YORK City are considering scrapping their reserve team as they prepare for life in the Nationwide Conference next season.

The cost-cutting measure will be discussed over the next few weeks by the board along with other financial issues raised by City's relegation.

Player-manager Chris Brass said: "I believe that the reserves are the next stepping stone for the youth development but it will be the finances and all the costs that will dictate what happens.

"In an ideal world, we will have one and it's certainly something that I would like to see continue.

"But it may be that because of the financial implications we will have to look at losing it."

City would probably be eligible to play in the Pontins Reserve League next season just as Conference side Scarborough did in the last campaign before abandoning their reserve set-up.

But the present situation means that the final Pontins League Division One Eastern fixture at Newcastle United tomorrow could be the last time City field a second string in the foreseeable future.

Teams in the division only play 18 league games throughout the season and a lack of fixtures frustrated Brass earlier this season as it took players recovering from injury much longer to get match practice.

The youth programme at City will not be affected and the team should be eligible again for Division Three North of the Football Youth League.

Said Brass: "The youth team will continue because from the start, the emphasis has always been on developing the youth system and it really is the way forward.

"You only have to look at the team on Saturday to see the success of the system. If you get one or two through to the first team, they then have a chance to go on to bigger and better things."

Another effect of their relegation will mean City entering the FA Cup at the fourth qualifying round stage for the first time since 1929 when they won 3-1 at Scarborough.

Brass's boys may also meet League opposition again next season in the LDV Vans Trophy which includes the leading non-League clubs.

The Minstermen will also compete in the FA Trophy for the first time and will be exempt until the third round which is usually held the week after the third round of the FA Cup in January.

Brass added: "We are having a meeting tomorrow about the finances and it will give us a chance to find out one or two of the Conference rules.

"We are going to lose a certain amount of the budget and the biggest thing we know about the Conference is that the budget is pro rata to the income so we have got to continue to keep getting people in through the turnstiles and it means the fans will still have an important part to play."

City fans can add the names of Barnet and Hereford to their away trips next season after both lost in penalty shoot-outs in the Conference play-offs yesterday to Shrewsbury and Aldershot Town respectively. Both matches attracted more than 7,000 fans.

The Shrews and the Shots, who have former City defender Ray Warburton in their ranks, will now meet at Stoke on May 16 to decide who will join champions Chester in the Football League next season.

Updated: 11:12 Tuesday, May 04, 2004