York City manager Terry Dolan has been the occupant of the Bootham Crescent hot-seat for precisely one year.

As he surveyed the ins and outs during his 12-month tenure at the struggling basement club Dolan spoke to Evening Press sports writer Dave STANFORD

YORK City manager Terry Dolan marked his first year in the Bootham Crescent hot-seat with words of reassurance for his critics.

City's poor start to 2001 - they have yet to win a game - has overshadowed Dolan's successful start to his Minstermen tenure.

Installed as boss less than 48 hours after Neil Thompson was sacked on February 9 last year, Dolan insisted then that relegation was not an option.

The former Hull City boss, who arrived from Huddersfield Town where he was reserve team coach, certainly made good his vow, calmly steering a struggling Minstermen ship away from the spectre of Conference football.

One year on however and City are once again haunted by the very same threat that welcomed Dolan in at Bootham Crescent.

Speaking to the Evening Press on the eve of his first year anniversary, Dolan insisted that for all City's woes he was still enjoying the task in hand.

However, he sympathised with supporters' current frustrations.

"I am disappointed for the supporters because the season has not panned out anything like we expected," he said.

"Having said that we have 18 games to go and while I cannot do anything about the doubting Thomases I would like to reassure supporters I have the same positive state of mind I had 12 months ago.

"Everybody will have their own opinions - that is the beauty of football - and long may it continue."

Dolan admitted his first season in charge had been 'strange to say the least'.

"The first few games of last year were difficult, then we hit a good run to get us out of trouble," he recalled.

"We had all the optimism of the summer but the troubles started even before the season began.

"Gary Hobson got injured in the friendly with Manchester United and did his knee. Then we went to North Ferriby and Peter Swan got injured (the ex-Leeds sentinel was later forced to retire) and three games into the season Peter Duffield breaks his leg.

"We also had a bad start to the season results-wise and then we had the floods - ever since then it has been stop-start.

"Having been here only a year it is difficult to compare with previous seasons but people who have been at the club for some time say they have never known a season like it for injuries and for the weather."

Certainly, the unsettled weather has played a decisive factor in City's preparations of late.

Rarely since November have the Minstermen been able to enjoy a full week on the training ground.

Crucial preparations both in fitness and playing drills have undoubtedly fallen by the wayside as floods and frost took their toll.

Significantly, no less than seven City fixtures have been called-off in the last two months and it is difficult to recall approaching a match confident of it going ahead.

But it is the crippling bout of injuries that have perhaps been the most damaging.

Dolan said: "Jeff Miller (City's physiotherapist of 13 years) says he has never encountered a season like this in terms of long-term injuries.

"Significantly, all the injuries have come from games and have been impact injuries."

Undeterred, Dolan crowned his anniversary in diligent manner with today's capture of striker Lee Nogan, demonstrating his desire to get things right.

- York City chairman Douglas Craig will respond to Terry Dolan's critics in the Evening Press internet question and answer session on Monday night.

The chairman's replies will be posted on our website www.thisisyork.co.uk after 5.30pm on Monday and the session will be fully reported in Tuesday's Evening Press.

It's something supporters of the Minstermen cannot afford to miss.

Updated: 10:49 Saturday, February 10, 2001