YORK City Knights will almost certainly not be allowed promotion to the Championship unless they get confirmation this month that they can play at Bootham Crescent next season.

It is even unclear if they will be allowed to play in any division next term if they end up homeless again like in 2015, when they needed special dispensation from the Rugby Football League to stage League One home games at Clifton Park and Heworth ARLC, neither of which met ground regulations.

The Knights have played at York City's ground this year as part of the council's community stadium project – which has seen the rugby league club's old Huntington Stadium home demolished to make way for the planned new arena to be shared by both teams.

But the agreement for them to do so expires at the end of this season – at least 18 months before the much-delayed new venue will be ready.

Bootham Crescent is the only ground in York that comes close to RFL regulations since Huntington Stadium was closed down at the end of 2014.

Knights chief executive John Guildford wants the condition allowing the rugby club to continue playing there to be acknowledged at tonight's meeting of the council's planning committee, which will discuss the latest amendments to the community stadium proposals.

Guildford said via email: "We have had no reply (from the council) and assume it will be resolved at the planning meeting and the committee will add the conditions in as per the original approval as required by Sport England, ie that 'works shall not commence on the new community stadium project until facilities are provided for York City Knights to play first-team fixtures until the new stadium is completed and ready for the Knights to use'."

A council spokesperson said: "City of York Council has agreements with York City and York City Knights relating to the use of Bootham Crescent and officers are working positively with staff at both clubs to find a solution ahead of the season next year."

The RFL have told the Knights that for any club to be eligible for promotion they must have, by June 30, confirmed use of a ground that meets the Facility Standards of the higher division. Alternatively they must apply for dispensation asking for more time for it to meet such criteria.

RFL regulations state: "For a club to be eligible for promotion, its ground must meet the Facility Standards of the Championship or the board must have granted a dispensation by July 22.

"For the avoidance of doubt, a dispensation may include an extension of time beyond the date above to complete any work necessary to meet the applicable Facility Standards.

"Any request for a dispensation by a club that wishes to be eligible for promotion... must have been provided in writing to the RFL by the end of June."

Bootham Crescent currently does not meet one aspect of the criteria – that the player's lounge must hold a minimum of 50 people – but this would be immaterial if the agreement that allows the rugby league club to play there is not renewed.

The issue is another knock-on effect of the much-delayed stadium project.

The Knights were initially told, after leaving Huntington Stadium, that they would be able to play at Bootham Crescent until the new ground was ready. However, the council amended that agreement, allowing them to play there for only two years – 2015 and 2016.

They remained homeless in 2015 after a major falling-out between Guildford and the council's then community stadium team but have played at Bootham Crescent this year after new directors came on board to take over stadium negotiations from Guildford.

The rugby club do not have an agreement directly with City to play at Bootham Crescent. Instead, they have an agreement with the council to play there and the council in turn have an agreement with the football club to let them. The costs of the Knights' lodgings are covered by the community stadium budget.