York contemplate business as usual after United
Guy Hodgson on the weekend in the Endsleigh League
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Your support makes all the difference.The nature of fame was delivered to York City's players late on Tuesday night. "I'm sure you'll all want to congratulate them," a disc jockey in a local nightclub said, "after a fantastic win over," a pause, "Manchester City."
They had a bigger Coca-Cola Cup prize, of course, Manchester United, but in a city not known for its football passion facts do not always remain intact. Glamour, neither, as York hit earth today with a match against the team immediately above them in the lower reaches of the Second Division, Wrexham. The crowd will reflect the change, dropping to nearer the 3,600 average than the 9,300 of Tuesday.
The attendance will be smaller but standards will have to be higher according to their manager, Alan Little. "All right, it was Manchester United," he said, "but if we'd made some of the mistakes against a Second Division side I'd have been furious."
The Coca-Cola Cup will also be in the mind of Barnsley's manager, Danny Wilson, whose side could be on top of the First Division tonight if they beat the leaders, Leicester, at Oakwell. In his case the future will act as the spur rather than the immediate past. Referring to their pairing with Arsenal in the third round, he said: "We did well against Newcastle last season in the cup and that gave us all a lift. I'm hoping the Arsenal game will have a similar kind of effect."
Millwall, two points behind, also have a chance of going top which would complete a momentous week after their 4-2 victory over Everton at Goodison on Wednesday. To do so their record at Watford will have to do a U-turn - they have lost their last three games at Vicarage Road. Conversely their away form this season - three wins, two draws - is better than their home.
Graham Taylor, of Wolves, and Sheffield United's Dave Bassett are two high-profile managers anxious to improve home and away. Wolves, with two wins from 10 League games, travel to Ipswich, who will give a debut to their pounds 300,000 signing from Celtic, Tony Mowbray. United, eliminated from the Coca-Cola Cup by Third Division Bury, face Derby County, a game matching two clubs with high ambition and lesser achievement this season.
Stoke City are also struggling but hoping that the Dr Jekyll characters that beat Chelsea will emerge against Norwich, rather than the less wholesome lot that have managed only three goals in five home League games.
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