Stand together to save City

How can Barry Swallow, who claimed he was York City through-and-through, betray the club he served so proudly as player and captain?

I would like to question the fact that Mr Craig places a value of £4.5 million on the club. To say that the chairman and directors paid £200,000 between them for the club would be the equivalent of saying a terraced house in the near vicinity with a price of £60,000 now was worth only £3,000 ten years ago. Come on Mr Craig, we're not as stupid as you like to think we are.

For the sake of the club, we must all stand together to save our beloved Bootham Crescent. We will come through as a stronger and much better club when we get rid of the deadwood.

Joan Calpin,

Almsford Road,

York.

..."YOU were great" was once a headline that graced the back page of the Evening Press.

This was a statement made by Barry Swallow after an epic battle against Huddersfield Town, at Leeds Road, which York won 1-0 on the way to promotion to what is now Division One.

Barry Swallow was thanking the army of York fans that went that night who never stopped urging the team on for the full 90 minutes.

Now the tables have turned. Where is Barry Swallow when the fans need him to be great for them?

I always thought that whilst Barry Swallow had some role to play in the running of York City, we would be in safe hands - after all, he was an excellent captain.

Selling our team down the river was no great surprise from the likes of Douglas Craig and his co-conspirators, but from Barry Swallow, Judas and pieces of silver spring to mind.

Keith Turner,

Clifton Moor,

York.

...WELL done to York on their giant-killing of Grimsby. It's just the tonic they needed.

I agree with York's panto star Berwick Kaler that York City must be saved (January 15). The Bootham Crescent ground is one of the best around and the pitch has always been the envy of many clubs.

York City are a better team than they are given credit for. All teams go through mixed fortune. If a buyer was found who had a shrewd business brain, but also a passion for the game, York may never look back. It would be a tragedy if York City were allowed to disappear.

N Fletcher,

Langton Road,

Norton,

Malton.

...HAVING done nothing but antagonise and discourage people from attending York City matches, Douglas Craig has now added the final insult to all loyal fans who have stood by the club through the nightmare last few seasons.

He increases the prices for the rewarding tie against Fulham.

The club have never done this before as long as we have supported them - over 20 years. Is this his final attempt at milking the supporters for all he can?

With respect to his comments regarding the fans' behaviour, how did he expect them to react? We were at the match on Saturday and felt that the fans were quite restrained and expressed their desire to keep the club going. This reflected in the turnout at the last two games, and surely should encourage a prospective buyer that there is a heart in the fans of City to keep the club going.

It should also show City of York Council that there is a need to keep the club going, and at Bootham Crescent.

Finally, I would call on all those who normally sit in the directors' box to show a stand of their loyalty to the future of the club by boycotting the directors' box at the next home game.

S and R Taylor,

Dane Avenue,

Thorpe Willoughby,

Selby.

...I AM not sure how Mr Craig can claim ownership of Bootham Crescent through Bootham Crescent Holdings, though he is the main shareholder.

The ground was held by York City FC long before he came on to the board of directors. I wonder why an injunction can't be brought against Mr Craig and the other directors, preventing them from claiming the ground when it doesn't belong to them.

Mr Craig and other board members are only entitled to the present-day value of their shares, and possibly the elected supporter committee could raise the money to pay the directors off.

C O'Hara,

Jamieson Terrace,

York.

... PLEASE could I put you in the picture about the situation of the internationally-famous Cradley Heath Speedway club.

Having been thrown out of their stadium of 50 years in 1995, loyal supporters of the "Heathens" have battled to see the club return to competitive league action. This week, the news has broken that after a six-year fight, planning permission has been granted by a public inquiry, to allow developers Barratts to build over 100 houses on the site of the former stadium. This decision comes in contrast and direct contradiction to three previous refusals by the local council and the result of a similar previous inquiry five years ago.

Any of this sounding familiar yet to the case York City are facing? The planning application for houses on our site was rejected by the council, who fully support speedway racing in the area, no less than three times and the appeal was rejected by a government inspector on a previous occasion. Despite all of these, a different inspector stepped up for a second appeal and he ruled that houses should be built. The system is a disgrace

As supporters of the club, we feel that it sets an incredibly worrying precedent which could endanger clubs of any sport in any part of the country.

A message is being sent by this crazy decision to all landowners that they may freely sell up their land to the highest bidder and replace historical and community sports facilities with houses, supermarkets or whoever else comes in with big bucks. There has been a total disregard for the massive majority of public opinion and the need for community sport.

Steve Johnson,

Carter Knowle Road,

Sheffield.

...I WOULD like to voice my concern at the possibility of York City going out of existence and support the letter from CJ Rowley (January 12).

Although I live in York, I am a Stoke City supporter, due to family connections in the Potteries. I have travelled down there nearly every home game for the past 30 years. This I look upon as loyalty, something the majority of so-called supporters know nothing about.

This is certainly true in York City's case. As Mr Rowley quite rightly says, there's a full house when the likes of Manchester United or Liverpool turn up, yet a couple of thousand for league games.

It's amazing how many people you hear who say 'I used to watch York City when they had a good side'. Being a loyal supporter is about supporting your team through thick and thin.

I've seen my Stoke team play at the top level, with one of the best teams in the country back in the Seventies, and now we are well down the scale, we are still drawing in crowds of 18,000 - every one of us living in hope of rediscovering the good times.

Basically my message to all you stay-away supporters is simple - get out of your armchairs on a Saturday afternoon and follow your team.

Darren Moore,

Amberley Street,

York.

...FROM a purely commercial point of view, it should be obvious that a move to the Huntington Stadium makes perfect sense.

The owners of Bootham Crescent would be able to sell if they so desire. Huntington Stadium, with the greatly increased revenue generated by York City, could be modernised and improved.

Both clubs would be able to give more attention to obtaining and retaining better players, and thus improve results and public interest.

I would also like to say that the Huntington Stadium is much better placed for parking, access by travelling fans and better policing which in turn provides for better access for home fans and less congestion in the city centre (additional park-and-ride buses could be utilised exclusively on match days, giving additional revenue to the bus service).

It seems to me that if the men in positions of power at both clubs were 'doers', this situation would be sorted out pretty quickly, and excuses regarding the state of the pitch, or needing to see out the current season, should be regarded as irrelevant.

My challenge to you all would be to get over these 'lesser' issues and have the courage to take major steps forward, proving a stable and secure platform on which to strengthen both York City FC and York Wasps RLFC.

Steve Webb,

Alness Drive,

Acomb Park,

York.

... I AM sorry to hear about the decline in York City Football Club, but do not understand the idea of moving to Huntington.

The rugby league club lost a great deal of support by moving from Clarence Street, as well as part of its identity. Why waste money in upgrading a stadium when Bootham Crescent could easily host both sports, as does the McAlpine Stadium in Huddersfield?

York City still have plenty of room for expansion if they would buy up and develop the Army barracks and become more ambitious in using the ground for more events.

Now the football club are struggling it is interesting that the football club are looking to survive by moving out to Ryedale. In the past, it was considered to ruin the surface by playing rugby league at Bootham Crescent.

On most Australian Test Cricket grounds, they play Australian Rules Football all over the wicket and so with modern technology anything seems possible. York is lucky to have a stadium and I hope it continues to exist.

Timothy Wynn,

Dodgson Terrace,

Acomb,

York.

Updated: 15:09 Friday, January 18, 2002