About this match programme
By Richard Snowball After a disastrous first season as manager, Bobby Saxton did not start the 1988-89 campaign any better. Back in Division Four, York City did not win any of their opening games and he resigned as manager less than a month into the season. John Bird took over as manager, assisted by Alan Little. There was an immediate improvement and by the last match of the season, on May 13, 1989, against Stockport County, City were sitting comfortably in mid-table with their opponents hovering just above the re-election zone. York won the match 2-0 with both goals from Ian Helliwell, who finished top goalscorer with 11 for the season. Top goalscorer the previous season, Dale Banton, who had been with the club for five seasons, was sold to Walsall for £80,000 in October 1988, after scoring 55 goals in 173 appearances. A notable debutant for the last two matches on the left wing was Wayne Hall, who went on to become an iconic figure over the next twelve seasons as a left back making 438 appearances. This put him fourth in the list behind Barry Jackson, Andy McMillan and Chris Topping. Acknowledgement This facsimile of the match programme was created by the publisher of There’s Only One Arthur Bottom, the daily email newsletter for fans of York City FC, and TOOAB contributors Richard Snowball, Terry Espiner and Paul Bowser. www.tooab.com