Dejected chief executive Phil Elliott today pleaded "what do we have to do?" in the wake of the disappointing attendance for York Rugby League Club's tilt at the Super League.

A mere 806 people turned out at Huntington Stadium on Friday night to watch the Wasps edged out 32-28 by a star-studded Leeds Rhinos side.

The chief executive admitted he felt embarrassed that the club failed to attract a 1,000-plus crowd for a fixture featuring Great Britain internationals Iestyn Harris, Adrian Morley, Barrie McDermott and Daryl Powell.

York, fielding 13 close season signings in their 22-man squad, bridged the gap between the second division and the elite Super League and were only beaten by a Harris try in the 79th minute.

However, Elliott compared Friday night's friendly to Liverpool Football Club visiting York City and wondered what the likes of Harris must have made of the meagre crowd.

And, as he asked "where are you all?" of the York rugby league watching public, he revealed that similar gates in the second division could see York fold before the end of the 1998 season.

"We are talking about the future of the club. The reality of the situation is we had a Super League team there and the York team played extremely well and virtually nobody turned up," said Elliott, who was delayed on business and missed the match.

"Unfortunately I missed probably one of the best displays York will have put on in recent years, against a Super League side. To contain them 32-28 is a great result and a great achievement for the players and coaching staff.

"The fortunate side of it was I saved myself the embarrassment of facing the York players and Leeds players, and their international stars and officials, with only 806 supporters in the ground."

Elliott re-iterated the board's view that failure to win promotion to the first division would mean the end of professional rugby league in York.

"I would have thought that people by now would be aware that this is a really important situation for York Rugby League Club," he said.

"The total lack of support on the night I think, unfortunately, tells me that York is no longer a rugby league city. What else do we need to do to get this club alive? We have put together, in the face of adversity, the best team we possibly could.

"Let's be absolutely clear, if we get gates like this against a Super League team, even against second division opposition and we are winning, this club will fold. Not at the end of the season, it will be within four or five weeks.

"We have brought in first division players to win promotion and we are paying first division salaries. We saved this club from extinction and delivered it into this season - where are you all?"

The chief executive urged fans to judge the club's progress by performances on the field in 1998 and not on the club's past record.

"We have invested our own time and money to get the club where it is now. Now it is only for people to judge the team and that is all we ask. Judge the team not the administration," said Elliott.

But Elliott claimed the possibility of a big crowd for the second division visit of Bramley on Friday, April 10, was looking "depressingly unlikely".

"My feelings are with the players when they run out onto the pitch and see a half empty stadium. If there are any rugby league loving people out there, now is the time to get your fingers out.

"I would say until you have seen it, do not criticise it. But the majority at the moment still do not want to see it. I am trying to tell people exactly where we are. Do they want a rugby league team?"

Elliott said the stark reality of the Leeds visit was a deficit for the club after expenses and wages, and the shame of paying the Rhinos their £900 share of the gate.

Meanwhile, coach Dean Robinson agreed the crowd was disappointing and was scant reward for the performance of his squad.

He said: "If anything I think the crowd was disappointing but hopefully after that performance we will be keeping them. We did not expect miracles overnight. But if we keep doing what we are doing then hopefully we will get the support the lads deserve."

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