YORK City Knights owner Jon Flatman reckons promotion this year could hardly be better timed.

Victory over Whitehaven at Bootham Crescent today on the final day of the regular season would see the Knights top the League One table and take the sole automatic promotion spot.

Flatman is not counting his chickens yet, saying Haven provide a "difficult hurdle to overcome", but he believes the boon from going up would multiply due to next year's move to the new Community Stadium plus the changes in the rugby league structure.

"It's a huge game for everybody. It's an exciting game," said Flatman of today's humdinger at Bootham Crescent.

"Should we not come through it there are other opportunities (via the play-offs) but we're aiming to get the job done the first time."

The restructure in rugby league sees the Super 8s scrapped in favour of a one up one down system between the Championship and Super League as of next year.

In turn that sees the Championship grow from 12 to 14 clubs and League One go down from 14 to 12, and potentially fewer with strugglers Hemel Stags and West Wales Raiders facing uncertain futures.

There is likely to be less money in the lower tiers too with the Rugby Football League set to cut funding.

Asked just how vital it was that York went up this year, Flatman said: "I think it's important at any stage that if you have an opportunity to play at a higher level you take that opportunity.

"Any promotion at any point would give you a step change, helping you to attract new fans, partners, opportunities and profile.

"Promotion at any time is therefore a positive and coupled with the new stadium - moving in in 2019 - and the structural changes in rugby league and a 14-team Championship, it would bring even more value."

Flatman had outlined a three-year plan when first taking over the club in December 2016 - and promotion this year fits in with that.

He added: "One part of it was to be a sustainable club in the Championship, and there's more than one part to that. This year is well within those expectations.

"We're making progress towards fulfilling the objectives of that three-year plan and getting promoted from League One this year would obviously be a big step on that pathway.

"We do face a difficult hurdle to overcome of course (in Whitehaven)."