SPORT - Where next for York City?

What’s next for York City?  Tom Connell who reports on the Minstermen for Minster FM shares some thoughts.

York City’s draw with Leyton Orient on Saturday all but confirmed their relegation from Sky Bet League 2. The result stretched the gap between York City and safety to 9 points which even the most optimistic of York fans would admit seems insurmountable.

City emerged back into the Football League in 2012 after 8 years of playing Conference football. Now after another season of toothless performances City are set for a return to England’s 5th tier. A record of just 6 wins from their 40 league fixtures has given City’s support little reason to believe Jackie McNamara and his team are capable of a miraculous escape.

Preparation now has to begin to find a route back up. The summer is certainly going to provide plenty of change on the playing staff at York City, just four players are currently contracted to the club next season. Michael Coulson, one of York’s stand out performers this campaign despite injury problems, has already sealed a move to Scottish side St Johnstone for next season. The club have been unable to offer contracts to their players due to the threat of relegation decreasing the amount of money the club can spend on contracts. The club must now start planning for their next campaign before other players follow Coulson out the door.

The man charged with the difficult job of transforming the team and pushing for promotion back to the Football League will seemingly be Jackie McNamara after club Chairman Jason McGill offered his public backing to the man he brought to York in November. He cryptically blamed “deliberate and strategic attempts to thwart major footballing decisions” for on field struggles rather than McNamara.

The rebuild certainly won’t be an easy job. Finding a squad of players capable of getting York out of the National League will not come cheap and Jason McGill has made no secret that the club faces money troubles. In a club statement made on April 2nd he admitted York City are preparing for a tough period,

“The club will face financial challenges for the next two seasons while we remain at Bootham Crescent.”

With the clubs finances already strained the cost of relegation will add to that. Relegation is rumoured to cost roughly £500,000 per season and on top of that McGill’s other business JM Packaging is set to stop covering the clubs loses later this year.

The confirmation that the Community Stadium will be built offers City some hope that the future is bright. The Stadium which York City football club will share with the City’s rugby league side York City Knights is now expected to be ready for sport in 2018, better late than never.

The new stadium finally getting the green light comes as a relief for all associated with the club but it would be a shame if York can’t retain their football league status before the big move. The difference in quality between League 2 and the National League is massive. If York cannot make it back up over the next couple of seasons they will be welcoming clubs such as Boreham Wood, Braintree and Welling to The Community Stadium rather than clubs with sizeable fan bases like Portsmouth who they have faced this season.

Jason McGill has clearly felt that a huge transformation has been needed for some time, he emphasised what was important going forward;

“To instil pride, professionalism and passion to improve the Club. To play fast, energetic, free flowing football that will entertain. To implement a proven football business model that will enable the Club to become self-sufficient and successful for years to come.”

If these aims can be put into practice City fans can look forward to a prosperous few years, relegation will be hard to swallow if it does happen, but with the Community Stadium round the corner there is light at the end of the tunnel now.
For now though all the fans can do over the final 6 games is hope City can pull off the greatest of relegation survivals.

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