YORK Wasps Rugby League have made a desperate plea for supporters and sponsors to back them like they rallied around neighbours York City Football Club.

Having watched as the city got behind the Minstermen in their hour of need, the Wasps need the same response if they are continue.

The club have said they need crowds of at least 1,000 and the backing of local businesses if they are to steer clear of the problems that struck 18 months ago.

The club, who held an emergency board meeting last night in the wake of the defeat by Hunslet, do have a one-year deal with World Rugby, with an option of a second year, but they know they cannot afford to totally rely on this and need other business to back them

Director Russell Greenfield told the Evening Press: "It seems everything is against us. The council won't let us develop Huntington Stadium to bring it up to division one standards and our French agent let us down when it came to bringing in players.

"To survive we need gates of at least 1,000 and we need sponsorship from local business.

"We have got the deal from World Rugby, but we need the local sponsorship as that is the life-blood of clubs like us.

"You can understand it because we are on a record losing run, but it is not a good situation for us.

"We are working hard to bring in new players and sponsors. But without the sponsors we can't get the players. It is a 'Catch 22' situation."

Since their own problems, York City have climbed up the standings and seen their crowds swell as people come back to help save the club.

However, Wasps, bottom of the Northern Ford Premiership without a win, are in dire need of similar improvement.

"People should support a club through good times and bad times," said Greenfield. "The board and coach are very positive and are fighting hard to keep things going.

"The supporters rallied for York City when they were bottom of the table with Halifax. They doubled the gate and the team started to climb the table, which was really good.

"I admired the fans who came out the woodwork and returned to the club, but we want our fans to follow the York City example."

Greenfield and Wasps chairman John Stabler were in talks to save York City, having put forward an undisclosed bid for the club.

However, the money was not from the pockets of Stabler and Greenfield, but from investors looking at purchasing the assets of Bootham Crescent Holdings Ltd. And unfortunately for the Wasps, the investors are not invested in putting money in for the rugby league club.

"People will ask about the £4.5million and York City, but that had nothing to do with York Rugby League Club," said Greenfield.

"That was not John Stabler's or my money, we were able to raise the capital to put forward a bid that was felt to be right for the assets.

"They were business people who were backing us to buy Bootham Crescent Holdings, the assets and the land.

"It was a good business deal with the club, assets and land, but it is completely different for York Wasps.

"I could find a field for 100 houses and I could get someone to finance it for me because of the return they would get.

"York City had the ground and land and we could borrow on the strength of that."

Updated: 12:24 Wednesday, February 27, 2002