TWO more members of the York City Supporters' Trust Board have resigned - effectively halving the numbers of six months ago.

Steve Ovenden and wife Kirsten have both quit, leaving just six active members on the committee.

The Ovendens plan to make a joint statement about their reasons for quitting in the next few days.

Steve Ovenden was for several years City's mascot, Yorkie the Lion.

In October last year, there were 13 Trust members. But since then, David Cocker lost his re-election bid with Ian Tyssen polling more at the annual meeting, Tyssen in turn resigning to devote more time to his family and fundraising activities in April.

Terry Herbert and Graham Kilby have also stepped down, and Richard Snowball first relinquished his chair then left in February for personal reasons.

And of the seven left, Mike Grant has been suspended after leaking Trust issues to the Evening Press.

Grant has defended his decision to leak details of a proposal about a possible move by Malton-based JM Packaging to invest more money in the club in return for shares.

Since the matter was aired in the Evening Press, the Trust have released a lengthy question and answer document in a bid to allay fans' fears.

In addition, Rob McGill, company secretary of JM Packaging, issued a statement condemning Grant for the leak, highlighting a request that the matter should remain confidential when it was originally discussed by the firm and the Trust Board.

Grant said: "JM Packaging did indeed request that the matter discussed at the original meeting be kept confidential. That matter, however, was put into the public domain by someone who anonymously leaked a copy of the minutes I took of that meeting to the Evening Press.

"All Trust Board members were asked to sign a statement that they had not leaked the document, or that the leak could have emanated from them, and all Trust Board members did sign the statement.

"Who could possibly have benefited from publicising the knowledge that JM Packaging wished to acquire a majority shareholding in York City Football Club?

"I don't know, but anyone who does not have the courage to put their name to their actions is, in my opinion, beneath contempt."

Grant added his version of events in respect of the repayment date of the loan from JM Packaging had been backed up by other ex-Trust Board members.

He said: "My obligations are to act in the best interests of the members of the Trust members and that is what I am doing.

"Perhaps the dwindling number of remaining Trust Board members may wish to reflect upon their duty to the members who elected them, as unfortunately they seem to be more obsessed with my talking to the Evening Press than with what is happening under their noses."

Updated: 09:47 Wednesday, April 19, 2006