PHEW, what a party. If only Manchester United could play at Bootham Crescent every week, writes Dave Stanford.

After years of glum faces, York witnessed the welcome return of fun and smiles on Saturday.

York hadn't seen anything like it since... well, Thursday and the visit of the Queen.

But this time it was the turn of Manchester United and of one-half of football's premier family - the Beckhams - to draw the crowds.

And draw the crowds Beckham and his team mates did, the final figure of 9,003 thought to be City's highest pre-season attendance.

But credit too to City for turning on pre-match entertainment that generated the sort of atmosphere sadly lacking in recent seasons.

The ground was awash with anticipation some two hours before kick-off as young fans bedecked in United shirts, autograph books clutched tightly, waited anxiously for a glimpse of their heroes.

When the United team bus finally pulled up the roar, a mixture of boos, cheers and applause, emphasised just how football really has become the new rock and roll.

Inside the ground, the tannoy was crystal clear, the chocolate free and the mascots, led by Yorkie, on top form.

Rarely can United's cash-laden stars have found themselves doing their pre-match warm-up alongside a small army of out-sized lions, wasps, monkeys and rhinos copying their every move.

Minster FM disc-jockeys Chris Marsden and Sara Fellows did their best to whip the crowd into a frenzy but the Bootham Crescent faithful don't take kindly to being shouted at, it seems.

At least Sara, who confessed it that was her first football match, managed to raise a smile when she asked new City signing Graham Potter if full-back was a good position to play, then told the watching 9,000 that Gary Hobson, another City recruit, was sweating...a lot.

It was raining, but the sun was shining. It was that sort of day and nothing was going to spoil the celebrations.

Even the boos directed at City chairman Douglas Craig, who released a stockpile of balloons from the centre of the pitch, were muted, almost ironic.

The rumour machine had been working overtime in midweek with Mrs Beckham, aka Posh Spice, and, rather bizarrely, Tiger Woods supposedly ready to take up their seats in the Main Stand.

No such luck. But in the end it was their loss. not ours, on a great day for York and its football team.