RYEDALE MP John Greenway, the president of York City, has vowed to help find a new home for Huntington Stadium's running track, after fears that the football club's proposed move there would see it ripped up.

Members of Nestl Rowntree Athletics Club are concerned that the track, the only public all-weather track in North Yorkshire, could disappear if York City's plans to redevelop the stadium go ahead.

City are set to move from Bootham Crescent for the 2004-05 season and plans are in the pipeline to share Huntington Stadium with York City Knights RLFC, who also play there.

The Conservative MP and shadow sports minister, who met the athletics club's chairman Gordon Priestley on Saturday, said: "I would like to reassure the members of the athletics club that no one at the football club wants to do down their interest.

"I will do everything I can to help them in finding a new home and ensuring they continue to operate as normal. There can be no question of the athletics club having to be sacrificed in order to ensure that York City has a long-term home."

He said potential alternative sites for the track could include the University of York's campus at Heslington, where it would be a valuable additional asset.

City of York Council has already voiced its commitment to maintaining a track in the city, and, said Mr Greenway, all organisations involved needed to work together to find a solution.

He said: "If that takes longer than a year, then so be it. We will have to go back to the drawing board and negotiate for more time."

Mr Priestley said: "We are relying on the council, John Greenway and all the other people who are supporting us, to ensure that we keep our track or that we get a replacement that we can use to train and for competitions before the Huntington Stadium track is removed."

He added that, as the only public all-weather track in North Yorkshire, the facility was an asset to athletes across the region and was a key part of the city's health and education infrastructure as well as its sports infrastructure.

"We just can't imagine that anyone would go ahead and dig it up."

Hundreds of people have been showing their support for saving the track by signing a petition launched by the athletics club.

Updated: 11:06 Monday, April 14, 2003