“I AM really proud of my record at this club and the most exciting thing for me is that it is a record we can most certainly improve upon.”

So said York City Knights boss James Ford, who will take charge of his 200th match as head coach at Newcastle Thunder tomorrow night (7pm).

Ford took the reigns at York in 2015 and battled through the club being on the brink of closure a year later under former chairman John Guildford to deliver three runs to the Betfred League One play-offs.

The Knights eventually returned to Championship when they defied the odds to beat big-spending Bradford Bulls to the 2018 League One title.

In their first season back in the second tier, Ford’s side again surpassed all expectations to earn third, finishing as the highest-positioned English team outside of Betfred Super League.

After the coronavirus pandemic wiped out the 2020 season, a disappointing drop to ninth followed in 2021, although York managed to feature at Wembley Stadium for the first time since 1939, in a 41-34 defeat to Featherstone Rovers in the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup final.

This term, the Knights have convincingly re-established their place in the top six, securing a play-off berth with three matches to spare, with a sizeable 10-point gap currently in place over nearest challengers Sheffield Eagles.

Reflecting on a double century of matches in charge at York, Ford said: “This is my eighth season here and we’ve made the play-offs (or won the division) every season bar one, when we went to Wembley.

“I’m really proud of my record at this club and the most exciting thing for me is that it is a record we can most certainly improve upon.

“We’re recruiting better players every season and the club grows off the field every season.

“We’ve got the ambition to compete with not only the teams in this division but eventually the teams in the division above.

“We know where we are and we know how we think we’re going to get there.”

It is easy to forget that Ford is still in his 30s despite being the third longest-serving English coach in the professional domestic game.

“I do feel pretty experienced, even though I’m not yet 40,” he laughed.

“I’ve been through some challenges on and off the field, rebuilt a couple of teams and I’ve really enjoyed every minute of it.

“The supporters and the club have been great and every player that I’ve worked with, I’ve really enjoyed trying to make them a better player, whether that’s gone as well as I’d have liked to or not.

“It’s a tremendously different place from when I first took over.

“It’s a club with clear ambition and potential to be in the top division.

“I think we often get judged by the club’s potential and where we could get to, rather than where we are right now.

“I’m just pleased to be part of the journey. The club has helped me, in terms of my development as a coach and a person.

“I’d like to think that I’ve had a small impact on the club’s progress as well.”

Ford's 200th game at Newcastle comes as the Knights are seeking to build some form for the play-offs, which begin in just over a fortnight, having lost six of their last nine fixtures.

“You always want to be better," said Ford, when asked about his side's momentum heading into the season-defining finale. "Last week was a tough situation but it was one we put ourselves in (after last month's 100-4 loss at Leigh Centurions).

“Parts of that game (a 20-12 win over Sheffield) were always going to be nervy. I was pleased with the character that we displayed and there were some good moments, with and without the ball.

“We need to find more of those good moments and I’m confident we’ll see a better performance against Newcastle."