News archive - November 2002

30 November 2002

Evening Press - Johnny be off, by Dave Stanford
IT'S been another week of worry and confusion for fans of York City. But amid all the uncertainty one thing seems clear - it's time for John Batchelor to do the decent thing and hand over the club in its entirety to the Supporters' Trust as soon as possible. More

Evening Press - Accounts unveil club's transfer, by Dave Stanford
COMPANY accounts for Bootham Crescent Holdings leaked to the Evening Press show it sold a house on Grovesnor Terrace to York City for £125,000. The house - valued recently by club chairman John Batchelor at between £300,000 to £320,000 - was previously owned by the football club until the formation of BCH in 1999. More

Evening Press - Batchelor opts for quiet life, by Dave Stanford
PLANNED talks between John Batchelor and the York City Supporters' Trust over the future ownership of the football club failed to take place yesterday. More

Evening Press - Life or death battle, by Matthew Woodcock
ANGRY York City fans dressed as grim reapers to collect signatures for a petition against the planning application to build on Bootham Crescent. Members of the Harrogate Minstermen, the newest branch of the York City Supporters Club, donned the scary costumes to publicise just how severe the threat of extinction facing the club is. More

Evening Press - Work together for the future
CO-OPERATION between club and community will have a vital role to play in the success of York City should the Supporters' Trust finally acquire ownership. More

29 November 2002

Supporters’ pressure group, the Friends of Bootham Crescent (FoBC) has stepped in at the last minute to get emergency fundraising off the ground for the York City Supporters Trust.

Evening Press - Fans' groups set to pail up in unity

Read our press release

It was announced this week that the club would be entering a Creditors Voluntary Agreement, that players could not be paid and that club staff would receive only half their wages this month.

At this difficult time, Friends of Bootham Crescent remain committed to supporting the club and in particular, opposing the planning application every step of the way.

Evening Press - Comment, 28 November 2002
WINTER has come to Bootham Crescent. On the day that York switches on its Christmas lights, the city's football club has been plunged into the darkest, coldest days of its history.
More

27 November 2002

Our half-time protest against Bootham Crescent Holdings took place on the pitch at Bootham Crescent last night. FoBC's statement to the crowd was accompanied by the release of 93 black balloons, led by former City player Chris Topping. Chairman John Batchelor followed our protest by coming on to the pitch to announce that he was to hand over the club to the Supporters' Trust - a statement that came as a surprise to many, including the Trust. More on this later . . . .

Read the Friends of Bootham Crescent's half-time statement

Friends of Bootham Crescent release 93 black balloons. Photo: Daley Mayall

Press reports

Tony Kelly, Evening Press - Strife's a pitch
TONIGHT York City's Bootham Crescent ground is the venue of the most bizarre half-time 'entertainment' this side of the Exodus v Egyptians' fixture where the Israelite 'captain' Moses parted the Red Sea. Instead of go-go cheerleaders it will be boo-boo jeer-leaders. More

Evening Press - York City take-over sensation

Evening Press - Left in a mess

BBC North Yorkshire - Should supporters run York City?

25 November 2002

Evening Press - City supporters to hold pitch protest
FRIENDS of Bootham Crescent are to hold a demonstration on the pitch at tomorrow's FA Cup first round tie game against Swansea City. The protest against the board of Bootham Crescent Holdings has the blessing of club chairman John Batchelor. More

Full FoBC press release

20 November 2002

Evening Press - Friends lift
The Friends of Bootham Crescent today welcomed the takeover bid by the Supporters' Trust. The FoBC - fighting to protect Bootham Crescent from redevelopment - are also calling on supporters to unite behind the club. More

FoBC Press release

16 November 2002

Our concerns have been highlighted in excellent press coverage and also on the BBC website.

BBC Sport: York fans voice ground fears

The Evening Press had a special feature on the Bootham Crescent issue:
Wanted: a future
Questions that need answering
How the Bootham Crescent saga has unfolded
(useful timeline of events since December 2001)
The major players - and what they want
Who owns what

15 November 2002

Evening Press - Fans air their views

Press report on Friends of Bootham Crescent and our planned protest

Evening Press - Silence over boardroom meeting

Sport England intervention - 12 November 2002

The Yorkshire Evening Press today revealed that Sport England are looking to investigate the Persimmon application to develop Bootham Crescent.

We are delighted that the current situation at Bootham Crescent has come to light nationally and would support any calls for a public inquiry into the application.

Evening Press: Sport England puts boot into homes scheme

Launch day - 9 November 2002

Report of our first day's activities

The Friends of Bootham Crescent made their debut on Saturday 9 November 2002, before and after the home match with Leyton Orient. Our trusty volunteers braved the cold, and dished out the "Valuable Piece of Land" leaflet to supporters arriving and leaving the ground, and received an overwhelmingly positive reaction. More

Launch day press coverage

Evening Press: Fan's stand

A NEW protest group objecting to redevelopment plans for Bootham Crescent will take "direct action" to "secure the home of York City".
The Friends of Bootham Crescent, formed by York City supporters, will demonstrate outside the ground following the club's FA Cup clash with Swansea City next Saturday. More

Yorkshire Post: York fans plan to fight threat to Bootham

MILITANT York City supporters plan a demonstration against proposals to bulldoze Bootham Crescent. More