Name of the game

As reported in the Evening Press, the flamboyant City supremo has unveiled a string of new plans for City including a football advice service and designer clothing.

One of the most prominent changes will be the renaming of the club as York City Soccer Club so it can be marketed in America.

The break with tradition has generated a heated debate on Internet fans' forums over the weekend, with supporters divided on the proposed name change.

However, Wynn, secretary and treasure of the City Supporters' Club, said the club had to look to the future and gave the plans his backing.

"From the start of next season the club is going to have a new image and the supporters will have to come to terms with that," he told the Evening Press.

"For some, it will be strange at first. But if it makes the club successful and makes it known throughout the world it can only help in the future.

"It is all part of bringing new support to the club and attracting new money into the club instead of relying on the old faithfuls.

"York City have never been into anything big and we have always considered ourselves a small club. John Batchelor is trying to expand and make us into a bigger club and that can only be a good thing."

Batchelor today maintained the club's traditional name will remain registered with the Football League and at Companies House although the new club badge currently being designed to adorn club merchandise will feature 'York City SC'.

Nor did he rule out a return to YCFC at a later date.

"We can play with it and when we get better brand separation we may play with the name Football Club again to keep things fresh," Batchelor said.

The City chief said the name change was all part of his plan to market the club in America during his upcoming trip to the States in August.

"It is simply a matter of presentation and it will give us an extra angle no one else will have," he explained.

"I want to take something to the States that will be easier to sell and when we go there we will be easily recognisable.

"We will still be known as York City Football Club as far as the League is concerned and I am sure by the fans.

"But we are giving ourselves an extra identity should we need it."

Batchelor said the cost of re-branding the club and the name change ahead of spending money on team strengthening would prove a wise investment in the long-term.

"It has not cost very much and will involve the replacing of stationary and some signage changes around the ground," he said.

"But we won't be spending a fortune on that because we are obviously planning to move to a new stadium in the future.

"What we are trying to do is bring as much income as possible into the club and then we can spend it on the playing squad.

"The more money we have coming into the club the stronger it is and the better we will do on the pitch."

He added: "We are trying to do something different and no one can say I didn't promise the club would be different when I took over.

"Do we want to be like everyone else or do we want to be different? I want a positive feel about the club.

"Soccer is a name used more and more - there's already Soccer Saturday and Soccer AM on the television - so we are not departing from the norm that much."

A spokesman for the Football Association said the re-branding of clubs was not a matter it got involved in.

"A re-branding exercise including a change of name on a badge is nothing to do with us," said the spokesman.

"Manchester United altered their crest a few years ago, dropping the football club and Arsenal are also in the process of changing their crest."

York City's youth team have announced a series of pre-season friendlies.

The youngsters start training on July 1 and play their first game against York College Academy on July 12 at the club's Wigginton Road training ground.

Their other fixtures are July 18 v Riccall United (A) 6.30pm, July 22 v Selby Town (A) 7.00pm, Aug 2 v Boroughbridge (A) 7.00pm, Aug 6 v Harrogate Railway (A) 7.30pm, Aug 9 v Huddersfield Town (H) 2.30pm.

City chairman John Batchelor will be on the BBC Radio Five Live programme "Any Sporting Questions?", which will be broadcast live from York tomorrow night.

The programme, hosted by presenter Nick Mullins, will be held at York Acorn Amateur Rugby League Club's Thanet Road headquarters in Acomb and broadcast live on 909 and 693 AM between 8pm and 9.30pm.

The programme features a celebrity sporting panel taking questions from the audience on the latest sporting issues.

Other than Batchelor the panel on the night will comprise of former Leeds United and City striker Peter Lorimer, ex-Yorkshire and England cricket captain Brian Close, former British Lion and dual rugby international John Bentley, and ex-England RU international and current Leicester Tigers RU chief executive Peter Wheeler.

Tickets are still available for the event but must be reserved beforehand, contact the Acorn club on 01904 330351.

Updated: 15:03 Monday, May 20, 2002