Raw potential to regain premier sporting status in the city convinced businessman Richard Collier to team up with York Rugby League Club.

New Wasps' director Richard Collier at Huntington Stadium. Picture: Paul Baker

The 53-year-old Collier, has been appointed as a new director of the Northern Ford Premiership club.

His verdict was that if the success currently being shown by the Wasps was increased then the club could attract bigger crowds than those watching football neighbours York City at Bootham Crescent.

"We've had good crowds before and we can get them again," insisted the new director.

"If the public of York get behind us and we can put together a really successful team then we can get more people watching rugby than football."

To do that however the Wasps would have to complete a winning game of two halves.

The owner of Collier Plant Hire, based in Copmanthorpe, ventured the rugby league team was looking the part on the pitch. The task now was to mirror that success off the field.

Said Collier: "That's the key thing - to get organised off the park and I think we are already heading that way. "There will be no miracle cure, but there's definitely light at the end of the tunnel. I am convinced of that, otherwise I would not have been doing what I have been doing."

Born and bred in York, Collier has been an avid fan of the Wasps for many years remembering both 'the good times and the bad times' at the club's former Clarence Street headquarters.

For the past few seasons he has backed the club with sponsorship cash in several ways, and earlier this month came to the rescue of the Wasps when a threat hung over the League trip to Dewsbury Rams.

He and director Anne Garvey forked out several thousand pounds to avert a pay crisis among the players.

Collier declined to dwell on that timely intervention preferring to concentrate on a more positive vibe, though he warned there was no 'magic wand'.

He added: "I have faith in the club in that it is going the right way. It's not going to be easy. There's a lot of hard work to be done, there's no doubt about that.

"But I have not joined to be on the losing side either on or off the field. We've all just got to pull together."

The kick-off for this Sunday's Academy home game against Featherstone Rovers at the Huntington Stadium has been brought forward from 1pm to 11am.

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