YORK City manager Martin Gray has warned about the perils of part-time football ahead of tomorrow’s vote on the Golden Share Proposal.

Gray has also pointed out that he left Darlington for the Minstermen in October because he felt he had taken the National League North outfit as far as possible on a semi-professional budget.

He now believes the financial support that chairman Jason McGill currently provides to cover operating losses is essential if the club are to fulfil their hopes of returning to the Football League in the future.

McGill has indicated that his financial support will stop and the club would need to operate on a break-even basis if Supporters Trust members vote ‘No’ at the Millthorpe School special general meeting which, in his opinion, could mean part-time football.

Ex-Sunderland midfielder Gray is hoping that will not be the case and reasoned: "When I made the very difficult decision to leave Darlington, it was the set-up at York City which made the job so attractive to me.

“It is as close to a professional Football League club as you can find outside the top four divisions. The club has a reputation for stability and for paying its bills and, with the new stadium in sight, these factors - together with the enthusiasm and ambition of the chairman - made it an opportunity I could not resist.

“As a full-time football club at this level, that should give any manager an advantage over the majority of his rivals. The moment I walked into Bootham Crescent, it felt like a proper football stadium and a proper football club.

“That feeling has not left me - and I have it every time I go into the ground to work. Not all the decisions that have been taken off the pitch have led to success on it.

“But I do believe Jason has made them with the best intentions and he cares passionately about the club. York City should be a Football League club.

“I was determined to come in and help Jason achieve that goal and we currently sit fourth in the table with a real shot at promotion. But I cannot see how it will be possible to take the club forward if the chairman withdraws his financial support and the whole football club is run on a part-time basis.

"It is important to budget sensibly but without external funding and access to increased revenue it is difficult to produce a break-even position, especially without making dramatic cuts to the club’s infrastructure and I believe that it is the infrastructure that will lead to success in the long run.

“Given the opportunity, and with the right tools, I will bring success to York City. You only have to look at the two teams who are now, realistically, competing for automatic promotion from our division.

“Salford City and Harrogate Town are funded by their owners and, as a result, they have playing budgets and infrastructure to match. I have competed against Salford for the last three seasons and, at Darlington, we had reached a point where it was almost impossible to do so - and that came down to money.

“Without substantial investment, it will be difficult to get to the next level. When Brian Atkinson and I took over at Darlington in the Northern League in 2012, we could not have achieved success and three promotions without the supporters and the volunteers who ensured the club survived and remained financially viable.

“But this can only take a club so far. I know how important and emotive the issue of 'fan ownership' and board-level involvement has become to supporters of all clubs.

“My own attempts to bring in investment at Darlington were met with an angry rebuttal but I insist they were made with the best intentions. The fact is, as you rise through the divisions, you need money to keep going.

“Players at any level will play for those who are willing to pay the most. That is a fact in the modern game and, if York City is to compete with the best-paying clubs, we will need the necessary finances and should remain full-time.

"Part time football brings some practical problems. For example, it would be difficult for the first team to have somewhere to train on evenings due to the training ground not having floodlights.

“The club must not be diverted from the task ahead and the hard work, commitment, and endeavours of the chairman should not be under-estimated. I have experienced plenty of owners and chairmen over the last few years - some good, some not so good - and, trust me, York City is lucky to have a man like Jason McGill in charge.

“I sincerely hope it will continue to be the case and he gets the support he is seeking this week."