YORK City Knights chairman Jon Flatman reckons season ticket holders have "even better value for money" following the latest reorganisation of Kingstone Press League One.

While the Super 8s format will continue in Super League and the Championship in 2018, it has been scrapped in the third tier following the resignations from the professional arena of expansion clubs Oxford and Gloucestershire All Golds, which has reduced the number of teams in the competition to 14.

Instead, the league will revert to a straight home-and-away format, with the champions like this year winning automatic promotion and the next four teams going into play-offs.

This means 26 league games compared to 22 last year (when there were 15 in the regular season plus seven in the Super 8s), and in turn extra home games.

There will also be a guaranteed money-spinning home game against fallen giants Bradford Bulls, whereas last year, when teams played each other home or away, such a fixture would have depended on the luck of the fixture draw.

The League One fixture list - delayed due to the reorganisation following Oxford's and Gloucestershire's exit - will come out tomorrow.

"Fans will get more home games for their season tickets now," said Flatman, the Knights having set season ticket prices before the new format for 2018 was confirmed - even if it was largely expected.

"Season tickets provide great value for money anyway under the old structure and now they provide extra value for money.

"Fans will be guaranteed to see every club come to Bootham Crescent, including former World Club champions Bradford."

Asked which league format he preferred, Flatman said: "There are pros and cons to both systems.

"The Super 8s format provided some excellent action and excitement in the middle of the season as teams fought for the top eight and again towards the end ahead of the play-offs.

"But there are tremendous benefits to having a regularity to the fixture list where you know you will play every club at home and away.

"We're also excited by the challenge of extra games."

Oxford and Gloucestershire, meanwhile, are set to merge and resurface in Bristol in time for the 2019 season.

Said Flatman: "It's always a shame when teams withdraw from a competition in any sport. Both these clubs do fantastic work in and around their locations, with the pro team being the pinnacle.

"I'm now looking forward to the benefits of a strong Bristol outfit coming into the competition in 2019.

"It's a big city with a big profile which is going places. It's got the infrastructure and economy to support a successful pro club."

A Rugby Football League statement on Oxford and Gloucestershire, meanwhile, said: "Following a meeting in London earlier this month, the RFL board accepted a proposal put forward by both clubs that they would not compete in the 2018 competition and would instead spend 2018 focusing their efforts on the creation of a strong Bristol Rugby League development project to take their place in the competition from 2019.

"The RFL has been in discussion with both clubs and potential investors in the Bristol area for a number of months and the board has indicated that there will be room left available in the competition for a new Bristol-based club in 2019, but that any bid to participate in the competition would require significant backing and would be subject to RFL board approval."

RFL chief operating officer Ralph Rimmer, said: “The RFL is clear that there is an expectation on all clubs in the professional game to offer a clear strategy that demonstrates their plans to help grow and strengthen the sport in future years.

“Oxford and Gloucestershire have come to the conclusion that the best way for them to now move forward is by creating a new club in Bristol that is backed by significant support and investment.

"The RFL board has accepted this and is looking forward to seeing further detailed plans for the new club in due course.

"Rugby league will continue to have a presence in both Oxford and Gloucester with community clubs and foundations remaining in place.”