Second Wembley win will net £750,000 a year for York

The 90-year-old club have already won the FA Trophy, a week ago.

Then on Thursday their plans for a 6,000-seater community stadium at the Monks Cross development were given the green light by council chiefs.

Victory over Luton Town tomorrow in the Blue Square Bet Premier League play-off final at Wembley would complete a memorable hat-trick of success for the Minstermen.

As well as ending an eight-year absence from the Football League, it would also transform the club’s fortunes.

Football League funding of three quarters of a million pounds, annually, would wipe out current losses of £300,000 a year.

And twinned with a new council-run stadium that is scheduled to be opened ahead of the 2014-15 season, the future looks bright for York City.

“Promotion would dramatically change the whole financial landscape for York City Football Club,” said commercial and community director Sophie Hicks.

“Promotion alone is worth £750,000 a year, and that is excluding increased gate receipts and other match-day income.

“That money comes from television rights, advertising, corporate deals.

“Also incorporated into that is central funding for the youth team which equates to around £180,000.

“We currently operate a youth team on no funding at all.

“We currently budget to lose £300,000 a year.

“Getting to the two Wembley finals this month has been worth around £325,000 to the club which helps offset the losses for this year.”

York celebrated the second part of their important treble on Thursday night, after a day of deliberation at York City Council.

Planning board members voted 11-4 in favour of the Monks Cross project, the centrepiece of which will be the stadium that the football club will share with rugby league side York City Knights.

The decision is still to be ratified by a public inquiry but York feel they have overcome the tallest hurdle.

“It was a hugely important decision for York City,” said Hicks.

“It gives us a future and will affect the club for decades to come.

“A council-owned stadium means we can be sustainable, operating in a modern, income-generating facility. The stadium gives us great prospects.”

Of more immediate concern is tomorrow’s play-off final against Luton. York have sold 8,000 tickets for the showpiece occasion but will be outnumbered almost five-to-one at the national stadium by fans of the Hatters.

Gary Mills’s side, though, are buoyant after their victory over Newport County in last week’s FA Trophy final, and they have also won three and drawn one of their four matches against Luton this season.

York – who lost in the play-off final to Oxford in 2010 – are unbeaten in eight games.

Match preview: Page 3.