MAJORITY shareholder John Guildford says York City Knights' will continue fighting on and off the pitch to achieve their Super League dream, despite the plans to eradicate promotion from National League.

Rugby Football League chiefs yesterday announced plans to do away with automatic promotion and relegation to and from Super League, in addition to increasing the elite tier from 12 to 14 teams.

The proposals, which are likely to come into effect ahead of 2009, will involve all clubs having continuous assessments every three years, with promotion to the top flight only possible if NL clubs can prove they would have a better chance of success in Super League - on and off the pitch - than one of the clubs already in there.

These plans will arguably turn Super League into a franchise-based closed shop, though league bosses have stressed the door is not shut to aspiring clubs.

Guildford said he understood the argument set out by the RFL - which has come to the fore following the struggles of Leigh Centurions in their first season in Super League - but reckoned clubs should always have the opportunity to achieve promotion and prove they can hack it in the top flight once they get there.

And he remained defiant in the hope the Knights will achieve that dream. "We will carry on as normal with the same goal as we had when we started off in 2003 and that is to gain Super League status, irrespective of whatever they throw in our way," he said.

"We shall do all that is possible to get there - starting with going for victory in front of a big crowd at home to Hunslet on Sunday."

However, he stressed the Knights would not risk breaking the bank in a bid to get promoted to National League One and then to Super League before the drawbridge is effectively raised in four years' time.

"We wouldn't even think of it," he said. "We're ambitious to get there but financial stability of the club is the main thing. It's not about just winning promotion to Super League and having a bit of a nice day out - and then in the following week being in a mess. That would be financial suicide.

"All clubs end up finding their own level. We want our level to be Super League."

Rugby Football League executive chairman Richard Lewis admitted he had changed his mind about what he once described as the fundamental need for promotion and relegation in the game.

At a press conference yesterday, Lewis outlined plans to increase Super League and give all new clubs three years without fear of relegation.

He said: "The more you look at it and the difficulties of making the jump from part-time to full-time on and off the pitch, the more you realise it's like a glass slope and there is a better way. But it's still absolutely fundamental that clubs have a chance of getting into Super League."

Updated: 09:49 Friday, May 20, 2005