THE future of York City Knights will be under threat if club supremo John Guildford was to quit.

The club chairman and majority shareholder has said he would consider stepping down “if all avenues to save the club come to nothing” - but he fears that would then mean there is no club at all, which would “defeat the object”.

Guildford said the question of whether he would step aside is also irrelevant as it is “impossible to know if anyone would be interested in taking over without knowing the community stadium stipulations”.

City of York Council is refusing to deal with Guildford over the community stadium project which has now left the rugby league club homeless. A statement from interim director of city and environmental services Sarah Tanburn blamed him for a breakdown in talks, even though, according to Guildford, the pair have never even met, despite his “numerous requests”.

When asked if he would be prepared to step down if it was a way for the Knights to get back into talks, Guildford said: “The objective is to save the club and get terms that allow us to exist as a business, but as soon as I step down, the club will have no office and they will have nothing, so the business would have to close. Who wants that?”

“The objective is not to lose the club.

“Whoever comes in asking about taking over the club would ask the council the same questions I’ve been asking them. Will they be allowed to ask questions or, like me, will they be shunned?

“It’s impossible to know if anyone would be interested without knowing the stadium stipulations.

“I need to know from the council and from the football club what the terms would be. Whoever takes over would need to know. We’ve got no facilities – they’ve got nothing to take over.

“As it stands, the attraction of the club for any buyer is now nil.

“We now have no way of making the necessary income and whoever comes in to take over our club would be left in the same position I am in.

“It would need whoever comes in to just throw money into it every year and that is not a sustainable business plan.”

Guildford said: “The rugby club have not been losing money but with the new stadium they will be losing money every year under the terms that were offered in the last amended deal."

As for Tanburn’s statement, Guildford added: “We were very disappointed to see that press release bearing in mind I’ve been asking for a meeting with the project board, of which she is the chair, since she took over, only for these numerous requests to be refused.

“I can’t understand how she can find the time to put out a statement like that but not give me 15 minutes to put our side to her and the board. I have yet to meet her.”