AFTER the recent historic news about Bootham Crescent, Tuesday night's defeat saw me reaching for the record books for all the wrong reasons.

The 4-1 defeat inevitably led to immediate press box speculation as to when the Minstermen were last beaten so emphatically on their home patch.

Well, with club historian David Batters on holiday in Lanzarote, after consulting the Evening Press' big red book, I can reveal the answer is 12 years ago - a long-forgotten time when shaven-headed crooners Right Said Fred topped the charts with 'Deeply Dippy' and Leeds United were the new champions of England.

City's last 4-1 home reverse came on the final day of the 1991/92 season when Barnet romped to victory.

Since then, the Minstermen have only suffered a worse defeat at Bootham Crescent in the LDV Vans Trophy, going down 4-0 to Darlington in January 2001.

A Barnet side featuring future City striker Gary Bull managed to beat present Premiership star Dean Kiely four times with current youth-team coach Paul Stancliffe also playing at centre back.

Big Ian Blackstone got the consolation with players' attentions perhaps turning to their summer breaks.

The full team that got stung by the Bees was: Kiely, McMillan, Hall, Bushell, Tutill, Stancliffe, Atkin, McCarthy, Naylor (Pepper), Tilley (Canham), Blackstone.

Six games without a win culminating in the dismal midweek display against Lincoln has led to questions being asked regarding whether City are hitting the right notes.

In a difficult week, there was a moment of light humour when trawling the internet for research purposes saw me stumble across an informative and amusing web-site.

www.thisdayinmusic.com will tell you what record was at number one on the day of your birthday and a quick roll call of the City players uncovered some interesting and hilarious results.

The birth dates of strikers Aron Wilford, on loan at Harrogate Town, and Jon Parkin, whose struggle to get a starting place led to his shock move to Macclesfield Town yesterday, coincide with Human League's classic "Don't You Want Me". Wilford will be hoping it isn't prophetic come summer when player-boss Chris Brass decides whether to renew his contract.

If that is the case, then Richard Hope should be fine because John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John's Grease classic "You're The One That I Want" was top of the hit parade when the 6ft 2in tall defender was born.

"Stand and Deliver" might have been the message to Lee Bullock from a watching Lennie Lawrence before Tuesday night's home match with Lincoln but it is merely the title of the Adam and the Ants' tune that was selling the most singles when he entered the world in Stockton.

Watch out for more players and their birthday tunes in this column in the next few weeks.

THE end of an era has happily become the dawning of a new age at Bootham Crescent and supporters still wanting a commemorative painting of the 72-year-old ground will be able to proudly hang one on their wall.

North Yorkshire artist Peter Watson was commissioned earlier this season to produce a picture of what was expected to be the last home match at the Crescent before the club's lease expired in the summer.

Watson, who has worked on similar projects for Hull City, Everton, Burnley and Bury, will still apply his brush strokes to a recreation of Bootham Crescent but now the framed, high-quality prints will celebrate the long-term continuance of football at York's traditional home.

The painting, which was to be called "The End of an Era", is now likely to be entitled "Home Win" based on the Evening Press' front-page headline on Wednesday, February 4 when we broke the happy news to our readers.

If you or your company would like to be depicted on the historic picture, there are sponsorship opportunities available as the club board seeks contributions to help towards the cost of the venture.

Fans can purchase perimeter board advertising on the picture and be one of a limited number of supporters to have their portraits included in the crowd scene.

Anybody interested should call Peter Salter at the commercial department on 0870 7771922 for more information.

City communications director Sophie McGill said: "We believe this is a unique opportunity for sponsors and our supporters to own a very special memento of the achievement of staying at Bootham Crescent for the foreseeable future. It also provides a great opportunity of fundraising for the financial benefit of the club and we are hoping for an enthusiastic response."

FORMER York City star Graeme Murty was the odd man out when he made his debut for Scotland in the 4-0 drubbing against Wales at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium this week.

The Scots started the game with 11 players who were all born in Scotland, with Reading's Murty, who was born in Middlesbrough, becoming the only Anglo when he came on at half-time.

Murty qualified to play for Scotland as both his parents were born north of the border.

CITY supporters can get away shirts at a discounted price as part of the current club shop sale.

The tops, available in every size apart from large men's, have been reduced from £39 to £32.50.

Junior sizes have also been cut from £29 to £25 and a wide range of leisure wear is available at sale prices as well.

Lee's way

PLAYER-COACH Lee Nogan continues to move up the Evening Press Player of the Year leaderboard after collecting four points from the home games against Mansfield and Lincoln.

Nogan (pictured below) picked up a pair of points from both matches and is now part of a four-man chasing pack that also includes Lee Bullock, Mark Ovendale and Richard Hope who have the most realistic chance of catching long-time leader Darren Dunning.

Teenage defender Sean Davies marked his full debut against Lincoln with a man-of-the-match display and fellow youngster Lev Yalcin also gained his first point of the season.

Mark Ovendale was City's top man against Mansfield on Saturday with on-loan midfielder Justin Walker earning the remaining point.

Latest standings: Dunning 33 points, Bullock 24, Ovendale 23, Nogan 22, Hope 20, Merris 11, Ward 11, Wood 10, Edmondson 9, Smith 8, Brass 7, Parkin 5, Cooper 4, Walker 4, Wise 4, Davies 3, Brackstone 1, Fox 1, George 1, Shaw 1, Wilford 1, Yalcin 1.

Updated: 10:17 Saturday, February 21, 2004