CYNICS who scoffed at the idea of York bidding to host group matches for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup on the grounds the city’s community stadium wouldn’t be built in time may just have to eat their words.

The city council has confirmed that contractors have finally been appointed to begin work. Pre-construction design has already begun - and the Buckingham Group should start the actual construction this autumn, a council spokesman said.

Partnership arrangements are also expected to be signed with York Hospital and York Against Cancer - both of which will use space in the ‘community hub’ element of the stadium complex - this month.

“The new stadium, leisure facilities and the community hub will all open in 2019, along with the new cinema and commercial units,” the spokesman said.

That’s a very confident, bullish statement - more confident than anything we’ve seen for a while.

We’ve been here before, of course - not least when builders ISG were appointed, before pulling out last December. But let’s hope this really is the breakthrough we have all been waiting for.

This stadium project has dragged on for so long it has almost become a joke. But it isn’t. It is a badly-needed public project which will offer a permanent home both to York City FC and the York City Knights, ensuring the future of professional football and rugby in the city.

Hopefully, by the time the stadium is ready, City will have been promoted to at least the Vanarama National League. If York were able to then put in a bid to host group matches for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup, that would be the icing on the cake.

Given the history of this project, however, we will take nothing for granted until the first sod is cut.