NESTLE Rowntree Athletics Club have admitted they would still consider a move to the University of York in the future if it provided a better alternative than their current Huntington home.

Yesterday's announcement that York City Football Club have reached a long-term solution to stay at Bootham Crescent means Nestl Rowntree AC will be able to remain at Huntington Stadium.

Part of York City's planning application to move to Huntington Stadium, which has now been shelved, had involved the athletics club relocating to newly-built facilities at York University.

The athletes actively petitioned against losing their current base but chairman Gordon Priestley has also admitted that the club would not rule out leaving Huntington if a better site was found.

This could be good news for York City Knights Rugby League Club, who share Huntington Stadium and who - even without the football club on board - may look to upgrade the arena to Super League standards as part of their drive to reach rugby's elite.

The Knights are among the favourites to win promotion to National League One this season - one level below Super League - and to thereafter pass Super League criteria, the Knights would need a ground with a bigger capacity than Huntington, so any upgrade may yet require the athletics club to relocate.

Priestley said: "All at Nestl Rowntree Athletics Club are delighted that York City will be staying at Bootham Crescent and we wish them every success for the future. Obviously, we are all delighted that Nestl Rowntree will be able to build on the success of recent years and stay at Huntington.

"We have also now been in regular dialogue with York University with whom we hope there will be some future opportunities for co-operation. We have a lot of athletes up to 18 years of age who then go off to university elsewhere.

"We would like some of York University's under-graduate athletes incorporated into our programmes of coaching and athletics. We would also like to see whether we can collaborate with them in the future development to the University site to build an even better facility than the one we have now.

"In the meantime, it's business as usual at our all-weather Huntington facilities. We have had a good year and still have a good track so it's all systems go."

Priestley thanked everybody who had signed the petition, MP John Greenway, UK Athletics, Sport England, City of York Council and the City of York Managers for their support.

The Knights, meanwhile, have also congratulated City - though in an official statement made it clear the football club had still not contacted them directly about their withdrawn interest in Huntington Stadium.

The official Knights statement reads: "We have read carefully the joint media statement issued by Bootham Crescent Holdings, Persimmon Homes and York City Football Club and have noted its contents.

"We can appreciate this will be wonderful news for all the hard-working supporters of York City Football Club and we wish everyone associated with the club every future good fortune.

"We assume that, notwithstanding (as per the statement) the fact that legal arrangements have yet to be finalised, York City no longer has any further interest in Huntington Stadium; no doubt, when an opportunity to do so presents itself, the directors of York City will clarify the point for us.

"In the meanwhile, we can now turn our minds to the development of the Stadium, mindful as we are of the need to consult fully with all interested parties and to protect the interests of all existing users of this community facility."

York City's stadium development director Ian McAndrew thanked the Knights for co-operating with the football club.

He added: "As stated it is the York City board's intention to withdraw their planning appeal for Huntington Stadium.

"We thank the Knights for all their co-operation over the past months and we wish them much success for the season ahead."

Updated: 10:34 Thursday, February 05, 2004