YORK City are set to receive a sooner-than-expected £100,000 from Manchester United as part of the deal that took Jonathan Greening to the Premiership champions.

Former Bootham Crescent starlet Greening's appearance for United in their Worthington Cup defeat at Sunderland in midweek was his 20th, ensuring the six-figure payment for City.

City had originally thought it was only the 19th in a Red Devil shirt for the 21-year-old.

With the Scarborough-born player not yet a regular for United, it meant City were facing an anxious wait for another Greening first-team call-up in order to net the £100,000.

However, after the Evening Press alerted the club to Greening's definite appearance record at Old Trafford, City yesterday contacted United and the discrepancy has now been resolved.

Greening's 'missing' game centred on his second-half substitute appearance against Lazio in the European Super Cup in Monaco in August last year.

Club secretary Keith Usher confirmed City were now in the process of invoicing United and insisted there was no hint of foul play by the Red Devils.

The £100,000 is certainly a timely boost, coming just a week after the club announced record losses of more than £660,000 for the year ending June 30, 2000. City chairman Douglas Craig has indicated the money will 'go back into the pot'.

When Greening was sold to United in March 1998, Craig insisted on the clause that sees United paying £100,000 for every five games the youngster plays in the first team.

The midweek appearance means City have now received £400,000 to add on to an initial signing-on fee of £350,000.

The deal continues to run until Greening makes his 60th appearance for United, by which time his transfer will have been worth £1.55million to the Minstermen.

If he is sold in the interim, it is believed City will earn around 25 per cent of any sell-on fee.

During the summer, Greening finally signed a new three-year deal at Old Trafford after - as first revealed in the Evening Press earlier this year - he initially turned down the offer of a new contract.

An England-Under-21 international, Greening was put up for sale by United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and was reportedly coveted by a string of clubs..

Despite the defeat to Sunderland, where Greening lined-up against another former Minstermen in Darren Williams, Greening enjoyed perhaps his best performance yet in a United shirt.

l City 'keeper Alan Fettis will be displaying his international skills at a goalkeeping fun day later this month.

Organised by City's Football in the Community programme, the event is being staged at York College on Thursday, December 21, from 10am to 3pm.

Open to youngsters aged six to 16 years, further details and an application can be obtained from Paul Olsson on 01904 613017.