I WOULD like to take this opportunity to wish our loyal supporters a happy New Year because the biggest plus for me over the last 12 months has been the size of our fanbase, which is growing bit by bit.

We had 3,500 against Halifax on what is normally the worst-supported day of the football season - the Saturday before Christmas - but our crowd was up instead of being down. That gives me and the players a lot of encouragement, knowing the fans are coming out and backing us.

I have never had as many letters of support from fans at any of my previous clubs and that's very encouraging for myself.

In the last 12 months, we have also had a massive turnover of players. A lot left in the summer with 16 in last season's team picture no longer here while nine or ten have come in and, to be where we are in the New Year with that many changes in personnel, is another big plus because, as a coach, that situation is a big, big challenge.

I have to teach all new players the standards and professional attitude that I demand because, if they don't do what I want, it's me who will get the sack and, aside from one exception, players from both sides over the last two seasons have done that.

I had to balance the budget over the summer and see if I could improve the squad, as I am still doing, but I would say this group are ahead of last season's squad and are stronger.

Clayton Donaldson, for example, is beginning to develop as a person and a player as a lot of the others are doing. It's not just a matter of football.

I've upset one or two people along the way but it's for their own good to improve themselves. People questioned what I was doing when I broke up last season's squad because we were in the top eight all season but I wanted to get better. Some players also had to go because they were on too much money and I could get two players for the price of one.

Looking forward to 2007 and beyond, I want to improve everything at York City from keeping the car park clean and tidy to improving the training ground because that's where I spend most of my time. That's my working place. We are only at KitKat Crescent one-and-a-half hours every other Saturday.

At the moment, we have 17 acres at Wigginton Road but the pitches need to be improved. A lot of Conference, League Two and League One clubs would probably give their right arm for our training facilities but I want better.

We are starting that process and are hoping to work on one pitch a year from now on, improving the compositions of the soil and clay. We're also looking to improve the state of the KitKat Crescent pitch by investing in waterproof and frost sheets, as well as hiring the services of a pitch consultant.

I'm hoping that everything I have learned from being a caretaker manager in the Premiership with Derby to being in charge of Darlington, where players had to buy their own studs and bring their own soap, can benefit York City because I want to get this club back to something like it was.

The players we have now are all assets to York City because if I put them on the list tomorrow they would all get snapped up. I believe, after hard times, we have restored a bit of pride and respect and there are shoots of recovery that will hopefully keep blossoming.