 After
relegation the previous season hopes were high of a quick return to
Division 2 for City. How wrong those hopes were to be! The season
started on the right note with a 1-0 win over eventual Champions Swansea
courtesy of a goal from ex-Blackburn and Wolves midfielder Mark Atkins.
But it was downhill from there on. A 0-3 home defeat to Rochdale and a
3-6 hammering at Barnet saw 17 year old goalkeeper Russell Howarth
replaced by the experienced Bobby Mimms but it did not stop the rot and
it was October before City registered another win,
by which time only Chester were below them in the League. This was the
first of three consecutive victories, to raise hopes a little, but City
went into the New Year in 20th spot with the fans calling for manager
Neil Thompson to resign.
A 0-1 defeat at Mansfield saw Thompson relieved of his duties on 10th
February. Former Hull manager Terry Dolan was the surprise choice as new
City boss and he drafted in Mark Bower from Bradford and Peter Hawkins
from Wimbledon on loan as the emphasis was placed on defence in the
battle to keep City up. Dolan's biggest coup, though, was the signing of
Northern Ireland international keeper Alan Fettis from Blackburn.
Results were ground out and safety was assured with four games to go
when City won 1-0 at Cheltenham, Mark Sertori scoring the winner. The
final home game against Halifax saw the visitors finish the match with
just eight players after three of the Halifax side were sent off, it
will also be remembered for Yorkie the Lion's famous "Water
Bottle" spat with Halifax's Graham Mitchell which the Stewards had
to break up. An amusing end to what certainly was not an amusing season.
 The
39 League goals scored by City was an equal record low with the 75/76
season. Barry Conlon was top scorer with 11.In the Cups city went out at
the first hurdle in all three,1-3 on aggregate against Wigan in the
League Cup,0-1 against non-league Hereford in the FA cup and 0-1 against
Hull City in the Auto Windscreens Trophy, the latter match being watched
by just 1005 people, the second lowest attendance for a City match at
Bootham Crescent.
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