York City's ruling powers will surely never have welcomed Hull City more than they will to Bootham Crescent in a week's time.

The visit of the Tigers - also struggling in the basement - should at least guarantee a far greater crowd than has been witnessed so far at City's headquarters.

If form were to remain as poor as it has been then the Hull City clash would likely provide the first relief to the coffers for the remainder of 1999, save for the visit of Alan Little's Southend United and his considerable ex-City colony on Friday, December 17.

Bootham Crescent attendances are on an alarming slump. The six League games including last week's encounter with Leyton Orient have brought a total of 16,271 fans to the ground at a match average of 2,712.

City have not been in those sort of figures since the gloomier days of almost a decade ago. Between 1990 and 1992 there were three successive averages of below 2,620.

Admittedly City have yet to host their 'big games' this season against the likes of Hartlepool, Darlington, Halifax, Rotherham, Lincoln and of course, next week against Hull. All will surely entice large visiting support.

But the portents are not good from just seven days ago. Of the 2,320 crowd treated to the first City win since the opening day of the season 395 were from Leyton Orient. That puts the home contingent below 2,000 and therefore right down to the hardcore.

The only way is up was the cry from the players after a rare maximum haul. The club's rulers will be seeking a similar upwardly mobile trend in those numbers trundling through the turnstiles.

Also what would City give for a major run in the FA Cup?

City went into the hat for today's first round draw from which they were seeking an attractive start leading hopefully to a prolonged stretch in the crowd-pulling competition that cheers.

LIVING her dream is York City's latest recruit, Sophie McGill.

The 22-year-old confirmed fervent City fan is revelling in her role as the club's first public relations executive.

"It is a new role so I have a lot of scope," she said. "I can go in and I am able to take the bull by the horns."

A season ticket-holder with City for years, McGill completed her first degree at Newcastle University - her choice of university largely decided by its proximity to Bootham Crescent.

She then embarked on her Master of Business Administration in Football Industries at the Football Research Unit based at Liverpool University.

"It has been my dream to work in the football industry especially since the development of football as big business in recent years," she said.

"It is an attractive career, especially for women who are under-represented in football.

"The course was brilliant. It was about football business, but it was not about how to exploit the fans.

"A lot of those involved in football industry these days come from a business background and do not understand what it can mean to fans.

"Football is an irrational product and the fans should not be exploited."

Wise words, Sophie, who should prove a welcome addition to City's attempt to improve its all-round image.

CITY'S all-action lion mascot Yorkie was the mane-man in the victory over Leyton Orient.

Now most fans would that honour should be bestowed on Barry Conlon. After all, he bagged both goals.

But according to Calendar Television's weekend football round-up it was Yorkie who deserved the lion's pride of attention.

After Conlon's first goal the cameras zoomed in to capture Yorkie's athletic demonstration of a dive, then a slide across the turf pounding his paws into the ground in jubilation.

After the second from Eire Under-21 cap Conlon Yorkie launched into a fur-clad, full-out star-jump. He's not had much to celebrate this season, so it was no surprise the City mascot was so ecstatic. Either that, or it's an outbreak of insanity claws. But as the Marx brothers reminded: "There ain't no thing as sanity claws."

ONE of modern football's hard-men, David Batty, revealed a compassionate streak in regard to City midfielder Mark Atkins.

Batty was expounding on his time at Blackburn Rovers in this week's Leeds United programme for the Elland Road team's Worthington Cup tie against the Lancashire outfit.

Recalling how he was injured for most of the season leading to Blackburn's Premier League title triumph in 1995 Batty said he never collected a medal because he felt he did not deserve one.

He added: "There was no way I was going to pick up a medal and see then likes of Mark Atkins sitting in the stand.

"He was the player I felt most sorry for because he was the one to make way when I got my fitness back. He was probably one of Blackburn's most outstanding players that season."

A major mark of respect that from Bats.

INTERNATIONAL football's return to Bootham Crescent last night was certainly relished as a big hit for a local schoolteacher.

Admission to the Adidas Victory Shield duel between England and Northern Ireland Under-15s was £3 for adults, but free for children accompanied by adults.

So one school party that included two grown-ups was completed by 55 children. As the teacher said: "£6 for 57 tickets - that's better value than hamburgers."

Last night's game was the second international action witnessed by City secretary Tricia Westland in successive days.

Some 24 hours before the football at the Crescent she took in the Rugby World Cup thriller between Wales and Western Samoa at the new Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Enthused Trish: "The atmosphere was brilliant and the stadium is just simply world-class."

STICKING with the rugby theme, City's shop has taken delivery of a new ruby-style shirts.

The Admiral-made apparel is in the same red, blue and yellow colours of the training 'T'-shirts, which proved very popular.

FORMER City player Neil Woods was on the mark for his new club Southport in dramatic style.

A substitute for the Sandgrounders in their Nationwide Conference clash at home to Welling United, Woods walloped home what proved to be a long-range winner and the best strike of the five-goal thriller.

CITY fans are reminded the Travel Club coach to Tuesday's game at Halifax Town leaves Bootham Crescent at 5.45pm at £7 for TC members, £9 non-members.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.