The History of York City FC 1990-1999:

At the end of the 1989-90 season, City finished in thirteenth place just as they
had done the previous season.
It was a relatively big disappointment as City spent much of the first half of the season amongst the division's leaders but poor home form in the second half of the season cost City dearly. The average home attendance was a poor 2,615 and lack of strength in depth was City's major drawback as a crippling list of injuries ultimately cost John Bird's side dearly. Ian Helliwell was the club's leading scorer for the second successive campaign. 

1990-91 was to be a highly unproductive season as the season was overshadowed by the tragic death of striker David Longhurst only weeks into the campaign, during the first half of a home match with Lincoln. The striker collapsed and died owing to a rare heart condition and the match was abandoned. The players never really picked themselves up from such an emotionally crippling blow and City finished 21st in the fourth division.

City struggled badly up front, particularly at Bootham Crescent, and scored just 45 goals all season, with Ian Helliwell leading scorer once again with a club record low 7 goals. Average attendances were down to a pitiful 2,511 as chairman Michael Sinclair stood down and handed the club's reigns to Douglas Craig. In the close season work began on covering the Shipton Street Stand - the David Longhurst Stand.

The 1991-92 season was to be another season of struggle as City finished in 19th place, fourth from bottom of the fourth division as the division was reduced in size to 22 clubs, due to the sad demise of Aldershot who were declared bankrupt in March 1992 and resigned from the league. After a poor start, City won just two of their first fourteen games in all competitions and manager John Bird was dismissed following an Autoglass Trophy clash with Carlisle when only 957 fans took in the game - an all-time club record low in terms of home attendances.

City appointed a young and unproven Aston Villa coach called John Ward as the club's manager. Under Ward City initially picked up and were comfortably situated in mid-table by November but their customary poor run around Christmas and the New Year saw them slip back into the depths of the basement. Over the course of the season, City averaged only a goal a game whilst they only won 8 games all season - a club record low. Ian Blackstone was top scorer with only 8 goals whilst average attendances slipped to 2,506. The highlight of the season was holding Second Division Tranmere to a 1-1 draw in the FA Cup in a match televised live on Sky.

However, City fans' misery was to be soon forgotten as the 1992-93 season kicked off. Fans weren't particularly optimistic going into the campaign but John Ward's new signings - John Borthwick from Darlington, Gary Swann from Preston and Paul Barnes from Stoke, paid instant dividends as City got off to a flying record, opening with four consecutive wins - a new club record. City were never out of the top four and after a 2-0 win over fellow promotion candidates Barnet, City looked a good bet for promotion - five points clear at the top of the division with a game in hand and nine points clear of fourth place.

But, as usual City experienced a mid-term slump as they won just two games in fifteen including a sequence of six consecutive draws which was a new club record. John Ward, who was on a rolling contract at City, left the club to go and manage First Division strugglers Bristol Rovers and Alan Little, who had been assistant to Ward and John Bird, became the club's new manager. Under Little City picked up again and with five wins in seven games, including a 3-1 win over champions Cardiff and a 5-1 win over Barnet, the club were to narrowly miss out on automatic promotion and become involved in the promotion play-offs for the first time in their history.

City went on to beat the division's form team, Crewe, on penalties in their first ever appearance at Wembley following on from a 1-0 aggregate semi-final victory over Bury and were promoted back to the Second Division after a five-year exile. Joint record signing Paul Barnes was leading scorer with 21 goals whilst average attendances increased significantly to 3,946 and that statistic does not include the 9,206 who packed into the Crescent to see City's semi-final play-off win against Bury which was the biggest attendance at Bootham Crescent for more than seven years.

If people thought that was to be a one season flash in the pan then they were to be proved wrong as in 1993-94, City took the second division by storm. After a good start, indifferent form in October saw City slip down to 17th position before a fine run of just 5 defeats in 30 games saw the Minstermen clinch 5th place and a play-off spot for the second consecutive season. It was City's highest finish since 1976 when they reached the dizzy heights of (old) Second Division football. City narrowly missed out on promotion to the First as they were beaten by a late Stockport goal in the second leg on the play-off semi-finals to bow out 1-0 on aggregate.

The season saw City set a new record away league victory with a 5-0 win at Blackpool whilst their defensive record was the best in the
division as they kept a total of 20 clean sheets to equal a club record and conceded just 13 goals all season at Bootham Crescent which was also a new club record. Paul Barnes was once again the club's leading scorer with 24 goals and average attendances soared to 4,677 - the highest for nearly ten years and the club's record receipts was broken on three separate occasions.

During the season City also claimed a number of notable scalps as they put champions Reading, promoted Port Vale, play-off finalists Stockport and John Ward's Bristol Rovers to the sword.

1994-95 was to be a frustrating season for City fans who had become accustomed to the taste of success. The team was disrupted by injuries to key players - particularly striker Paul Barnes and a poor start saw City take just one point from the opening four games. However, City soon picked up and with new signing Paul Baker in good form and Jon McCarthy in unbelievably fantastic form, City always looked capable of mounting a push to reach the play-offs for a third consecutive season but despite good form early in the New Year, City had too much ground to make up on the leading pack.

City once again proved that they were best suited to classy opposition as they comprehensively thrashed eventual play-off winners Huddersfield, champions Birmingham, play-off semi-finalists Brentford, and play-off chasers Hull and Oxford whilst they recorded their second consecutive 5-0 win at Blackpool, equalling their biggest ever away victory. Paul Barnes was top scorer for the third consecutive season with 16 goals whilst average attendances fell to 3,685.

In contrast, 1995-96 was a far from settled season. A roller coaster ride for fans of City both on and off the pitch was made hard to believe as City pulled off the greatest giant-killing act in their history with an incredible 3-0 victory against double-winning Manchester United at Old Trafford in the League Cup whilst in the league they avoided relegation by the skin of their teeth.

The club broke their transfer record twice in the space of 4 months by signing Rob Matthews and then Adrian Randall and City benefited with a brief surge and despite losing Paul Barnes to Birmingham, they appeared to have clinched safety with five games to go but four successive defeats saw City have to go into a post-season clash with Brighton after initially seeing the first game abandoned at 0-0 owing to crowd disturbance. City won 3-1 and retained their second division status. Leading scorer was Paul Barnes with 15 goals.

1996-97 was another poor season for City as they finished 20th in the second division with an almost identical record to that of the previous season. City started relatively well, despite the lack of summer transfer activity at Bootham Crescent, and City even put Premiership giants Everton to the sword with a 4-3 aggregate League Cup win over the Mersysiders. However in the second half of the season, City fell away badly and suffered the humiliation of a 1-0 FA Cup 3rd round defeat to non-leaguers Hednesford.

City narrowly avoided relegation on the penultimate weekend of the season with a 2-0 win at relegated Rotherham but that
failed to stem fans' bad feelings. That term City used a total of 31 players and Neil Tolson finished joint top scorer as part of a struggling and unsettled side with 12 goals equalling the departed Nigel Pepper's total for the season. Average attendances fell for the fourth consecutive season, to 3,359.

Season 1997-98 was another season of underachievement and unfulfilled potential for the Minstermen as they finished in 16th place but the season was definitely a tale of two halves.

City once again utilised a large number of players but prior to December, everything was going well for City as they found themselves in 3rd place with striker Rodney Rowe on fire but in the second half of the season City slumped with just one win in twelve games at Bootham Crescent and had to rely on good away wins at Wrexham and Bristol Rovers to stay clear of the drop zone.

1998-99 was to be a season of heartache for City fans
as the club's record equalling six-year spell in the Second Division was cut short. The club had only themselves to blame as they allowed Alan Little to remain at the helm through a disastrous run of ten matches without a win and when they finally did axe Little, the damage was very much done and City's chances of survival seemed minimal.

The season began with a clear-out and despite the signings of Steve Agnew, Neil Thompson and Neil Woods, before the season had begun, City were facing an injury / suspension crisis. After picking up following a poor start, in mid-October, City slipped badly and their poor form was highlighted by their struggle to overcome non-league Enfield in the FA Cup but over Christmas recovered sufficiently to find themselves lying in 9th place but a nightmare run saw City slip into trouble and several players turn their backs on the club. Despite this, perhaps the high point of the season was Richard Cresswell's call-up to the England Under-21 squad

Neil Thompson was put in caretaker charge of team affairs and the team recovered and following two consecutive wins and reaching 50 points, City seemed to have all but secured Second Division safety but a cruel turn of events saw Wycombe and Oldham manage the seemingly impossible and condemn City to the basement. Richard Cresswell was top scorer with 16 goals even after his departure to Sheffield Wednesday whilst average attendances fell again. Since that set-back, Neil Thompson has since been appointed manager and has made some big decisions ahead of the 1999-2000 third division campaign, but never-the-less, that's what York City Football Club needs to get back on track.