I WAS interested to read that York City had decided to switch some of their fixtures to Sunday and Friday nights in a bid to increase income and the number of fans attending.

I would question Terry Doyle's assertion that fans like the move to Sundays, as in my experience and that of friends I talk to, people like the continuity of Saturday afternoons, rather than not knowing whether their club is going to play on Friday night, Saturday afternoon or Sunday.

Several clubs, including York City, Stockport County and Torquay United, have tried this in the past and without exception all have moved back to Saturday afternoon, the traditional time to play Nationwide League games.

In my long experience of watching football at Bootham Crescent, it has always been the case that people will come along if the team is doing well and they stay away if the team is doing badly. This has recently been illustrated at Bootham Crescent, where last season's crowds were some 30 per cent up because the team won a majority of home games. This was in contrast to the previous five or six years when there were many defeats.

Switching from the traditional time is unlikely to help, as all other Nationwide clubs seem to have realised, judging by the fact that few games are played at weekends other than on Saturday afternoons.

For these reasons I am surprised that Terry Doyle is surprised by the lack of co-operation by Hull, Rochdale and Cambridge, who obviously want their supporters to maintain the traditions by travelling at 'normal' times.

I wish City and the Supporters' Trust well in the difficult tasks ahead - but tread warily Mr Doyle and your fellow directors when it comes to switching fixtures, and preferably keep to Saturday afternoons.

Wilf Robinson,

Burton Stone Lane,

Clifton,

York.

Updated: 09:50 Friday, July 11, 2003