York City are taking on Sheffield United, who, it is claimed, have 'poached' a star teenager from Bootham Crescent.

The player at the centre of the tug of score is Curtis Woodhouse, currently at Bramall Lane. He has recently progressed to the England under-18s squad and broke into the Blades first team last season.

But the youngster was at City's centre of excellence for three seasons only to be snapped up by the Blades thanks to a 'loophole' in the recruitment of youngsters.

Now City have enlisted the help of the Football League to secure greater cash compensation from the First Division promotion-chasers.

City secretary Keith Usher told the fans' forum that City had received only £2,200 compensation for a player nurtured for several seasons within City's youth programme."We are going to a Football League commission with a view to getting more cash from Sheffield United," confirmed Usher.

The revelation about the dispute with Sheffield United was made as chairman Douglas Craig responded to a query from Manchester-based fan Andy Meek whether City could end up as a nursery club for a Premiership side.

Craig said that could not happen as it was strictly against current League rules. But should the rule change then the City board would have to consider such a prospect.

Added the chairman: "The Premier League are pinching the best of the boys around and it's getting more difficult to recruit the right quality.

"We have done brilliantly. But a top club can take 40 to 60 boys. There's a surplus of riches at one end and a deficit at the other end."

There was a fillip for local youngsters. City confirmed in a question from former referee Graham Bradbury that it will host local junior finals at Bootham Crescent later this season.

Bradbury opened the forum with the plea that it was 'the dream of every local lad to play at his senior professional club', but it had only happened in two out of the last 12 years.

City secretary Keith Usher said there had been a problem with weather and the demands on the City pitch, plus 'an abuse' of the ground one season when it hosted finals.

He said: "The situation now is we have had the ground re-drained and it in is the best condition ever. The intention of the club for this coming season is to have a week of local junior finals."

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