YORK City's overall revenue dropped by £650,000 during 2004/2005 compared to the previous season.

The figure, quoted by a Supporters Trust newsletter, illustrates the cost of relegation to the Conference and puts into perspective the club's reported £83,568 loss during the year ending June 30, 2005.

In the statement, the Trust also described the football club's financial outlook as "challenging, but manageable".

The KitKat Crescent outfit will need to make the first of their annual £100,000 loan repayments to the Football Foundation in February and the club board have asked the Trust board to undertake the "main responsibility" for the fundraising required to meet that obligation.

Fundraising at the club has accumulated £70,000 in each of the last two years although £500,000 was collected in a matter of weeks during the appeal to save the club in the spring of 2003.

Such figures mean that the club will need to find £30,000 more than has been raised by fundraising initiatives in each of the last two years by February and the Trust believes the attempt to meet next year's interest payment should be collective.

A Trust statement said: "There is a shared responsibility amongst the Trust, club and the wider supporter base to help fund this annual commitment. Going forward, the financial outlook of our club continues to be challenging, but manageable."

Several new supporters groups have been set up over the last twelve months to boost fundraising potential and their continued good work will be vital to the club's future.

Updated: 10:34 Friday, July 29, 2005