YORK Wasps fans have already raised nearly half of the money they reckon is needed for the club to be readmitted to the Rugby Football League this season.

That should give a positive edge to a public meeting at Huntington Stadium tomorrow, at which fans will be given an update on how the 'Keep Wasps Buzzing Campaign' is going as well as the chance to watch some top match action.

The meeting, at 2pm in the bar, will see fans' leader Gary Hall give a presentation on fund-raising and sponsorship opportunities, followed by a big-screen showing of the 1984 Challenge Cup semi-final between York and Wigan as well as York's famous match against Halifax in 1990.

That game saw nearly 5,000 cram into Huntington Stadium and will forever be remembered for an amazing try-saving tackle by Graham Sullivan.

Hall will also give details of the money already donated to the cause. The Evening Press has learnt that figure stands at about £18,000, a rise of about £5,000 in the last ten days and now almost half of the expected requirement.

The supporters' trust working party - who want to resurrect the club after the old board folded and resigned it from the league - have calculated it could cost just £40,000 to keep the Wasps going until the end of the current Northern Ford Premiership campaign, significantly less than the £105,000 suggested by the old board.

The reduction is due to some big-earners having now left Huntington Stadium while the club would only have to pay running costs from June to the end of the season in early September, should they be readmitted to the NFP when it resumes.

Debts incurred by the old board might be reduced or wiped if a supporters' trust is given the go-ahead.

One-off pledges and cash sent in to the supporters' club now stand at £11,283, while monthly donations just top the £1,000 mark, and weekly donations are just under £100.

Hall said: "We can only thank everyone for their generosity and hopefully it will pay off with the club being readmitted to the RFL.

"However, we've got to keep going and we can't just rely on donations. If the club is allowed to close, a lot of people will lose out and an important amenity is lost. We've got to continue with fund-raising activities and keep events going all the time.

"We're trying to form a professional club that's run by the community for the community and all these events should be fun for the community."

Updated: 11:58 Saturday, April 06, 2002