Huntington Stadium
Faced with the prospect of losing Bootham Crescent, parties working to save York City Football Club from extinction - led by York City Supporters' Trust - secured a ten-year lease at York's Huntington Stadium at Monks Cross, to ensure that league requirements could be met.
All parties agreed that Huntington Stadium needed to be substantially redeveloped and improved to meet Football League standards. A planning application for the redevelopment work at Huntington Stadium was submitted on 24 November 2003. The club's statement anticipated that planning permission might not be granted until March or April 2004. As the site is owned by City of York Council, the application may have been callled in by government officers, which could have delayed the planning process further.
Huntington Stadium is currently the home of York City Knights Rugby League Club and Nestlé Rowntree Athletic Club. The proposed plans would have seen the rugby and football clubs sharing the venue, with the athletes having to relocate to a new venue.
Following the announcement made on 4 February 2004 (see news) that Bootham Crescent has been secured as the home of York City FC for the foreseeable future, the planning application for Huntington Stadium has been withdrawn.
