FANS' favourite Viv Busby has been handed the reins at York City Football Club in an attempt to salvage the team's season.

Busby has been appointed as caretaker-manager by the club board after player-boss Chris Brass was relieved of his managerial duties in the wake of a desperate start to the campaign.

The decision was made unanimously after Saturday's loss at home to Forest Green Rovers - a team many fans never knew existed until relegation last May - which leaves City in 16th place, ten points behind North Yorkshire rivals Scarborough and the targeted play-off places.

Brass, 29, will remain with the club as a player.

Busby was brought in on September 17 as assistant manager to help Brass and player-coach Lee Nogan said: "It was a very difficult decision. I was brought in a few weeks ago to try to help Chris and Lee out.

"I didn't expect anything like this. I got a call yesterday afternoon from the board and it's like thrown in your face and it was a shock, really. It's all happened very quickly.

"They told me that they had spoken to Chris and asked would Lee and I carry on. Obviously it's not the best situation but with the last few results against Barnet, Carlisle and then Forest Green it has made the decision very difficult."

The first job for Busby after tonight's reserve match at home to Doncaster Rovers will be to break the news to the players who may be unaware of the managerial change as they were not in training today.

Busby will get some time to work with the team as they are without a match this weekend, having been knocked out of the FA Cup.

His first game in temporary charge will be against Woking in two weeks' time.

And his first priority will be to improve the goals ratio.

He said: "When I first came, we were solid at the back and we were getting a few tight 0-0s, but then things have gone wrong and there's been an injury crisis.

"But despite all that we have still got to make sure that we are solid at the back because if you go in 2-0 down at half-time you've got no chance.

"On Saturday, we were conceding stupid goals and things weren't quite going for us at the other end either. We got a goal back in the 89th minute but if you don't keep clean sheets then there's no point."

Updated: 10:48 Monday, November 08, 2004