EARLIER in the season, I wrote in this column about how the players had asked me to arrange for a nutritionist to come in and speak to them about their diets.

I said at the time such a request was a major positive for me, indicating just how serious the players are about their careers and how they are keen to do anything to aid their performance.

I received another indication of that this week when the players made a remarkable gesture.

As has been reported, given the club's current financial plight we have had to put a stop to the majority of our pre-match meals and overnight stops.

It meant we were faced with the gruelling prospect of the long drive to Devon on Tuesday, playing the game against Plymouth Argyle before hopping straight back on the bus back to York.

Given that we have another long-haul trip to Cheltenham at the weekend, it certainly wouldn't have been ideal preparation.

We hear a lot from top flight managers complaining when their foreign-based stars are called-up for international duty. It may sound strange when they say their players come back tired having spent half their time away sat on a plane.

But players, by their very nature use up a lot of nervous energy and are not always the most patient of people. They don't like to be sat around doing nothing.

It is difficult to get any sleep after a game at the best of times but particularly on a bus. Six to seven hours on a coach is a long time.

And arriving back in York at 4am or 5am yesterday morning would have put the players' body-clocks askew at a time when all of our substitutes at Home Park were needed last night to play in the reserves.

Before the trip south however the players approached me and asked if they could stay over at a hotel after the match.

Significantly, they offered to pay for the rooms out of their own money.

It meant they got a proper night's sleep after the game before we headed back to York and ensured they were able to have a full-day's rest yesterday.

Earlier this week, the Evening Press reported the fact the players had donated £200 out of their own pockets to the Supporters' Trust.

At a time when a lot of professionals are pilloried for being little more than football mercenaries I thought Tuesday night's offer to pay for their own hotel was another significant gesture by the players, indicating just how serious they take their careers.

It is certainly one area of football that has changed over the years - how players are now much more aware of how they can look after themselves.

I think it also goes to show the sort of spirit and togetherness that is in the camp.

The current crop of players we have here get on well together too. If anything, the uncertainty of the last few months has strengthened that bond.

There has been a great deal of uncertainty but it looks fairly clear now the club is going to be under new ownership by probably next week.

I was able to reassure the players of that fact earlier this week and that has certainly given everyone a lift.

And while the results have not gone our way, in our last two matches against Luton and Plymouth I think our performances against the two top sides in Division Three have also given us cause for confidence and optimism.

We have now played them four times this season and have just one point to show for our efforts when I think we have been just as good as them on the day.

The players have got to take positives from that. Although we have lost the games we have matched the opposition.

Indeed, it was particularly good to hear both Joe Kinnear, the Luton manager, and Plymouth's Paul Sturrock say what an improved team we are.

Updated: 12:33 Thursday, March 07, 2002