YORK City Knights chairman Jon Flatman has hailed the "rugby league explosion" in the Minster city - and the rise of the cool "hipster club".

The Knights last weekend sealed the Betfred League One title in front of 3,300 fans at Bootham Crescent - a bigger crowd than many in the top two divisions - and then in midweek they scooped no fewer than four accolades at the Betfred Awards night in Manchester.

These were headed by Connor Robinson's Player of the Year and James Ford's Coach of the Year gongs, but the Club and Foundation of the Year accolades further underline the Knights' work off the pitch too - and shows the respect they have gleaned up and down the country.

Indeed, The Press understands rival League One and Championship clubs are already trying to emulate York's marketing work fronted by their entertaining social media presence.

Flatman said: "York has had a rugby league explosion this year, I think that's fair to say.

"And it's not just been noticed in York. The rugby league community along the M62, down to London, to Toulouse, to Catalans, has picked up on the York vibe."

Referring to media manager Gavin Wilson, he went on: "They've seen - dare I use a Gav Wilson phrase - a 'hipster club' that has something quite special.

"We want to build on that and we want to keep to that culture.

"We want to be all about vibrancy, all about energy, all about competitiveness, and hopefully we can keep going on to bigger and stronger things in the Championship in 2019."

The Knights are planning a celebration end-of-season dinner in early November, when the club awards will be presented.

Of Tuesday night's quadruple success, Flatman said with a little understatement: "It was just a very enjoyable evening and good to see the club honoured on and off the field.

"Awards like that are always hard to achieve and are always well deserved when they are achieved.

"It's a team effort on and off the pitch and it shows what can be achieved when everyone in all the different sections of a rugby league club pulls together in the same direction."