JON FLATMAN has hailed a fantastic 2018 for York City Knights after the calendar year was capped by new awards voted for by rugby league supporters up and down the land - the Minster city outfit topping the likes of Super League giants Wigan, St Helens and Catalans Dragons in the polls.

However, the club chairman also reiterated that attentions have long since turned to 2019 and the club's impending return to the Betfred Championship.

The Knights picked up four League One gongs at the official end-of-season Betfred awards ceremony in September after beating odds-on favourites Bradford Bulls to the third-tier title.

They have now been voted rugby league's Club of the Year across all divisions in trade papers League Express and League Weekly, with boss James Ford also being voted the League One Coach of the Year in the latter.

While these latest acknowledgements come with nothing but kudos, chairman Flatman said it was a "very nice way to round off the year".

"These are voted for across the whole game - none of the other awards we won have been," he said.

"They're also voted for by the people that matter the most in sport - the fans - and that's the most pleasing part.

"To some extent it puts to bed a fantastic year for the club and we look forward to 2019 with excitement and anticipation for what will be a fantastic competition for both the men's Championship side and the women's Super League side."

York picked up a whopping 34 per cent of the readers' vote in League Express for the sport's Club of the Year accolade.

London Broncos, who shocked Toronto Wolfpack in the Million Pound Game to win back a place in Super League, came second with 21 per cent of the vote, and Catalans Dragons, who became the first non-English team to win the Challenge Cup, were third with 18.9 per cent. Super League champions Wigan (13.7%) were fourth and top-flight table-toppers St Helens (12%) fifth.

League Weekly, meanwhile, wrote of its Club of the Year nomination: "Wow, what a year for the Knights! Bradford Bulls were heavy favourites for automatic promotion at the start of the season but they were forced to go through the play-offs by a York team that has enjoyed a magnificent resurgence on and off the pitch.

"There's been a real feel-good factor in the Minster city, with the club regularly pulling in four-figure crowds to Bootham Crescent with the help of some cracking promotion work and an exciting, winning team.

"An honourable mention to Wigan Warriors, who not only lifted the Super League trophy at Old Trafford but also won the Women's Super League and the Under-19s Academy Grand Final; and to Hunslet Club Parkside who went unbeaten on their way to the National Conference League premier division title - an incredible feat."

While Bradford boss John Kear topped the fans' poll for League One Coach of the Year in League Express, League Weekly's nod went to Ford, with that paper saying the 36-year-old had been "at the heart of a rugby league revival in York, culminating in the Knights' automatic promotion this year ahead of the heavily-fancied Bulls and their wily veteran coach John Kear".

It added: "Now can he (Ford) steer them to safety in the Championship? The prospects look good."

In a stellar 2018 season, the Knights won 24 of their 26 League One matches to pip Bradford to the title by two points after a thrilling race.

Included in those victories were a world record 144-0 defeat of luckless West Wales Raiders and a world record 130-0 triumph over the same hapless opposition. They also pushed star-studded Catalans close in their Challenge Cup fifth round tie at Bootham Crescent. Off the field the Knights also set a new club record home crowd of 4,281 for their match against Bradford.

Half-back Connor Robinson broke all-time York RL goals and points in a season records with 186 and 420 respectively - which he set in just 28 appearances - and was also named the official Betfred League One Player of the Year.

Ford was likewise named the League One Coach of the Year at September's end-of-season ceremony in Manchester, with the Knights being named the League One Club of the Year and also collecting the Foundation of the Year gong.

Preparations for the 2019 campaign, meanwhile, continue when Ford's team take on leading amateurs Hunslet Parkside in the first round of the new pre-season Yorkshire Cup competition on Saturday (kick off 1pm, at Dewsbury Rams' ground).