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The daily email newsletter serving York City fans since 1997
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Submit your views for publication by emailing the editor here.
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Tell your friends about Arthur!
If you enjoy reading TOOAB, let your friends know they can subscribe to the newsletter through our website, and by following us on Facebook or Twitter.
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York City new boss Steve Watson to make "two or three" signings
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By Dave Flett
YORK City new boss Steve Watson is hoping to have “two or three” new faces for next weekend’s home match against National League North leaders Chorley.
The former Gateshead manager’s Minstermen reign started with a 3-1 defeat at title-chasing Stockport County and, one week into the job, he has now identified areas he feels need strengthening in the squad.
Watson will speak to on-loan Harrogate Town midfielder Liam Agnew about his Bootham Crescent future on Monday following the end of his one-month stay and, after the returns of Alex Bray, Kennedy Digie, Joe Davis and Joe Ironside to their parent clubs, there is scope to bolster the ranks with further temporary additions.
Home attacker Matty Warburton hit a hat-trick for Stockport, completing his treble just seconds after Alex Kempster had reduced the deficit on 74 minutes and, following an eighth straight league loss on the road, Watson confessed: “It’s going to be a work in progress, and I was under no illusions that this wasn’t going to be a very difficult task.
“We’re just starting a long journey, but this season is still open for much more improvement. I need to see more of the players in different scenarios, but also look at the loan window because, if Liam Agnew goes back, we will have five bodies less than we had two weeks ago.
“I pretty much know what I want, but other clubs are obviously involved when you’re looking to get people in place. I am 99 per cent sure, though, that by next Saturday we should see two or three more faces.”
Watson described Warburton’s third goal, which was netted almost straight from the restart following Kempster’s reply, as probably the worst a side he has managed has ever conceded, declaring: “It was unforgivable - it really was.
“We scored a great goal against a good team and, when you get back to 2-1, a bit of doubt can set in with the opposition, but we didn’t give them a chance to feel that, because we were far too weak from the kick-off. It was one of the worst goals I’ve been involved in since I started managing.”
The manner of Stockport’s opening goal also disappointed Watson as home players won three aerial balls from a corner before Warburton crashed a ten-yard volley into the roof of the net.
Insisting the key to improving set-play defending lies in greater matchday focus, rather than hours of training-ground drills, Watson added: “The first goal wasn’t even really about the first ball into the box, it was about winning the second and the third as well, but it doesn’t matter how hard you work on the training field if people knock off.
“Every footballer has the ability to mark a man and you could work on that all week in training, but you’re just marking your mates anyway. There are also a lot of teams in this league and the one above that play for set-plays and work tirelessly on putting balls in on top of the keeper, so the first thing you have to do is not give silly free kicks away.
“Then, it’s about individuals not losing their man and focussing, rather than ball-watching.”
But Watson was encouraged by patches of play and argued that eradicating individual lapses and tackling fragile morale could prove significant factors in reversing the club’s fortunes.
“It was always going to be tough coming to a team on the up, but there wasn’t a great deal in the first half,” he reasoned. “Barts (Adam Bartlett) hardly made a save and neither did their keeper, although Kemps (Kempster) had a very good chance to make it 1-1.
“The second goal was a deflection and, then, we were much more on the front foot in the second half. You can see when the players enjoy a decent amount of possession, they start to puff their chests out a bit and make forward passes but, when they have a negative spell or a setback, too many heads drop and that’s one of the main things I will have to try and address.
“Being a footballer is an unbelievable job and you should embrace that every day but, at the moment, some players don’t look like they are enjoying it. It’s my job to get smiles on their faces and, with that, I’m sure the performances will follow.
“The game boiled down to a goal from a corner, another that was deflected and the last one straight from the kick-off so, from actual open play, they didn’t tear us apart. They didn’t really get through the defence too often and the shape wasn’t too bad, but mistakes and a lack of confidence were the main reasons for the result.”
Kempster scored his second goal of the season following his effort on loan for Spennymoor last month and Watson was pleased with his contribution, saying: “Kemps kept going and was energetic. Jordan (Burrow) kept going as well but, as a striker, you want to see more attempts on goal from him.”
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Stockport County 3 York City 1 report, stats and player ratings
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By Dave Flett
FOOTBALLING phenomenon or fallacy? The validity of the new manager bounce has divided opinion for many years.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s impact at Manchester United has offered topical encouragement for advocates of the theory but an analysing the recent fortunes of York City managerial appointments would present a counter-argument.
From the last eight bosses to take the reins, only Martin Gray has got off to a winning start, while Steve Watson has now joined Gary Mills, Jackie McNamara, caretaker Richard Cresswell, Russ Wilcox and Nigel Worthington by losing his opening match in charge.
Watson’s predecessor Sam Collins, meanwhile, fared better than most, having begun his four-and-a-half month tenure by sharing the spoils at Brackley.
But, in the majority of the above cases, the situation inherited handicapped the next man in the hot-seat and ex-Everton and Newcastle right-back Watson could certainly point to such extenuating circumstances, inheriting an under-performing squad that has also been shorn of four loan signings since their last contest.
Avoiding an eighth straight away league defeat, therefore, was always going to be a tall order at a Stockport side that were bidding for a fifth consecutive home success.
And so it proved, with the impressive Matty Warburton, seemingly operating at least two divisions beneath the level his talent merits, grabbing his third hat-trick of the season and second in as many matches by capitalising on some severely slipshod defending.
In doing so, the former Salford and Curzon Ashton attacker also mustered one more shot on target than a City team, who are the second-lowest away marksmen in National League North.
Both visiting efforts came from Alex Kempster – the first a one-on-one chance for an equaliser that he directed straight at home keeper Ben Hinchliffe and the second an emphatic first-time finish at the end of, arguably, the best move of the match to reduce the deficit to 2-1 on 74 minutes.
Frustratingly, for Watson and the 455 travelling fans, the Minstermen contrived to concede virtually straight from the restart, with Warburton again the gleeful beneficiary.
Earlier, it had only taken 45 seconds for Kempster, who was making his first start since August, to provide the game’s opening shot, but he sliced a 30-yard attempt well wide and Stockport went on to forge in front on four minutes when Adriano Moke conceded a corner that was swung in from the left by Adam Thomas and, after home players won three aerial balls, an unmarked Warburton profited from statuesque defending to crash a ten-yard volley into the roof of the net.
City should have levelled just past the quarter-hour mark when Jake Wright cleverly headed Liam Agnew’s pass in the direction of a forward-surging Kempster.
The former PE teacher went on to burst clear on goal but aimed weakly at Hinchliffe and, after Adam Bartlett had pushed away Frank Mulhearn’s overhead kick a little theatrically, Warburton doubled the lead midway through the first half.
It was all too easy again, as Sam Minihan was allowed to cross in from the right and Mulhearn laid off for Warburton to beat Bartlett from 15 yards with the aid of a deflection.
Mulhearn’s low curling edge-of-the-box effort was subsequently safely gathered by Bartlett, while Jordan Burrow’s 25-yard half-volley also routinely collected by Hinchliffe as it drifted off target.
City continued to react slowly, meanwhile, at the back and were caught napping from a quickly-taken throw in that saw Warburton play Mulhearn in, but his scuffed shot failed to extend Bartlett.
After the break, Wright drilled into the sidenetting from an unfavourable angle after robbing Mininhan of possession in the penalty box.
Mulhearn then saw another 20-yard attempt diverted away from goal by David Ferguson, while Sean Newton’s free kick was deflected over from a similar distance.
Agnew also sidefooted wastefully over from the edge of the box after Hinchliffe could not gather a Ferguson up-and-under.
At the other end, Bartlett dived to his right to keep out Nyal Bell’s downward header from a Minihan centre, before the visitors became the first team to net in open play against the Hatters for nine matches.
Jon Parkin slid the ball through the left channel for fellow sub Wes York to chase and when he laid the ball off to Ferguson, the former England C international swept in a low cross from the left that Kempster sidefooted in from eight yards.
All hopes of a fightback, though, were quickly extinguished as City’s unresponsive back-line allowed Thomas to make inroads into the box before nudging the ball sideways for Warburton to squeeze a low eight-yard shot inside Bartlett’s right-hand post.
Josh Law and Newton later missed the target with long-distance strikes that lacked conviction, as the gap to the play-off positions widened to 12 points, while the advantage over those clubs in the relegation places remained at six.
City ratings
Adam Bartlett 6
Kallum Griffiths 6
Hamza Bencherif 5
Sean Newton 5
David Ferguson 6
Josh Law 5
Adriano Moke 5
Liam Agnew 6
Jake Wright 5
Jordan Burrow 5
Alex Kempster 7
Substitutes: Wes York 6 (for Moke, 57), Jon Parkin (for Wright, 71).
Subs not used: Ryan Whitley, Joe Tait, Macaulay Langstaff.
Star man: Kempster - covered good yards on the ball and made up for poor first-half finish with well-taken goal
Stockport: Ben Hinchliffe, Sam Minihan, Ashley Palmer, Scott Duxbury, Adam Thomas (Jake Kirby, 86), Jordan Keane, Sam Walker, Darren Stephenson, Matty Warburton (Dan Cowan, 78), Frank Mulhearn (Nyal Bell, 65). Subs not used: Ian Ormson, Elliot Osborne.
Stockport star man: Warburton – capitalised clinically on poor away defending
Referee: Andrew Kitchen 8/10 – no glaring mistakes to recall
Booked: Newton 43, Duxbury 65, Cowan 89
Sent off: None
Shots on target: Stockport 9, City 2
Shots off target: Stockport 1, City 7
Corners: Stockport 7, City 4
Fouls conceded: Stockport 14, City 8
Offside: Stockport 0, City 0
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Please check the club's official website before planning travel.
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Pre-season fixtures:
July
Sat 7: Shildon 1, York City 2
Tue 10: York City 1, Barnsley 7
Sat 14: York City 1, Bradford City 0
Thu 19: York City 1, Leeds United 1
Fri 27: Ilkeston Town 1, York City 6
Vanarama National League (North) fixtures unless otherwise stated:
August
Sat, Aug 4 Chorley 1, York City 0
Tue, Aug 7 York City 1, Stockport County 0
Sat, Aug 11 York City 1, Alfreton Town 2
Tue, Aug 14 Ashton United 0, York City 2
Sat, Aug 18 York City 1, Curzon Ashton 1
Sat, Aug 25 Brackley Town 0, York City 0
Mon, Aug 27 York City 2, Blyth Spartans 0
September
Sat, Sep 1 Hereford 1, York City 1
Sat, Sep 15 York City 0, Kidderminster Harriers 3
Sat, Sep 22 York City 5, Ashton Athletic 0 (Emirates FA Cup 2Q)
Sat, Sep 29 York City 4, Guiseley 2
October
Tue, Oct 2 Nuneaton Borough 2, York City 2
Sat, Oct 6 York City 3, St Ives Town 0 (Emirates FA Cup 3Q)
Sat, Oct 13 Southport 1, York City 2
Sat, Oct 20 Blyth Spartans 0, York City 1 (Emirates FA Cup 4Q)
Sat, Oct 27 AFC Telford United 2. York City 1
Tue, Oct 30 Spennymoor Town 3, York City 0
November
Sat, Nov 3 York City 1, Bradford Park Avenue 4
Sat Nov 10 Swindon Town 2, York City 1 (Emirates FA Cup 1)
Tue, Nov 13 York City 0, Chester 0
Sat, Nov 17 Altrincham 3, York City 0)
Sat, Nov 24 Kidderminster Harriers 1, York City 3 (Buildbase FA Trophy 3Q)
December
Sat, Dec 1 York City 2, FC United Of Manchester 0
Tue, Dec 4 York City 2, Leamington 2
Sat, Dec 8 Boston United 2, York City 0
Sat, Dec 15 Harrogate Town 2, York City 1 (Buildbase FA Trophy 1)
Sat Dec 22 York City 2, Brackley Town 1
Wed, Dec 26 Darlington 5, York City 1
Sat, Dec 29 Blyth Spartans 2, York City 1
January
Tue, Jan 1 York City 4, Darlington 0
Sat, Jan 5 Curzon Ashton 1, York City 0
Tue, Jan 15 York City 6, Redcar 1 (North Riding Cup)
Sat, Jan 19 Stockport County 3, York City 1
Sat, Jan 26 Chorley (H)
February
Sat, Feb 2 Alfreton Town (A)
Tue, Feb 5 Hereford (H)
Sat Feb 9 Ashton United (H)
Sat, Feb 16 Kidderminster Harriers (A)
Sat Feb 23 Nuneaton Borough (H)
March
Sat Mar 2 Leamington (A)
Sat Mar 9 Altrincham (H)
Sat, Mar 16 FC United Of Manchester (A)
Sat, Mar 23 Boston United (H)
Sat Mar 30 Guiseley (A)
April
Sat, Apr 6 Southport (H)
Sat Apr 13 Chester (A)
Fri, Apr 19 Spennymoor Town (H)
Mon, Apr 22 Bradford Park Avenue (A)
Sat, Apr 27 AFC Telford United (H)
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Celebrating the heritage of our club ...
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Please submit your City-related ads by emailing the editor here.
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Photographs wanted
Jonathan Raine (Gloucester)
Since I started supporting City in 1977 I have always been interested in photos of the club. I am currently attempting to collect a team shot from each season since 1922. So far I have just over 60, in various forms. After a recent request, Colorsporthave uploaded 14 team shots from their archives from between 1931 and 1974, some of which are new to me. They can be viewed here.
Colorsporthave uploaded some individual shots of City players from the late 1940s and 1950s. There are some excellent ones. They can be viewed here.
They do have some individual player photos in their archives, but anyone interested would have to request them from Colorsport. Incidentally, if you type in "Arthur Bottom" in the search box a couple of nice photos will appear from his time at Newcastle.
If anyone has any pre-1970 City team shots, whether photos or from magazines etc, then I would be interested in obtaining a copy. In particular, I'm after images from the following years - 1923/24, 1925/26, 1927/28, 1928/29, 1930/31,1936/37,1938/39,1955/56,1960/61 and 1961/62.
Please contact me here.
Photographs for sale
Pete's Picture Palace currently has more than 70 York City photographs available for sale. Click here to see them.
City publications
York City Quiz Book and new frontiers fanzine
Available from Chris Forth and York City South with all proceeds to York City South and YCFC.
new frontiers Issue 29 (August 2018), a York City fanzine featuring Graeme Crawford, YCST, Bootham Crescent, Bootham Cheers, Competitive Budgets, Quiz and much more. "I thoroughly enjoyed every word", "The profile of Graeme Crawford was brilliantly written. The preview of the new season was thorough, thoughtful and frank", "the nostalgia piece on the 70s revived many happy memories", "Great read, really good stuff. Well done". Also available are new frontiers (issues 1 – 14 (from the 90s)) and recent issues 22 – 28 in very limited numbers.
The 2016 “York City Quiz Book and brief City history” is a must for City fans everywhere. Laid out in 27 separate quizzes, as well as taxing the memory, the book is a fascinating City history told in bite-sized chunks. Readers of every age will recall long forgotten players and games. It brings back numerous happy memories of City’s many glory days. Priced at £5 (please add £1 for overseas postage). Also still available, written in support of the Roof Appeal, are a very limited number of the 1988 York City Quiz Book (£2) and 1990 York City Quiz Book - Volume 2 (£2).
Cheques payable to Chris Forth at 80 Manor Way, Harrow, HA2 6BY or via bank transfer to bank sort code 40-47-83 / bank account 94-86-64-95 with your name as reference and send an email to Chris (c_m_forth@hotmail.com) quoting your reference and address.
See www.yorkcitysouth.co.uk for further information.
Book: A Tale of Two Great Cities
Autobiography of former York City striker and radio pundit Chris Jones. You can buy this book online through Amazon here.
Book: York City Fighting Back
York Press writer Dave Flett reviews the nerve-wracking 2012-2013 season. The book is published by Amberley and costs £14.99. Buy it here.
Book: Bicycle Kicks
You can now buy Bicycle Kicks, a book by York City fan Simon Hood about his crazy season following the team by bicycle. Bicycle Kicks is now only £2.99 for the Kindle edition which can be bought here.
Book: City Are Back
Paul Wilson’s 220-page chronicles the double Wembley season of 2011-2012. More details here.
Book: York City Memoirs
First published in 2001 this unique collection is now available as an ebook for Kindle. It contains a multitude of memories, both happy and sad, from behind the scenes at Bootham Crescent providing a unique insight into this wonderful football club and recalls some of the characters who have walked through the gates. Available to download here. Price £1.49.
Tickets wanted
Paul Bowser (Thirsk)
Please contact me here.
Wanted: City match tickets from any season, the earlier the better. Especially after the following from 2011/12 to complete the set.
Home – Luton, Braintree, Ebbsfleet, Stockport, Gateshead, Tamworth, Southport, Fleetwood, Newport, FGR, Hartlepool (FR), Bolton (FR)
Away – Kettering, Southport, Hayes, FGR, Telford, Mansfield, Bath, Alfreton, Cambridge, Wrexham (FAC), Solihull (FAT), Salisbury (FAT)
Thanks for checking.
Programmes For Sale
Mike Thompson
I have the following programmes available at £2.70 each including postage:
Middlesbrough home 66/67 League Cup 1st Rd replay
Northampton Town home 69/70 Div 4
MansfieldTown home 73/74 FA Cup 1st Rd
Bury home 82/83 FA Cup 1st Rd
Hartlepool United away 82/83 FA Cup 2nd rd
Rochdale 82/83 home Div 4
Middlesbrough home 86/87 Div 3
Please contact me via email here.
Programmes Wanted
Jonathan Raine (Gloucester)
Does anyone have the programme from York City v Lincoln City (League Cup Replay) on 7 Sep 1965 that they wish to sell please? I would like to obtain it for a colleague at work who is trying to obtain all the programmes from that date (his birth date). I do have myself but I don't want to sell it (much to his annoyance)! Please contact me here.
Terry Espiner (Hillam)
I am looking for the following match programmes. Please contact me here.
1958-59
Carlisle United (a)
Northampton Town (a)
Walsall (a)
1962-63
Hartlepool United (a) pp 29/12
1973-74
Plymouth Argyle (a) pp 26/1
1979-80
Halifax Town (h) pp 1/1
1990-91
Rochdale (a) pp 26/12
2000-01
Cheltenham Town (a) pp 30/12
Memorabilia
Jeff Corker (York)
I have been sorting through a lifetime of memorabilia stored in my garage and have come across a number of City items. I have enjoyed them again, but feel that having done that I will not want to return them again. I am not seeking to sell them but if any Arthur reader(s) are interested in having them I will gladly pass them on. If they need to be posted to far-flung corners of the earth (i.e. not York!) a reimbursement of postage would be appreciated.
This is what is on offer.
Evening Press cuttings from the following seasons:- 1997-2000 - a job lot of match reports and other bits. Then more complete pages of the paper, including front pages as well as the sports ones for 2000/2001,2001/2002, 2002/2003 and 2003/2004.
Inside Football 1986 glossy magazine about City.
1999/2000 City Calendar in CD jewel case.
Leeds Utd. programmes (relax, I didn't attend any Leeds games, they were sent to me by a cousin!). 21 home progs. between 23/3/68 and 22/11/69.
Programmes
1969 Leeds v Zagreb Inter Cities Fairs Cup Final (2nd leg)
26/3/80 England B v Spain B Roker Park
12/9/79 England v Denmark Wembley
28/2/76 Man C v Newcastle League Cup Final
26/4/69 Leicester v Man C F A Cup Final
6/12/67 England v Russia Wembley
27/4/68 England v W Germany schoolboys Wembley
20/5/67 Chelsea v Spurs F A Cup Final Wembley
1966 World Cup Finals tournament prog - you had to fill in the team line ups yourself!
If loads of you wanted some/any of the items I will try and find a fair allocation method.
If no-one is interested they will be recycled with due reverence down Hazel Court way.
Email me here.
Editor: Subscribers are welcome to use TOOAB to trade York City programmes and memorabilia and for off-topic messages of interest to readers.
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Trust to hold 2019 Annual General Meeting on January 23
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York City Supporters’ Society Ltd are pleased to announce that its AGM will be held from 7.30pm on Wednesday 23rd January 2019 at Shepherd Hall, St Olaves School, Queen Anne’s Road, York. YO30 7WA.
The agenda is available to download here. As well as the formal proceedings, the evening will include a presentation by the Trust Chairman followed by an open members debate.
Eligible members are invited to stand for election to the Trust board, with nomination forms available to download here.
Please note that numbers are strictly limited to 350 on a first come, first served basis. The Trust board looks forward to welcoming members old and new.
PARKING & ACCESS
Free parking is available at St Peter’s School, a short walk to St Olaves (as shown in red on the map below). Alternatively, pedestrian access to St Olaves is via Queen Anne’s Road.
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York City Supporters’ Trust are pleased to announce the launch of our Grand Farewell raffle draw.
Tickets can be bought in person or online from January 23, 2019.
Please look out for details for online sales. Volunteers and board members will hold tickets. If anyone is willing to sell on our behalf please contact fundraising@ycst.org.uk
Support your Trust.
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There’s Only One Arthur Bottom was first published as an almost-daily email newsletter in July 1997 and has been distributed continuously since. Subscriber numbers peaked at more than 1,100 when the club’s future was threatened by potential closure in 2001 but more than 800 subscribers, living in more than 30 countries, will receive this edition. Editor Josh Easby started the newsletter from New Zealand (where he lives today) but has variously produced and distributed it from the United Kingdom, Australia and (briefly) Italy.
Over the years, TOOAB subscribers have variously supported the club in many different ways, using the newsletter at times to share ideas that have helped the club and to raise money which has been used to buy much-needed equipment (for the physio room), sponsor members of the youth team and to sponsor senior players’ kit. Subscribers (who often call themselves ‘Arthurites’) often meet up for pre-match/post-match drinks and have arranged functions together.
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The opinions expressed in There's Only One Arthur Bottom do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher, nor is this newsletter endorsed in any way by York City Football Club. Wherever possible, the contributions by subscribers are published unaltered. However submissions will be rejected or amended if they are potentially defamatory or contain language likely to offend other subscribers. Unless good reasons are given, anonymous submissions are rejected. The publisher reserves the right to reproduce contributions to this newsletter on any website associated with the newsletter.
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