Plain tinpotty

10:36am Saturday 15th March 2008

DERIDING non-League football's premier knockout competition as the "Tinpot Trophy" might seem an understandable sentiment for proud fans of a club that once reached an FA Cup semi-final.

Having humbled both Manchester United and Arsenal, as well as holding a Liverpool team rightly heralded as Europe's finest, over the last 25 years, certain York City supporters could also argue it is difficult to get aroused at the prospect of an FA Trophy semi-final, second leg meeting with Torquay.

But, despite apparent ambivalence in some quarters, the reality of the Minstermen's current situation is that today's tie, with the potential £400,000 spin-offs quoted by club secretary Nick Bassett in The Press on Wednesday, probably presents the most feasible chance of ever reliving such glories.

This month's announcement that City recorded losses of £277,730 for the last financial year, coupled with managing director Jason McGill's assertion that he had "completed my end of the bargain", illustrated that the club currently stands at an economic crossroads.

With the £500,000 McGill promised over five years when his Malton-based company JM Packaging became owners of the club in 2006 all but gone already, it is clear that significant cost-cutting measures will be needed if the Blue Square Premier outfit are to operate responsibly in coming seasons without the benefit of a day out at Wembley this spring.

The bottom line for football clubs at any level is you are only as big as your fan base or your owner's wallet.

That is why Reading, Wigan and Fulham are currently enjoying life in the Premier League and also why the likes of Leeds United and Nottingham Forest will eventually return there.

City currently boast the seventh-highest average gate in non-League football, marginally ahead of Stevenage, FC United of Manchester and AFC Telford United but trailing the likes of AFC Wimbledon and Aldershot, see headline panel above.

Crowds of 1,882 and 1,567 for the KitKat Crescent club's last two home matches will have, no doubt, sent alarm bells ringing in the boardroom.

Mitigating circumstances for such disappointing attendances include one game clashing with Champions League fixtures and the other being broadcast on Setanta.

Fans might also object to paying for three home fixtures in ten days when the club's play-off hopes now appear remote but the bigger picture shows that City's gates have dropped by more than 500 since last season.

With another two former Football League clubs to join the Blue Square Premier ranks in May, promotion for City in the foreseeable future is by no means a predictable prospect.

McGill's family business, meanwhile, has covered almost £1million in losses since 2003 but his recent intimations, not to mention contractual obligations, suggest future debts will not be met in the same manner.

Of JM Packaging's total seven-figure investment, £350,000 was exchanged for B' shares which will have preferential rights in the event of a winding up and the remaining £650,000 is being treated as a loan with an interest rate of 11 per cent secured against KitKat Crescent.

That loan, though, would only be repayable in the case of insolvency. Otherwise, only the interest will be repayable on the assumed sale of KitKat Crescent when the club are in a position to move to a new stadium.

With annual £130,000 Football Foundation loan repayments - the fall-out from the £2million deal to buy back ownership of their ground from former chairman Douglas Craig - continuing to handicap the club's progress on top of ongoing repair costs to an ageing stadium, the loss of Football League parachute payments and very modest away followings to KitKat Crescent, moving home remains the key to a sustainable future for City.

Unfortunately, despite regular noises of behind-the-scenes activity, the club are yet to officially identify a new site for professional football in the city and can only move as quickly as land owners, local authorities and Government departments in this matter.

Overturning today's 2-0 deficit would, importantly, make biding that time a lot less costly while also giving the club's long-suffering supporters a day out at the most famous football stadium in the world.

McGurk fending off Woolford

DAVID McGurk and Martyn Woolford are fighting it out at the top of the Press Player of the Year standings.

Former Frickley winger Woolford closed the gap on leader McGurk to two points after being deemed our third-highest rated player during the 3-2 home win over Exeter.

He collected a point for that accolade which also moved him 12 clear of third-placed Stuart Elliott.

Man-of-the-match Mark Robinson (three) and Danny Parslow (two) were also rewarded for their efforts against the Grecians.

Ben Purkiss received the most man-of-the-match votes on our website, earning him the two bonus points on offer to our Player of the Month standings, headed by McGurk.

To be in with a chance of presenting this month's Player of the Month award, you can vote for your man of the match for any of City's forthcoming games by visiting our website thepress.co.uk Press Player of the Year standings: McGurk 36 points, Woolford 34, Elliott 22, Panther 19, Sodje 18, Robinson 17, Purkiss 15, Kelly 14, Farrell 12, Wroe 12, Parslow 10, Brayson 9, Brodie 9, Craddock 9, Evans 8, McBreen 7, Lloyd 6, Hegarty 4, Rusk 2, Jones 1.

Press Player of the Month for March latest standings: McGurk 10, Purkiss 6, Elliott 4, Robinson 3, Farrell 2, Kelly 2, Parslow 2, Wroe 2, Woolford 1.

Goals: Sodje 15, Farrell 14, Woolford 14, Brodie 8, Wroe 7, Brayson 5, Elliott 2, Kelly 2, McBreen 2, Parslow 2, Fortune-West 1, Lloyd 1, McGurk 1, own goal 1, Panther 1.

Assists: Woolford 15, Wroe 9, Brodie 8, Sodje 8, Panther 7, Brayson 6, Elliott 5, Farrell 5, McBreen 3, Purkiss 3, Robinson 2, Beardsley 1, Craddock 1, Fortune-West 1, Fry 1, Greenwood 1.

Bad boys: Elliott 1 red, 7 yellow; McGurk 6 yellow; Craddock 5 yellow; Panther 4 yellow; Brodie 1 red, 2 yellow, Robinson 1 red, 2 yellow; Kelly 3 yellow; Brayson 2 yellow, Parslow 2 yellow, Rusk 2 yellow, Wroe 2 yellow; Beardsley 1 yellow, Fortune-West 1 yellow, Greenwood 1 yellow, Lloyd 1 yellow, Sodje 1 yellow, Woolford 1 yellow.

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