WHAT a result.

York City were staring defeat in the face. They looked certain to be knocked out of the cup, the league, existence. The final whistle was about to be blown on 80 years of history.

Then along came the lad Batchelor. A maverick, yes, but with an unquenchable will to win.

From nowhere he stepped into the arena and took charge of the game. The fans hardly dared breathe as he tackled the finances, swerved past the doubters, played a one-two with the city council and... scored!

A last gasp winner from John Batchelor and City are saved. The boy done good.

No wonder Mr Batchelor is such a popular signing. Without him, the only future City had was a 16-day countdown to oblivion.

The fans finally have something to cheer about. They should savour this moment. Forget the weather: today is the first day of York City's spring after a long and miserable winter.

Even before he took over, Mr Batchelor had injected some much needed colour into a club that had huddled under dark clouds for too long.

Now he is in charge. And one of his first acts was to rename his touring car concern Team B&Q York City Racing; a unique way to signal his commitment to the club.

It will take more than promises and slogans to turn around City's fortunes, of course. As a businessman and a sportsman, Mr Batchelor knows the scale of the task facing him.

York City are in trouble, both on and off the pitch. The team is one step off the bottom of the Football League; the club is losing money at a shocking rate.

The new chairman is hoping to put the finances on to a surer footing with new sponsorship deals. An immediate injection of cash is certainly needed before Mr Batchelor can progress his ambitious plan for a 15,000 seater stadium.

If the bank account is low, the new chairman's goodwill account is overflowing. York City Supporters' Trust, whose launch was a fantastic response to the club's darkest hour, is fully behind Mr Batchelor. He has offered two places on the board for trustees, giving the fans a long overdue voice.

It is now crucial that the club receives support from the wider community. The Evening Press is thrilled that our Save City campaign helped to produce today's outcome, and is delighted to continue as shirt sponsors.

Positive new relationships between civic and business leaders were forged during the fight to save the club. These must be developed to secure its long-term viability.

If the team, the supporters and York itself can match Mr Batchelor's energy and enthusiasm, then anything is possible. The journey ahead is difficult, but with this chairman at the wheel we could be in for an exciting ride.

Updated: 12:00 Friday, March 15, 2002