A NEW era has dawned at Bootham Crescent - exactly a year after the last one. The previous regime collapsed under the weight of debt and broken promises.

So why should this be any different?

Because what we are witnessing at York City is far more than a simple swap of chairmen.

As City slid towards oblivion, no saviour emerged from the ranks of businessmen wishing to acquire a club, any club, as the ultimate status symbol.

In their place was a revolution. The club has been saved by a popular uprising.

For more than 80 years, the fans have watched City's fortunes ebb and flow from the touchline. Despite being the lifeblood of the club, they could exert limited influence through terrace chants, sit-ins or simply by staying away.

But from today, the fans are in control. The York City Supporters' Trust, forged in the heat of crisis, has proved to be the club's strongest link.

We must pay tribute to this remarkable body of men and women today. From the Trust's astonishingly successful launch to its takeover of the club today, they have played a blinder.

The enormity of their achievement is plain. They have saved City not once, not twice, but over and over again. Every time it looked as though the final whistle was about to be blown, they have found the cash, and the will, to bring the club through.

They have invested freely of their own time and money to ensure the club's survival. Yet their passion for City has never boiled over into hyperbole or mud-slinging.

Their commitment has been mirrored by the players and backroom staff. Despite not knowing when or if the next pay cheque would arrive, the team has put together a remarkable run of performances.

In many ways, the real work for the Supporters' Trust starts here. But the new board is more aware than anyone of the financial constraints they must work within, and they are genuine, born-and-bred York City fans.

That sounds like a winning combination.

Updated: 10:34 Thursday, March 27, 2003