YORK City skipper Russell Penn is determined to give Bootham Crescent a fitting send-off.

The Minstermen are due to move out of their 83-year-old home at the end of next season and Penn - an unashamed lover of the old-fashioned arena - wants the club to mark the occasion with a campaign to remember.

Penn helped City reach the Sky Bet League Two play-offs after arriving from Cheltenham midway through the 2013/14 season.

But, this term, the club only secured their Football League status with three games to go following a 35-yard thunderbolt from their talismanic captain.

On the extra incentive to avoid a similar scenario next term, the 29-year-old midfielder said: “It will be our last season at Bootham Crescent and I love the place.

“It’s got its own character and, while moving on to the next stage for York City was always going to come some day, it would be great to have a really good season to finish off there and take that into the new stadium.”

Penn is also ready to place his trust in manager Russ Wilcox’s summer rebuilding plans.

Three players - Wes Fletcher, Lewis Montrose and Ryan Jarvis - were released last week, while three more (Lindon Meikle, Marvin McCoy and Jason Mooney) have been put on the transfer list Josh Carson, Michael Ingham and Tom Platt, meanwhile, have been offered new deals.

Other than Emile Sinclair, Wilcox was restricted to making loan signings after taking over from his Nigel Worthington in mid-October.

Malvind Benning, Deon Burton, Alex Cisak, Shaq Coulthirst, Brad Halliday, Shaun Miller, Carlton Morris, Josh O’Hanlon, Bobby Olejnik and Stephane Zubar were the fresh faces he was able to recruit on a temporary basis and that ros - ter provides Penn with encouragement going into the close season.

“I was pleased to get safe with three games to go but, overall, we were disappointed with the season we had and we have to look forward to the next one now,” Penn pointed out. “The gaffer will be working hard and trying to get his own players in.

“He’s only really had the loan market to play with since coming here and the majority of those signings have been good, so the signs are there for a good, solid season. We have also found a formation that seems to suit the squad.

“Whether we will go with that again and fit the personnel around it, we will see.”

Middlesbrough teenager Halliday has already been identified as one player Wilcox would like to bring back to Bootham Crescent next season and Penn, who played a mentoring role during the Redcar-born wing-back’s spell in North Yorkshire, would welcome such a move, saying: “Brad lived with Keith (Lowe) in an apartment just down the road from me, so we looked after him when he came down and got to know his parents really well.

“I think you have to do that because me and Keith have been there ten years ago and it’s hard to go into a club on loan. We totally understand that.

“He was nervous to start with but he came out of his shell and blossomed into a good player. He’s a really good kid and that showed when everybody went over to celebrate with him when he scored his goal at Portsmouth.

“He’s young and was a bit naive at times, but his energy and enthusiasm for the game is fantastic and, if he can keep on the straight and narrow, he will be a player for the future.”