York City's hopes of staying at Bootham Crescent for another season took a blow today with the ground's owners rejecting the club's request for an extension to their current lease.

While the football club insisted it was hopeful City would still be playing at Bootham Crescent next season, the grim prospect of City having nowhere to play after May 2004 remains very real.

The club had hoped Bootham Crescent Holdings would agree to a 12-month extension, enabling City to continue playing at their home of the last 70 years while the redevelopment of Huntington Stadium, the club's proposed new home, is completed.

City have been given a ray of hope with BCH, owned by former City chairman Douglas Craig, not dismissing the club's approach out of hand.

However, the company warned it will only discuss an extension once certain planning applications have been approved by the City of York Council.

Those applications, all inter-linked, include the football club's plans to redevelop Huntington and Persimmon Homes' application to build 93 homes on Bootham Crescent.

Persimmon have a conditional agreement to buy Bootham Crescent from BCH based on their planning application being approved.

It is understood the council have said they will only approve Persimmon's application if City have a suitable alternative home to go to.

A third planning application could yet be involved in the complicated process should it be agreed that the running track at Huntington has to be relocated so that the stadium can accommodate City.

The University of York has been earmarked as the most likely new home for the track but any development at the campus would also have to be subject to planning approval.

Craig said today: "We are not prepared to consider that possibility (a lease extension) until such time that necessary planning approvals have been receieved."

It is unlikely City's planning application to redevelop Huntington will go before councillors until April at the earliest. Because Huntington is on council-owned land, the application could be called in by the Government which could delay the process even further.

The club has now publicly acknowledged the redevelopment of Huntington will not be completed in time for the start of next season.

City have already ruled out ground-sharing with a rival club should they be ousted from Bootham Crescent.

Playing at Huntington while the redevelopment work is carried out is a possibility.

However, it is by no means certain the club would be able to satisfy the necessary safety requirements if Huntington resembles a building site.

City commercial director Jason McGill, said: "It is clear from the response from Bootham Crescent Holdings we will not be in a position to negotiate an extension to the lease until planning consent is granted.

"We are, however, hopeful York City will be playing at Bootham Crescent next season and the board remains fully committed to finding a solution to our ground problem."

Updated: 11:19 Friday, November 28, 2003