A SUPPORTERS' pressure group fighting to keep York City at Bootham Crescent is turning up the heat on developers Persimmon Homes.

The Friends of Bootham Crescent (FoBC) has launched a petition urging the company to withdraw its planning application to build on City's home for the past 71 years.

The group claims to have already collected 500 signatures and aims to amass even more before presenting the petition to Duncan Davidson, group chairman of Persimmon, and Ian Hessay, managing director of Persimmon Homes (Yorkshire).

In an open letter to the pair, FoBC describes Persimmon's bid to build on Bootham Crescent as a "stain" on the company's reputation, but that the situation can still be rescued.

"We ask that you withdraw your application to build on Bootham Crescent, that you withdraw from buying either Bootham Crescent itself or Bootham Crescent Holdings and that you do all in your power to enable York City FC to survive and prosper at Bootham Crescent."

The Evening Press revealed last year that Persimmon had acquired a ten per cent stake in BCH, the company which owns the ground.

The company has a conditional contract to buy Bootham Crescent, subject to planning permission and vacant possession.

Persimmon was today considering its response to the petition, and the company's comments will be reported in tomorrow's Evening Press.

In a separate move, the Friends have called a public meeting to gauge the overall feeling of York residents over City's planned move to Huntington Stadium, the loss of Bootham Crescent and the stand taken by City of York Council. It will be staged at 7.30pm on Tuesday in the main hall of the Priory Street Community Centre.

FoBC spokesman David Allison said speakers from key groups involved in the long-running saga would be invited to attend, including the three sports clubs York City FC, York Knights RLFC and Nestl Rowntree Athletics, and the three political parties on the council, Liberal Democrat, Labour and Green.

Liberal Democrat Coun Andrew Waller was among the 3,082 crowd at Bootham Crescent last night as City kicked off their pre-season friendly programme with a 5-0 defeat to Sunderland.

It is understood the football club invited every City of York councillor to the match, in an effortd to defuse the stadium row, but a number of councillors were unable to attend because of council business.

Updated: 12:19 Thursday, July 17, 2003