THERE will be grounds for celebration at Bootham Crescent on Saturday regardless of York City's friendly result against Sheffield Wednesday.

The club are looking forward to marking a momentous day for the football club as, prior to the 3pm kick off, representatives from the Football Foundation will present the board of directors with a ceremonial cheque for £2 million.

The unprecedented seven-figure loan from the Football Stadia Improvement Fund will enable the club to secure Bootham Crescent as York City's home for the next ten years, after which time the intention is to sell up and move to a superior stadium at a site within the city.

City managing director Jason McGill, who led the negotiations to secure the funding, said: "Saturday will be a great day for York City Football Club and we urge as many fans as possible to come to the match to celebrate the fact that Bootham Crescent is now in the rightful hands of the supporters.

"Many of us have lived and breathed the dream of reuniting the ground with the football club for the past 12 months. When the cheque is officially handed over on Saturday, the dream will become reality and the future survival and prosperity of the club will be secured."

A special gold commemorative match programme will be sold on the day to mark the event and fans will also get their first opportunity to see City's new home kit which will be on sale to the public at Sunday's Open Day.

The representatives from the Football Foundation attending the game will include chief executive Peter Lee, director of facility and stadia development Geoff Webb, and chairman of the safety and improvement panel David Dent.

York MP Hugh Bayley has also accepted an invitation to watch the match.

Tomorrow night, the Football Foundation contingent, along with the York City board of directors and chairman of the Supporters' Trust Richard Snowball, will attend a civic dinner at the Mansion House.

Updated: 10:50 Thursday, July 22, 2004