York disappointed to miss out on Super League spot but excited for future

York chairman Jon Flatman said the club are disappointed to miss out on a place in Super League for 2021 but is excited for the future of the club.

The City Knights missed out on Super League’s 12th spot for 2021 after Leigh were awarded the vacant position that was left by Toronto Wolfpack.

Flatman says the club are gutted to miss out on a place in the top flight – but are feeling very optimistic about what the future holds.

He said: “There is initial disappointment without a shadow of a doubt but there is excitement for the future.

“We did a fantastic job in terms of the promotion and awareness of the club with the income that we will generate and the future players from this region that it will create. We’ve got to be very proud of our efforts and the region coming together.

“The support is enormous, the city is full of potential and it is our job to pull all that together and make it very special for the sport of rugby league.

“We can pack out a stadium and create something on TV that looks special and we can create a place where people want to be – a hot ticket in town.

“We bring a new demographic, a new region and more players to the playing pool. I think we can bring the excitement of our application into Super League into the Championship in 2021.

“We are going to make it special here and we are going to make this a great place to be. We look forward to welcoming everybody – whether that be locals, away fans or event goers – this is going to be special place to be and we are going to kick that off in 2021.”

Listen to The Final Hooter podcast, featuring exclusive interviews, every week. SUBSCRIBE to Love Rugby League on Apple Podcasts.