“IN recent years, I have developed a deep affection for York City.”

Such were the words of York’s new chairman Glen Henderson.

Henderson has inherited 51 per cent of the club after Jason McGill’s sale of the club put an end to his 16-year tenure as City owner.

The remaining 49 per cent of shares have gone to the York City Supporters’ Trust.

Henderson had nothing but enthusiasm for the upcoming experiences he will face with the Minstermen.

“Football has been my foundation throughout my life and in recent years I’ve developed a deep affection for York City,” he said.

“The philosophy of every business I’ve owned is to place people at the heart of everything and in my eyes the fans and the city are the club.

“Four years ago, I started on this journey with the Trust waiting for the right time and opportunity to present itself and that time is now.

“Throughout that time, I have watched my son play in the York City youth team and sit on the bench for the first team numerous times.

“I have seen ups and downs, managers change and have identified a wealth of opportunities for improvement across every department of the club.

“I am thrilled to be working with the Trust to build a sustainable future for the club, all the while aiming to get York City back into the Football League.”

The club will be jointly operated by Henderson and the Supporters’ Trust.

York’s new owners have made “substantial cash sums” available to manager John Askey and first-team coach Kingsley James, and have insisted that “they are not in football to lose money.”

Trust chairman Mike Brown said: “As guardians of the football club since 2002, the Trust board are proud to have secured a change in ownership and investment that provides the club with a fantastic opportunity to grow and flourish.

“It’s been a tough journey at times, but we have been resolute in our objective of delivering a new fan focused ethos at the club.

“As we’ve developed our partnership with Glen it’s been increasingly clear that he has all the right skills, business experience, football knowledge, resources, personality, and energy to help us take the club forward.

“We look forward to working with him and everyone associated with the club to bring about a new, refreshing chapter in the club’s history.

“Glen first approached the Trust in June 2018 with a view to investing in the club under a new ‘football and fan-centric’ model.

“During that time, we have established a strong working relationship, business plan and exciting vision for the future.

“Working together, we will put the fans at the heart of everything we do and work to establish a new footballing model that runs through every level of York City.”