YORK City legend Iain Dunn has heaped praise on the supporters of the club, with over 500 Minstermen fans expected to make the trip down to Torquay United on Saturday.

Dunn, who played for York between 1988 and 1991, has described the supporters as ‘astonishing’, after continuous fantastic turnouts at the LNER Community Stadium and on the road.

With Torquay being forced to open up a second stand for City supporters, the Minstermen are expected to be backed heavily on Saturday in what will be a crucial clash for both sides.

“Just carry on what you’re doing.” Dunn enthused.

“Like I said earlier but this season it’s been the highlight for me. The atmosphere they’ve created at home is astonishing, they’re getting everybody in the crowd involved.

“And for me sat at that media desk when the South Stand start singing and then the main stand start joining in and everybody is joining in, it’s brilliant.

“So keep doing what you’re doing, because it really is the best team in the world, so to have that support and that helps every game.

“And we don’t win all the time but it does help whenever they’ve been struggling, and the away support as well has been phenomenal.

“We’re going down to Torquay today and understand there are about 500, 600 City fans coming down, which is unbelievable.

“That’s bigger than football that is, it’s something special.”

Dunn remains ‘content’ with how York’s season has gone, with City currently six points ahead of Torquay, who have four games remaining.

“Off of the field it’s obviously been a little bit of a mess.

“No one really knows what is going on, but on the field I would suggest that we are maybe just a little bit below where we would have wanted to be at the start of the season.

“Everyone wanted to basically stay in the division, that was the goal at the start of the season really, to try and cement our play in this division and build from there.

“I don’t think we should forget that really when you look at the performances, we know we’re not a team that’s going to get promotion.

“If you look at the teams who are actually going to get promotion, we’re not on that level.

“To do it on a one-off occasion is something, but across the season you have to hit those levels every game. Especially with the standards that Notts County and Wrexham have set it’s almost every game, you can’t afford to slip up.

“On the field I’m content with what we’ve achieved, but that all changes if we have a bad last three games.

“Because I’ll repeat what I said before, but at the start of the season, I just wanted to stay up. I think we got a sniff of what it was like higher up in the table at the start of the season, but it hasn’t fallen for us and the realisation was at Halifax away and it was that we were in a tough league. We got absolutely battered by them and they were at the bottom of the table at the time. You could see how good the standard could be.

“So I suppose the short answer is that I’m content with how the season has gone, as long as we stay up.

“Chesterfield away was just an outstanding performance alongside an incredible result against a very good team.

“They’re a good team that we schooled really from the 25th minute onwards. So for me as matches go, that would be the highlight.

“But for me, most of the home games and some of the away games, it’s been the support. The fans have really risen to it this season and in turbulent times, they have been the one consistency in supporting the team in a very positive manner.

“That will be a moment he [Michael Morton, York City manager] will never forget, as manager of York City.

“His team have just beaten Chesterfield and he gets to go over and experience that, you just couldn’t buy that feeling really.”

York also opened voting for their Clubman of the Year award, which Dunn offered his thoughts on.

“It’s public opinion really, but I would imagine it would be Mitch Hancox or Olly Dyson.

“Just for sheer effort, I think it would be cruel to say that we’ve had a standout footballer because collectively it’s a team effort really.

“So there isn’t a standout player for York City, I think the team play well together but I think it could be Mitch Hancox or Olly Dyson.”