YORK City were hoping the Cherries were successful today as Bournemouth and Lincoln City went head to head in the Division Three play-off final.

Speaking ahead of this afternoon's Millennium Stadium encounter, City's finance director Terry Doyle insisted he had nothing against the Imps.

His desire for a Bournemouth victory was motivated purely by money, with Doyle admitting the Cherries' return to Division Two could help City's cash flow next season.

"Wearing my finance director's hat, it was great news when Doncaster came up (from the Conference) because that is another big gate and that is helpful for us," he explained.

"It's also not far for us to travel for the away game.

"It would be fantastic, and this is with no disrespect to Lincoln, if Bournemouth went up because that means an overnight stay will be gone."

Avoiding a long trip south may only save the club a few hundred pounds. However, Doyle maintains it is all part of a new prudent culture sweeping through Bootham Crescent.

The club may have been losing up to £25,000 per week under John Batchelor's stewardship but Doyle insists lots of small savings could soon eat into that deficit.

"We have to be realistic and I'm not a man who believes in the phrase, 'it's only a few hundred quid, it doesn't matter'," he said.

"When you are running a tight budget it does matter and it adds up.

"I think it is a culture that has been missing in football as what has happened at Leeds United this week has shown."

Ultimately, however, the biggest expenditure facing clubs like City remains player wages.

With so many clubs facing financial hardship, the Football League have recommended clubs spend no more than 60 per cent of income on wages next season.

City have already taken steps to trim the current wage bill by releasing eight out-of-contract players and, as reported in yesterday's Evening Press, expect to have only a 16-man senior squad next season.

In the current climate and given the League's recommendations, Doyle said it was not unrealistic for City to be setting an annual player salary cap of around £25,000.

To the average man in the street, that seems a very reasonable wage.

But it is a far cry from just a few seasons ago when football, even in Division Three, was awash with television money. It was not unknown for players, including some at City, to be earning more than £100,000 per year.

Overhauling the bonus system is also being considered, linking player incentives to attendances having already been mooted by the club.

"If people understood how the bonus system affected the level of payments they would be astonished," said Doyle.

"Going forward, bonuses have to be realistic and controllable and balanced with success being rewarded.

"Ultimately, it has to be agreed by all the players but I suspect there is a huge mood of realism coming back into players as well."

Realism is everywhere. It could even be the club's new motto.

Updated: 10:16 Saturday, May 24, 2003