IT might only represent the flick of a page in an alphabetical encyclopaedia of full-time football teams but, in normal circumstances, Yeovil to York requires a 260-mile trek.

Double that figure to 520 for a round trip and it must represent one of the longest journeys ever made by any football club to stage a single training session.

At a cost of £3,000, there can certainly have been few more expensive two-hour workouts.

The futility of such a hike has caused York City to send a written application for compensation to the Conference following the postponement of Tuesday night’s Blue Square Premier match at Weymouth.

City set off for an overnight stay on Monday having received strong assurances from the Dorset club that the fixture was in little danger of being called off despite extreme overnight weather forecasts.

Whether this optimisim was based on ignorance, defiance or a desperation not to miss out on valuable television revenue could now be a matter for the Blue Square Premier’s governing body to decide.

Chief executive Dennis Strudwick admitted he was unclear on the Conference’s guidelines for pitch inspection timings but believed match officials act under FA directives.

With other sides suffering similar fates to City, who accepted Yeovil boss Russell Slade’s kind offer to use the Huish Park facilities on Tuesday morning, the Football League issued a statement declaring that host clubs are expected to provide early warnings if fixtures are in doubt and bear in mind the visiting team’s travel arrangements.

Weymouth appear to have contravened such considerations with their misplaced confidence as the team coach prepared to leave KitKat Crescent and Conference head Strudwick admitted the league’s board can now determine whether Weymouth are liable for City’s costs.

He said: “We will consider any correspondence sent to us and we do have a rule which enables clubs to apply for compensation in these circumstances. The Conference will then look into the application and see if the home club is liable for any costs incurred by the visiting team.

“We do not have a slush fund to delve into ourselves in these situations but we do adjudicate on possible reasons for compensation. We will make inquiries of the home club to determine whether compensation should be paid or not.”

When asked whether he felt an earlier postponement should have been considered, Strudwick added: “I live in Worcestershire – a long, long way from Weymouth – so I couldn’t possibly say whether the game should have been postponed the day before without checking the facts.”

The match was the fourth live Setanta Sports match to be called off in the space of a month – a tally that increased to five when Woking v Northwich also fell foul of the weather on Thursday night.

Setanta estimate they have also incurred “thousand-pound losses” in that time but, when asked whether their cash payments to City and Weymouth could still be honoured, pointed out it was the Conference who deemed how to distribute their money-pot.

The Irish broadcasters have also added it is unlikely the match would now be screened on its rearranged date as another route towards recompense.

Producer Matt Curtis said: “We don’t normally televise the rearranged games as just selecting the original games often proves difficult and I know from past experience York fans don’t really like the games being moved anyway.”

When asked whether he felt shifting Weymouth v York to a televised Tuesday night slot had been an unusual choice in the first place, Curtis added: “Contractually, we have got to go to every ground and, at the time we looked at the fixture, both teams were a little higher in the league.

“But when you put York City on, in any case, they are a big club at this level who attract good viewing figures. Under Martin Foyle, the team is entertaining and they gave us a cracking game at Burton on Boxing Day.

“In fact, it’s very rare that they have featured in poor matches and we are hoping to get them back on before the end of the season. They are a fantastic club to deal with, as are Martin and club secretary Nick Bassett.”

Curtis added that Setanta strive to give at least one month’s notice for date changes to televised fixtures and aim to reveal their calendar for March in the next fortnight.

Foyle to go under the grill

YORK City manager Martin Foyle will answer questions as a guest of supporters’ group York Minstermen on Thursday night.

The event, held at KitKat Crescent Social Club, will begin at 8pm with the bar opening an hour earlier. Admission is free.

Stealer will be the next band to play live at KitKat Crescent Social Club on Friday, January 30.

According to their MySpace site a mixture of metal, rock, blues and southern rock can be expected.

York Minstermen’s first quiz night of 2009, meanwhile, is to take place on Thursday, February 5 in the Social Club.

Spot-on for big day out

ROBIN Cowley showed his skills to nab a prized spot on the York City team coach to Burton on Boxing Day.

The 11-year-old, from Fulford, came out on top at a Christmas Special day organised by the Minstermen’s football in the community scheme.

As many as 35 youngsters battled it out in a series of shooting, passing, speed and dribbling drills in a bid to travel with Martin Foyle and his team to Staffordshire and the Pirelli Stadium.

Robin scooped the main prize but all the youngsters got to play on the KitKat Crescent pitch, meet squad members Niall Henderson and Liam Shepherd and take a peek inside the dressing rooms.

Danial Parker, of York City In The Community, said: “It was a great day and a great way of getting children involved in the football club.”