YORK CITY'S Bootham Crescent is to stage all Leeds United's FA Premier Reserve League home fixtures this season.

Matches will be played on Tuesdays at 7pm, the first being the visit of Blackburn Rovers on August 22.

With the prospect of Champions' League football next season and the construction of a new playing surface at Elland Road, the decision to change venues has been made with the approval of the FA Premier League.

The move will provide the Minstermen with much needed additional revenue. When Halifax Town staged United's reserve games a few years ago the likes of Thomas Brolin and Tony Yeboah regularly pulled in crowds of around 4,000 at The Shay.

A Leeds United spokesman said: "This agreement will regrettably necessitate additional travel for some of our supporters who watch our reserve team games although it will prove to be of benefit to those Leeds United supporters who live in York and its surrounding districts."

Leeds season ticket holders will be admitted free of charge to reserve games at York upon production of their season ticket booklet at the turnstile.

There will be more on this story in tomorow's Evening Press and on our website, including the fixtures to be played at Bootham Crescent.