THE mystery would-be purchaser yet to make a formal bid for York City insisted today he was still hoping to buy the troubled football club and Bootham Crescent.

A representative of the millionaire businessman, based in the north of England, said it was also the intention to give the Supporters' Trust, who dramatically came to the rescue of the club with cash backing, representation on the board should his bid prove successful.

As reported in the Evening Press, only one bid had been formally received by administrators to save City from extinction.

One offer was said to be pending and the mystery bidder's spokesman admitted that was still the case today.

His representative said it may be a number of days before any plan was submitted to the administrators.

"We want to be patient," he said. "We do not want to rush into anything and we have to be cautious.

"We would love to tell the fans more, but we do not want to give people false hope and we want to keep our feet on the ground."

The Evening Press understands a "professional body" representing the yet-to-be-made bid met with council planners on Wednesday to gain a reaction as to their plans for a new ground. Those talks are believed to have proved "very positive".

However, while it is the intention of the pending bid to move to a new stadium, their plan initially involves buying Bootham Crescent and keeping the club at their current ground until any new home is ready.

The spokesman praised the decision of the Trust for agreeing to stump up the cash to keep the club going while negotiations continue.

"It is very much the right decision and if and when anything happens with our bid we would give the Trust representation on the board," he said.

John Batchelor, still owner of York City, today welcomed the news at least one firm offer to buy the club had been submitted. He also saluted the work of the Supporters' Trust.

The Evening Press understands Batchelor has played a key role in attracting the would-be purchaser to the club.

It is also understood the prospective owner is a multi-millionaire - believed to be from Oxfordshire - and is wanting to buy Bootham Crescent from the current owners of the stadium, Bootham Crescent Holdings.

To that end, talks involving his representatives and BCH have taken place over recent weeks.

If a deal can be reached, it is understood the unnamed individual would keep City playing at Bootham Crescent until any new stadium can be built.

Batchelor, who had also been working with the other mystery bidder whose offer is still pending, said: "I am delighted we have got at least one bid on the table.

"I am very, very pleased that a bidder has come forward and I am working with them to make sure they have all the information they need to make it happen."

Batchelor said he was "very grateful" to the Trust for stepping into the breach and agreeing to pay the club's expenses while any deal goes through.

Updated: 11:41 Friday, January 17, 2003