What the papers say about Bootham Crescent
For the most recent comment and updates, see the latest news page.
"In theory, planning permission for the housing can't be granted unless York have found a new home. Bootham Crescent Holdings and Persimmon Homes have pledged "substantial monies" to expedite that. In practice, however, once York are evicted and Bootham Crescent enjoys vacant possession, the bulldozers can have a field day."
Telegraph - 22 September 2003. Full story
"The hate figure of the year is Douglas Craig, together with his cohorts on the former board of York City. Having transferred the ownership of the ground into their holding company, they agreed to sell it for a fortune to a property developer. The only benefit here, as at many other places, is that the fans have united to preserve their footballing heritage."
Glenn Moore in the Independent - 13 May 2003
In the same "villains' corner" is York-based Persimmon, which past month announced a 42 per cent pre-tax profit rise to £267.6 million and has acquired a 10 per cent stake - 20,000 shares - in Bootham Crescent Holdings.
Lynne Greenwood in the Telegraph - 19 April 2003
Craig . . . formerly a Tory councillor, stands to profit personally to the tune of £3.5 million if a bid to build houses on Bootham Crescent is approved, having bought his shares for not much more than £120,000 in the early 1990s. By contrast, the club is crippled with a range of debts and now fears that every match will be its last.
York City is an organisation nurtured and cherished by its community. One of its stands—the David Longhurst stand—was built in memory of a player who died on the pitch during a game, and was built with money donated by the fans and ordinary people. Now it will be bulldozed for houses.
Andy Burnham, MP, in the House of Commons - 31 January 2003
They have to go: YORK CITY 'GANG OF FOUR'
In fact, Douglas Craig, the fomer chairman of York City, has already gone, along with three other former directors, including Barry Swallow, a former player, but they should never be allowed inside a football ground again if, as is feared, their actions kill the third division club. When the holding company they set up in 1999 sold York to a new chairman in March last year, they kept the ground and brought on board — surprise, surprise — a property developer. Now they want City out of Bootham Crescent. . . Even the club’s mascot has raised his voice in protest. “How can four men destroy 80 years of tradition, and the hopes of 4,000 of us that go there every other week, all for personal gain?”
The Times - Sideline, 17 January 2003
"Thing is, it's hard to find a buyer when the club will have no ground - unless you have an additional £4.5m to buy the other company, Bootham Crescent Holdings (owned by a Mr D Craig and associates) as well. . . . if the club goes bust, what then? Well, the fans would be left high and dry, of course. But not everyone would lose out. Mr Craig, for instance, will be able to sell £4.5m-worth of prime real estate to Persimmon Homes."
Guardian: The Fiver, 15 January 2003
"Craig announced that York can stay at Bootham Crescent beyond next June, the limit agreed with Batchelor, on the condition they set a strict timetable to upgrade and then move to York's Huntington Stadium. That has not exactly been embraced as an act of generosity by supporters still outraged at the transfer of the ground to BCH by Craig and three other directors, Colin Webb, John Quickfall and the former 1970s playing hero, Barry Swallow. . . Land Registry records show that BCH paid only £165,890 to the club for the ground, and were then given a 25 year lease. Earlier this year that lease was cancelled and replaced by a tenancy to the end of this season."
David Conn in the Independent - 21 December 2002
Interlude . . . the Batchelor take-over, March 2002
"York City . . . announced that John Batchelor had taken over the club and been installed as chairman, ending weeks of uncertainty over their future. Under the terms of the deal the club's supporters' trust will receive a 25.1% stake in the club and two seats on the new board . . . Batchelor immediately announced that York will be moving from their current home, Bootham Crescent. Promising "exposure Premiership clubs would die for", Batchelor said that he had already identified two possible sites for the 15,000-seater stadium."
Simon Burnton in The Guardian, 16 March 2002
(Note - the 25.1% Supporters' Trust stake in the club never happened, plans for a new stadium were never formally submitted - though Batchelor did sign an agreement to vacate Bootham Crescent by June 2003 - and by December 2002 the club was in administration.)
"Throughout the club's 80-year history all board members have bought shares at £1 and, on retiring from the board, there has been a tradition of returning shares at the same price. Craig purchased his for 90p each.
Hugh Kitchin, chairman of the club in 1954-55 when York City reached the semi-final of the FA Cup, said recently: 'The directors did not regard it as their club to make money. They were merely looking after it as guardians on behalf of the public of York and district.' "
Gareth A Davies in The Telegraph, 31 January 2002
"The reason the directors kept their scheme under wraps until the last possible moment must be that they knew it would cause a storm of protest. To be open would mean consulting the real stakeholders in this football club, the fans, and that would have delayed pay day.
Yorkshire Evening Press Editorial, 9 January 2002
"Many people are at a loss as to what has motivated the directors to behave as they have. From the FA, the game's governing body, which has seen a vitally important rule sidestepped again, there was similar, baffling silence. "
David Conn in the Independent, 18 Jan 2002
"YORK CITY supporters are so shell-shocked by recent events that they would hardly be surprised if they turned up for tomorrow's FA Cup replay against Grimsby to find that a house had been built in one corner of the pitch.
Robert Mills, the Yorkshire Post, January 2002
"It is just not the York City way to make money out of the club. I have known five chairmen and when they moved on they passed on their shares for the same price at which they bought them. I have spoken to several former directors and they are all appalled at the actions of this Board."
Malcolm Huntington - former Yorkshire Evening Press sports correspondent - quoted in the Yorkshire Post, January 2002
"Monday's wonderful meeting revealed three key things to me about the morality of all this. Firstly, the contribution made by the Supporters Club to the move to BC 70 years ago. Those fans would turn in their graves to know that a group of 4 people can preside over the eviction of the club from that ground, whilst at the same time making a large personal capital gain out of it."
Malcolm Clarke (Chair, Football Supporters Association), 12 January 2002, in the email newsletter There's only one Arthur Bottom
"How can Mr Craig think he has the right to £4.5 million for the ground ? The supporters club built the popular stand, and the programme shop, the Longhurst Stand by fund-raising, and he thinks it is his. . . "
Reader's letter from Chris Burley, in the Yorkshire Evening Press, 12 January 2002
