"This is just the start" - chairman Jon Flatman on York City Knights' stunning success on and off the field against Toronto Wolfpack

That was the bold claim from York City Knights chairman Jon Flatman on the roaring success of Sunday's big "Transatlantic Tussle" against Toronto Wolfpack - even before the stunning result.

The attendance of 2,602 at Bootham Crescent was the highest at a Knights game since 3,106 turned out for a televised Championship One clash with Oldham at Huntington Stadium back in June 2009.

On top of that, though, Flatman believes the added profile the club has received, with both the social media activity in the build-up - including the increasingly popular "Up The Kneets" hashtag - and then the startling scoreline, can only help take them to another level.

"It's just the start," said Flatman, who took over the club in December, following the crises and threat of closure at the end of last season under the then owner John Guildford.

"Getting 2,600 in the ground is just the start. It just confirms the belief we have in the potential for this club.

"We've come so far but we've got so far to go."

He added: "I was asked during the game why back in December we had an interest in taking over the club given where it was at at that time.

"I didn't really have to say anything - I just shrugged my shoulders and said, 'Look around'.

"The atmosphere was there. It was more of a feeling than anything else - it all just felt good, and I hope I'm right in thinking it was an enjoyable experience for everybody."

Aside the Challenge Cup derby between the Knights and neighbouring amateurs York Acorn, which attracted 2,293, the highest attendance for a Bootham Crescent match under the controversial old regime last season was 778 for a clash with old arch-rivals Hunslet. The last home game attracted only 540, even though the team reached the play-offs.

The new regime have broken the four-figure barrier a few times already this term but, asked if he expected such a turnout on Sunday, Flatman said: "I didn't know what to expect to be honest.

"I knew there was a buzz around the city. The talk was all positive, both in person and on social media, in rugby league circles and outside of rugby league circles, and we went from there."

James Ford's ever-improving Knights team went on to beat full-time undefeated League One table-toppers Toronto 26-16, in a result which reverberated around the sport and confirmed Ford's men as genuine promotion contenders.

The Wolfpack, the new Canadian outfit full of Super League and top-end Championship names, are widely expected to breeze through the divisions and into the top flight.

Said Flatman: "Winning obviously helps promote the club as people go home happy. But let's be honest - what a fantastic performance.

"If you consider the salary cap position, the playing roster they've got, the resources, the full-time v part-time nature - it's got to be up there among the biggest 10 shock results in rugby league over the last 10 years. There have been a few others but I can't think of many."

On the off-field promotions in the build-up, Flatman said: "We've received congratulations from all over the rugby league world for the work that's gone into it. Those congratulations should go to the 'team behind the team'.

"It was the first game we dipped our toe in the water with a joined-up marketing exercise across social media, community efforts and general advertising.

"But we've just scratched the surface of what we can do and what we can activate.

"The opportunity arose for this game and the timing was right, yet we've had only a glimpse of what we can achieve."

On the social media buzz, Flatman said it was about the fans leading the way more than anyone at the club.

"For the 24 hours around the game we had unprecedented levels of social media engagement - it was up in Super League territory," he added.

On the back of the promotion exercises, the ticket and corporate orders pre-match alone were greater than the total take-up for any other game this season, both pre-match and on the day.

Added Flatman: "We're not sitting back saying how great it was. We're moving forward more excited about what we can achieve, knowing that what we're doing is right and that there's so much more to come."