FIRST Division transfer target Lee Bullock will be offered a new contract at York City.

Bullock has attracted recent interest from Cardiff City but player-boss Chris Brass is still hoping to persuade the 22-year-old midfielder to stay at Bootham Crescent beyond the end of this season.

Brass said: "Lee will be offered a new deal here. We will sit down with a contract and see where we are at. Then it will be interesting to see what happens."

Cardiff manager Lennie Lawrence watched Bullock in City's 4-1 home defeat against Lincoln but a deal between the Welsh club and the Minstermen as yet to be concluded.

Brass now believes that Lawrence will either wait until the transfer deadline during the third week of this month or the end of the season.

He said: "They might possibly be ready to take the risk of going to a tribunal in the summer."

A tribunal will be called if City and Cardiff are unable to agree on a transfer fee.

Boston United have not followed up their interest in City midfielder Stephen Brackstone with the offer of a permanent contract.

Brackstone played in a reserve game for the Pilgrims last week and has been told he can leave the Minstermen but player-boss Chris Brass said: "Nothing has progressed and we have not heard anything back from Boston. If he gets the opportunity to go elsewhere and have a trial then we won't stand in his way."

Meanwhile third-year apprentice Mike McKenzie has been released by City and made a goalscoring debut for Northern Counties East League outfit Goole in Saturday's 3-0 victory over Ossett Albion.

Brass said: "Going to Goole will give Mike an opportunity and he could bounce back. It did not work out here but I am sure he will want to prove himself now."

McKenzie's former junior team-mates Lev Yalcin, Sean Davies, Graeme Law and Matthew Coad have all been offered one-year professional contracts.

Brass added: "They have not signed them yet but that is because they are statutory offers and their present deals do not end until July 1 so there are no real negotiations. They are all one-year deals although we are considering making Lev a longer offer if he continues to progress."

As reported in later editions of yesterday's Evening Press, City's game against Scunthorpe United, called off on Saturday because of snow and ice, has been re-arranged for Tuesday, March 9 (7.45pm kick-off).

Updated: 10:47 Tuesday, March 02, 2004