JURY member Paul Groves will delay a verdict on his footballing future until the end of the season.

Groves, who has been on court duty all week, was the Minstermen's only ever-present this season before this afternoon's trip to Tamworth but, at 39 is reaching the twilight of his career.

The former Grimsby Town player-manager has, however, been a revelation since switching from midfield to centre-back in January and has not ruled out continuing into his 40th year.

Groves said: "I haven't decided yet and am just taking each game as it comes. I will make that decision at the end of the season but the main thing is I'm still enjoying playing."

The former Leicester City midfielder has missed a full week's training due to jury service in Derbyshire and was last night waiting to see whether he would still be required at the court next week.

Groves dislikes missing training but is trying other methods of keeping fit during his enforced absence from Wigginton Road.

He said: "I've cycled to court and back every day as well as doing some more work when I get home. I have enough experience to know what it takes to keep on top of my fitness levels but you can't beat the day-to-day stuff of training with the lads, especially at the intensity with which we are working at the moment."

Groves was unable to give details of the case that he has been covering for the past five days but, rather than welcoming a break from work, he admitted that he had found the experience frustrating.

"It may be interesting to most people but, to be honest, I enjoy playing football and training," he explained. "You have to concentrate when you are in court and offer a fair opinion or verdict although I haven't found it that mentally tiring.

"A lot of the time I have been thinking about playing and training and wanting to be involved so from that aspect it's very frustrating. But you can't get out of it and I have to be there and make the best of my time.

"You are allowed to defer once, which I have done, but then you are at the mercy of the system and everybody has to do it at some stage."

Groves netted his first of three goals this season during a 2-0 defeat of Tamworth back in August.

That was the Minstermen's first home game of the season but City's oldest player was expecting a tougher test today.

He said: "I remember that we ran out fairly comfortable winners in the end from a fitness point of view but that may be more even now. However, we have taken confidence from recent performances and the progression we have made in the way we go about our jobs in an organised manner.

"Since the manager has arrived even the defeats have been close matches and I put that down to organisation."

Updated: 10:37 Saturday, March 19, 2005