AROUND the start of the 1998 season I seem to remember a cry of Super League in five years time, probably based on York Wasps having assembled a talented squad of players and droves of supporters coming back to watch the club.

What happens? We finish sixth, barely achieve 900-1,000 crowds and find out that virtually all the Sky money has gone on players' wages.

Well here we are further down the line, bottom of the first division, conceding virtually 1,500 points, scoring barely 200 points in the process. Super League could not be further away.

At best in my time (20 years) watching York we've had average sides, some good, even very good players spring to mind, but average sides.

Now, at the beginning of the 2000-2001 season, we have a top man in Lee Crooks as coach with what looks like a promising future ahead.

What happens? We find more hidden debts which seem to rear their ugly heads every years, the club forced into the CVA, the team totally decimated, the team absolutely slaughtered week in week out by 70, 80 even 90 points.

Now, to top all this off, a man whose unbelievable unquestionable loyalty is told that he has to reapply for his job. I think this is absolutely disgraceful and downright despicable.

The coach's job for next season as far as I'm concerned should have been Lee Crooks', no matter what. Nobody else should even come into the reckoning.

I'd like him to come back to the club, but I think it's too late for that. Maybe the board at York wanted this outcome. Well I feel sorry for our next coach if he is treated like Lee Crooks.

So what now? A big sponsorship deal in the pipeline. What happens if all this falls through? Are we, the supporters, expected to put up with more of the same? I don't think so. I for one will not be there to witness embarrassing scorelines on a regular basis.

At the moment just a side who could win games would be a major achievement. I just hope we can get a winning side together for next season. If not, I fear the worst. It may even be too late already.

PS: All the best to Lee Crooks for all he does in the future.

David Ince,

York.

Updated: 08:50 Tuesday, July 03, 2001