WHILE York MP Hugh Bayley was being knighted in the New Year’s honours list, the city’s football club’s achievements in 2014 were also recognised.

Perhaps, surprisingly, for a club that have spent most of the current campaign hovering just above the Sky Bet League Two drop zone and endured a 13-match sequence without a home win, York City featured heavily and favourably in the Football League’s statistical analysis of its member clubs’ performances over the last calendar year.

Of the 67 clubs who spent the entire 12 months as a Football League outfit, the Minstermen boasted the best away record in the country, picking up 61 per cent of their available points and losing just four of their games on the road.

Interestingly, that was just one fewer than Scunthorpe United - the team current City chief Russ Wilcox managed for the first nine-and-a-bit months of 2014.

York Press:

WHAT A FEAT: York City's away record in 2014. From @football_league

Only Preston, meanwhile, conceded fewer Football League goals on the road than City with a tally of 20 - one fewer than the Bootham Crescent outfit, Middlesbrough and Wycombe.

In all matches - home and away - the Minstermen’s record of nine defeats could be bettered by just Bristol City and Preston with eight losses apiece.

On 38 goals conceded, City also boasted the League’s joint-second best defence with Southend behind Middlesbrough, who let in two fewer.

North Yorkshire’s only professional outfit were pools coupon favourites too, drawing 18 matches - the same amount as Brighton, Nottingham Forest, Scunthorpe and Walsall.

At home, the Minstermen were out on their own with no side able to match or better their record of 11 matches ending all square.

Wilcox has yet to be beaten in six away league fixtures, winning three and drawing three since taking over the managerial reins from Nigel Worthington in mid-October.

But the modest City boss was quick to hail the contribution his predecessor made to the team’s impressive 2014 on the road following last season’s charge into the play-offs.

He said: “To have the best away record in the whole of the Football League is an outstanding achieve ment for the whole club.

“I can’t take any credit because it goes back to Nigel’s time really and four defeats in 22 away games is a record that everybody at the club should be proud of. Hopefully, it can continue in 2015 and, if we can marry that with our home form, that would be brilliant.”

WHILE City’s interest in this season’s FA Cup ended at the first round stage for a third consecutive campaign, a host of former Minstermen will be hoping to cause third round shocks today.

Gateshead boss Gary Mills, who oversaw a brave and unlucky 2-0 defeat at then Premier League outfit Bolton in the competition during his tenure at Bootham Crescent, takes his Conference play-off hopefuls to top-flight West Brom.

Ex-City quartet Michael Rankine, Tom Allan, Alex Rodman and Phil Turnbull will also be in the Heed squad at the Hawthorns.

At Derby, Richard Brodie will be hoping to give York-born Rams boss Steve McClaren an uncomfortable afternoon as his current club Southport travel to Pride Park.