PLASTIC fantastic. York City fans can now prove their allegiance by becoming card-carrying Minstermen fans.

The club was launching its own credit card scheme in conjunction with MBNA at Bootham Crescent today.

The scheme is the latest fundraising initiative undertaken by the club.

For every fan taking up the City credit card offer, the club will receive a commission. The club will receive further monies for every penny then spent on the card.

For further details, contact the club's commercial manager Peter Salter on 0870 777 1922 extension six.

Dolan appointment would make sense for both Cities

YORK City fans will be keeping a close eye on events at Valley Parade in the coming days, hoping Bradford City will be doing the Minstermen's coffers a favour.

After the dismissal of Nicky Law last week, the Bantams are in the process of searching for a new manager to halt their slide down the Division One table.

An array of big names have been linked with the vacant hot-seat, including Bryan Robson, Walter Smith, Graham Rix, Stuart Gray, Bobby Gould, Lawrie Sanchez, Lou Macari and Chris Kamara.

Former England captain and ex-Middlesbrough supremo Robson is now the bookies favourite with Bradford reportedly anxious to attract a big name to boost flagging attendances.

That would appear to end former City chief Terry Dolan's chances of a return to the club where he started his managerial career.

However, finances are tight at Valley Parade and Robson is sure to command a sizeable wage.

He was reportedly expecting a salary of around £300,000 to become head coach of the Nigerian national team just a few weeks ago, a wage more than double what Law was earning as Bantams' boss.

It is unlikely Bradford can afford to pay much more than the £140,000 they were paying their former manager, so Robson could be priced out of the market.

That could then open the door for Dolan, which would be a massive boon to York City, who must continue to pay his salary for the remainder of the season unless he gains new employment.

Dolan's Bootham Crescent salary before bonuses was reportedly around the £60,000 mark - a figure that would no doubt appeal to a cash-conscious Bradford.

He is also well used to working on a shoe-string budget and fighting relegation battles.

If Bradford wanted to cut costs further than they may even consider copying City by installing a player-boss with Dolan providing the experience as a number two.

Stuart McCall has quashed speculation linking him with such a move but Dean Windass, a close friend of Dolan, is one of four senior players at Bradford who have been placed in temporary charge of the first team and has recently been taking his coaching qualifications

A Windass-Dolan double act is certainly a possibility then and would probably be the most satisfactory solution to the money-men at Bradford.

It was finances that largely dictated Dolan's demise at Bootham Crescent in the summer and the decision of the board to install a player-manager.

How ironic if those very same financial pressures persuade Bradford to also appoint a player-boss which in-turn could bring about Dolan's return to coaching.

DOLAN'S appointment to the Bradford job and his subsequent removal from the Bootham Crescent wage-bill would perhaps signal the start of a turnaround in fortunes for York City.

I always believe decent, hard-working people will get their rewards but a slice of good fortune is long overdue for the Minstermen.

The most recent kick in the teeth came last Sunday when, just minutes from the prospect of a lucrative replay, Barnsley struck a late winner to end City's FA Cup hopes for another season.

It was just the latest in a long line of misfortune. From Bootham Crescent Holdings to John Batchelor, from the taxman to the council, City have had to battle constantly against seemingly insurmountable odds to stabilise the club and give it a future.

More recently, the discovery of a Roman camp at Huntington Stadium was of the 'you-couldn't-make-it-up' variety but it remained another obstacle the club had to clear.

Their reward last season should have been promotion or at least a play-off final date at the Millennium Stadium.

It was not to be.

This season an FA Cup run would have been some compensation but once again fate conspired against the Minstermen.

No one ever said it was going to be easy but City supporters have had a particularly rough ride in recent months.

They deserve a change in luck and once fortune does favour them lets hope it hangs around. It certainly ought to.

Business opportunity knocks on the boardroom door

YORK businesses are being offered a unique chance to hire the boardroom at Bootham Crescent for the day.

The room, hitherto the preserve of club directors and their guests, could no doubt tell hundreds of tales from the Minstermen's rich history.

Now businesses can hire the unusual venue to hold a special meeting or for staff training while increasing income for City.

Businesses will not only be given the opportunity to see behind the scenes at Bootham Crescent but will be provided with lunch and a talk by City player-manager Chris Brass.

City commercial director, Jason McGill said: "This is a great opportunity for businesses to impress their employees and clients by hiring this unique venue for corporate meetings.

"We can offer a day with a difference, giving businesses a rare opportunity to experience behind the scenes at York City."

For more details, contact City commercial manager Peter Salter on 0870 777 1922 extension 6.

ON the subject of businesses and the Minstermen, the next meeting of the York City Business Network will be at the Beechwood Close Hotel, Shipton Road, York on Friday November 28, from noon to 2.30pm.

Tickets are priced at £20 and include a two-course lunch plus speeches from special guests.

The YCBN is a new initiative which aims to have member businesses buying goods and services from one another at discount rates, which are then split between them and the football club.

HERE'S another reminder that the City Supporters' Trust and the football club are jointly hosting a fundraising Christmas dinner and dance later this month.

The event will be staged at York Racecourse on November 29, just hours after City play host to Swansea City at Bootham Crescent.

The City players will be in attendance, hopefully toasting a three point haul against the Swans.

Tickets are priced £27.50 and available from the club shop or by e-mailing Kirsten Gillies at kirsten@ycst.org.uk

Updated: 12:17 Saturday, November 15, 2003