The Premiership stars of tomorrow could be strutting their stuff at Bootham Crescent next season after York City reached an historic three-club agreement with North-East giants Sunderland.

The partnership will mean City and their fierce Third Division rivals Hull City will have first dabs on the Black Cats' brightest prospects when it comes to loan arrangements.

While potentially boosting the two City's playing squads at little cost, it will also give Sunderland's highly-rated youngsters the chance to gain valuable first-team experience.

It should also mean Sunderland - who it is understood instigated the move - will get the chance to cast their eyes over City and Hull's rising starlets before other big clubs are alerted.

The deal does not contravene Football League regulations which forbids the notion of 'feeder clubs'.

"There are odd liaisons between clubs, like that between Crewe and Liverpool, and this sounds like a similar arrangement." said a League spokesman.

"A feeder-club system would mean all Crewe's players automatically moving on to Liverpool.

"That does not happen and that is not the intention of their current arrangement.

"It in fact more often than not works in reverse, whereby Liverpool send Crewe their young players to get experience."

City have obvious links with Sunderland, whose chairman Bob Murray lives near Easingwold.

The Black Cats reserve team, which finished second in the Premier Reserve League last season, is bossed by former City legend and head of youth development at Bootham Crescent Ricky Sbragia.

England Under-21 international Darren Williams transferred from City to The Stadium of Light in 1997 while former City skipper Steve Agnew made the same journey in the opposite direction the following year.

Sunderland supremo Murray said the agreement underlined the Black Cats commitment to the Football League.

He said: "Sunderland is renowned for its community involvement and leading by example and this is well acknowledged in football.

"We feel that we have a major responsibility as well as a great opportunity to develop a relationship with these well-run Football League clubs.

"We've always enjoyed a strong affinity and good relation shop with Hull and York and Sunderland has many supporters in the area.

"People know that Peter Reid is happy to give young players a chance to shine and this is a great opportunity for our players to get experience as they prepare for life in the Premier League, while at the same time helping other clubs from the north get access to some of the best young talent in the country in an affordable way."

This season four of Sunderland's young stars made their Premiership debuts, including striker Kevin Kyle who spent a part of last season on loan at Darlington. Ten of Sunderland's young guns have won international Under-21 honours as well as four at Under-18 and seven at under-16 levels.

Black Cats manager Reid said: "It's good for smaller clubs to have a relationship with a big club like Sunderland and this partnership can only benefit all of us.

"Some of our young players need regular and competitive league experience and York and Hull have always had a strong tradition of bringing on young players."

Updated: 12:24 Friday, June 01, 2001