York hit by new stadium delay
York will not play any games at their new stadium this season after a further construction delay.
The York Community Stadium was due to open in July, but this has been stalled due a delay in construction work.
The Knights were due to play their last two games of the Championship season against Bradford Bulls and Featherstone at the new 8,000-seater ground.
A City of York Council spokesperson said: “We understand there will be a delay to the completion of the York Stadium Leisure Complex.
“This would mean a handful of games would not be able to take place in the new stadium as planned and the accompanying leisure facilities will be unable to open as soon as we’d hoped. This is subject to commercial discussions, so we cannot comment further.
“A significant amount of progress has been made to date, both on and off site, with all stands now visible.
“We share the disappointment and frustration the delay will cause.
“Work will continue with all partners to minimise any delay and open the York Stadium Leisure Complex as soon as possible, without compromising on quality or safety.”
Knights chairman Jon Flatman admitted it is disappointing that they won’t get to play at the new stadium in 2019 but insists it won’t affect their work on and off the field.
He commented: “These delays are deeply frustrating and of course completely out of our control.
“York City Knights are determined not to let this derail any of the progress we have made as a club.
“We will continue to concentrate our efforts on the things we can control – becoming a top end Championship club, developing player pathways for both boys and girls in the city, and supporting the excellent work in the community done by the Knights Foundation – including the Knights Ladies and Learning Disability Super League teams.
“We would like to apologise to all of our fans and partners for this regrettable situation. This will not stop the positive momentum we have; I know everyone involved will continue to drive this club forwards and upwards.”
A new date for the opening of the Community Stadium is yet to confirmed.
