FORMER York City favourite Paul Aimson has condemned ex-team-mate Barry Swallow.

Swallow, a former club director and voted the club's Millennium Hero in a Football League centenary initiative in 1998, was slammed by Aimson for the six-figure sum the one-time defensive pivot pocketed from the sale of Bootham Crescent back to the football club.

Aimson was astonished to learn that Swallow, whom he played alongside in the 1970s and last saw at a Bradford City reunion dinner two years ago, had received £172,661 after the club bought back their home from Bootham Crescent Holdings directors Douglas Craig, Colin Webb and Swallow.

The ex-Minstermen striker told the Evening Press: "Hearing that upsets me very much. I thought he had York City at heart like I do.

"To make money out of the club like that is wrong."

Now a retired probation officer living in Dorset, Aimson had two spells with the Minstermen between 1964-66 and 1969-73 during which he totalled 113 goals from 237 starts. That gave him fifth spot on the club's all-time scoring list.

But even though Swallow was his former skipper and went on to make 312 appearances for the Minstermen during his seven years as a player at Bootham Crescent, former team-mate Aimson said that no player was more signifcant than the club.

Added Aimson: "The club is bigger than anybody and it will keep going long after both me and him are six feet under."

Updated: 10:34 Saturday, October 15, 2005