on, get together, put aside differences and just get the new stadium up and running.

It’s hardly a giant-sized task, or is it?