THE plight of York City Football Club has been raised at the highest levels of the game and government.

Malcolm Clarke, chairman of the fans' watchdog the Football Supporters' Association, ensured City's future received top billing at a meeting with the Football League, the Football Association and the Premier League earlier this week.

Meanwhile, Ryedale MP and York City president John Greenway gave a presentation to the Commons' All Party Football Committee on the problems at Bootham Crescent on Tuesday.

Football League chief executive David Burns, FA Chief executive Adam Crozier, Keith Loring, chief executive at Derby County and representing the Premier League, were all made aware of the uncertainty surrounding the Minstermen.

Representatives of Richard Caborn, the Minister for Sport, were also in attendance, as was the Football Foundation.

"We discussed the issue for about 45 minutes," revealed Clarke, who was joined at the meeting by the National Federation of Supporters' Clubs, the National Association of Disabled Supporters, and Brian Lomax, of Supporters' Direct.

"All the supporters' representatives made very clear the depths of our concern about the position of York City," added Clarke, who said no decisions were actually taken at the meeting.

The meetings between supporters' groups and football's chiefs are staged four times a year, given fans' leaders a chance to air their concerns and grievances.

John Nagle, spokesman for the Football League, confirmed that City and the uncertainty surrounding the club had been discussed.

"York City are a very valued member of the League and we hope that will be the case for decades in the future," said Nagle.

"We would want to encourage anyone who can offer York City a future, be that at Bootham Crescent or elsewhere, to come forward. We will be continuing to monitor the situation."

Nagle said City's predicament would not affect chairman Douglas Craig's position on a panel that meets next week to decide on Wimbledon's proposed move to Milton Keynes.

As reported in the Evening Press, Craig, Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein and Charles Hollander QC have been appointed arbitrators by the FA and meet on Monday.

Wimbledon believe they did not receive a fair hearing when the board of the Football League decided to turn down their move last year and appealed under FA rules.

"The Football League has approved Douglas Craig on that panel," said Nagle.

"He is a qualified arbitrator and he is well-placed to understand the realities of being a chairman in the Football League."

City's perilous position has also been a key talking point among members of the All Party Football Committee.

Greenway, vice-chairman of the committee, said: "It would be no exaggeration to say that the future of York City Football Club was a major talking point at the All Party Football Committee.

"I gave a presentation to the members on the future of the club and problems faced trying to save them.

"There was a feeling of good will among members as this is a problem facing a lot of clubs."

Greenway believes a number of reasons have contributed to the position of York - and other lower league clubs - with the increase in wages, the damage to the transfer market and the television deals the main factors.

The Shadow Minister for Sport is hoping a solution can be found.

He added: "I believe there are two hopes for the club; one be being a buyer of the ground and the club, in which I hope the Supporters Trust can still play a part, while if this does not come about then we need to get all the interested parties together to look are working together to save the club."

The Evening Press understands that Football League chief David Burns was scheduled to be at the FA Cup replay between the Minstermen and Grimsby Town.

However, Burns got held up in a meeting in Manchester and was unable to attend.

Updated: 11:42 Thursday, January 17, 2002