LATER this week, I hope to be answering supporters' questions via the York City official website.

Fans have been submitting their questions for the last week or so and I'm really looking forward to answering them.

I did a similar on-line question and answer session with the Evening Press before I became chairman and I found it really enjoyable.

I have always said I want to be as open and available as possible to supporters, who are our customers after all.

Of course, not all of our fans will have access to the Internet.

At the same time, I can imagine what topics most of the questions will focus on.

Hopefully, I can answer some of those queries now.

With regards my promise of Trust representation in the boardroom, I can confirm, following discussions with the Trust, I have now agreed they can have their two seats.

The only thing that is preventing it at the moment is a lack of time on my part and just organising it.

It is a particularly busy time for me as I try to source additional levels of funding for the football club, but I would hope we are just a matter of weeks or even days away from bringing the Trust on board.

Another issue sure to be raised is the future of the Bootham Crescent.

I am confident categorically that York City will be still playing at Bootham Crescent next season.

But taking the long term view, we are probably going to need to own the ground because it is obviously going to take a lot of time to get our new stadium built.

Of course, with regards planning consent to build on Bootham Crescent, it is something of a double-edge sword.

No-one is going to move the club anywhere unless it has somewhere else to go.

But planning consent will give the ground its value, which will then enable us to borrow money so we can obtain it.

The current financial position of the club is, I'm sure, another topic bound to be raised.

It was speculated around the time I became chairman that the club would have debts of around £500,000.

We are not at that point yet but we still desperately need to get people through the turnstiles.

Our net gate receipts from Tuesday night's game account for about a third of what it cost to stage the game.

Clearly, that is not sustainable.

Fortunately, we have a sponsorship agreement in the pipeline and one or two other things which will help plug the hole.

At the end of the day, there just isn't enough money in football to sustain the levels of expenditure the game has been used to and it is a bleak time for a lot of clubs.

Given all the uncertainty and financial problems, I would like to reaffirm my commitment to the club and I am here for the long-term absolutely.

I will have to be dragged out of here in a box - although the pressure I'm under that may yet happen!

Seriously though, football is a great product and enjoys terrific income - it just needs to look at how it spends it.

Of course, I am also expecting a number of questions about the team.

After such a terrific start we have stuttered a little bit of late and slipped down the table.

However, it is such a tight division at the moment that this is not the time to panic.

One goal either way in some of our recent games could have made a dramatic difference.

All we have to do is concentrate on what we were doing at the start of the season and put away our chances.

Updated: 11:55 Thursday, October 31, 2002