THERE are just three weeks left to save York City and it's time for the slumbering masses to wake-up - it really is a case of now or never.

As the clock continues to tick down towards the make or break date of January 18, the co-ordinator of a newly-launched pledge scheme has made a fresh appeal for fans to come to the rescue.

With the club in administration and desperately in need of a new owner and funds, the Supporters' Trust, fighting to preserve professional football in the city, launched its pledge scheme last week.

Setting a target of £500,000, fans were urged to pledge whatever money they can afford to the Trust to aid its fight.

Local businessman and lifelong City fan John Mingay has volunteered the services of his company, FIND Business Finance, free of charge to co-ordinate all the pledge offers.

But Mingay admits he has so far been disappointed by the response of fans, particularly those living in and around York.

At the last count just 57 fans had pledged money totalling nearly £30,000.

While the actual amounts being pledged are promising, Mingay reckons much more of the same is required.

"It is very early days but I am a little bit disappointed to be honest," he said.

"We have people who are all very committed to the cause, but we are just not getting the pledges in.

"We have had 57 pledges totalling £28,160, which is quite a considerable sum in the circumstances.

"But what we need is 257 pledges of similar amounts and then we will be getting somewhere."

Mingay explained most of the pledges collected so far had come from supporters living outside York, with the furthest coming from Tipperary in Ireland.

"Most people are pledging between £250 and £500. They do not actually live in York but they don't want to see the club die.

"What we need is the people of York to move. There must be a real hardcore of around 1,000 supporters in York alone, but so far we have received less than 60 pledges.

"The message must be 'don't leave it to everyone else'.

"We are all guilty of thinking 'I don't need to do it because 999 other people will', when in reality 950 people all think the same."

Mingay maintained pledges were not just important in terms of their monetary value.

Hundreds of pledges would prove to doubters, businesses and potential investors the club is well supported and does have a future.

And the greater the show of support from fans, the more power and influence it would give the Trust in the future ownership and operation of the club.

"The biggest single pledge we have received is £5,000 from a local businessman," revealed Mingay.

"I am fairly confident I can find more like him, but only if the fans do their bit.

"It will be a lot easier to get pledges from businesses if I can show them the fans have made pledges."

To make a pledge, telephone FIND on 08700 111229, email find@figroup.fsnet.co.uk , or send in writing to FIND Business Finance, Rowan House, Northminster Business Park, Northfield Lane, Poppleton, York, YO26 6QU.

Details can also be found via the Supporters' Trust website www.ycst.org.uk

Updated: 11:31 Saturday, December 28, 2002