York City - York Community Stadium

York City FC

Kathryn Avenue

Monks Cross Drive 

Huntington

York 

YO32 9AF

01904 624447

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Ground Number: 1247

Friday 1st December 2023

York City 0-1 Wigan Athletic

FA Cup 2nd Round

YORK CITY POST BOOTHAM HISTORY

I'd last seen York City back in April 2016. Typically Wycombe, it was a very poor performance but we managed a 1-1 draw. The fact that they were the better side and went on to finish bottom said more about our showing than it did them. It was not a good time for them, relegated from League 2 at the end of that season. Another relegation, this time to the National North followed in 2017 was not even the low point as they struggled again, having two mid-table finishes. The 2019/20 season was ended early due to the pandemic with York finishing 2nd but going on to lose in the playoffs to Altrincham. Covid once again caused the abandonment of the season, this time so few games had been played, the season was declared null and void. It was during this season that the club moved to the York Community Stadium in February, but no fans were allowed In initially. The 2021/22 season finally brought promotion as York City finished 5th. They beat Chorley, Btackley Town and Boston United in the playoffs to return to the National League Premier. They had an unremarkable season, finishing 19th. This season has seen the club's best FA Cup run since 2010/11, reaching the 2nd Round. The FA Trophy was won in 2017 as they beat Macclesfield Town 3-2 at Wembley. Since moving to the new ground they've reached the semi-final in 2022 and the Quarter Final last season.

York Community Stadium (known for sponsorship purposes as the LNER Community Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium in the Huntington area of York. It is owned by the City of York Council and is shared by York City Football Club and York Rugby League Football Club. The capacity of the all-seater stadium is 8,500. The opening match at the York Community Stadium saw York City take on AFC Fylde on 16 February 2021, which ended in a 3–1 victory for Fylde, with Alex Whitmore scoring the opening goal at the stadium. The stadium hosted both women's semi-finals of the 2021 Rugby League World Cup. The three-floored East Stand accommodates hospitality guests, players, officials and the media, and is connected to the adjacent retail and community facilities. The stands stretch the length of the playing field, and each corner hosts stadium facilities, including matchday emergency services, stewarding, groundsman accommodation, plant space and a fan zone. The seats are coloured red, white, yellow and blue, a combination of the colours of both teams. The pitch uses reinforced natural grass, with provision to counter frost. Adjoining the stadium is the leisure complex, which includes a 25-metre, six-lane swimming pool, a sports hall for netball, badminton and basketball, a gym with dance and spinning studios, an adventure sports zone and three 3G five-a-side pitches. A community hub houses health and well-being services for York residents and visitors, including clinical services, an independent living assessment centre and a library.

MY VISIT

York City was the only ground I had left to visit in the top six tiers of English football. I remembered York as a great city for pubs but sadly the ground was way out of town. It was also a hell of a long way away and extremely pricey by public transport. I originally intended to travel on a local team coach such as Maidenhead United, however, this was not guaranteed to happen. So when the York City v Wigan Athletic FA Cup game was moved to Friday night, I was very interested. I'd recently started finishing at 2 on Friday which helped. The Thursday before the game, I booked my ticket, a bargain £15. However, hotels were very expensive - Travelodge's cheapest was £193; elsewhere it was £50 for a basic room with a shared bathroom. I preferred the convenience of 24-hour check-in and so booked a Travelodge on the A1 in Doncaster. This was not the best location but it had free parking and was right on route. Barring awful traffic, it would work out OK.

I shouldn't have been so confident had I seen the weather beforehand. It was going to be close to zero degrees, seriously risking it being called off due to a frozen pitch. Had I seen the ominous forecast, I'd not have taken the risk but what was done was done. If they did call it off, I was hoping it would be early before I spunked any money on petrol. It could mean a night in Doncaster which wouldn't be the end of the world but I was regretting not taking the option of a refundable hotel. But then that would only apply up until 12 PM on the day of the game before any decision was made. Maybe the fact that it was going to be on TV would give it a better chance of going ahead and I was keeping my fingers crossed for this. York City certainly showed no signs of any caution on their Twitter feed in the days leading up to the game, even though it was due to be -1 at kickoff. I also had the added complication of needing a new tyre due to a puncture at 5 PM the day before the game. I was very lucky that my local garage were able to do it straight away, albeit £80 was more than I'm used to.

The day of the game came and it was a 6 am start at work. A lack of equipment meant that I had to fill time until 7.15 am and I was concerned about work overrunning. This turned out to be the case but only by ten minutes. I was still delayed though as a huge queue at the till meant I didn't leave until 2.20 once I had changed. I was hoping for a relaxing journey but this was anything but. I hadn't noticed due to being connected to work WiFi but the Three Network, and by extension, ID Mobile had spent a large amount of the day down. It had meant that once I left work, I lost all connection with the world including traffic information and Twitter updates. I stopped at Bicester services to check out the address of my hotel so I could use my car Sat Nav and also checked that there had been no changes to the status of the game. There was over an hour delay on the M1 and I didn't get to my room until around 6.20. Still with no network, I checked in and got my key. I paid £3 for 24 hours Wifi, decent value for a pretty decent service. It also allowed me to find out my parking details with me having paid £5 for a space to be safe. Happily, the game was still on, had I been able to get notifications on the move, I'd have gone straight to the ground. As it was, I left at 6.35, using my car Sat Nav and listening to BBC Radio York. They were positive about the pitch but not so about the fog which had the potential to see the game cancelled. Just as I got into York, mobile coverage was restored but by the time I had parked up it was 7.30. There was a little bit of confusion over the parking, I'd paid a fiver but no one checked. On reflection, I think I should have used a different entrance but at least I was in. It was only five minutes to the turnstile, entry was quick, efficient and friendly.

York City came into the game having only suffered one defeat in their last seven games in all competitions. The latest result was a 1-1 draw at Maidenhead United with Callum Howe getting an 87th minute equaliser. Their FA Cup adventure began in the 4th Qualifying Round as they drew 0-0 against Needham Market before winning 1-0 on the road in the replay. It was another draw against a lower-league side in Chester in the next round. This time they won the replay 2-1 at home, thanks to a brace from Lennell John-Lewis. Wigan Athletic beat won 2-0 at Exeter City in the last round. On Tuesday evening, they dispatched Fleetwood Town 3-0 at home, extending their recent unbeaten run to six games in all competitions. That run extends further, having only lost once in eleven appearances, which came as a 3-2 defeat at home to Charlton Athletic at the end of October. Having suffered an eight-point deduction at the start of the season, the club have had an impressive start as they now sit in 14th place in League One, creating a six-point gap between themselves and the relegation zone. Former Wycombe Wanderers keeper David Stockdale was in goal for York, a real character and the standout name for me. It was an even and competitive game with Wigan having the edge. They took the lead on 61 minutes, Stephen Humphrys latching onto a smart through ball before racing away to score.  There were no further goals, both sides had chances but Wigan looked the more likely.

THE GROUND

THE LNER COMMUNITY STADIUM is a smart and functional stadium with a capacity of around 8,500. It looks quite generic as it serves as a stadium for York's football and rugby teams although I didn't get time to explore properly. All seats are multicoloured and offer decent views and legroom. There's a club shop but I didn't visit. Inside is a tea bar. They were overwhelmed but once you get to the counter after a long wait, service is good. Prices are high - hotdog £5 and dark fruits pint £6.50 as with most stadiums. Nearby are some decent options including Taco Bell and Nandos. A bus service links the ground to the wonderful city centre which is a must if you have time.