York City's proposed move to Huntington Stadium could see York City Knights in line for a short-term move to Bootham Crescent.

As revealed by the Evening Press, the York City Supporters' Trust have come to an 'in principle' agreement with City of York Council to move to share Huntington Stadium with the Knights under a ten-year lease.

The proposals would see the stadium undergo 'substantial redevelopment' to bring it up to Football League standards, including upping the capacity to a minimum of 6,000. And while such work was going ahead, the rugby league club could move in with City at their current home, Bootham Crescent.

The Evening Press believes that with planning and funding hurdles yet to be overcome it could take about 18 months for City's proposed move to come about, while any redevelopment work itself would take about seven months to complete. If so, this would impinge at some stage on the Knights' playing season, which runs for nine months from January to September.

Knights' majority shareholder John Guildford did not rule out a short-term move to Bootham Crescent but stressed nothing at this stage had been agreed.

"They're just discussions at the moment," he told the Evening Press. "What the rugby club would do would be dependant on a number of things, if it was to go ahead."

Guildford is in support of the plans to ground-share with the football club following talks with the Trust and the council. But he has warned that nothing had been signed and sealed and that 'there was still a lot to do' for it to become reality.

He also said the Knights had not yet been told details of City's agreement with the council, which was revealed in the Press yesterday.

"I know nothing about the meeting with the council this week in which the Trust and council agreed that City would come to Huntington Stadium - nothing more than what I've read in the Evening Press that the council has given them a ten-year lease at 'peppercorn rent'."

He added: "Obviously, it would be nice for us to also have peppercorn rent."

The lease for Huntington Stadium is presently owned by Cannons Leisure, off whom the Knights have a separate lease. What will happen to these leases should the City proposals go ahead is not yet known.

Guildford added: "At this moment in time we've got a ten-year lease with Cannons, who have the lease of the ground off the council.

"We've got our ground and we're playing games here. If City are coming we don't know when they'll be coming - we've never been formally informed.

"Nobody has told me what happens to our lease but we've had discussions with the Trust with a view to having both the rugby club and the football club sharing the same ground, which we are in favour of."

Updated: 11:35 Thursday, March 13, 2003