NEW chairman Jon Flatman has hailed the success of York City Knights' fans' forum.

The event, organised by the Knights' Independent Supporters' Society and held at a packed Huntington Sports Club, saw Flatman give a presentation of the League One club's aims and values while head coach James Ford outlined the playing goals and introduced the new squad. There was also a presentation by Knights Foundation chief Neil Gulliver and their work in the community.

Flatman, Ford and the club's new benefactor, Mark Campbell, also then took part in a question-and-answer session with supporters.

Flatman said: "It was very positive. It was great to see so many people in the room and the vibe was good, all about moving forward with excitement for the season."

On the questions from the floor, he said: "The level of rugby league knowledge in this city, and engagement in the game, is very high, and long may that continue. With that knowledge and interest come questions, and I'm more than happy to answer them when it's in the interest of the club."

As reported, the Knights are to have a dual-registration partnership with Featherstone this year - of whom Campbell is club chairman. Some fans questioned potential conflict of interest, also highlighting past problems associated with dual-reg at various clubs.

But Flatman, referring to York's 2015 largely beneficial partnership with Castleford, said: "Dual-reg comes with its issues, we know that, but we'd like to get back to the kind of situation where it was working between York and Castleford, when the likes of James Clare, Michael Channing and Jordan Howden added value to the squad.

"Ultimately James Ford picks the team and picks what's right for him and the club."

On initial season ticket sales on the night, Flatman said: "It's a great start. I didn't know really what to expect but I was overwhelmed by the level of support and look forward to building on that."