OWNER Jon Flatman reckoned one of his proudest moments of York City Knights' title triumph was seeing three local lads parading the Betfred League One silverware at Bootham Crescent.

The Knights' automatic promotion to the Championship - sealed with a home win over Whitehaven last weekend - comes less than two years into a three-year plan outlined when Flatman took over the club in December 2016.

Among the objectives was to create a player pathway for youngsters and, while former York Acorn ARLC aces Ash Robson, Joe Porter and Matt Chilton arrived at the Knights via different paths, Flatman reckoned it highlighted the talent in the Minster city - and provided encouragement for the juniors currently in the club's EXCEL scholarship scheme.

Flatman said: "We had a plan with four objectives (when taking over the club).

"One was a player talent pathway in York - and one of the proudest parts I saw was Ash Robson, Matt Chilton and Joe Porter at the end with the trophy. That's really special."

The Knights had been threatened with closure in late 2016 prior to Flatman's takeover and, following a mass player exodus, travelled with just 12 squadmen for a League One play-off semi-final away to Toulouse Olympique.

But the turnaround since then, led by Flatman off the field and head coach James Ford on it, has been startling, culminating in FOUR gongs at this week's end-of-season Betfred Awards night.

Referring to the club's objectives, Flatman continued: "The second part was to be a sustainable Championship club, so we had to get promoted to do that and we've achieved that.

"The next was about valuing our people, and that's doing everything we can to be thought of well locally.

"And the fourth was to be an integral part of the community - the work that the Foundation do is important to what we do.

"That was the three-year plan and we're coming to the end of the second season.

"We'll probably review it and rewrite it in the next six weeks, and hopefully we'll move on to bigger and better things."

While Robson joined his hometown club from Castleford Tigers, Porter and Chilton - a deadline-day signing this year - both arrived directly from Acorn.

On that note, Flatman hailed Ford's ability to mix players from all areas of rugby league - from Ben Cockayne and Graeme Horne who stepped down from full-time rugby, Joe Batchelor, who is heading to Super League with St Helens next season, and the likes of Chilton, who was fresh out of the amateur game when joining the Knights on transfer deadline day in July.

"He's done a fantastic job," said Flatman. "He's got a group of highly motivated players who believe in him and believe in the club.

"Look at the individuals in that team who have gone on massive journeys this year.

"They've come together from all different angles and now they're united as one."

He added: "It's been outstanding. It's been a long, tough season with some fantastic highs. This (sealing the title) was the highest point of them all - to win at home in front of over 3,000 people was very special.

"The boys through their resilience have overcome things again and again and again, and they deserve it.

"They're a fantastic group of of individuals with a great coach.

"This is the start of a bigger and better future."

* YORK City Knights Ladies complete their maiden Women’s Super League season tomorrow at their Haxby Road base against leaders Leeds Rhinos (2pm).