Revolting Royals

Madejski has been unable to contain his scorn for former Royals boss Alan Pardew following his decision to quit the Berkshire club after being refused permission to talk to West Ham over their vacant managerial position.

Pardew was finally given the green-light to join the Hammers this week but only after weeks of legal wrangling, the threat of court action and, inevitably, some petty name calling.

Even though Reading look set to pocket some sizeable compensation from West Ham for their ex-manager, a moaning Madejski still could not stop spitting feathers over the fact had walked out on his contract with the Royals.

True, Pardew hardly covered himself in glory in acting as he did.

But Madejski is hardly one to talk about the sanctity of contracts, as York City fans can clearly testify.

Reading, of course, were the club who refused to hand over £50,000 owed to the Minstermen following the Royals' promotion to Division One the season before last.

City believed they were due the cash as part of the agreement that saw Graeme Murty move to Berkshire in 1998.

Under the terms of that agreement, City were entitled to the £50,000 providing Reading won promotion during the lifetime of Murty's four year deal.

Reading finally achieved their goal in the final year of Murty's initial contract.

However, after just three years Reading took the decision to re-negotiate a fresh deal with the player.

Having agreed a new contract with Murty, Reading claimed their earlier agreement with City was null and void.

It was absolute nonsense, of course.

The less than regal Royals were simply pulling a fast one and trying to save themselves some money.

They refused to buckle or bend, leaving City's claim at the mercy of a Football League tribunal, a panel that has hardly ever done City favours in the past.

In the circumstances, City decided to cut their losses and re-negotiated a reduced settlement with Reading over the cash.

How much City actually banked was never revealed but at a guess it was probably around £25,000, half the amount they had hoped to receive.

It is hardly a massive sum to a high-flying First Division club like Reading, bankrolled by a millionaire, but to City £25,000 was the difference between life and death on more than one occasion last season.

Forgive me then if I have little sympathy for Reading and particularly a penny-pinching Madejski. His actions towards City were little more than that of the school-bully.

What goes around comes around and, personally, I'm glad to see the Royals supremo get his comeuppance and a bloody nose.

THE York City Supporters' Trust is urging fans to stand up and be counted.

The Trust is now looking for nominations to stand for election to the Trust board ahead of the organisation's AGM in December.

Four positions are up for election and all trust members can stand and, when the time comes, vote.

Trust Secretary Stan Collins said: "This election is for people to serve on the trust board but who knows, in future this could lead to you becoming a director of the football club itself."

The election for the four positions will take place by postal ballot during the few weeks preceding the AGM on December 17.

Nomination forms will soon be available from the club and from the trust's website www.ycst.org.uk

An election working group, set up to oversee the process, is to distribute an election information pack to members.

To help save on postage costs, members are encouraged to collect their pack from the trust at City's next home match against Cambridge United on October 4, although packs will be sent out by post if they cannot be collected in person.

Four existing trust board members will be seeking re-election: Peter Rookes, who is filling a vacancy on the trust board, and is required to stand for election under trust's rules; Ian Hey, a co-opted board member who has chosen to stand for election; and Sophie McGill and Paul Rawnsley, chosen at random from the remaining nine elected trust board members.

Supporters considering standing for election must be a trust member by the end of September, aged over 16 and able to attend regular trust board meetings,

The Trust board oversees the operations of the football club on behalf of the supporters and the community.

Co-incidentally, this weekend marks the six-month anniversary of the trust taking control of York City.

THE York City Supporters' Trust is staging a fundraising race night at the social club at Bootham Crescent on Friday, October 24.

Entry is free, with the doors opening at 7.30pm and the first race getting underway at 8pm.

Organisers are looking for sponsors for each of the races, at the cost of £35 per race.

Individuals or businesses willing to back the event should contact either Kirsten Gillies at kirstenycst@hotmail.com or Dave Potter at acombdave@hotmail.com

BONKERS about conkers? Wednesday's Junior Reds club night in the family room at Bootham Crescent is the place to be then.

As well as the usual games of table football and pool a contest to find the Junior Red Conker Champion of 2003.

Junior Reds wanting to take part should bring their own conkers with a prize up for grabs.

It is hoped a couple of City players will attend the event, which will run from 6pm to 8pm.

FORMER City fan favourite Michael Proctor must be struggling to repeat his best form at Sunderland.

The Black Cats striker, who had a very successful season-long loan spell at Bootham Crescent two years ago, was awarded just TWO points out of ten by our sister paper, the Northern Echo, for his performance in the Black Cats' 4-2 Carling Cup defeat at home to Huddersfield.

To be fair to Proctor, only one player in the Sunderland starting line-up received more than four points.

Former City goalkeeper Michael Ingham did manage four but ex-Minstermen defender Darren Williams scored just three and was also deemed responsible for Huddersfield's fourth goal.

IN SHARP contrast to Proctor, former City defender Tom Cowan must be pinching himself as the twilight of his career burns brightly.

Released by City at the end of last season and seemingly set for a career outside the game, Cowan hooked up with Scottish Premier League outfit Dundee.

Cowan looked set to play only a bit part with the Dees but last Saturday scored his first goal for the club, a 30-yard thunderbolt as Dundee beat Aberdeen 2-0 and moved up into fourth place in the SPL.

Then, in midweek, Cowan sampled European football for the first time since he played for Rangers as Dundee lost 2-1 at home to Italian side Perugia in the UEFA Cup.

Cowan also now counts Fabrizio Ravenelli as a team-mate after the former Italian legend signed on at Dens Park earlier this week.

LEE Bullock continues to lead from the front in every sense.

Pushed back into the attack in City's recent outings, Bullock picked up another two points for his goal-getting display against Bristol Rovers last Saturday.

The double haul was enough to move Bullock three points clear of Mitch Ward.

However, another man of the match display and three points for Darren Dunning was enough to move the midfielder into second place, just one point adrift of Bullock

Player-boss Chris Brass, picked up the remaining one point on offer to move level with his assistant Lee Nogan.

Rankings: Bullock 13, Dunning 12, Ward 10, Ovendale 5, Hope 4, Brass 3, Nogan 3, Wise 3, Brass 2, Wood 2, Fox 1, Merris 1, Wilford 1

Updated: 10:19 Saturday, September 27, 2003