YORK City Supporters' Trust secretary Stan Collins has explained why the proposal to be voted on at next Tuesday's special general meeting at the Barbican will be subject to a 50 per cent plus one majority.

The meeting was last night switched to the Barbican, which has a much larger capacity than the original venue at Temple Anderson Hall to ensure everyone can get in.

There had been concerns that the Temple Anderson Hall would not be able to house enough people for such an important vote.

Trust members will be asked to support or reject a motion for JM Packaging, owned by City managing director Jason McGill, to become 75 per cent plus one share majority shareholders in the club in return for a total investment of £1million.

Fans' pressure group the Friends of Bootham Crescent believe that the proposal should require a two-thirds' plus one majority, citing rule 23 in the Trust's constitution to support their case.

But Trust secretary Collins has pointed out that, having discussed the matter with the Trust's legal advisers and Supporters' Direct, rule 48 of the Trust's constitution will be applied to the vote.

That rule requires a simple majority and is deemed relevant as the Trust board are seeking approval having "determined a course of action" rather than seeking guidance from its members.

Collins said: "The matter has been discussed with both Supporters' Direct and with the Trust's legal advisers and it was determined that rule 48, as one of the rules for general meetings, was the appropriate rule to apply given the circumstances.

In effect, the Trust board have determined a course of action (ie the completion of arrangements to provide additional finance and management time to the football club to enable it to continue in existence) that accords with the Objects of the Society and they have chosen to seek approval from the members.

"Under rule 48 such approval requires a simple majority of the members voting."

The Friends of Bootham Crescent are currently seeking legal advice to determine whether rule 23 should be applied instead and have also indicated that they will be requesting a procedural vote over which rule should apply at next week's meeting.

FoBC also intended to to request a second procedural vote, aimed at seeking an adjournment of the SGM for at least 28 days because the original venue at Tempest Anderson Hall boasted a capacity of 300 while the Trust's membership stands at 1,250.

That has now been overtaken by events last night when the Trust got the go-ahead to switch the meeting to the Barbican which has a capacity of about 1,500.

Trust chairman Steve Beck said: "It means everyone who wants to get in to the meeting can get into the meeting."

Trust officers will also be on the door of the Temple Anderson Hall to direct people who are not aware of the change of venue to the Barbican.

The time of the meeting remains unchanged with doors opening at 7pm and the meeting starting at 7.30pm.

All current Trust members also have the option to vote on the proposal by post by tomorrow.

The meeting at the Barbican will be chaired by Malcolm Clarke, who is a Trust member independent of the Trust Board, and who is also the chair of the national Football Supporters' Federation.

It was at the Barbican in February 2002 that the Trust was launched in a blaze of glory.