WHAT a welcome change it made to see the eyes of the nation's media focused on York City in the build-up to this afternoon's FA Cup clash with Leicester City at Filbert Street.

It seemed the world and his dog was in tow as the players embarked on their now customary pre-FA Cup trip to Filey followed by fish and chips.

Cameras from Sky Sports, Yorkshire Television, BBC Look North were joined on the beach by reporters and photographers from the national newspapers and, of course, the Evening Press.

"It is amazing how this game has caught the imagination of everybody," said City chief Terry Dolan.

"I have certainly enjoyed it, I am sure the players have enjoyed it and I am sure the supporters have enjoyed reading and seeing their team in the headlines for a change.

"I just hope there are as many people wanting to speak to me after the game as there have been before it because that means something might have happened."

Raising the club's profile in this media-dominated age is of vital importance to club's like York City.

More media exposure creates more interest in the club, a major morale booster for everyone involved at Bootham Crescent as well as helping to boost attendances by bringing City's attention to the notice of the uninitiated.

It can also bring the attention of the club to potential sponsors, thus sparking a number of lucrative commercial opportunities that play a vital role in safeguarding the future of the Minstermen.

It was good to hear then many of the national newsmen saying how impressed they were by the friendliness and helpfulness of the club in securing interviews and stunting up pictures at Filey.

And certainly Wednesday's trip to the East coast has already reaped rich rewards for the players.

As the cameras zoomed in on The Three Tuns, where the players sat down for their fish and chip dinner, so delighted with the unexpected publicity for his pub was the landlord that he guaranteed the players free and extra-large portions should they make it to the fourth round.

AS if training on a freezing east coach beach in early January fuelled by fish and chips wasn't a bizarre enough way to prepare for their biggest game for many a year, there was a decidedly surreal air to City's midweek trip to Filey.

Moments into their light-hearted kick-about in front of the television cameras on the beach the players' progress was temporarily halted by a knee-high youngster, complete with crash helmet and leathers, riding a miniature motorbike across their hastily organised 'pitch'.

Moments later a blind man could be heard berating the players from an overlooking sea wall for being 'noisy' before four horses followed the path of the little boy on his bike and cut across City's marked out training area.

Whether they were being ridden by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse would no doubt be revealed at Filbert Street this afternoon.

TERRY Dolan's argument for a mid-winter break as featured in last Saturday's column gathered momentum when City saw their New Year's Day clash with Chesterfield beaten by the weather.

Some 48 hours earlier, City had also suffered the frustration of having their match at Cheltenham postponed and it was interesting to hear former England boss and current Middlesbrough head coach Terry Venables make his case for a mid-season break on that afternoon's Football Focus.

However, not everyone is as keen to see the season divided in two.

Malcolm Huntington, who followed York City's fortunes for this newspaper for 27 years, said last week's column triggered his memory to an article he wrote in the 1990s outlining his opposition to any mid-season break.

Malcolm's argument for keeping things as they are backed up by statistics compiled on behalf of the Football Association and the Football League.

They show that the average number of games postponed in a season due to inclement weather seldom averages more than one or two per cent.

"Hardly a reason I would have thought for a break," said Malcolm. "How many games have you seen played in really bad weather over the years?"

A fair point, and one that offers food for thought on a topic that will no doubt be the source of much debate this time next year.

FORMER City striker Rodney Rowe's move to Third Division rivals Hull City re-unites him with a member of the Little family, and as well as forging a literally 'little and large' front two.

Tigers' boss is Brian Little, the elder brother of former York manager Alan Little, who first brought Rowe to Bootham Crescent for £80,000 from Huddersfield Town.

And expected to partner 5ft 8in Rowe in the Hull attack is 6ft 7in front-man Kevin Francis, newly signed from Exeter City.

"That's going to be something - playing alongside a 'seven-footer' up front," quipped Rowe before he concentrated on the far more serious business of making a big impact by re-establishing himself in senior football.

ANOTHER ex-City frontman is continuing to make his name in the goalscoring charts.

Ian Blackstone maybe a veteran at the age of 36 but he still knows where the goal is judging by the UniBond League division one goalscoring charts.

Blackie, a promotion winner with City, has bagged 15 goals this season for Farsley Celtic to make him the division's second leading goalscorer.

In the UniBond premier, Nicky Peverill, another former Minstermen, is also banging in goals for fun.

Peverill, a member of the City side that knocked Manchester United out of the Coca-Cola Cup in 1995, has struck 17 times for Barrow with only four players having scored more.

NO games means no change in the Evening Press/Unique Pub Co. player of the season rankings.

Postponements of the Cheltenham and Chesterfield matches means 'keeper Alan Fettis remains top of the pile.

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.