YORK City's last home match of the season on Tuesday will mark the end of an era in more ways than one.

The Evening Press understands the game with Bristol Rovers will be the last for groundsman Bryan Horner, after eight years of dedicated service.

It is a shame Horner, who succeeded his late friend, Brian Foster, to the role in 1994, will be going out with the pitch in such a poor state.

Horner certainly hasn't been helped by the deluge of rain suffered in the last two years and the current surface just doesn't do justice to his diligence and hard work of seasons' past.

A more fitting reminder of Horner's talents should be the magnificent manicured turf of 1999 when the 64-year-old and his pitch were selected as the best in Division Two.

It was pitch perfection and Horner was rightly recognised then as a grass master.

GIVEN the fact so many clubs are facing financial hardship, footballers and their salaries have not been short of criticism in recent months.

However, City players actually paid for the privilege of last Saturday's game at Swansea, all in aid of a good cause.

The Minstermen put their hands in their pockets to donate part of their wages to Sport Relief's 'Pay to Play' scheme.

In doing so the City players joined their counterparts at clubs the length and breadth of the country - from Manchester United and Arsenal in the Premiership to Scunthorpe and Torquay in Division Three.

Amateur clubs and pub teams were also encouraged to take part in the fund-raising drive, getting sponsored to play a game or having a simple whip-round in the dressing room.

All donations are being kept secret but the total amount of money raised will be announced on Sport Relief's big day, July 13, when the BBC will dedicate five hours of TV to the charity push, including a revived version of Superstars with Olympic hero Sir Steven Redgrave.

Sport Relief is a new fund-raising campaign from Comic Relief and BBC Sport.

It aims to unite the world of sport to raise money for vulnerable children and young people at home and across the world by inspiring the whole of the United Kingdom get active during this year's great summer of sport.

FORMER City loan star Mark Bower has been rewarded with a new three-year deal after some impressive displays in the first team at First Division Bradford City.

Bradford-born Bower, 22, has been offered a new deal after impressing at centre-back in the absence of Robert Molenaar, David Wetherall and Gunnar Halle.

The news may come as a bit of a disappointment for City fans, who probably harboured some hope the youngster would one day return to Bootham Crescent in a permanent deal.

But you have to feel pleased for Bower, who turned in a number of accomplished performances in two stints in York colours and always looked to have the ability to play at a higher level.

ANOTHER ex-City loan star continues to confound the critics.

Chris Iwelumo, who failed to endear himself to the Minstermen faithful during a spell at Bootham Crescent last season, is currently Stoke City's top scorer with 12 goals for the Potters.

His form has helped Stoke into the play-offs and, as reported by this column, the striker was recently rewarded with a new contract at the Britannia Stadium outfit.

But it just gets better for Iwelumo, who this week earned a surprise call-up by Scotland's new boss Bertie Vogts.

Iwelumo has been named in a Scottish 'B' squad that will play a low-key friendly against Dundee United on April 30.

Vogts has arranged the game as part of his preparations for a tour of the Far East in May.

Unfortunately, Glasgow-born Iwelumo, who also qualifies to play for Nigeria, may have to miss out on his international debut as the friendly will clash with Stoke's involvement in the play-offs.

OUCH! Halifax may be relegated, ex-City coach Alan Little may be out of a job, but Neil Redfearn, caretaker coach at the Shay while Little recovered from an appendix operation, hardly showed much sympathy for his now former boss.

It was no secret that Little and Redfearn had rarely seen eye to eye since the former City boss took charge of the stricken Town last year.

But writing in his weekly Guardian column last Monday, just 48 hours before Little's dismissal was confirmed, Redfearn made more than a few barbed comments in the former City chief's direction.

"To be truthful, the damage had been done before I was asked to become caretaker manager," said Redfearn.

"I think we managed only two wins in 27 League games under Alan Little and that's disastrous form. By the time I took charge we were ten points adrift.

"We've taken 16 points from 16 games since then and, if we could have improved on that ratio of a point a game, that might just have kept us up."

Redfearn, in discussing his plans for next season in the Nationwide Conference, even implied Little had gone and he already had the job before any official announcement had been made.

Talk about kicking a man when he's down.

Updated: 11:38 Saturday, April 13, 2002