YORK MP Hugh Bayley called today for a change in FA rules to prevent football club directors "hiving off" their grounds for sale in a property deal.

Mr Bayley was speaking out in a passionate Commons debate on the future of football - as the future of up-for-sale York City still hangs in the balance.

City chairman Douglas Craig has warned that anybody wishing to buy the club would also have to pay an additional £4.5m for the ground.

If they were unable to meet the price tag, the current owners of the land - Bootham Crescent Holdings - would force the club to vacate.

Mr Bayley said a club's ground was an "asset" which should belong to its fans, and asked Sports Minister Richard Caborn to hold talks with the FA about

introducing rules to prevent ownership of a club being separate from that of its ground.

"I believe that assets that have been built up by supporters over decades should remain with the club.They should not be allowed to be hived off and sold as a property deal," he said.

When York's holding company was set up in 1999, the directors had said its purpose was to safeguard the future of the club.

"If the assets are sold they must be used for this purpose - to safeguard the future of the club."

His comments came as Ryedale MP and York City president John Greenway revealed that he had had talks with potential City buyer John Batchelor at last Saturday's FA Cup clash with

Fulham. "I have high hopes he will become the future owner of the club," said Mr Greenway, the Tory Shadow Minister for Sport.

But he stressed that more people must turn out and support the club for it to survive.

Mr Caborn said the fundamental issue about the ownership of a club's assets would be examined by the independent Football commission, which will report back to Ministers.

Updated: 14:56 Wednesday, January 30, 2002