The 2004 – 2005 season started at a few minutes to seven, one warm August morning, at York railway station, as hundreds of City fans embarked on the long trip south to Aldershot, Hampshire. It was a trip into the unknown for the Minstermen – new grounds, new fans, and new teams (many of whom City followers had barely noticed over the years). At 4:45PM that sultry afternoon, there was a new realisation that City’s non - league stay would be a long one. 

In summer 2004, player – boss brass revamped the City squad. Out went proven league players such as Darren Edmondson, Mitch Ward, and Mark Ovendale, and in came a series of veterans. City’s new signings included Kev Donovan (33), Shaun Smith (33), Steve Davis (36), Paul Crichton (36) and Paul Groves (38) to add to the already contracted Lee Nogan (35). Definitely the big summer signing was Paul Robinson, a former Newcastle Utd striker who bagged 9 goals in 23 games for Hartlepool Utd the previous season. Much was expected with his partnership with Andy Bishop, who turned down League Two side Yeovil Town for first team football at Bootham Crescent. On balance, many City fans felt the team offered a balance of youth and experience although there were worries about the fact over half the team was the wrong side of 30. 

City’s first match started fairly positively, and after 10 minutes or so this author remembers clearly saying, “we’re a different team. This lot are supposed to be good and we’re completely outplaying them”. Maybe that was a little harsh, but Aldershot’s second half victory, aided by the “new Sertori”, Chris Clarke, was the beginning of a nightmare set of results for the Minstermen that left them in the bottom few of the Conference after five games. After being beaten 2-0 by Aldershot, despite a brief resurgance at home to part timers Tamworth (a 2-0 win), City were beaten by Hereford (3-0), G&N (4-0, a truly embarrasing result to a part time side at a ramshackle ground), and Accrington (1-0), pressure was mounting on boss brass to resign. The worst thing about these results is that none of the teams City were comprehensively thrashed by looked world beaters, or even able to compete with League clubs. The Conference was a poor league, but City were nothing better than a pub team. 

And, what’s more, some of the new players looked as if they were only here to collect a sizeable pay packet whilst giving shambolic performances. Apart from the previously mentioned Clarke, Shaun Smith seemed to lack both the ability and willpower to bother to defend basically, Groves plodded around midfield barely touching the ball, Nogan missed sitter after sitter, and Crichton was involved with a disgraceful incident with a fan, which he said that he did not care about whether City won or not, he collected his wages and that was what mattered. Crichton was sacked by the club following the incident, but the bitterness towards the players continued throughout the season. 

City then travelled to London to take on pace setters Dagenham and Redbridge. Given the fortunes of the two clubs, a Dagenham victory looked certain, but brass somehow secured a win and probably his job for the immediate future. Goals from Dunning (2) and Groves sent City’s fans for a week believing that they could turn the corner and become a force in the Conference. Next week though, a grim defeat to former Doctor Martens League champions Crawley Town, caused by another Clarke howler, and home draws to lowly Leigh and Northwich, left City fans calling for brass’ resignation. 

In an attempt to stop the rot, City had turned to former coach Viv Busby to help the struggling manager brass. The loan signing of Darlington centre back David McGurk helped tighten things up at the back, and City recorded back to back league victories against Stevenage (3-1) and Burton Albion (2-0). In fact, City had a run of just 1 defeat in 5 matches going into a clash with league leaders Barnet at Underhill, with the form of Robinson, in a new creative role on the right wing, was at times a class above any of the other players on the pitch. 

However, 3 more defeats in a row would lead to the dismissal of the incompetent brass, who as well as picking a select group of players week after week, would blame inexperienced youngsters for City’s problems. The 4-0 defeat to Barnet, who didn’t even play well was bad enough – the 3-1 result to Carlisle was at times embarrasing in the first half – but the 3-1 home reversal to bottom of the table Forest Green was the last straw for a fed up City faithful. Cries of “brass out” echoed throughout the Shippo from the minute FGR took an early lead. The City board finally took notice, and Busby was installed as the new temporary manager, with brass remaining as a player, which the majority of City’s supporters were happy about. 

City fans hoping for a sudden change in the clubs fortunes didn’t have to wait long. A 2-1 win to previously unbeaten on their travels Carlisle (goals from Nogan and Merris), and a good solid 1-1 draw at home to Halifax (the first and possibly finest Kev Donovan goal for the club) provided a foundation to build on. The form of young keeper David Stockdale was especially impressive, and it looked like City’s new more solid defence was turning the corner. What followed was just not acceptable. 

4 defeats in 5 games, including a shocking 3-0 defeat to Northwich Victoria (a game in which City fans turned on the effortless Paul Groves for yet another passive display), and for many fans the lowest point of the season – a 5-1 Boxing Day “derby” defeat to our 6 fingered friends from Scarborough. That game marked the worst ever individual performance by a City player I have seen – Shaun Smith – who apart from costing City 2 of the opening 3 Boro goals, was sent off for swearing at the referee after he failed to take a throw in quickly enough. A tame defeat to Burton Albion followed, with the return game at home to Scarborough yielding a slightly better if still poor display from the Minstermen (2-0 defeat). 

Viv Busby moved quickly in the transfer market in an attempt to sure up City’s leaky defence – Doncaster Rovers’ centre back Jon Maloney was drafted in for 3 months. In a new look centre back pairing with maligned veteran Groves (who had become a different player since switching to defence), City suddenly looked less willing to concede and managed a creditable 2-2 draw at league highflyers Stevenage on a bizarre stormy day in early January. Despite an early FA Trophy exit, victories at home to Morecambe (1-0) and away at Leigh RMI (3-0, in a crucial relegation clash) meant City entered February still with some work to do to secure Conference safety, but in a better position to do so. One major positive was the form of Andy Bishop, who overall hit 12 goals in his debut season for the club and earned England non – league representative honours, and Maloney, who apart from being a good defender, scored 4 vital goals for the team. 

However, Busby had offered his resignation to the board after the FA Trophy exit to Burton, and following a drab 2-0 home defeat to Aldershot Busby finally left the club, along with player coach Nogan, who had managed a staggering 3 goals despite being the first choice frontman. Former Rotherham, Sheffield Utd and Darlington boss Billy McEwan was appointed to the hotseat for the remainder of the season. 

McEwan’s tactical approach got City the two victories that kept them safe – a backs to the wall 1-0 win at Exeter, and a wonderful team performance in a 2-1 home victory against league leaders Barnet on a bitterly cold March evening. City’s football that day was high quality, without doubt the team performance of the season, capped by fine goals from Donovan and loanee Maloney, with City’s new 4-5-1 formation working a treat. But this proved to be a false dawn – City won only once for the remainder of the campaign, and after such a great display defeats quickly followed to Exeter (2-1), Halifax (2-0), and Tamworth (1-0). 

After yet another woeful display at Hereford that was an easy 2-0 victory for the home side (with yet another inept performance from Smith), City still needed points to secure safety. Despite embarrassing thrashings to Carlisle (6-0) and Canvey (4-0), the failure of either Forest Green or Farnborough to get enough wins meant City were easily safe, and finally the team gave the type of scoreline to end the season that fans were expecting, an easy 4-0 win against Farnborough. 

Overall, a very disappointing first season in the Conference for the Minstermen. Few positives can be taken, with major disappointments including the fact that few of City’s signings made much of a good impact, with Robinson’s form in particular being very patchy despite his obvious ability, and the likes of Smith and Davis failing to impress. A much better season is needed next time around, and with a much lower budget, it will be difficult for McEwan to improve things. But, let’s face it, the team can barely do any worse in the league than it did last time around.