Well who would have thought that being a York City fan and happiness would go hand in hand?
There’s been a whirlwind of change since we last spoke, all of which has surprisingly culminated in a happy outcome. Glen Henderson finally sold his stake to new owners Matt and Julie-Anne Uggla allowing a new era to be ushered in at the LNER Community Stadium.
As always, new ownership means out with the old and in with the new. 13 new high-calibre signings have started this process with a bang, all of which have been secured under the close guidance and instructions of Matt Uggla. At the top of the list are highly-rated West Brom youngster Quévin Castro and Scottish Championship Player of the Year Dipo Akinyemi, and yet it seems Mr Uggla’s business is far from finished.
All the acquisitions will make such a significant improvement to the squad that I’m expecting a period of genuine competition from City, the likes of which I have never seen in all my years as a Minsterman.
Not even under Jason McGill did we spend as much in one summer (transfermarkt.com values the acquisitions at £150,000). At the least it feels great to be excited for the first time in a long while.
It’s still important to stay grounded at times like this, I remember a similar feeling of excitement at this time last year, and yet we all remember how quickly the relationship with Henderson deteriorated; things change very quickly in football as soon as results start to go the wrong way. While Mr. Uggla seems to have our best interests at heart, I think I speak for everyone when I say that the history of disappointment for fans of this football club means we’re going to be very wary until real progress is made on the pitch. Regardless, I’m hopeful that Mr Uggla’s promises are genuine and that this is the end of false dawns for York City.
This new era is beginning to take shape on three important fronts. Alongside the progress made in player recruitment, the club is also working hard behind the scenes at making match day experiences better for supporters and is simultaneously beginning a long march toward the transformation of York City into a sustainable club. I think as fans we should be encouraged, we finally have owners whose ambitions align with ours — they see the big picture of where this club can go.
Finally a word in regards to the Rugby. It feels unfair how unlucky The Knights have been when it comes to injuries this season, Manager Andrew Henderson revealed that for an important Challenge Cup game last month he only had 16 players available. How they’ve remained competitive in such circumstances makes clear that they should really push on next year. I genuinely think that just as the football club should now be targeting a return to the football league, that the Knights could well be in the Super League in the next two to three years.
I still firmly believe that York has all the foundations to be a real sporting city, as a force to compete with the rest of Yorkshire, and so to see teams like The Knights demonstrated real perseverance fills me with encouragement — that dream feels closer to reality to ever. We’ve survived some dark days, but for us supporters who have stuck by the York teams I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel that the fans deserve.
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