City of York Council today welcomed the news that motor racing supremo John Batchelor has taken over York City Football Club.

The news follows weeks of work on the take-over bid by Mr Batchelor and the York City Football Supporters' Trust which has been backed by the council since its inception in February after news of the sale of the club in January.

Councillor Alan Jones, the council's executive member for leisure and heritage, said, "I am delighted that the sale of the club is now complete and that we can now all work together to put York City on a firm footing for the future after weeks of uncertainty.

"There have been active discussions between the council and Mr Batchelor about his plans for the purchase and future of the club and we have been lending him our support for the future viability of the club in the city.

"We have always said that we value having professional sport in York and York City's historical contribution to the city's popular culture.

"City of York Council will be involved in future discussions with Mr Batchelor and the supporters' trust about the future plans for the club although at this stage it is still very, very early days to be discussing any details of those talks."

END