York City boss Billy McEwan has threatened to make all friendlies next season behind-closed-doors affairs after objecting to a supporter's reaction during Saturday's 4-0 home defeat against Hartlepool United.

McEwan was involved in a verbal exchange with a heckling Main Stand fan after the Minstermen conceded their first goal on 11 minutes.

The City manager called on the supporter to "shut up and offer encouragement" and, afterwards, added that he would not tolerate any future outbursts.

He said: "If fans are going to do that then I won't be here. I am not having that, no way.

"It frustrated and really disappointed me to hear the reaction from one of our supporters after we conceded the first goal. I don't want those types of people back at KitKat Crescent. They are no good to York City.

"If they are not going to encourage young players who are trying to make their way in the game then my message would be please keep away. Next year I will not play any public games in pre-season if that's the way we are going to have it.

"The majority of fans understand our problems but the other lot can stay away."

McEwan reasoned that negativity from the stands could also discourage any of the ten trialists in Saturday's squad from committing their future to the club.

He said: "We have got young lads that have come here for another chance after being released by other clubs. They cannot be judged on their first public appearance here playing together after just three weeks' training.

"I call them the liquorice allsorts or Bertie Bassett's bunch because they are all trying to blend in and play different systems that we are looking at.

"We are looking at these players but they will not come back on trial if they are going to get abuse. That's no good.

"We are a million miles away from where Hartlepool are at. People have got to remember we are in the Conference and we haven't even got a team yet.

"We are rebuilding and it will take a wee while to sort things out. It took Doncaster five years to get out of the Conference and it won't be done overnight here either."

McEwan handed starts to trialists Nathan Peat, Emmanuel Panther, James Dudgeon and Joe O'Neill against Hartlepool with goalkeeper Farhad Afandiyev, Craig Mudd, Henry McStay, Ryan Mallon and Danny Ekoku also entering the action as substitutes while David Pounder stayed on the bench.

The City boss is still reserving judgement on all of the trialists but praised former Leeds United reserve McStay and ex-Partick Thistle midfielder Panther for their performances despite a lack of summer training.

He also used the match to gauge left-back Peat's performance over 90 minutes against League One opponents, saying: "Some players did not play but that's no slight on them.

"I know what Dave Merris can do so we had to see what Peat could do against better opposition and he did all right.

"Panther and McStay have hardly done any training so you have to take that into consideration and I will not be judging any of them after this performance. They will be assessed over the six-week pre-season period and then we will take it from there."

Lev Yalcin was withdrawn from the action after 33 minutes as a precautionary measure after he felt a twinge in both his calf and hamstring but last season's leading marksman Andy Bishop is expected to return to full training this week as he continues his comeback from a knee operation and could figure at Ossett Town on Wednesday night.

Updated: 11:00 Monday, July 25, 2005