MATCHDAY admission prices at KitKat Crescent will increase by £1 next season.

The rise will be York City's first in three years and has been implemented to help fund planning applications costs that will be incurred as the club look to move to a new stadium.

A Main Stand adult seat will now cost £17 although supporters do have until May 18 to buy next season's season ticket at this season's prices.

The increase compares unfavourably with City's Conference neighbours Halifax, where a top-price ticket costs £13, and League Two local rivals Darlington, who charge £15.

But it costs £22 to pay on the day at South Yorkshire strugglers Rotherham United, who will be plying their trade in the Football League's basement division next season. Adult tickets range from £24 to £32 for the nearest Premiership clash to York this Saturday when Middlesbrough take on Tottenham in Teesside this Saturday.

A KitKat Crescent Main Stand adult season ticket will now cost £311 instead of £288 for supporters who miss the May 18 deadline but still commit their money before a ten per cent increase is enforced on July 6.

City fans are still uncertain which division their team will be playing in next season as a point against Oxford in Saturday's final league game will be sufficient to ensure play-off qualification.

Billy McEwan's men would then face two-legged semi-final matches on May 4 and May 7/8 with the final scheduled for Wembley stadium on Sunday, May 20.

City's board are hoping to submit a planning application by autumn with the cost, including architects' fees, likely to amount to £100,000.

The £1 increase is expected to generate £60,000 towards that sum and managing director Jason McGill said: "Clearly we don't want to increase prices but this is a necessity in order to help fund our planning application.

"It is important we move the development on as soon as possible and the £1 price increase is the only way we can do this. The only other area of finances we could have looked at is the playing budget.

"The board decided it was not in the club's best interests to reduce Billy McEwan's playing budget next season as we want to remain a competitive force in whatever league we are playing in. We have not increased prices for three years and we hope our supporters feel the quality of football we play means they are still getting value for money."

In a press release, the club also confirmed that its owners, JM Packaging, have now provided £670,000 in funds, including £220,000 already this season.

That means £280,000 remains from the money JMP pledged to commit to the club over the next four years when the Supporters' Trust relinquished its majority shareholding to McGill's Malton-based business last summer.

It is estimated that the cost to the club of staying at KitKat Crescent amounts to £150,000 a year in terms of Football Foundation loan repayments and running repairs and improvements to the ground.