SCOTT KERR shared memories of his time as a player at York City, and the culture the club created under promotion-winning manager Gary Mills.

Kerr represented York from 2011 to 2013, making 78 appearances and being named as the 2012 Clubman of the Year for the Minstermen.

He was part of the York team that reached the Isuzu FA Trophy final at Wembley and defeated Newport County 2-0, as well as gaining promotion to the Football League after beating Luton Town 2-1 in the play-off final.

However, Kerr was not able to play at Wembley for either of those matches, having suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury that would eventually be a factor in his departure from City.

Having played under Mills, Kerr reflected on the atmosphere which the former York manager generated at the club, which included going out for drinks and playing golf prior to a match in an 'old school' way of management.

Speaking to the West Yorkshire Football Show, Kerr detailed: “It was a tough one because I went to York and I was probably thriving at York.

“I was playing at central defensive midfield under Gary Mills, and he had obviously come out of being coached by Brian Clough, so he was old school.

“I’ve listened to a few bits on Nigel Clough and how he took on a few things that his dad did.

“I remember the first game that I went to at York and we were playing Ebbsfleet away, we would travel down on the Friday and Gary Mills said to pull over on the coach.

“We pulled over at a pub and then all went over into this pub on Friday afternoon!

“He said ‘right lads, everyone get a beer, what do you want?’ and I had just come from Lincoln, so I thought it might have been a test.

“Michael Rankine is sat there with a Guinness, they’re all sat there sipping beers and I said that I just wanted a coke!

“It was his way, but he created such a good team and the bond that we had at York, us lads would go out on a Tuesday night.”

Kerr confirmed that the players took Mills’ allowance of drinking and enjoying themselves to a respectable level as to ensure it did not affect their efforts on a matchday, and spoke on the squad that gained promotion to League Two, in what was one of the greatest seasons in the club’s history.

He added: “The year that we got promoted to League Two, we were unbelievable.

“We were playing so much good, attacking football and we had such a good group of players.

“Every week, we would all play golf together and all go out for beers on a Tuesday night, as long as we respected it and wasn’t messing about and stuff.”

However, Kerr’s time at the club was hampered by an ACL injury that he sustained in the FA Trophy semi-final, that meant he would not be involved in either trophy-winning match at Wembley Stadium.

Kerr also believes that his ACL played a part in his eventual departure from the club, combined with the sacking of Mills which brought the appointment of Nigel Worthington, who did not play a style of football that suited the former City midfielder.

“It was brilliant, but unfortunately I tore my ACL away at Luton in the semi-final of the FA Trophy.

“I played every game for York that year, I captained them for the season, I got all of the Player of the Year’s [awards] and then I tore my ACL.

“Because of it, I missed both Wembley appearances.

“My nephew was mascot for one of them, and my son was mascot for the Luton game, so I got to watch.

“We got promoted and it probably ended me a little bit, I came back from my ACL about five months into League Two and not long after that, Gary Mills got sacked and Nigel Worthington came in.

“He went for quite a direct style of football that didn’t really suit, so I moved onto Grimsby.”