York City Football Club today announced Nigel Pleasants is to join the Minstermen as club secretary.

Pleasants's role will be to supervise all administration at the club and he will officially start on Friday.

He has vast football experience having worked at Norwich City from 1973 to 1988 and Leeds United from 1989 to 1999. A spell working under Everton chief and theatre impressario Bill Kenwright as manager of the Theatre Royal in Windsor followed before a return to football as managing director of Harrogate Town.

He spent the last four years there, helping guide them from UniBond Division One into the Conference North before being made redundant four weeks ago as part of a cost-cutting plan by chairman Bill Fotherby.

During his career he has experienced League Championship success with Leeds United and a League Cup final with Norwich City. Pleasants also played a key role in the administration of the Euro 96 tournament when matches were based at Elland Road.

He said: "I am delighted to be joining York City Football Club as club secretary. This is a role I am very familiar with and I'm looking forward to this new challenge and to making a positive impact here at York.

"I visited the club yesterday to meet the staff and was made to feel very welcome. I also look forward to meeting many of the supporters in due course."

City's managing director Jason McGill said: "We are very pleased to welcome Nigel to the club. He has a huge amount of experience in football administration at all levels and places an important emphasis on customer service."

McGill added: "I think it is great testimony to Nigel that he has spent long periods of time at all the clubs he has worked for and we hope he enjoys his new role with York City."

He will take up his appointment a fortnight after chief executive Keith Usher left after 18 years with the club.

Sales and marketing executive Bob Gorrill has also left KitKat Crescent to take up a similar position at League Two outfit Northampton Town. He was only at City for about three months.

Meanwhile, City manager Billy McEwan will be reiterating his appeal to save the reserves at tonight's Happy Wanderers dinner, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the club's legendary 1954-55 FA Cup run.

The club needs £10,000 by April 21 to save the reserves and reverse the decision to pull out of the Pontin's League.

Players from 1954-55 FA Cup semi-final squad who will be attending tonight's function at York Racecourse are Norman Wilkinson, Gordon Brown, Sid Storey and Mick Granger. Friends and family will be representing every other player involved in the historic cup run.

Updated: 09:46 Wednesday, March 30, 2005