FULL-TIME rugby league in York is a real possibility with a new York City Knights lottery that could rake in more than £400,000 a year.

Nearly 400 supporters packed the Huntington Stadium bar last night for the launch of Lancealotto - a lottery scheme that will raise thousands of pounds in revenue for the club.

That money will be ploughed into the Knights development programme from the community coaching that has now reached 118 schools and more than 28,000 youngsters in and around York, to ultimately funding senior players.

Chairman Roger Dixon, who is also the promoter of Lancealotto, said: "Here is an opportunity. If 3,000 people did this it would have a huge impact. If 6,000 people did it, the potential for a full-time squad is not a pipedream at all.

"This is York's club and if the people of York are willing to help out then we can build the first floor.

"They've built the foundations and we've got the ground floor built - but this is about getting the building blocks to take us to the next level."

The lottery membership will be limited to 3,000 with each having a choice of paying £1 for five numbers, £2 for ten or £3 for 15.

Weekly cash prizes of £300, £150, £100 and £50 will be given away alongside an annual draw of £5,000 - the biggest jackpot in York rugby league history.

A similar scheme at Workington brings in more than £150,000 a year after several seasons. And the original club lottery unveiled by Bolton Wanderers in the early 80s, which RFL consultant Alf Davis - who has helped get the Knights' plan on track - helped create, now generates £26,000 a week, albeit on a much larger scale.

First team coach Mick Cook said he hopes people will buy into the scheme, which will ultimately boost the club's chances of reaching Super League.

"People have to be in it to win it," he said. "It's not the National Lottery where you can win £8 or £10million pounds and the odds of winning it are quite slim.

"With this the odds are 3,000-1 and at least people will know that they are generating money for the club.

"If the club didn't make any money, they couldn't run the huge development scheme they have in place and that is the future of the game.

"One of the ambitions of the club is to play in Super League with a home-grown York team where all the players and stars who don't go to play for Leeds or Hull, but choose to stay and play for York."

Heading towards a full-time standing is the other big plus in Cook's eyes. He added: "We are now in NL1 and we are competing against teams that are full time.

"It's a big advantage because the lads don't have to go to work the next day. You have got more time to do core training, more time to recover and have treatment.

"We do okay here but to be full-time would be perfect."

How the scheme works:

The key features of the Lancealotto scheme unique to the Knights are:

Weekly prizes of £300, £150, £100 and £50 plus an annual draw for £5,000

Membership restricted to 3,000 giving fans a 3,000-1 chance of winning compared to a 14million-1 chance of scooping the National Lottery

Payments can be made in an annual lump sum, quarterly, monthly by Direct Debit or weekly through volunteer door-to-door collection agents

Winners are paid automatically with no need to claim

All money raised will go into the York City Knights development programme

Updated: 10:38 Wednesday, April 26, 2006