Robinson taking legal advice over his future

Coach Dean Robinson is to seek legal advice over his position at York Rugby League Club.

The Wasps boss admitted he now has "no players to coach" following last night's meeting but revealed he has no intention of resigning.

The coach was unhappy with the handling of the recent pay negotiations and confirmed he was largely kept in the dark by the board.

Assistant coach John Paterson revealed that the board were assuming complete control of football matters, leaving him and Robinson on the fringes of the club.

"The board have told Dean and myself that any footballing matters, ie transfers in and out and playing staff, now go through the board of directors," he said.

Robinson was also angered by speculation linking former Wasps star St John Ellis with the coaching position at Huntington Stadium.

Robinson claimed Ellis, currently assistant coach at Hunslet Hawks, was being lined up as a £15,000-a-year replacement should he decide to quit.

"When I went into the meeting last night I was totally unaware of this," said Robinson.

"The club has said that, because of the financial situation, the players can't be paid and the coaching staff can't be paid. The way they dealt with it is history.

"I am still the coach of York Rugby League Club. They have been pleading poverty and may appoint somebody on megabucks."

However, club chairman Trevor Cox stated that no offer had been made "to my knowledge".

But Cox said: "We have a coach who I think has done an excellent job and I am not in a position to comment any further. No one has been offered a coaching position to my knowledge."

Ellis was today unavailable to comment but Hunslet coach David Plange confirmed his assistant was "weighing up his options" following a meeting between the two yesterday.

Said Plange: "I know he has a lot of fond memories and if he was offered the job there I am sure he would not hesitate to take it."Robinson added that the "demise" of the club was a personal tragedy.

"It is just tragic, certainly for me personally after 20 months of extremely hard work, that it has had to come to this," he said.

"As regards my position, I still remain coach of York Rugby League Club. Unfortunately, I have no players to coach.

"Certain things over the past fortnight have been addressed to myself which breach clauses in my contract, so I intend to speak to my own legal advisors as regards my own future."

Robinson admitted he was unaware of the club's financial position.

"Hopefully, there may be something that can be done to bring about an escape from this predicament at the 11th hour," he said.

"I think, purposefully, I have been kept in the dark with the position of the club for a number of weeks now and do not know the exact financial state. One would hope it is as portrayed and is the sole reason behind these measures.

"I am not resigning. I have put a great deal of hard work into this club and I am contracted to the end of the year. My heart is with the club and I want it to succeed.

"I have never walked away from anything in my life but I can't do anything with two hands tied behind my back."

The coach declared that the full potential of the team - which was just two points off the top of the Second Division - may never be known.

"We are two points off the top. I remain convinced we would go on to win promotion from the Second Division," he said.

"It is a tragedy that we may never know what the result would have been."

It is York's intention to send a team to Bramley, but exactly what line-up they will be able to field is unlikely to be resolved until after today's talks with the RFL.

Robinson said: "Unfortunately it does not look like it will be the team I and the supporters would have wanted to be there."

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