How the Bootham Crescent saga has unfolded

Board of the football club announce their intention to quit the Football League unless a buyer is found.

JANUARY 2002: Public meeting organised by fan representatives and Evening Press agrees to set up a Supporters' Trust.

The next day, directors of Bootham Crescent Holdings drop their bombshell sales blueprint. It says any buyer must pay £4.5 million or vacate the ground by June.

Move to Huntington Stadium is mooted if Bootham Crescent becomes unavailable.

British Touring Car Championship owner-driver John Batchelor expresses an interest in buying the club.

City of York Council co-ordinates a bid from local businesses but is rejected by Craig.

FEBRUARY 2002: Supporters' Trust formally launched at Barbican.

Batchelor offers Trust a minimum 20 per cent stake in the club and two seats on the board should he gain control. Trust backs his bid.

MARCH 2002: Batchelor announced as City's new owner on March 15 and promises to make it the most 'unusual' in the league.

Batchelor reveals plans to build a 15,000-seat stadium at a site to be confirmed in York. The club will continue to play at Bootham Crescent until it is ready to relocate, probably in a couple of years.

Confidentiality clauses ensure it is not known how much he paid however it is inferred he owns both the club and ground.

The transitional period means club directors Craig, Barry Swallow, Colin Webb, and Josh Easby - not a BCH director - remain on the board.

Batchelor announces a 'substantial three-year' sponsorship package with York builders Persimmon Homes.

Former chairman Craig slams Supporters' Trust by claiming a Trust letter that it owned 25 per cent of the club and would be appointing two board directors was untrue.

Batchelor reaffirms his pledge to give fans a voice in the boardroom after the fans' body announces it is postponing plans to nominate its two would-be directors while clarification is sought on "certain matters".

APRIL 2002: Supporters' Trust express hopes for a positive future for the football club after a meeting with Batchelor. It emerges the 'transitional period' could last for at least six months.

Batchelor confirms sponsorship deal with Persimmon Homes has no conditions attached to the current or future ownership of Bootham Crescent. He gives assurances the club will continue to play its home matches at Bootham Crescent until a new stadium is built.

Batchelor's takeover of York City Football Club is given a legal seal of approval with the actual ownership of the club only now formally transferred. Pledge to give two seats in the boardroom on hold until the end of the 'transitional period'.

MAY 2002: Confirmation that Batchelor does not own the ground comes in a leaked letter to the Evening Press.

Written by Craig to BCH shareholders, it reveals the company has entered into a conditional contract to sell the ground, dependent on planning permission being granted.

Ian McAndrew joins the football club board. He believes club won't be able to move to a new ground until 2005-06 season.

Batchelor announces he wants to change name to York City Soccer Club to market club in America

Nick Townend, managing director of Northcross Ideas, the company behind the re-branding of City, joins the board. New badge design is published.

JUNE 2002: Batchelor proposes football clubs join together to form a buying consortium.

Speaking at a fans forum organised by the Trust, Batchelor says he expects promotion and reveals new stadium will cost £17.5 million.He also insists old regime's influence is now minimal.

Also insists he is not using the club as a means of furthering his motor racing ambitions and announces plans for a new-look programme.

JULY 2002: First artist impressions of York City's new £17.5million stadium revealed. Batchelor says he expects to submit planning application 'within days' for one of two possible sites. Following his outburst, Batchelor meets with the council to discuss sites for the new ground.

A planning application to build 93 homes on Bootham Crescent is lodged with the council by Persimmon.

Batchelor claims he is within days of lodging his own application to build a new ground at a mystery location and maintains both issues will run in parallel.

Batchelor reveals he wants to build new ground at Clifton Moor. Launches a stinging attack on "inept" council officers and puts negotiations with authority on hold for 30 days. Craig resigns from the board of the football club.

AUGUST 2002: Football club director Josh Easby, a member of the old board led by Craig, quits.

He also says he hopes to submit a detailed planning application for a new stadium within the next six weeks.

A statement in Persimmon's planning application to build 93 homes on Bootham Crescent implies City may have to leave the ground by the end of season.

Batchelor claims City will not be kicked out but confirms he wants to buy the ground from BCH to give the club control over its own destiny.

SEPTEMBER 2002: Batchelor announces plans to set up a breakaway rebel league, backed by American company Rayovac.

Evening Press reveals the plight of City and other clubs who have lost ownership of their grounds is expected to be highlighted in a report to be published in the New Year and compiled by watchdog body the Independent Football Commission.

Trust claims it has faced a wall of silence from Persimmon over their plans to build on Bootham Crescent.

The City chairman puts his plan to sue the Football League on hold while his breakaway plans are discussed.

City announce they are examining three potential locations to site a new stadium - all within Green Belt.

OCTOBER 2002: Batchelor reckons around 1,000 half-price season tickets have been sold and claims a major new sponsorship deal will be announced soon.

Evening Press reveals Persimmon have bought 20,000 shares in BCH.

Trust lodge their objection to Persimmon's application to the council.

Evening Press calls on Persimmon and BCH to break silence over their plans for BC.

Batchelor dismisses suggestion City may be playing at Scarborough's McCain Stadium next season as 'madness'

Ryedale MP and City president John Greenway backs calls for football's governing bodies to protect clubs like York City from losing their grounds.

Trust issues rallying call asking people of York to follow their lead and object to the planning application. Supporters' Club submits its objection.

Persimmon says it has no control over whether City continue to play at Bootham Crescent.

Batchelor announces he hopes to resolve the issue of fan representation on the board within weeks or days. Says he still wants to buy BC from BCH and admits if planning permission is granted that would make it easier for him to buy the ground.

NOVEMBER 2002: Craig blasts fans for fighting plans to redevelop Bootham Crescent and maintains it will make it difficult for Batchelor to raise the finance to buy the ground. Refuses to give any assurance club will be allowed to play at BC next season.

A new protest group, Friends of Bootham Crescent, is established with the aim of safeguarding the future of the ground.

Batchelor admits holding talks with a potential investor. Evening Press understands the uncertainty over the future of the ground ends the tycoon's interest.

Batchelor admits the club has financial problems, but insists they are no worse than other FL clubs and maintains he is not trying to off-load the club.

Sport England submit their opposition to Persimmon's planning application.

Trust announce the two members they want to see appointed as supporters' directors, Steve Beck and Sophie McGill.

Batchelor denies rumours the club is facing administration and that he has sold the club's house on Grovesnor Terrace.

Updated: 12:26 Saturday, November 16, 2002