York City Knights named Club of the Year
It's a nod to the efforts on and off the pitch as well as the long-awaited move to the Community Stadium
York City Knights are proud to have been named the Rugby Football League’s Betfred Championship Club of the Year at this evening’s End of Season Awards.
Following on from winning the same award two years ago in 2019, the award recognises the continued growth of the club which, this year, saw the long-awaited move to the LNER Community Stadium.
The Knights’ new home has hosted more than just the Knights this season, with the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup Semi-Final double-header taking place there in the summer, a day which saw the impressive Knights Ladies team earn a well-deserved place in a maiden showpiece final in what proved to be a remarkable campaign for Lindsay Anfield’s team.
James Ford’s Men’s team also made it to a cup final, taking the Knights to Wembley for the first time in ninety years in the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup. While defeated on the day, the journey to the national stadium is one that will be long remembered by any Knights fan, player and member of staff in attendance.
As for memorable days, the York City Knights Foundation continued to build on it’s progress in recent years and, in the last three weeks, it has played a key role in organising and hosting both Physical Disability Rugby League and Community Integrated Care Learning Disability Super League festivals at the ever-impressive York St John University Sports Park.
From a year which started with lockdown restrictions and games behind closed doors, to round off our 2021 campaign at the LNER Community Stadium with a Men’s and Ladies’ double-header last month, along with over a hundred local juniors representing their community clubs on the pitch for the first time, we’re delighted to see our new home become a thriving hub of activity for the rugby league community and we look forward to showcasing that even more in 2022.
Discussing the significance of being awarded Club of the Year, Knights Chairman Jon Flatman said: “This award just goes to show the progress that this club is making, both on and off the field. In what has been a trying year for everyone in the sport, we’re incredibly proud to be named Club of the Year.
“It’s a testament to the hard work of our off-field staff, who have worked tirelessly throughout the year to try make our first year in our new home a success. They all deserve a big thank you for their continued efforts.
“I’d also like to thank our partners, whose support of the club is vital to our growth. Their backing really does help us grow as a club and, in the case of York City Knights Foundation, continue delivering a range of programmes and projects to a range of demographics in our community.
“To our fans, thank you for your continued support. From watching on Our League when matches were behind closed doors to really starting to make the stadium our home in our matches against Bradford Bulls and London, especially, your loyalty is really appreciated. I’m delighted to see you all taking to our new stadium and we all look forward to seeing you here again in 2022.
“The way you have all got behind the Ladies’ team this year has been brilliant. We’re really keen, as a club, to continue growing the Women’s game and I’m sure you’ll be delighted to hear that we are planning more double-headers next season.
“Their success this year, after only a matter of months as a group, has been remarkable and we are all looking forward to a successful next season.
“To all of our players who have pulled on the York jersey this season, for all of our teams, thank you for your efforts and sacrifices. This has been a year like no other, a strange one for you all, and the way you have conducted yourselves throughout is to be commended.
“In this year, our first at the LNER Community Stadium, I’d also like to thank the City of York Council for their support in trying to make the move as smooth as possible.
“This club is about much more than eighty minutes on a Sunday afternoon for our Men’s first team, and that is something we are very proud of. We will all continue to work hard through the off-season to ensure that York City Knights continues growing and succeeding in 2022.”
High Praise
People are taking to social media to congratulate the club: