YORK City Knights chairman John Guildford has revealed he is ready to stand down and hand over control of the League One club.

Guildford, also the Knights' majority shareholder, says in a club statement that he has been "left with no option" but to hand over the reins after being controversially barred from further negotiations with City of York Council and York City over the community stadium plan.

Having seen their lease of the council-owned Huntington Stadium ended so it can be redeveloped, the Knights are currently homeless after plans for them to share City's Bootham Crescent before moving into the new community stadium were shelved due to a breakdown in talks.

The statement said: "John Guildford has confirmed today that he would be willing to step down as chairman if it secures the future of the rugby league club in York.

"Following on-going disagreements over the future of the Knights and the location at which the Knights will play while the York Community Stadium is constructed, alongside calls from both City of York Council and York City Football Club for Mr Guildford to stand down, on top of their action in embargoing him from any future discussions and meetings, the Knights chair believes standing down will enable bodies on the Knights side to begin discussing the project again and agree a deal for the immediate/long-term future.

"Mr Guildford will be meeting shareholders to agree a new way forward for the club, and has said that in light of the council and football club stating that a deal will only be put forward again if he stands down, he has been left with no choice but to look for a new chair that can help secure a future for the Knights.

"Mr Guildford would like to assure fans that he will only leave the club in the safest hands and has nothing but the good intentions of the club at heart with such actions.

"Further updates will be provided as and when we have more to report."