THE differing fortunes of Huddersfield's two professional sports clubs were illustrated by the results - and attendance figures - for home clashes with York.

Just 2,037, Town's lowest-ever home crowd at that time, were present to witness a 2-1 Division IV defeat, the club's fourth loss in a row.

But at Fartown, there were 4,003, the RL club's biggest league gate in seven years, to see the 17-8 win which clinched promotion from Division II alongside Barrow, Leigh and Rochdale.

While David Jeanes led his team on a lap of honour after their 18th league win of a highly entertaining season, Town left the pitch to a chorus of jeers.

A huge banner calling for the head of manager Tom Johnston was unveiled, but the Scotsman wasn't there to see it, having elected to head off on a scouting mission.

New players were certainly needed after the worst season in Town's illustrious history.

"Nobody could be faulted for not trying," wrote the Examiner's Martin Hardy.

"But in some ways that made the predicament worse, for work as hard as they did, Town still looked like a team in shock.

"They were made to look like what they are - a very, very average Fourth Division side."

It was particularly frustrating for the fast dwindling faithful that the best player on the pitch was Geoff Hutt.

One of the heroes of Town's Division II title triumph eight years earlier, he was by now a York player.

The visitors' opener was a penalty by Gordon Staniforth, who sent goalkeeper Alan Starling the wrong way from the spot after being upended by Kevin Johnson.

Town levelled fortuitously, with Terry Gray seizing on a rare slip by Chris Topping, a future Town centre-back, to slot an angled shot past York goalkeeper Graham Brown.

But York claimed the win they deserved through Ian McDonald, and Town, who gave a debut to young defender Bret Mellor, never looked like levelling.

Town were left a sorry 14th in the division with York's two-point haul easing fears they might have to apply for re-election.

Fartown were looking forward to competing in RL's top flight after sealing fourth place in the table with a game still to go.

York were the only side who could have denied them, and when hooker Gary Hetherington edged them back into contention at 10-8 with 20 minutes to go, there were some nervous faces.

But fears were eased when Malcolm Branch raced through for his 22nd try of the season to add to earlier touchdowns by veteran winger Ken Senior and Trevor Leathley.