THERE is no plan to stage a benefit game for departing York City defender Dan Parslow.

The former Wales under-21 international, whose Bootham Crescent contract expired at the end of last season, is tenth on the Minstermen’s all-time appearances list and is the only player to have lifted the Billy Fenton Clubman of the Year Memorial Trophy on three separate occasions.

During two spells with the Minstermen, Parslow spent 11-and-a-half years on the club’s books between 2006 to 2015 and January 2017 to this summer.

But City managing director Steve Kilmartin has confirmed that a testimonial contest for Parslow has not been discussed in a board meeting because the 33-year-old centre back has not completed the required ten years of unbroken service under Football League criteria.

Previously, fellow defender David McGurk was awarded a benefit match against Middlesbrough, along with a dinner, having completed eight years with the club – the required length of service for non-League players.

Like McGurk, Parslow fulfilled that specification with combined service at National League and Football League level prior to being released by the club in 2015 after coming back from cruciate ligament damage, suffered in a match at Southend.

But goalkeeper Michael Ingham also completed eight years’ service between 2008 and 2016 without a benefit game and Kilmartin said: “It is not the intention for the football club to hold a benefit game for Dan.

“It’s not an issue that’s been brought to a board meeting for discussion, as I understand Dan doesn’t fulfil the Football League criteria of ten years’ unbroken service. That’s not detrimental to Dan and shouldn’t be taken as a slight because he has been a very valued player.”

Parslow is currently without a club, having suffered severe concussion on duty for the Minstermen, resulting in him being ruled out for the last three months of the campaign.

City boss Steve Watson, meanwhile, is currently compiling a programme of pre-season friendlies after the club had to shelve high-profile fixtures that had been arranged to mark the planned opening of the Community Stadium this summer, prior to the announcement that completion of the building work had been delayed.

On that setback, Kilmartin added: “We had four good quality teams all lined up to play us at the new stadium in games that would have each attracted 6,000-strong crowds. They were sides that wouldn’t normally come to Bootham Crescent and were organised because they were willing to help our move to the new ground due to past relationships.

“They weren’t taking a fee for playing the games, but those matches won’t take place now and that is a big chunk of revenue that won’t be coming into the club, as nobody will be able to play a game in October, November or December, so Steve is now busy organising a pre-season programme that will suit the needs of his squad.”

The City board member went on to assure supporters that season-tickets will be issued for the 2019/20 campaign, despite the proposed mid-campaign move to Monks Cross presenting issues regarding the switch from paper-based booklets to a new electronic card system at the Community Stadium.

“There will be a season ticket and we intend that to be for the whole season – not just for the first eight or ten games at Bootham Crescent,” Kilmartin said. “We would also still hope to an offer an early-bird discount.”

The National League North fixtures are expected to be released on Wednesday, July 3 with the season kicking off on Saturday, August 3.