IT'S back - York City Knights have a new scholarship scheme up and running.

What's more, a few big-name graduates of the old one will be making guest appearances to help launch it on Monday.

Knights chairman Jon Flatman had declared soon after taking over the club in the winter that creating a new player pathway was key for the future, and the new consortium - aided by sponsorship backing - have clearly put their money where their mouth is.

The new scheme - called the Excel Player Pathway Programme (for some reason they're not allowed to call it a scholarship) - launches on Monday, with no fewer than 70 youngsters set to take part in the first session.

The whole thing is a huge step towards fulfilling head coach James Ford’s wish to bring back a structured pathway for young players eager to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Kriss Brining and Greg Minikin, who now play in Super League having coming through the Knights’ old youth set-up.

Current club captain Ed Smith, 24, is a former scholarship star, too, who made his first-team debut in 2010 not long after progressing through that old junior pathway.

Minikin, now scoring tries for fun for Super League leaders Castleford Tigers, and Smith are set to attend Monday's inaugural session, along with Alex Foster, another former scholarship youngster who like Minikin is now with Cas.

The Excel Pathway will be overseen by Foundation manager Neil Gulliver.

He said: "It's fantastic we've had such a positive response from the community clubs and schools. To get 70 kids signed up for the first group is awesome - it far exceeds what I thought we'd get.

"It shows the demand is there from players who want to progress. That's what we're aiming to do - to help them become the best they can be.

"We want to help the youngsters develop and we want to see them come through and join the first team and go off and play Super League here or elsewhere. This is the future of the club."

The Excel scheme, effectively a massive shot in the arm for junior rugby league in North Yorkshire, is for under-12s to U16s, and is set up with a view to feeding a planned new academy structure and in turn the first team.

Sessions will be held at York St John University's plush sports centre - the same facilities used by the first team.

It will be led by Knights Foundation delivery manager Adam Prentis, who had also been involved in the last one before it ended about six years ago when the sport's funding structure changed.

He will be joined on the staff by a number of volunteer qualified coaches, several from the city's community clubs, plus York St John students who are studying strength and conditioning and other sports-related degrees.

The first sessions are for U12s, U13s and U14s and will run for six weeks. Sessions for U15s and U16s will follow in September. They will thereafter run in six-week blocks for each of the two groups, coinciding loosely with each half-term at school. Sessions for girls are also in the pipeline.

Youngsters have signed up not just from York - where each community club is strongly represented - but all over North Yorkshire, including Scarborough, like Brining, and near Harrogate and Wetherby, like Minikin.

Significantly, the sessions - free of charge for players - are "open access".

This means they are open to all players, and are not elite or selective, which makes it slightly different to the old scholarship.

Gulliver explained: "If kids are interested in improving, we want them to come along."

It is hoped matches will take place each term time against similar area or club schemes elsewhere in the country.

Prentis said of the scheme: "The Excel programme is designed to develop the whole player and support them in reaching their potential.

“It will have elements of strength and conditioning, lifestyle and skill development.

"These sessions will be done using the state-of-the-art facilities at York St John, including their classroom, 4G pitch and S&C suite.

“I'd like to thank the coaches and York St John without whom this programme would not be possible."

DEE FOGGIN-JOHNSTON has got onto The Press Player of the Year leaderboard - and how.

Two man-of-the-match awards in the last three matches - against Whitehaven and in bagging a hat-trick at Toronto last weekend - has seen the winger notch six player-of-the-year points.

He will also be a contender for the Press Player of the Month award for June, will be announced next week.

Elsewhere, Tim Spears and Ed Smith both closed the gap on Player of the Year leader Ash Robson. Spears was our man of the match for his influential efforts despite injury in the win at Keighley, while skipper Smith picked up points against both Keighley and Toronto.

Tommy Saxton and Will Jubb also got onto the leaderboard.

Player of the Year points versus Whitehaven: Dee Foggin-Johnston 3, Tommy Saxton 2, Adam Robinson 1; versus Keighley: Tim Spears 3, Joe Batchelor 2, Ed Smith 1; versus Toronto: Dee Foggin-Johnston 3, Will Jubb 2, Ed Smith 1.

Press Player of the Year standings: Robson 15, Spears 14, E Smith 11, Harris 10, A Robinson 8, Batchelor 8, Foggin-Johnston 6, Porter 6, Siddons 6, Carter 5, Rawsthorne 4, Hey 3, H Tyson-Wilson 3, Moran 3, Haynes 2, Saxton 2, Jubb 2, Ellis 1, Presley 1, B Tyson-Wilson 1.