A SEASON which began so promisingly ended in farce and frustration for head coach James Ford and his York City Knights troops after off-field strife struck again with a vengeance.

Ford and co, having gone through 2015 homeless as the community stadium saga rumbled on, thought all that irksome stuff was behind them as they enjoyed a proper pre-season at York St John University's Nestle Rowntree Park before finally getting into York City's Bootham Crescent ground as part of that stadium project.

But chance would be a fine thing.

It all blew up again in bizarre fashion just as the team headed into the new Super 8s section of the League One campaign, the bit where the top eight teams break away to play their own mini-league battling for a place in the top-five play-offs.

And it all ended in turmoil, with the club's future shrouded in uncertainty.

With only 12 men travelling to Toulouse for the play-off semi-final.

With popular club captain Jack Aldous then leaving for Newcastle, effectively saying enough is enough.

With the fate of highly-rated young head coach Ford and a plethora of prized players in increasing doubt.

How utterly vexing.

Just think, Ford's men had won nine of their first ten matches in all competitions.

They'd won ten and drawn one of their first 12 league matches.

They'd lost only three of 19 games in all, securing their Super 8s place long before defeats in the last two games of the regulation season, finishing a healthy third of 15 teams.

One of those defeats had come to Championship club Dewsbury in an intense Challenge Cup tie which suggested this York team weren't far off the standards needed to consolidate in the higher tier.

Another of those defeats had come in the iPro Cup final, the Knights having achieved their first goal of reaching that showdown in Blackpool. Ed Smith thought he had snatched the silverware – York's first knockout trophy success since the 1936 Yorkshire Cup – with a late try, only for Keighley Cougars to snatch it back with an even later one.

It was all so promising. Promotion was very possible.

But then this.

A play-off semi-final. And only 12 men. One man down and no subs. In a professional sport.

Such a finale was embarrassing for Ford and the players – and Toulouse as well, having to host such a non-event as they try to sell the English game to the locals, in their bid to work their way into Super League.

It must be very embarrassing for the Rugby Football League too.

However, no criticism can be aimed at Ford, who has shown baffling amounts of integrity throughout the past two seasons of off-field strife since being promoted to head coach.

Indeed, while he has repeatedly said he loves coaching here, it will be a surprise if he stays, especially amid speculation linking him to a host of other clubs.

No real criticism can be aimed at the players either given what had gone on in the two preceding months.

The professionalism in such trying circumstances, and the Trojan efforts of the 12 Knights playing a man down in blazing heat against a quality full-time team, was humbling.

The fact those 12 even made the arduous journey – via long laborious bus rides from and to Barcelona without even time for a beer on the way back given the flight schedule – all the while knowing they were in for a hiding showed the honour still in the camp.

So how did it all go wrong?

Well, it's fair to say it's all linked to the departure from Huntington Stadium two years ago as part of City of York Council's project to redevelop that ground into an arena to be shared by the city's two professional clubs.

We're not going to go over that old ground here.

However, it reached a particular nadir where this season is concerned when chairman John Guildford called the players into a meeting on Tuesday, July 21 and said, seemingly out of the blue, that he was to close the club and they'd be free agents.

He argued the problematic stadium scheme and troubled groundshare at York City made the club unsustainable.

Some of the immediate anger and confusion among the squad was alleviated in a talk with high-ranking RFL officials which followed on the same night. Credit to the RFL there.

After that – and to their abiding credit – the players decided they'd stick together and see what happens, hopeful of a quick resolution. Such was the spirit and camaraderie in the camp, a feature of Ford's coaching style, they still talked about promotion.

Nevertheless, that weekend's Super 8s opener against Doncaster was called off, transfer deadline was fast approaching, and deep down they didn't really know if they were coming or going. At least there was no issue over wages being paid.

A week later, Guildford said he'd see out the season as takeover talks took place with former director Gary Dickenson, and the Donny game was rearranged.

But much of the damage had been done, and, where the team are concerned, much of it was left unfixed, their on-field exertions now seemingly of secondary concern.

Moreover, the uncertainty is still ongoing. Those initial talks proved fruitless as Dickenson pulled out. More talks with two interested parties are apparently taking place, but who knows what will come of them. Guildford insists he is "stepping down as a director".

Rumour and criticism abound, flying at all involved in the stadium saga, not least Guildford. He insists he has the club's interests at heart.

Plenty of supporters are sick of it all, though, tired of all the mud being slung, of the apparent lack of cooperation between parties. Nonplussed by the fact the club haven't arranged an end-of-season presentation night for the most deserving of players – a sign perhaps of a deterioration behind the scenes.

A fair few had had enough this time last year. Some returned with the team back playing in the city centre, and more trickled back given the form and style of Ford's outfit. But not nearly as many as they deserved.

Those early wins had included eye-opening victories over Keighley in the Challenge Cup, Doncaster and former coach Gary Thornton in the league, and a 60-pointer at Hemel. There had also been an enjoyable cup romp against amateur neighbours York Acorn in front of a bumper 2,000-plus Bootham Crescent crowd – by far the biggest of the season.

Oh, and a big victory at Rochdale in the iPro Sports Cup. Indeed, Ford's men beat the Hornets three times out of three over the season. But look at the two clubs now – Rochdale in the Championship, York in the mire.

Barrow, the Knights' traditional bogey team, remained so, and a home draw with North Wales was a disappointment, even if a point was rescued at the death by Tyler Craig's try and conversion. The iPro final defeat soon followed as the team appeared to stutter. The lack of a consistent goal kicker was also longstanding concern.

However, then came five straight wins which secured the Super 8s place and ultimately third in the table. Top-scorer Kriss Brining led the way with seven tries in those games, finishing with 22 from 26 appearances, 18 of which came off the bench. No wonder he appears Salford-bound.

Defeat to money-men Toulouse – the first of York's three treks to the south of France – was no real surprise and, while the regulation season then ended with a loss at old foes Keighley, Ford's men still appeared well set.

However, it all then blew up.

Ford was not helped when recent loan signings – Championship players such as Adam Robinson and Sam Smeaton whose arrival had re-bolstered promotion hopes – were recalled by their parent club.

With transfer deadline day coming and going at the height of the off-field strife, he'd been left unable to bring anyone else in, despite having a few potentially key men lined up.

The usual stack of injuries didn't help either, local favourite Ross Divorty lasting only four games after arriving to a fanfare, former Featherstone star Matty Dale exiting early in the Super 8s, Ryan Mallinder having gone early in the year, Austin Buchanan having an in-out campaign. The departures for other reasons of Brett Turner, and later James Morland and Rich Wilkinson were disappointing.

Dale had been one of the stars of the show when only 15 men were available for the second trip to Toulouse – an on-off game which followed the Doncaster call-off and which only got the official go-ahead on the day the team were supposed to travel, leaving several unable to get time off work.

In those Super 8s, victories came at Rochdale – again – and against London Skolars, the surprise qualifiers, but that was it.

The team still finished fifth, however, and so made it into the play-offs.

Not that it ultimately mattered, given the one final blow caused by the off-field strife.

Another trip to Rochdale was on the cards but the Hornets pulled off an almighty shock by winning the top-two promotion final in Toulouse, securing their place in the Championship and sending the Frenchmen into that play-off semi-final against York.

Another trip to France at short notice meant a few players couldn't get the necessary time off work. This is something the RFL need to reconsider when deciding a play-off format for part-time professionals.

But a few other players perhaps felt it was one long trek too far, not worth more unpaid leave.

But could anyone blame them?

After all, the RFL had declared two days earlier that York could not get promoted anyway due to not having a ground confirmed for 2017. What timing.

Those 12 Knights at least saved a bit of integrity for the competition and a 60-10 defeat can be considered an achievement in the circumstances.

Nevertheless, in all, the team finished the campaign with eight defeats in their last ten matches – in stark contrast to the season's start.

What next?

The club remains up for sale.

Arguments persist with the council, who have withdrawn financial links with the club (as had been included in the stadium project) until details of new owners are known.

There are no guarantees where the team will play next year, with Guildford saying the club still have a legal contract to continue at Bootham Crescent (as part of that project), but with the council not confirming this.

Guildford says this matter is now hindering takeover talks. "Without the assurance that games can be played at Bootham Crescent it leaves any potential new owners in a difficult position when trying to establish a robust business plan," says the latest club statement.

It has even got to the point where City chairman Jason McGill has threatened legal proceedings against his Knights counterpart, citing alleged defamatory comments on social media regarding the clubs' involvement with the troubled stadium project. Guildford says he would welcome a day in court.

None of which points to a speedy resolution.

Yep, for a season which started so well, it hasn't half ended in a mess.

As Ford says, as the departed Captain Jack says, as virtually every supporter of sport in the city says, it all needs sorting quickly.