CHAIRMAN of Nestl Rowntree Athletics Club Gordon Priestley agrees with City of York Council leader Steve Galloway's claim that this was the most realistic way forward.

"I am delighted that Steve Galloway is bringing realism into the debate," he said.

"I think this would be the cheaper, more sensible, more practical solution, not the 'more expensive, ludicrous, illogical' one the football club are claiming it to be.

"I said months ago that we need firm costs, firm timings and detailed proposals, and we have to cut out the adjectives and emotions, which at times smacks of coercion almost.

"I think the emotion has got to give way to harsh reality."

The plans would see throwing events held on an adjacent field to protect the pitch and Priestley said they would accept this if it was "securely fenced, policeable and safe". He also said these plans were more practical than moving the whole athletics facilities to the University of York, as has been suggested.

"Throws can be accommodated just as well at Huntington as they would be at the university, and building might also be quicker at Huntington than at the uni, certainly in these phases."

He added: "The question I would ask is do York City fans prefer to have no football to football with a very nice track around it, a track on which we train some of their people. Bayern Munich cope quite well with a running track and I just cannot see what all this business of 'we can't have a track, it would spoil the atmosphere' is about.

"I think Steve Galloway has been right and he's done the football club a favour. They're going to have to come down to reality unless they prefer no football. I'm pleased that logic and realism are creeping in at last on one side."

Priestley would not rule out moving to the university or elsewhere, however, and reiterated that the athletes would move on if, and only if, new facilities of a similar or better standard were in place within the city before they had to leave Huntington.

But he added: "My view would be this is probably going to be a lot more affordable than any alternative mentioned to me.

"We've said the athletics club would do its best to co-operate and coexist with the football and rugby clubs at Huntington Stadium, if that's what is needed to underpin the survival of York City.

"When you get a football club that has been close to bankruptcy and whose future is by no means guaranteed, you cut your cloth accordingly and take a conservative view of redevelopment.

"What you need is a survival plan rather than a Utopian plan that's out of reach.

"It would be possible to house York City at Huntington Stadium and if that's the cheapest option, that seems the sensible thing to me for the football club to give priority to. We would prefer if City stayed at Bootham Crescent but if that's not possible we want them to survive in the interests of sport in York, and this is a compromise for us but you've got to be realistic."

Updated: 09:47 Thursday, July 10, 2003