The latest twist in rugby league's fixture farce could rob York Rugby League Club of promotion glory after all.

Last month's decision to opt for a 13-team first division and five-team second division next season has created a fixture nightmare - and clubs are now expected to vote for a switch to one division when the proposal is put to them tomorrow.

The problem arose after the draft fixture list was circulated to all clubs this week. The league structure, which meant the first division clubs playing each other twice plus an away fixture at each of the second clubs, left first division sides facing at least three away matches in a row.

That has not been greeted favourably by those clubs affected and has prompted a rapid rethink by the First and Second Division Clubs Association (FASDA).

Members of FASDA will meet tomorrow in Dewsbury when they will be asked to consider several proposals - sticking with two divisions, various one-division formats and an East and West Conference.

And FASDA chairman Bob McDermott believes the current set-up will be thrown out.

He said: "I think there will be one division with each team playing 34 games. At the moment the fixture list is not feasible. Some teams are having four or five away games on the trot, the best is three away games running.

"It can't work as it is. The cash flow is not acceptable with all those away games."

Whatever the final outcome, the split in News Corporation money would not be affected, confirmed McDermott.

Clubs currently in the first division will each receive £325,000 over a 12 month period with the second division five getting £125,000.

That is likely to provide some consolation for York chief executive Jim Race who is becoming increasingly frustrated by the constant delays in preparing for the new season.

Although York were one of the clubs to vote for the much criticised two-division format at last month's FASDA meeting, Race claimed he would attend tomorrow's meeting "with an open mind."

But he admitted that the fixture list as it stands is not a problem for the Wasps.

"The provisional fixture list suits us because there is work to be done on Huntington Stadium which could have been done in our period of away games.

"But we will listen to the proposals and vote which way we think is best for York Rugby League Club and of course rugby league in general," explained Race, who will be accompanied to the meeting by Wasps consultant Roland Davis.

It is expected that one of the single division options will get the final vote. They include a straight championship with no play-off, and a couple of variations on the Grand Final system which was such a success last season.

A European competition for the leading clubs, which last term took the form of the Treize Tournoi, will also be considered.

An East and West Conference, an idea put forward last time, is not expected to receive the backing of the clubs. The Eastern group, to include York, would be much the stronger which would prove unfair in any cross-Conference play-offs at the end of the season.

One division would mean an 18-team league with each club playing each other home and away, giving a total of 34 matches.

It seems to be the most simple solution and one which was favoured in some quarters when the original proposals were put forward last month.

But this latest about-turn is sure to anger clubs who had already been forced to put plans for the new season on hold when the original decision took longer than predicted.

McDermott said fixtures were not usually confirmed until around Christmas and claimed that a new fixture list could be sorted out by the end of next week.

It will still add to the workload of the Huntington Stadium staff though. York released their season ticket prices earlier this week but if the switch to one division gets the vote they will have to be reconsidered because there will be more home games to take into taken into account.

But Race stressed the club would honour any sales which have already been made and would not expect any additional money.

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