YORK City fans fearful about the prospect of watching their team play at Bootham Crescent for years to come received reassurance at last night's meeting.

Concern was expressed that any new owners, including a Supporters' Trust, who take control of the football club maybe left without any guarantees of tenancy at Bootham Crescent.

As such, Bootham Crescent Holdings, the owners of the ground, would in effect become the landlords of Bootham Crescent and could evict the 'new' tenant at any time.

However, Chesterfield chairman, Ian Yeowart, who detailed last year's fan take-over of the Spireites at the meeting, offered words of comfort.

He said: "Having gone through this with Chesterfield in recent times, I can confirm the Football League will only allow a change of ownership if there is a ten-year security of tenure at the football ground.

"There is some protection there for you and Douglas Craig will be aware of that.

"He knows if the club is moved as a lease-holder they must have a ten-year lease in position for the Football League to sanction the move."

He added: "The Football League will only agree on a ground closure if there is another ground available instantly."

Brian Lomax, of Supporters' Direct, also said the separating of the club's assets, such as the ground, from the football club - as has happened at City - was not unique.

"In 105 years Northampton Town has never owned its own ground because the old ground was owned by a Masonic lodge and now we are in a ground that is owned by the local authority," said Lomax.

Phil Tooley, commercial director at Chesterfield, also offered reassurance over a Supporters' Trust's ability to prove its credibility to the Football League should it take over the club.

He said: "The Football League will need to be assured you can complete your fixtures for next season.

"As long as you can convince the Football League you can complete your fixtures there won't be a problem.

"One of those issues will revolve around the length of lease that you have.

"They will also ask whoever controls the football club for a bond that is posted and will be in the form of a guarantee, or providing it is a bona-fide guarantor.

"In the Second Division, the amount of money is £500,000, in the Third Division I believe it is between £300,00 and £350,000.

"You would have to have someone who would post a bond at the very least for that amount of money to enable the Football League to be convinced you can carry out your fixtures.

"The most embarrassing thing possible for the Football League is for a record to be expunged.

"As long as you kick-off next season they will do everything in their power to keep you in the Football League, but they won't let you start unless you can convince them you can get through to the end."

Updated: 09:19 Tuesday, January 08, 2002