FERVENT rugby league fan John Guildford is the majority shareholder in the York City Knights, the Evening Press can reveal.

Rugby Football League regulations mean the club needed to have a minimum of two shareholders to be allowed into the league, and the Press has learnt that the boss of Huntington-based building firm Guildford Construction owns 51 per cent of the Knights' shares.

Chief executive of the club Steve Ferres owns 39 per cent and club chairman Roger Dixon the other ten per cent.

Ferres and Dixon have been at the forefront of the Knights' crusade to get in the league, but Guildford had stayed behind the scenes - until today.

He has long been a supporter of York rugby league and in past seasons has sponsored the York Wasps player-of-the-year competition in conjunction with the Evening Press.

He said: "The supporters have done a hell of a lot and it is the fans and the York public that make it work, not people set on a pedestal.

"I've always been a supporter of York and I'm a York lad and it would be nice to have a good side in York. A city this good should have a good team."

Guildford said he was not a director of the club and maintained the destiny of the Knights was in the hands of supporters, not shareholders.

"If there's a role I can fulfil to help the club, like raising funds or selling lottery tickets, then I will do what the rest of the supporters would do and help out.

"Myself, Roger or Steve are all in it for the right reasons. Steve Ferres is the chief executive and Roger Dixon is the chairman. I've not got a role other than being a supporter and giving them a pair of hands if they need it."

Dixon explained that one of the main reasons why there had to be shareholders was to comply with RFL regulations and company law, while the time constraints involved in getting the club accepted by the RFL for next season meant Guildford's help was very valuable.

"We needed to comply with the RFL who insisted we had a company set up, a corporate entity with shareholders," he said.

"Without John Guildford's assistance I don't think we would have made the benchmark, while Steve Ferres has generally been a godsend."

Dixon insisted none of the shareholders was on an "ego-trip" and all three were only in there because of their love for the game.

He said: "Nobody is seeking to gain anything out of this other than to preserve professional rugby league in York. John Guildford is a very keen supporter. He's never wanted any sort of publicity for himself, he's doing this for the good of the game in York.

"I've bought memberships for me, my wife and my two kids and I look forward to receiving my season ticket."

He added: "The message to the public is the same. We need members to come on board and we need the supporters to help make this a success."

Ferres added: "John Guildford has come in for the right reasons. He's already helped the club with his input and knowledge of people in the York area, and having a successful York businessman on board gives what we're doing good credibility."

Updated: 12:01 Thursday, October 03, 2002