York City fans across the country were today waking up to the news that the club they love is in serious danger of extinction.

York City Supporters Club moved quickly to call on the fans to help to save the Minstermen.

Some members of the YCSC were at the annual meeting when City's chairman Douglas Craig announced the board's decision and as the shock of the news began to sink in, the YCSC set about rallying the fans.

A special meeting has been called for supporters' club members on December 27, with a potential public meeting for fans to follow in the New Year.

YCSC press officer Ray Havercroft said: "We, as supporters, have got to make the effort to save the club we love.

"Now is the time for us to stand up and be counted.

"Our next meeting will be next Thursday and we will be looking at taking the appropriate action then.

"After that we would possibly go for a public meeting for the fans to give their opinions."

One road the supporters could go down is that of setting up a trust to take over the running of the club - a move the City board itself suggested at the meeting.

A trust has been mooted in the past among supporters but with little success. However, Havercroft said that now, with the survival of York City at stake, the situation could change.

"We were approached before about possibly setting up a supporters' trust and it was something we put on our website and I think it even appeared on the Arthur Bottom site, but there were only four responses," he said.

"However, now the situation is more serious, there could be a different response."

An executive member of the supporters' club, Stan Collins, has confirmed contact has been made with with Supporters Direct, an organisation which promotes and helps trusts at clubs across Britain.

He added that there was already interest from two local businessmen shareholders who have informally indicated they would be interested in putting money into the club.

Club historian David Batters was completely taken aback by the news.

After being told of the board's decision by the Evening Press, he said: "This has all come as a bombshell.

"The accounts were pretty serious when they were announced, but this is much worse and will come as a major shock to everyone.

"It's not a very good Christmas present for the City fans!"

Batters did add that this was not the first time York City had faced a financial crisis, with the club on verge of being wound up in the late 1970s.

He confirmed: "The club has been in a similar situation before in the 1970s when they were 48 hours away from being wound up. That was when Michael Sinclair came in as chairman and helped bail the club out.

"The bank was set to wind the club up."

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