THE York City Supporters' Trust have put up £92,000 after yesterday's last-gasp lifeline rescued the club for a few more weeks.

The Trust agreed to pay out the cash to keep the Minstermen afloat until the clash against Hartlepool on February 15 after they were told by the administrators, Jacksons Jolliffe Cork, that the club would be shut down immediately following tomorrow's match against Swansea.

Only one party met yesterday's 12 noon deadline to submit an offer for the club, with the administrators receiving a letter of intent of a second bid, but neither of the interested bidders had committed to funding the club in the short term.

The funding provided by the Trust provides a little more time for interested parties to conclude their negotiations.

The Trust has held a number of discussions with one of the parties, although the details of the offer (and associated conditions, if any) have not been revealed and at this stage, the other party has not engaged in discussions.

Said Trust chairman Richard Snowbal: "The Trust has committed a significant amount of funds to support the club's operations over the next few weeks. If the Trust had not taken this action, the match on Saturday, January 18, 2003 would have been the last in our club's 80-year history."

The discussions held by the Trust representatives with various key parties over the last few weeks have been ongoing before, and after, this week's announcement that a local business consortium, with whom the Trust had been working, had withdrawn.

Snowball added: "The Trust is prepared to work with any party who has the best interests of York City at heart. The Trust is committed to work to try to find a solution that enables professional football to continue in York for future generations."

While the funds made available to the administrators by the Trust have enabled the club to survive for a few more weeks, the threat of extinction remained, insist the Trust.

Interested parties now have to move quickly to firm up their proposals and complete the deal with the administrators and any other parties, such as Bootham Crescent Holdings, the ground's owners.

If no deal is done, the Minstermen will disappear.

In effect, this financial support covers the excess of the club's committed costs over budgeted income during this four-week period. As with all football clubs, the key cost is peoples' wages.

If the club's income is boosted during the next four weeks (above the budgeted level) - and/or if out-goings are somehow reduced - then the funds could last a little longer.

The Trust said that was another reason for people to come to Bootham Crescent for each of the next three games - Swansea City (tommorrow), Macclesfield (Feb 2) and Hartlepool United (Feb 15). "They may well be the last games ever at Bootham Crescent and for York City Football Club."

Updated: 11:46 Friday, January 17, 2003