York Sport Report: April 2023

We hear from our resident sports writer and York City F. C. fan, Simon Pattinson. 

It never seems like a dull moment in the world of York City. It feels like there’s always something happening and it does seem like this long drawn-out process of finding a new owner to take over Glen Henderson is just around the corner. No doubt it’ll be confirmed after the time of writing this. A new era is needed and energy to reinvigorate the club and us, the fans, with what has been generally a centenary to forget.

Whoever takes over needs to get involved in the club, not only investing in the team but someone who is listening to the fans. It still feels that even with the Supporters Trust at the helm there’s a long way to go in bridging that gap, and after the fiasco, with John Askey, there is a huge rebuild still ahead. 

Whilst talking about managers, there can be no question about what a job Mikey Morton has done since taking the interim manager job. His passion is unquestioned and his love for the club is never in doubt, as are his coaching skills. He has united the fans and players in what has been a tumultuous time at the club, and for that I thank him and I hope that he is kept on in a capacity when the new owner takes over and inevitably brings in a new manager. A new man who has experience of the level and knows the football league too. There’s a shortlist I have in mind, which includes the likes of Altrincham’s, Phil Parkinson, and Graham Alexander, but both also come with question marks for me. The mix of experience and know-how is what is required to take us to the next level that is needed. The David Webb experiment should be very much over! Relegation back to regional football is not an option but the flirting around the bottom four is enough to make any fan squirm. One or two additions would keep us going until the end of the season too and then start fresh in the summer. This squad isn’t a million miles away, but the right man in charge will make all the difference. Let’s just hope that mistakes are not made all over again and that finally, we can close this nightmare chapter.

In rugby, York RLFC has had a good start to the championship season. It seems that they just seem to be heading in a good direction that will no doubt see them be up in the right half of the table again this year. We have seen time and again what a well-established club they are and the envy among many in rugby league. This is the continuation of a building under new ownership, taking note of the fans and what they want along with a clear direction as to where they want to be with realistic expectations. Once again it feels like two clubs are worlds apart but hopefully, we’re seeing the start of what finally might be two clubs doing the city justice.

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