THE summer of 1997 may well go down as a key turning point in the career of York City's Mike Basham.

Having spent that pre-season training with Leyton Orient with a view to join them from Peterborough, the Barking-born defender's hopes were shattered when a ruptured thigh muscle put pay to the move.

However, the former West Ham trainee will have a chance tonight to show the O's exactly what they let go when the Minstermen take on the fellow Third Division strugglers at Brisbane Road.

Basham told the Evening Press: "When I was at Peterborough, Orient came in for me and were going to sign me. I did the whole pre-season with them then I ruptured my thigh and had to have an operation, so the deal was called off.

"I know most of the players down there. I used to play with a lot of them, while a few of the Orient boys are ex-West Ham, so I know some of them that way."

Despite the obvious movement of players since his brief stint, Basham still has the inside information on a couple of players.

"They've now got a couple of lads up-front on loan that I know nothing about, so I can't really say what they're like, but they have got some good tidy players," he said. "Jeff Minton in midfield is a good footballer. I used to play with Jeff years ago and he was a very good player then."

After missing out on a move to Orient, Basham resurrected his career at Barnet, playing an integral part as the Bees reached the play-offs twice in three years - losing out to Colchester and then Peterborough in the semis.

But the 28-year-old believes the Minstermen side is better than that of Barnet - teams which included Marlon King, now at Gillingham, Sean Devine, Billy Manuel, Ken Charley, Scott McGleish and Darren Currie.

"We've said it all season - although it is no good just saying it we've got to go out and do it - the players here should be way up the league," he said. "There are some good players here. When I was at Barnet we got into the play-offs, but the players there were not as good as what we've got here.

"We've been very inconsistent - and that has been the biggest word for us this season, the inconsistency."

* York will be without Chris Brass tonight as he serves a one-match suspension, so Lee Bullock will step up from the bench to replace him.

Mark Maley, who missed the Hartlepool victory through a virus, is added to the squad.

York City: Fettis, Edmondson, Potter, Basham, Hocking, Parkin, Richardson, Bullock, Duffield, Proctor, Nogan. Subs: Howarth, Maley, Smith, Mathie, Wood.

Leyton Orient from: Barrett, Hutchings, Brazier, Smith McGhee, Partridge, Harris, Minton, Canham, Nugent, Gray, McLean, Fletcher, Bayes, Martin, Watts.

Updated: 09:40 Tuesday, February 19, 2002