York City are moving closer to identifying a site for the building of a new sports stadium.

The football club are in the process of drawing up a shortlist in conjunction with the City of York Council and three sites would appear to be emerging as preferred possibilities judging by decided specifications of any new facility.

York City stadium development director Ian McAndrew has confirmed that nine or ten acres of land would be the smallest plot required for a new stadium, which would appear to rule out the University of York as an option.

Green-belt land in Naburn would fulfil that criteria, as would the area behind York Railway Station in the Leeman Road area, known as York Central or the Teardrop site, and the current site of the Terry's Factory.

And it is believed all three sites are under consideration.

McAndrew would not comment on potential new homes for the football club but said: "Things are progressing well with the identification of a site within the city for our new stadium. At present, I am going through the York Local Plan and our own sequential test which was performed previously to discount all the sites which are no longer available or not in any way suitable to accommodate a sport stadium in the city.

"A shortlist will then be compiled, based on those sites which are big enough to offer nine to ten acres, and myself and the football club board will then prioritise the list and state our preferences. From my investigations so far, it seems likely the majority of the shortlisted sites will be in green-belt locations."

The football club plan to move into a new stadium by 2014 with the £2 million loan it secured from the Football Foundation to acquire Bootham Crescent dependant on relocation to a superior facility within ten years.

Under the conditions of the loan, the Minstermen must also identify a site for a new 10,000 all-seater stadium by 2007 and obtain planning permission by 2009.

McAndrew added: "I am pleased to say the club now has a very good relationship with the City of York Council, who have been very helpful and supportive so far. In particular, we are working closely with the head of development and planning Bill Woolley and chief executive David Atkinson.

"Together we will be investigating the shortlisted sites in depth and discussing important issues such as traffic and transportation and our own aspirations for extra income-generating facilities. This is an exciting prospect for the club and everyone is committed to providing City supporters and the people of York with a superior facility they can all be proud of."

The football club have also moved quickly to confirm that the delay in the completion of the acquisition of Bootham Crescent is purely because of legal finalities.

It is believed that the transfer in ownership from Bootham Crescent Holdings back to the football club will be completed in early January.

Updated: 09:41 Thursday, November 25, 2004