This month, our resident sports writer and York City F. C. fan, Simon Pattinson, is happy with the new signings.
It’s been a busy month as preparations for the brand new season at the new stadium get underway this summer, with a host of new signings coming to the club. The most notable of those in that time is the welcome return of Clayton Donaldson. For me, he’s a player who, I know I’m not alone in saying, was a proper favourite of mine during my time supporting the club. I know that many of the older fans will remember some of our true greats of this club, from the likes of John Byrne and the ultimate Keith Walwyn, but during these years that I have been going, he was certainly a player that excited you from the moment he joined the club. He was electrifying, with pace to burn and a real joy to watch, getting everyone off their seats – and most importantly: he scored goals. Since he left the club, he’s played for some great league clubs and scored goals everywhere he’s been. To welcome him back where his career started is something that I think has excited a lot of fans. Of course, there are definitely some reservations about the signing as you look at his age. He is 37 now, and I am sure he won’t be that same player we all remember him as, but on the upside, it seems his fitness is in great condition and will be a powerful addition to the frontline. Alongside him, other recent signings Kurt Willoughby and Jason Gilchrist make for an exciting attack with no excuse for getting those much-needed goals we have lacked in recent times.
As exciting as it is to have these signings and the chance of finally being able to go to the football again, I think it will certainly be strange to be going up to the LNER for the first time for many fans next season. It’s important that the club gets off to a good start in this coming season, and with a rise in the price of tickets, I think some fans may have to think twice about games they get to in the coming season. There has been great support so far with the season tickets, but it feels that they may have missed a trick in offering various incentives for some who may not be able to afford the increased prices for the new season. Monthly instalments being an obvious example and perhaps some sort of ticketing link up with the rugby too, seeing as we’ll be sharing together for the long term to gain new fans as we enter this new era for the club. Just think the club may have missed a trick there. On the other hand, though, the new kits released for the upcoming season, with the new supplier Puma, look very smart indeed, and I feel very spoilt for choice as to what I will purchase for the new season.
In other City-related news, it was a great evening at Haxby Sports Bar with my predecessor Dan Tait and the rest of the Hospital Ball team putting on a fine night with former City player Richard Brodie. We heard various tales from his time at the club and his time in football. Well done to them and I’m sure we will be seeing more of them in the future.
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