York City F.C. - Supporters and Rivalries

Supporters and Rivalries

York City was the fifth best supported club in the Conference National during the 2011–12 season, with an average home attendance of 3,117. The club has a number of domestic supporters' groups, including the Harrogate Minstermen, Pocklington Minstermen, York City South, York City Supporters' Trust and York Minstermen. The ultras group Jorvik Reds had their displays during matches restricted by the club in 2008 as they felt their "trust has been abused" by the group. The York Nomad Society is the hooligan firm associated with the club.

For home games, the club produces an official match programme, entitled "The Citizen". The name was changed from "City Review" for the 2011–12 season, as this was the programme's title when York departed Fulfordgate for Bootham Crescent, to pay homage ahead of the club's expected departure from Bootham Crescent. The club had also been the subject of an independent supporters' fanzine, Ginner's Left Foot, which was launched in February 2002. A new fanzine, RaBTaT, was introduced in 2010. The club mascot is a lion named Yorkie the Lion and he is known for performing comic antics before matches. John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, became the patron of York City for the 2007–08 season, after purchasing a season ticket.

The 2003 Football Fans Census revealed that no other team's supporters considered York to be among their club's main rivals. Traditionally, York's two main rivalries have been with Hull City and Scarborough. While York fans saw Hull as their main rival, this was not reciprocated by the East Yorkshire club, who themselves saw Leeds United as their main rival. York also had a local rivalry with Halifax Town and they were the team nearest to York when the two played in the Conference. A rivalry with Luton Town developed during the club's final years in the Conference as both clubs met regularly in crucial matches, accompanied by a series of contentious incidents involving crowd trouble, contentious transfers and complaints about the behaviour of directors.