YORK City Knights head coach James Ford reckons a title D-Day and another bumper crowd at Bootham Crescent highlights the vibrancy in rugby league outside Super League.

The Knights, at the end of a remarkable campaign, host Whitehaven at Bootham Crescent tomorrow (3pm) knowing a victory or draw will secure the Betfred League One crown and sole automatic promotion place above odds-on title favourites Bradford Bulls.

Defeat would almost certainly hand the title to the West Yorkshire giants.

Ford - who has taken the Knights to three play-off semi-finals in his three previous seasons in charge, all ending in agony - evaded the question of whether this was the biggest single game of his coaching career and instead focused on the buzz around the match, which has seen club chiefs open the David Longhurst Stand as well as the Main Stand in anticipation of a huge crowd.

"It's great for League One, isn't it," he said, acknowledging also that Whitehaven need victory themselves for a play-off berth.

"The title is to play for in the last round of fixtures, and the fifth play-off place is to play for.

"A lot of people have made a lot of noise about League One, the standards in there and how competitive it's been.

"Well, there you go - it's been a tremendous season from all the sides in the competition and it just shows how vibrant and how much value there is outside Super League."

Asked if this was the biggest game he had faced as coach, Ford said: "I'd say it's the next game.

"Our philosophy is focusing on improvement, preparing right and playing to our potential.

"Last week against Hemel was the biggest game. This week is now the biggest game and we will try to be as good as we can be.

"Why change our philosophy now?"

He did acknowledge, however, what a boon promotion would be, saying: "The club has a lot of momentum behind it and lots of positivity, with the new stadium, the Foundation, the attendances and the progress off the field.

"Moving into the Championship would be great in terms of continuing that momentum."

In his first season as boss, Ford's class of 2015 lost at Swinton after golden-point extra time of their play-off semi-final.

In 2016, amid off-the-field drama at the club, they reached a semi-final at Toulouse - a team now fighting for a Super League place.

Last year, they were KO'd by tomorrow's opponents, Whitehaven, courtesy of a drop goal after a world record 26 minutes of golden-point extra time in an epic semi-final in the rain and mud at the Recre.

"Ultimately in those seasons we didn't have quite enough quality," reasoned Ford.

"This year we've found ways to win all season. The players have strongly intimated they can find ways to win big games. Even if we don't play to our potential, we've found ways to get over the line.

"In those seasons you're learning. We did really well to be (in the play-offs) when you look at the circumstances we operated in.

"To make those semi-finals and take them to a golden point was a huge achievement having had nowhere to train, nowhere to play, or having the club closed down on you half-way through the season.

"There were challenging circumstances but me and my team learnt a lot and have used that to grow, and I'm sure those experiences will help us this weekend."

As Ford has already discussed in The Press this week, Whitehaven were also the last team to beat York this season, back in May. But he says that will have no bearing on tomorrow's encounter.

"This game will be won or lost in the 80 minutes we put in on Sunday, influenced by our preparation," he argued.

"That preparation has been good, the mood is good and there are lots of positive signs intimating a strong performance.

"We know Whitehaven will want to come and perform and that challenge excites us."

No fewer than seven of the Knights' 23 league wins this term have been by just one score.

Asked if he anticipated yet another nail-biter, Ford said: "I'd imagine it will be tight. But we're used to being in those situations.

"We've also had 25 'finals' already this season. We knew what the situation was at the start of the season, with how many games Bradford were likely to win and lose.

"We've been here all season and my players have enjoyed that challenge. It's brought out the best in them."