After the long expected departure of Mark Blake from the club earlier today it makes you wonder what will happen when we get an injury crisis.  We are down to just sixteen fit club members now with three loan players in and three out on loan elsewhere.

Scott Stamps and Adie Smith are both out injured and will not be back for at least a couple of months, so this has got to be the smallest squad in the football league and probably smaller than many in non-league football.

Yes, I know we can bring in as many loans as we wish now but this just gives us a short breathing space.  It also puts more work on an already busy Ian Britton who has to spend time making inquiries about availability of players and more work on the training ground getting these new faces to gell as a team with the others.

Britton already has his work cut out trying to get through to some players about the need to cut out these silly goals we've been letting in recently.  We've been letting opponents get a two goal lead far too often in recent weeks and then having to play catch up for the rest of the game.

The game against York tomorrow is an ideal time to start making amends for our defensive frailties.

As mentioned before we're without Stamps and Smith.  We shall also have to play without Danny Williams who is serving his one match ban for yellow cards.  The much improved Sean Parrish will take his place with Bo Henriksen returning to the front line after his enforced mid-week absence at Brentford.

Rumour is that Brit will be bringing in another new face in time for Saturday but that will more than likely be another loan deal.


York will be without Chris Smith (ankle) and Alex Mathie (virus), the only other injury worry is midfielder Tom Cowan.  The former Huddersfield player has been sidelined with a calf injury since October but was expected to play in the reserve team clash with Scunthorpe last Wednesday.

Yorks reserve keeper, John Collinson, has also been out in recent weeks with a damaged finger but is now fit to sit on the bench again.

Off the field rumours are rife that coach Luther Blissett has left the cash strapped club.  This has been denied by York City chairman John Batchelor.

Batchelor has been criticised after he failed to tell the players that they would not be paid this month and is adamant that the former Watford striker is still on the clubs books.

Further off the field is where all the interest has been.

After the previous chairman, Donald Craig, had supposedly sold his stake in the club to millionaire racing supremo John Batchelor it now seems to be the case that he had in fact sold them to property developer Persimmon Homes.  This also meant that Persimmon now owned the ground and would like to 'realise their investment'.

City now face being homeless unless something is sorted out soon and surprise, surprise, millionaire racing supremo John Batchelor now say's he has no money.

Without actually going into receivership the club are working with a professional firm of business recovery and insolvency specialists and York chief executive Keith Usher has confirmed that talks are being held with potential new owners:
"Talks are taking place with several interested parties who have expressed an interest in the future of the club.

This includes local professional business personnel, the Supporters' Trust and the City of York Council.

The club are working very closely with a professional firm of business recovery and insolvency specialists, who are currently assessing the financial position of the club in an attempt to secure its future".

One interested party is the Harrogate Town (not Railway!) chairman Bill Fotherby.  Fotherby was once chairman at Leeds.

If all the above is wrong then please tell me because I'm struggling to work it out!


Since these notes were written I've now found out that Andy Ducros has been recalled from his loan spell at his old club, Nuneaton, and is expected to take some part in the York game.

Teams

Harriers from:
Brock, Danby, Joy, Coleman, Melligan, Ayres, Hinton, Williams, Parrish, Flynn, Bennett, Shilton, Doyle, Foster, Broughton, Melligan, Henriksen, Khela, Bishop.

York City from:
Fettis, Edmondson, Cowan, Cooper, Parkin, Hobson, Brass, Bullock, Nogan, Duffield, Potter, Wood, Brackstone, Fox, O'Kane, Wilding, Collinson, Okoli, Wise, Jones, Cavalho, Reddy, Yalcin.