Sponsorship deal clarity is needed

Last week's radio phone-in involving Batchelor, Douglas Craig and Sophie McGill saw the saga rear its head again.

At the end of last year and following conflicting statements issued by Batchelor as to just where the £400,000 cash boost was intended to go, the Evening Press was able to shed more light on the deal.

When unveiling it back in March 2002, Batchelor said the sponsorship agreement was for both the football club and his motor racing outfit. He also indicated that the lion's share of the money would go to City.

In December, Batchelor insisted that the deal was actually just for his motor racing team.

However, having earmarked 75 per cent of the money to put the sponsorship deal in place, Batchelor said that he put the profit from the agreement -- £100,000 -- into the club to wipe out City's then overdraft and put it on a stable footing for the start of this season.

Later in December the Evening Press published the leaked documents that detailed Batchelor's take-over of the football club.

The sponsorship deal with Persimmon was included and significantly the documents confirmed that the agreement signed was just for the motor racing team.

Batchelor confirmed to the Press that the £100,000 directed to City was only 'loaned' to the club and around £70,000 had subsequently been withdrawn to pay for motor racing activities, including hospitality and tickets.

Batchelor maintained this was legitimate because he was trying to associate City with the motor racing team for the football club's benefit. In any-case, said Batchelor, it was 'his money'.

At the time, and in the weeks previous, the Evening Press called on Persimmon to try and clear up the uncertainty once and for all. The company declined but said it would respond in "due course".

Speaking last Friday, Craig, who was party to the negotiations involving Persimmon, Batchelor and Bootham Crescent Holdings, admitted that he believed the sponsorship monies were supposed to go to the football club.

"We accepted a reduction in the price for Bootham Crescent (with Persimmon) of £400,000 which we clearly understood was for the benefit of the football club.

"Even my worst enemies would not say that I would cheerfully give away £400,000 on behalf of BCH if it had not been for the football club."

Trust board member McGill said she also believed it was Persimmon's intention to help the football club.

McGill said that because they are a national company Persimmon do not have a policy of advertising locally.

"That is why it was decided the money was for the benefit of York City, but the adverts would be put on the racing cars, because the racing cars feature on national TV," she said.

Batchelor continued to maintain that the agreement was "exclusively" for his motor racing team and the contract obtained by the Evening Press backs up his claims.

However, Persimmon can still clear up the confusion and uncertainty once and for all over just what their intentions were.

They've indicated they will. We are still waiting.

Fanzine to mark Wembley day

THE editors of Ginner's Left Foot have expressed their gratitude to everyone who bought the bumper Christmas edition of the City fanzine.

Issue number five proved the biggest selling edition yet and with all profits from the fanzine pledged to the Trust some £230 was handed over in the Bootham Crescent social club in midweek.

The editors say they are confident the next issue, celebrating the tenth anniversary of City's appearance at Wembley, will be published, despite the current uncertainty surrounding the club, towards the end of the current season.

GONE but not forgotten, manager Terry Dolan made a special point of paying tribute to the departing James Richardson last week.

As reported in this column last Saturday, communications manager Richardson has left Bootham Crescent after eight years service to the club.

The game against Swansea was his final match as an employee of the Minstermen and speaking in the post-match press conference Dolan made a special point of thanking Richardson.

"James has given me a lot of help while he has worked at York City and it has been much appreciated," said Dolan.

"I know he is leaving York City as an employee but he won't be leaving York City as a supporter, that is for sure, and we wish him well in his future career."

YORK City Ladies enjoyed a bright start against North Ferriby in their latest fixture, but still found themselves 2-0 down to the visitors at the break.

Hopes of a fightback were boosted in the second half when ace poacher Jenny Garnett pulled a goal back for City with a well-executed scissors kick.

However, Ferriby held firm and regained the initiative with two more goals.

Still York refused to surrender and when Jo Spence pulled another goal back the City Ladies saw hope renewed only for two late goals from North Ferriby to give the scoreline a flattering sheen for the visitors.

CITY'S Football in the Community programme is hosting a half-term funweek at Askham Bryan College next month.

The course is open to boys and girls aged five to 16 and will run from Monday, February 17, to Thursday, February 20, from 10am to 3pm. The cost is £32.

For further details contact Paul Olsson, the FITC officer at Bootham Crescent on 01904 613017 or mobile 07710 258636.

Fund a big help to club's survival

WITH the Supporters' Trust, quite rightly, earning all the plaudits for keeping the club afloat with its massive cash injection, another less public source has also been doing its bit to keep the club's heart beating.

Since the club was placed into administration, City's Youth Development Fund has been used to help pay some of the Minstermen's Centre of Excellence expenses.

More than £100,000 has been raised since the Fund's formation in 1992, with the money used to help finance the activities of both the coaching of young players and the club's young supporters.

In the current climate, the Fund, organised by Graham Kilby, has proved particularly valuable and effective, with some £4,000 being spent hiring all-weather training facilities both in York and on Teesside, an area that has proved a hot-bed for future City talent.

The money has also been used to fund many other Centre of Excellence expenses such as coach hire, offering reassurance to players and their parents that during these difficult times the club's youth set-up is still being run efficiently by head of youth development Paul Stancliffe and his team of coaches.

Since being established, Fund income has come from a variety of sources including sponsors, Junior and City Red memberships and from the Family Room shop at Bootham Crescent.

An annual draw run by the Towton Minstermen and old programmes donated by supporters and sold in the Bootham Crescent programme shop have also boosted the coppers.

Earlier this season this column reported the Fund has paid for some new waterproof jackets for City's ball-boys, all members of the Junior Reds scheme at Bootham Crescent.

Two-goal Duffield on heels of leader

FORWARD-thinking Peter Duffield is closing in fast on the Evening Press player of the year award.

Duffield's two goals last Saturday against Swansea were enough to guarantee the City striker the man of the match display and three points.

He has now leap-frogged Chris Smith into joint second-place with Alan Fettis, and is just one point behind leader Chris Brass with the final third of the season beckoning.

Michael Reddy claimed two points against the Swans to climb a few places up the rankings. However, with today's game against Hull Reddy's last in a City shirt the Sunderland striker will not be challenging for the end of season gong.

Fellow striker Lee Nogan remains on the coat-tails of the front runners after picking up the remaining point on offer.

Latest positions: Brass 23 points, Duffield 22, Fettis 22, Smith 21, Parkin 15, Nogan 14, Cook 13, Edmondson 12, Cowan 11, Fox 7, Reddy 6, Beresford 5, Brackstone 5, Bullock 3, Hobson 2, Jones 1, Potter 1, Wise 1.

Updated: 10:00 Saturday, January 25, 2003