Petition calling for extra entry to League door (From York Press)

Petition calling for extra entry to League door

9:44am Saturday 17th December 2011 in Diary By Dave Flett, Sports reporter

Matty Blair

YORK City supporter Carl Hodgson is petitioning for an extra promotion place from the Blue Square Bet Premier.

Hodgson, 29, believes the current system of just one team up automatically and one through the play-offs is creating a ‘bottleneck’ between the Football League and the highest echelon of the non-League game that needs addressing.

This season the Conference boasts 14 former Football League clubs and Hodgson feels it is time that the quality of the division precipitated change.

The Newcastle-based council traffic engineer’s petition has attracted more than 600 signatures with notable names including City goalkeeper Michael Ingham and former Minsterman Jon Shaw – the Blue Square Bet Premier’s leading marksman who now plies his trade at Gateshead.

With many from North Yorkshire and Bedfordshire adding their weight to Hodgson’s argument, the issue is also clearly one that unites fans from City and fierce rivals Luton Town.

Those with a sceptical disposition might point out that such support is pretty much the opposite of turkeys voting for Christmas, as those at Bootham Crescent and Kenilworth Road would obviously struggle to be impartial on this subject.

Equally, there is a counter argument that relegating three Football League teams every year might not necessarily make it easier to get out of the Blue Square Bet Premier or correct a growing imbalance.

It is rarely the poorly-supported, but let’s not forget prudently run, clubs who drop out of the League.

Bradford City and Plymouth Argyle, both capable of attracting five-figure crowds and not long since operating in the Premier League and Championship respectively, both find their Football League status under threat this season.

Hodgson, though, is hoping that football followers up and down the land can join his protest and lobby the FA for change.

Opting against supporting Newcastle at an early age, Hodgson adopted the Minstermen as his team at the age of 17 when, on a day trip to the city, he watched the team secure a 2-1 home win over Millwall in 1998.

He is now a regular at Bootham Crescent with his dad – a one-time Sunderland supporter – and, commenting on his crusade, said: “If you look at the football pyramid there is a major bottleneck, where the Football League starts and the non-League pyramid begins.

“There are now 14 ex-Football League clubs who are trying to get back up there along with the likes of Gateshead and Fleetwood, who are traditional non-League clubs turning professional and modernising by building new facilities in the anticipation of a greater returns from League football. Many attendances in the Conference are in competition with, if not higher than, lower football league clubs.

“With this petition, I hope we can raise the profile of grassroots football and prove it’s not a Sunday kickabout with one man and his dog watching and that there is very little difference between the Conference and the Football League but, until the barbed wire fence between the two come down, it makes it harder for those one side of the fence to operate successfully.”

You can add your name to the petition set up by Hodgson by visiting www.gopetition.co.uk/petitions/3-teams-to-be-promoted-to-league-2.html or twitter @conferenceunite

Vital plea to swell Trust board

City’s Supporters’ Trust will hold their annual general meeting on Thursday, February 23, in Bootham Crescent’s Pitchside Bar at 7.30pm.

An election is also due to be held on the night to appoint directors to the Trust board with six places available.

On the importance of attracting candidates, a Trust spokesperson said: “It cannot be emphasised too strongly the position of the Trust, who hold 25 per cent of the club on behalf of the fans and how crucial that may be as the council look to develop a new stadium at Huntington.

“If you’re committed to protecting the future of the club we hope you’ll consider standing to join us on the board.”

Nomination forms can be obtained by emailing davidbrewis@ukf.net or writing to The Secretary, York City Supporters’ Trust, 40 Grange Park, Brough, East Yorkshire, HU15 1AA.

Forms must be received by Jnanuary 19.

Anyone wishing to submit an item for inclusion on the agenda must also contact the secretary before January 19.

The completed agenda will then be sent to all current Trust members later in the month.

• The organisers of City’s 50-50 draw will also be holding a raffle before Monday’s home game with Kidderminster.

Aimed at raising more money for the York City Youth Development fund, the prizes will be a 70cl bottle of Bell’s Whisky and a £10 voucher for Stonegate Yard Bar & Brasserie.

They will be on sale in the Pitchside Bar and in the Supporters’ Office next to the club shop with the draw being made at half-time.

Third degree for Blair pitch factor

MATTY Blair has moved up to third place on The Press Player of the Year leaderboard after his man-of-the-match display in Tuesday’s 3-0 FA Trophy replay victory at Solihull Moors.

As a consequence, the 21-year-old attacker won three points towards the standings with defenders David McGurk (two) and Daniel Parslow (one) also recognised as our second and third-highest rated players respectively.

In last Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Solihull, the points went to our man-of-the-match Jamal Fyfield (three), Blair (two) and Paddy McLaughlin (one).

Blair also leads the Player of the Month contest for December after picking up the two bonus points on offer to the player who polled most man-of-the-match votes from visitors to our website for Tuesday’s game.

In Saturday’s tie, Blair and Fyfield shared the points.

To be in with a chance of presenting December’s Player of the Month with their prize before a City home game, vote for your man of the match from Monday’s home game with Kidderminster .

The Press Player of the Year standings: Walker 28 points, Kerr 15, Blair 13, Fyfield 13, Ingham 13, McLaughlin 13, Chambers 11, McGurk 10, Meredith 10, Moké 9, Challinor 7, Smith 7, Oyebanjo 6, Boucaud 5, Henderson 1, Parslow 1, Reed 1.

The December Press Player of the Month standings: Blair 11, Fyfield 7, McGurk 6, McLaughlin 5, Challinor 1, Ingham 1, Parslow 1.

Goals: Walker 15, Chambers 8, McLaughlin 8, Blair 6, Reed 6, Challinor 3, Moké 2, Pilkington 2, Ashikodi 1, Boucaud 1, Fyfield 1, own goal 1, Smith 1.

Assists: Chambers 9, McLaughlin 8, Blair 6, Meredith 6, Moké 6, Walker 5, Kerr 4, Pilkington 3, Potts 2, Challinor 1, Henderson 1, McGurk 1, Oyebanjo 1, Reed 1, Smith 1.

Bad boys: McGurk 7 yellow cards; Boucaud, Walker both 1 red, 3 yellow; Blair, Kerr both 4 yellow; Challinor, McLaughlin, Meredith, Parslow, Smith all 3 yellow; Fyfield, Moké, Reed all 2 yellow; Ashikodi, Chambers, Ingham, Oyebanjo all 1 yellow.