JIM Collis and his assistant Jon Reynolds were today contemplating their futures following Nestl Rowntree's decision to fold the West Yorkshire League side.

The club will continue to run their two sides in the Leeper Hare York and District League but Collis and Reynolds have been told that the team they put out in the WYL - Nestl's 1st XI - has become too expensive to run.

The news has come as shock to the pair as they did not attend the meeting in which decision was made and were informed of the decision by a phone call from club secretary Mick Hodgson.

Collis did not want to comment other than to confirm that this would be his last season in charge of a club which he led for 25 years. In that trophy-laden spell he helped to guide the club to two Northern Counties East League championships and two in the West Yorkshire League.

Former York RI player Reynolds, who has been Collis's right-hand man for five years, told the Evening Press: "We are definitely folding.

"The committee (at Nestl Rowntree) got together and decided to scrap the West Yorkshire League side.

"Neither us, or any of the team, were at the meeting, we just got a phone call from the club secretary Mick Hodgson informing us of the decision.

"When we questioned it we were told that there was no going back. I had my say but it didn't get us anywhere. We're very disappointed. They said it was financial as it was costing too much. It did cost more because referees were coming in from across West Yorkshire, while there was the travelling expenses for the players.

"But in my opinion, if they were going to scrap a side, it should have been the third team, not us. It is a strange decision to scrap one of biggest teams in York.

"It is not good for York and district football, with British Suger, York RI and ourselves now gone, there is no stepping stone up."

Hodgson confirmed to the Evening Press there were financial reasons behind the move.

"That was one of the reasons," he said. "The other reason was that it coincided with our manager Jim Collis. He has talked about calling it a day for a couple of seasons now, while this season he has not been well.

"We looked at it financially because it costs a fair bit to run. Also either next season or the one after, all premier division sides will have to have a team in the reserve division as well and this would mean even more costs. We decided to pull out now rather than wait out the day that it happens."

The cause of the Collis, who has won around 80 trophies in 25 years at Nestl, and Reynolds was not helped by the fight that they have had this season to field teams.

As reported in the Evening Press last month, the side were even forced to call off their clash with Carlton Athletic because they couldn't raise 11 players - and as a result they were fine £100 by the league.

But Reynolds, feels they were not helped out by the rest of the Rowntrees club.

"We've struggled at times this season and have done well to get things to were they are," he said. "We got fined £100 for cancelling against Carlton as the league came down hard on us. But while we couldn't raise a team, the seconds had a full-strength squad and the thirds didn't even have a game.

"The seconds and thirds were both fighting against relegation in the York and District League so we couldn't take any players from them."

Nestl will now line-up for the last time on May 4 when they travel to Aberford - and the match could be the last in football for Collis and Reynolds.

"We will just see what comes of it," added 48-year-old Reynolds. "You never know what is in the pipeline."

Updated: 10:42 Saturday, April 27, 2002