HEAD coach James Ford has hailed “the buzz around the place” as York City Knights gear up for the League One Super 8s – in total contrast to the circumstances of 12 months ago.

The Knights brought in four players ahead of last Friday’s transfer deadline, headed by former Hull KR and Warrington prop Jordan Cox and Hull KR’s Aussie strike centre, Jake Butler-Fleming.

Ford believes the squad bolstering will lift spirits further for a team who have gone from rank outsiders for promotion at the start of the season to genuine play-off contenders, having finished the regular campaign fourth in the table.

A bumper crowd is expected, too, when they kick off the 8s at home to unbeaten big-guns Toronto Wolfpack at Bootham Crescent on Sunday.

This time last year, conversely, the entire season was plunged into crisis when the then owner John Guildford declared he was to close the club and told the players they were all free agents. He argued the ongoing community stadium saga and groundshare issues with landlords York City had made the business unviable.

Guildford later promised to see out the season and, under Ford’s guidance, the team still reached the play-offs - only to then travel to table-toppers Toulouse with just 12 men for their semi-final, prior to a mass exodus of dispirited players.

Ford, who had to endure two years of off-field strife linked to ground issues, preferred to focus on this year rather than last, but, when pressed on the contrast, said: “Coaching is always a challenge. It’s always difficult but it’s something I’ve chosen to do. I will never complain about that.

“I do feel, though, that I’ve got a lot of support around me this year. I feel we’re in a much better place to positively influence these Super 8s and beyond.”

The club were saved by a December takeover led by new chairman Jon Flatman and, while they effectively had to start again from scratch and quickly play catch-up, they have been on the rise on and off the field, with attendances more than 50 per cent up on last year.

Ford added: “There does seem to be a real air of optimism around the place.

“Just look at social media and how people are getting behind us. There’s a buzz in and around the club, and the boys are taking inspiration from that. I’d imagine it puts them on another level.

“I know for a fact they’re playing for the supporters, and the supporters are helping to lift the performances and helping the boys to keep working and keep improving.”

Ford, meanwhile, is confident the new signings will lift the squad further rather than disrupt the harmony that has helped to get the team into the promotion play-offs reckoning.

Asked if there was a danger that players who had been around all year could potentially have “noses put out of joint”, Ford said: “That’s something for me to manage – but no.

“The togetherness of the team is important and always will be. But there is not a single player who has not got a chance of playing.

“I’m sure there will be even more of a buzz around training, everyone competing and giving 100 per cent. That’s what we want coming to this stage of the season.

“To me that’s the main thing. They come in, they work hard and do their utmost to play to the standards they’re capable of. That will decide what team we select.

“The boys we have here are great people and I’m sure they will rise to the challenge.

“The air around the place is completely different compared to last year

“We’ll go into these Super 8s head first and won’t die wondering, that’s for sure.”