YORK City's chairman and the founder of a new pressure group campaigning for York's proposed new community stadium have met senior York councillors - and say they emerged with some grounds for hope.

Simon Pickering, a regular in the club's David Longhurst stand at Bootham Crescent since he was a child in the early 90s, founded Save York Community Stadium several weeks ago.

He said that he and other leading members of the group had met York council leader Chris Steward and leisure executive member Nigel Ayre in a city centre pub to discuss the prospects for its construction, as officers prepare to release a vital report on the delayed project next month.

He said he had asked Cllr Steward bluntly if the new stadium at Huntington was going to happen, and he had replied: "Yes, trust me."

Mr Pickering said he had felt reassured by the councillor's commitment to the project but added: "Many fans won't believe it until they are sitting in the stand!"

However, he was less hopeful that the authority would be able to stick to its targeted completion date for the stadium of April/May next year.

He said the councillors had said they didn't know when it would be completed and he did not believe this target was now realistic, given delays in councillors signing the contract for the design, build, operation and maintenance of the complex.

York City Football Club chairman Jason McGill, who complained recently about a lack of communication from the council since the Conservative/Lib Dem coalition took charge, said he had met Cllr Steward for a chat later on the same evening as the pressure group's meeting.

He said he too now felt more optimistic about the council's commitment to the project than he had a week or two earlier.

Cllr Steward said:"They were genuine guys and it was a pleasure to meet them. As an executive, we have never for a second deviated from a 100 per cent commitment to the stadium. We continue to be disappointed that after delivering nothing, Labour continue to try and stir up doubt."

A report is being prepared for an executive meeting next month, giving members an update on the project and asking them to approve the finalisation and signing of the "design, build and operate and maintain" long-term contract for the new complex, which was originally due to be considered in December.