York City begin their latest campaign at Tranmere Rovers this weekend but precisely how were they preparing for the big kick-off exactly thirty years ago?
| “I will be disappointed if we do not finish in the top six” – Denis Smith |
Fresh from gloriously storming to the Division Four title, manager Denis Smith was confidently targeting a second successive promotion for his charges.
“A good start is essential but if we are up with the leading group at Christmas I’m confident we can keep up the
momentum,” he told the local media. “I will be disappointed if we do not finish in the top six.”
The Minstermen certainly had every right to express such lofty expectations. Three months earlier they had become the first-ever side to record a remarkable century of points and were only four short of that tally in terms of matching it with goals scored.
Defensively they had proved rock solid while conceding just sixteen times at Bootham Crescent all season. Further up the pitch a dominant York outfit were boosted by the magnificent Keith Walwyn and John Byrne combination which yielded a tremendous 52 League goals between them.
As a result, Smith had been largely inactive in the transfer market over the summer. Only Dubliner Hugh Atkinson from Wolverhampton Wanderers and ex-Mansfield Town winger Gary Nicholson had been added to a full-time professional staff then numbering eighteen.
“I can already see us having selection problems and more players would only add to that,” warned Smith. “I believe we are strong enough.”
Those words at least appeared based on solid foundations. Youngster Mike Astbury was there to challenge the evergreen Roger Jones in goal, while Steve Senior, Chris Evans, Alan Hay, John MacPhail, Ricky Sbragia and newcomer Atkinson vied for inclusion at the back.
The midfield was covered by the likes of Sean Haslegrave, Malcolm Crosby, Derek Hood, Gary Ford, Alan Pearce and Brian Chippendale, plus the newly-acquired Nicholson. And the attack still looked especially potent with the prolific Walwyn and Byrne recently supplemented by Keith Houchen.
Manager Smith’s confidence appeared totally justified as unbeaten York stormed to the top of the table after eight games. More than seven thousand fans packed into the Crescent to witness the imperious Walwyn scoring the only goal against Bristol Rovers.
But a surprise home defeat to their west country rivals Bristol City in the next game marked a mini-slump that realised just two wins in eleven attempts. That in turn suddenly found the Minstermen trailing behind the leadership and sadly they never recovered – eventually finishing a still very creditable eighth.
Meanwhile, York were having plenty of fun in the cup competitions while playing no less than fourteen ties. Their highlights included a famous FA Cup fourth round victory against big-spending Arsenal and two epic encounters with the mighty Liverpool.
In the Milk Cup, a confident City easily dismissed Doncaster Rovers 8-2 on aggregate but then fell victim to top-flight Queens Park Rangers, who were so impressed with the intricate skills of striker Byrne that they paid £100,000 for him just a few days later. Manager Smith reacted by splashing a club record £50,000 fee on Aldershot’s free-scoring hit-man Dale Banton.
However, the season also saw the emergence of a couple more leading names as local amateur winger Tony Canham struck the winner on his debut against Brentford in March. Raw seventeen-year-old striker Marco Gabbiadini was also given an opportunity that same month, while another fresh-faced teenager, the prodigiously talented Martin Butler – son of the club’s former winger Ian, memorably helped create a little piece of history in the FA Cup.
Video Link: York City 1 Arsenal 0
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