Have a break!

Already this month City have seen their LDV Vans Trophy match with Darlington twice beaten by the weather, while fixtures against Plymouth and Shrewsbury have been in doubt right up until kick-off.

And with the weather watchers predicting more unsettled spells over the coming weeks with heavy snow and freezing temperatures, the fixture programme is sure to be blighted again.

Dolan said it was a big week for the club, with games against Division Three leaders Chesterfield on New Year's Day - itself subject to a pitch inspection - and Leicester City in the FA Cup next Saturday.

"The only uncertainty is the weather," he lamented.

"If I had my way we would be now starting the mid-winter break.

"I have always felt that Boxing Day should be the last game of the first half of the season - the game against Macclesfield was the 23rd League game which is exactly half-way.

"I just think that the month of January is always dodgy weather-wise."

Dolan believes a six-week winter break followed by six weeks off in the summer, instead of the usual 12, would be better for managers, players and fans.

"Then we wouldn't have to be worrying about whether we are playing or not," he said.

"You prepare as though the game is on but there is nothing worse for players than preparing as well as you can and then at the last minute the game is off. It is the same for supporters.

"I think eventually it will come because FIFA are trying to get uniformity as to when football is played world wide."

ONE tradition Terry Dolan is anxious to keep is City's pre-FA Cup trip to the seaside.

Ahead of next Saturday's clash with Premiership Leicester City at Filbert Street, the City squad return to Filey on Wednesday for their now regular training session on the beach followed by a fish and chip supper.

The 'training method' has been used to great effect prior to City's first and second round matches and Dolan is anxious not to break a winning habit.

"It is an old fashioned idea that used to happen when I played," said Dolan, explaining his reasons behind the now regular seaside sojourn.

"In some respects people have moved on from old fashioned ideas but I just thought it was a nice change for the players, it is not too far to go and it is a relaxing day.

"It is also a chance to finish the day off with fish and chips which the players don't disagree with.

"We have done it before Radcliffe, we have done it before Reading and so we will do it before Leicester."

A few extra bodies will be in tow - television crews from Sky Sports and the BBC have indicated they will be making the trip to the East coast resort to film the City players being put through their paces.

CITY'S first-team squad endured a bit of a Christmas headache last week - and it had nothing to do with events on the pitch.

The players suffered something of an ear-bashing, but one completely unconnected to manager Terry Dolan's response to the defeat by Blackpool.

Instead, it was all due to the apparently tone-deaf lads in the youth team.

As part of the trainees' Christmas bash, the youngsters are given a financial bonus by the professional players whose boots they clean during the season.

But to receive the cash they must first sing a few Yuletide songs to the first-teamers.

By all accounts, however, this season's crop of youngsters sounded more like Vinnie Jones than Aled Jones. And while the efforts of choirmaster and assistant youth coach Brian Neaves were in vain, the audience on the receiving end were in pain.

"It was a shambles," said manager Terry Dolan afterwards. "They said they'd rehearsed but they would have been better doing something off the cuff."

Apparently, this singing lark is a bit of a Christmas tradition at Bootham Crescent, with the songs butchered this year being Twelve Days of Christmas, Jingle Bells, Away in a Manger and the festive chart-buster Can You Fix It by Bob The Builder.

Whether anybody appreciated it all is another matter. "Put it this way, after 30 seconds there were things being thrown at the stage," added Dolan.

TALKING of festive bonuses given to the youth trainees by the pros, no-one has yet confirmed who is the most generous or, on the other hand, meanest of the players.

However, given the circumstances, Marc Salvati must be one of the luckiest trainees when it comes to getting a Christmas cash gift for cleaning the professionals' boots.

Each youngster is designated a couple of pros, whose boots they must clean after matches, and towards the start of the season it was resolved that Salvati would do the honours for Craig Skinner and Peter Duffield.

And while the former has not yet figured for the first team this season, the latter has been ruled out since breaking his leg in September.

"I've only cleaned Duffield's boots twice and Skinner's eight times," said the youngster with a smile.

YORK City's Northern Ireland internationals Alan Fettis and Darren Patterson will be packing notebook and pen should they earn a call-up to Sammy McIlroy's squad.

As reported in the Evening Press this week, McIlroy was a notable face in the crowd on Boxing Day when Fettis and Patterson guided the Minstermen to a 1-0 win over the Silkmen.

Whether McIlroy was their to cast his eye over the City duo or was merely at Moss Rose in his capacity as life-president of the club he took from the Conference to Division Two remains to be seen.

But with Northern Ireland's prospects of arranging a friendly at Windsor Park on February 28, an international free date, now seemingly remote, McIlroy has indicated he is planning a 'seminar' for players instead.

McIlroy, shortly to celebrate his first year as manager, plans a two-day get-together in either Manchester or Lilleshall.

Not that it will just be all over-head projectors and team talks - a game behind closed doors against a Premiership side is also planned.

While Fettis and Patterson may or may not be included, former Minsterman Jon McCarthy is sure to be invited.

The Birmingham City winger is targeting a February return having suffered two broken legs, and McIlroy has revealed he has stayed in constant touch with the ex-Bootham Crescent favourite during his prolonged stay on the sidelines.

"I would like (McCarthy) to be around just to feel part of the family," he explained.

YORK City's 1-0 Boxing Day triumph over McIlroy's former club sparked a sideways move for Macclesfield manager Peter Davenport.

Davenport will be working alongside Town's director of football, Gil Prescott - previously assistant to McIlroy at Moss Rose - to turn around the run of poor results which has amassed just six points from the last ten games.

The move is the same as that experienced by Davenport's former Manchester United team-mate Bryan Robson at Middlesbrough, where Terry Venables has been appointed to work alongside the former England skipper.

AS we pass the half-way mark of the campaign, goalkeeper Alan Fettis is looking a safe bet to lift the Evening Press/Unique Pub Co player of the season award.

Fettis stretched his lead to a healthy eight points over absent skipper Steve Agnew with his man of the match display in City's sorry 2-0 win pre-Christmas defeat to Blackpool.

His cause has been helped by the inactivity of his nearest rivals in the Boxing Day battle at Macclesfield with Agnew, Matt Hocking and David McNiven all on the sidelines.

That match saw all the points shared by City's three centre-backs with Colin Alcide winning the man of the match accolade and three points, Mark Sertori picking up two points to move above Wayne Hall in the rankings and Darren Patterson the remaining one.

This season's player of the year format sees City's man of the match in each game receive three points, the second best player receive two points and the third best one point.

Whoever tops the table at the end of the season wins not only the annual trophy but also a £350 cash prize courtesy of Unique Pub Co, with the runner-up receiving £150.

York player of the year rankings

Alan Fettis - 28

Steve Agnew - 20

Matt Hocking - 16

David McNiven - 15

Mark Sertori - 14

Wayne Hall - 13

Alex Mathie - 10

Kevin Hulme - 8

Graham Potter - 7

Colin Alcide - 6

Chris Iwelumo - 6

Gary Hobson - 5

Darren Patterson - 5

Neville Stamp - 4

Neil Tarrant - 4

Darren Edmondson - 3

Barry Jones - 2

Mark Bower - 1