IT IS, in the words of York City's much maligned chairman Douglas Craig, time for supporters "to put up or shut up".

Monday night's meeting at the Tempest Anderson Hall in Museum Gardens is arguably the most important in the club's history.

The gauntlet has been thrown down by the City board and it is up to the fans to rise to the challenge.

Supporters, understandably frustrated at the team's failings in recent years amid a growing sense of detachment from their beloved club, have been crying out for change.

Now they have got their wish and have a gilt-edged chance to shape the club's destiny.

They cannot afford to blow it.

Of course, there is much anger and confusion, suspicion and mistrust among fans as to why the club has found itself in this do-or-die situation.

The future relationship between the football club and Bootham Crescent Holdings - the owners of the ground - is perhaps the most pertinent and crucial question.

The Evening Press has endeavoured to get answers but Craig is preferring to maintain a silence until a club prospectus for potential buyers is sent out.

It must be hoped, as Craig has inferred, the haze will be lifted once this document becomes available.

But, in the meantime, the fog and sense of foreboding hang heavy over the head of Monday's meeting.

However, now - and Monday especially - is not the time to start finding people to blame.

Fans will want to say their piece, vent their frustration and voice their concerns and in many ways Monday's meeting will serve its purpose if it lances the boil and kick-starts the healing process.

But, the anger, sorrow and understandable cynicism must not deflect supporters from the what next week's gathering is really all about - looking to the future and saving the club.

If a Supporters' Trust really is to be the way forward then there is no to time to waste.

Every minute on Monday spent looking for someone to blame is a priceless minute lost in the race against time to save the club.

It is time for cool heads, steely determination and for emotion to be put to one side.

'Actions speak louder than words' should be the motto emblazoned above the door of the Tempest Anderson Hall.

HE MAY have his critics among City supporters, but chairman Douglas Craig is still held in high regard by the Football Association.

Craig, together with David Dein, vice-chairman of Arsenal, and Charles Hollander QC, have been appointed arbitrators by the FA for the purpose of deciding on Wimbledon's proposed move to Milton Keynes.

That top-level meeting, which could have widespread ramifications for the future of football, will take place on January 21.

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

It has taken weeks of negotiations by the FA to appoint the arbitrators after both Wimbledon and the Football League rejected several other names put forward.

CITY'S first year youth team midfielder Levent Yalcin missed out on a brush with international honours over the festive season.

As reported in the Evening Press last year, Yalcin was selected for a training camp for Turkish youth players to be held in Istanbul at the end of December.

However, the crisis in the Middle East meant the training camp was postponed and Yalcin's international ambitions have been put on hold.

It is believed the Turkish footballing authorities are planning to stage the camp later this year, however no new date has yet been fixed. Middlesbrough-born Yalcin qualifies to play for Turkey through his Turkish father.

A REMINDER to fans that next Saturday's home game with fellow strugglers Torquay United offers reduced admission for young fans.

Under-18s accompanied by an adult will be allowed into the David Longhurst Stand at Bootham Crescent for the 'six-pointer' for a just £1.

LAST year's winner Alan Fettis has moved to within a finger-tip save of the top of the Evening Press player of the year rankings.

With his man of the match display against Shrewsbury bagging the Northern Ireland international three points, Fettis' climb up the table has coincided with City's fall into the relegation mire.

He is now just two points adrift of leaders Michael Proctor and Lee Nogan, who moved into second place courtesy of his two-point haul earned against the Shrews.

The final point from last Saturday's game was earned by midfielder Nick Richardson, his first point of the campaign.

Latest standings: Proctor 28pts, Nogan 28, Fettis 26, Bullock 21, Edmondson 16, Brass 13, Fielding 12, Smith 7, Hocking 6, Basham 3, Hobson 3, Howarth 3, Cooper 3, Potter 2, Fox 1, Richardson 1.