York City's new owner and chairman John Batchelor today urged fans and the community to "trust in me" as he pledged to give supporters a chance to take full control of their club.

The motor racing boss maintained his aim to put mechanisms in place to prevent the recent months of uncertainty surrounding the Minstermen from ever being repeated.

Batchelor admitted when the time comes for City to move from their current home to a new stadium Bootham Crescent would be more than likely sold off for housing.

However, the 43-year-old refuted fears that he was looking to cash in and insisted he was committed to City "for the long haul".

Batchelor has already pledged two seats in the boardroom for representatives of the Supporters' Trust and a 25 per cent stake in the club for the fans' group.

Speaking at yesterday's Bootham Crescent press conference, Batchelor also revealed plans that will leave the supporters as ultimate owners of the club when the time comes for him to step down.

"I have been working here on a daily basis now for the last seven or eight weeks and one of the things that strikes me about everyone at the club is that you can chop them in half and it says York City all the way through," he said.

"One of things I don't want to be seen as is someone who is going to come in and put the club in this difficult position again in five or ten years time.

"Through managing the business, we hope to make it stable and grow it and when we have done that and I leave the club I would like to leave it in a position where the supporters have an affordable position that they can reach to gain control of it.

"They will also need to have the business management skills in place before we can let that happen."

Paul Rawnsley, vice-chair of Supporters' Trust steering committee, said the change of ownership offered a "bright, new future for York City".

He said the Trust were already in a position to meet the price they had been quoted by Batchelor to buy their share in the club.

"In terms of the offer made by John for 25.1 per cent of the shares in the club then the price we have agreed has already been met and more," said Rawnsley.

"The money we have raised will go into the club because the Trust and the club are as one.

"What the Trust will do is make sure that money is spent in ways that actually benefit the future of the club and the supporters and the community."

Rawnsley said the process of selecting the Trust's first two representatives who will sit on the board was already underway.

"We would hope to be in a position to confirm who those names will be, subject to discussions with John, by next Saturday," he said.

Those two fan board members will have their position ratified or otherwise at the Trust's first annual meeting in May.

Updated: 11:09 Saturday, March 16, 2002