The Friends of Bootham Crescent today welcomed the takeover bid by the Supporters' Trust.

The FoBC - fighting to protect Bootham Crescent from redevelopment - are also calling on supporters to unite behind the club.

Spokesman Ian Savage said: "We feel that FoBC and the Supporters' Trust share many common aims, and we are delighted that they may become the owners of the football club.

"The club is clearly in financial crisis, and now more than ever the people of York need to give their backing to the Trust.

"We urge everybody to contact the Trust and make donations. It's our club and we want it to thrive."

The FoBC have also called on Colin Webb and Barry Swallow, directors in ground owners Bootham Crescent Holdings, to resign from the board of the football club.

"The football club and BCH appear to have contradicting business objectives," said Savage.

Updated: 12:13 Wednesday, November 20, 2002