York City chairman Douglas Craig has called on the Minstermen's "genuine" supporters to silence the Bootham Crescent boo-boys.

Speaking at a meeting of Bootham Crescent Holdings shareholders, the former shareholders of York City Football Club, Craig revealed opposition managers were now using the negative atmosphere on match days to their benefit.

And he rounded on protesting supporters' group Fans Against Craig's Tyranny, labelling the group's spokesman, Greg Stone, a "self-publicist" who was "destroying" the club.

"I have to say it is a terribly small minority but they are getting far too much Evening Press time, far too much Radio York time to what the genuine supporters are getting," said Craig.

"The problem is the genuine supporter doesn't say anything.

"What are you doing individually or collectively, and all the other decent people who go on a Saturday afternoon, what are you doing to shut them up? You have just an important part to play as anyone else does."

Craig revealed he spoke to former City manager Alan Little after Friday night's 2-2 draw at Bootham Crescent between Little's new club, Southend, and City.

"He said that any visiting manager says to his players 'hold them for the first 30 minutes then the crowd will win you the game because they will turn on their team'," said the chairman.

"At the end of the day, the only sufferers are the team and the club. What we have to do is remedy that and it is not going to be remedied by the Stones and the loud mouths who stand behind the goal.

"I did think there was a point on Friday night when there was a significant number in the David Longhurst stand who drowned out the boo-boys."

Craig said there was little chance of him stretching out a hand of conciliation to Stone, pointing out he had offered a meeting with the board prior to September's 'red card' protest.

"He refused and I am not going to go crawling to anyone. He has had his offer and if he doesn't want to take it then that is up to him."

Craig also rejected accusations of heavy-handed stewarding at then Shipton Street end of the ground.

"They are entitled to shout 'Craig out' and 'Thompson out' but they are not entitled to indulge in the kind of language and the kind of remarks that have been heard.

"There is no heavy-handed stewarding behind the goal in the David Longhurst stand, they are there to stop the foul, abusive and racist language. It has got to stop because it is wrong.

"The board and myself are desperately trying to keep the club afloat and we do not have a sugar daddy and if we fail then it will not be because of our efforts. There has to be the kind of support which the club is worthy of having.

"The truth of the matter is I am a fan, the directors are fans but there are too many fair-weather fans out there who like to criticise the club but are not prepared to be real fans and support it through thick and thin."

Manager Neil Thompson, who was at last night's meeting, said he felt the demonstrations were "counterproductive", leading to players being "apprehensive".

"But we have a responsibility as a team to rise above that and the only way you answer people back is going out and performing and getting the results and that is what we are striving to do," he said.

"I think on Friday night in the second-half the crowd got behind the team and that motivated them. They shouldn't need motivating but they are human like anyone else.

"We have got to rise above it and certainly the supporters can help with encouragement."

Blast for FACT spokesman

Douglas Craig has accused Greg Stone, spokesman for protesting supporters' group Fans Against Craig's Tyranny (FACT), of "casting a shadow" over employees at Bootham Crescent.

Most shareholders seemed united in their opposition to FACT at the club's annual meeting, and there were cheers of "hear, hear" when one said he was "fed up to the teeth" with the group's actions.

"It is about time it stopped, it is getting nasty," said Ray Wynn, the York City Supporters' Club secretary and treasurer.

Wynn also asked how Stone had managed to get a list of shareholders' addresses.

All bar three of those in attendance at last night's meeting, staged in the Family Room at the ground, had received a letter from Stone asking them to represent FACT's views.

Responding to reports that Stone had received the information from a "source close to the club", Club chairman Craig said: "He is casting a shadow over all the decent and loyal people who work for the football club.

"I do not believe anyone at the football club is doing that (passing on information) or behaving in that manner."

Craig said Stone was "guilty of untruths, half-truths and exaggerations".

"He will end up, if he is allowed to carry on, destroying the club

"And when it is destroyed you will perhaps remember that I forecast what was going to happen with that sort of behaviour."

Craig highlighted the appointment of Sophie McGill as the club's first public relations officer as one initiative designed to improve matters at the club and condemned those on the internet who accused McGill of being a "lackey to the chairman".

"That is typical of what I mean," said Craig.

Charged with 'jumping down the throat' of those who questioned him, Craig said: "I like controversy, but I like controversy when the people who are opposing are relying on fact or logic."

FACT have launched a newsletter on the internet in which Stone says no major protests are planned over the Christmas period.

He said: "We're going to let things simmer down for a bit, but we aren't going to go away. As stated at the meeting, we hope to broaden our support base and take things forward."

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