Yorkidding Me

Sunday, 20th May: it’s the day on everyone’s lips. Well, those in Yorkshire at least.

At 3pm, Wembley Stadium will play host to the much anticipated Conference play-off final between Luton Town and York City, the winner of which will compete in league football next season after some tormenting years out of it.

And for York captain Chris Smith, to get to Wembley twice in one season is “unbelievable”. Talking to BBC Radio York, the skipper said: “I feel on top of the world. Now we can enjoy ourselves knowing that we have two Wembley trips in eight days. I can’t wait.”

First up though, is Saturday’s FA Trophy final clash with Newport County; a competition that sees clubs from the Blue Square Premier, North and South compete in order to find the best non-league cup side.

But victory in that particular final just cannot be compared with success in the next: promotion to the football league.

Since 2004 York have been playing non-league football, and the side cannot begin to claim as much club success as Sunday’s opponents. Supporters are still clinging on to the memories of a 3-0 League Cup win over Manchester United at Old Trafford in 1996, after which United went on to complete the Premier League and FA Cup double that season. It was a rare highlight in York’s rather low-key past, with the Minstermen spending the overwhelming majority of their history in the lower divisions.

After suffering the heartache of defeat in the FA Trophy in 2009 (0-2 to Stevenage Borough), and a loss in the 2010 Conference play-off final (1-3 to Oxford United); this could be the season where everything goes the right way all at once for York.

As for Luton, their fans are very much used to some mild success. They were, in the 80s and early 90s, a very successful club. Winning the League Cup in 1988 after a 3-2 triumph over Arsenal, the side went on to celebrate 10 consecutive years in English football’s top flight.

But in just three years, Luton fell from the second tier of English football to the fifth, and for the last three seasons have been competing alongside York in the Conference.

This 90-minute contest is a gigantic moment in the history of these two football clubs and will play an enormous role in both’s future. The winner will aim to press on and establish themselves as a League Two side before dreaming of the dizzy heights of League One and the Championship, whilst the loser will suffer the agony of having to restart the voyage of clambering out of non-league football.

With over 40,000 spectators turning out to watch York’s defeat to Oxford in 2010, the Minstermen will certainly be hoping for better fortunes – and, of course, a better outcome – this time around.

Route to the final, Luton Town:

Luton sensationally secured their play-off spot with a thrilling 0-2 away victory at Conference champions Fleetwood on the last day of the season. They enjoyed a good year, finishing in 5th place, but failed to match their success in the last campaign: In 2011, Luton ended the season in 3rd place, beating Wrexham in the play-off semi-final before falling at the feet of AFC Wimbledon as they lost on penalties in the final. This season, they again saw of Wrexham in the semis (2-0; 2-2) and hope to avoid a second successive play-off final defeat.

Route to the final, York City:

Balancing cup success with an all-round strong performance in the league, two Wembley wins in the next week would seal a phenomenal season for the Minstermen. The season before last, York made it to the play-off final only to lose to Oxford, and last campaign missed out on the play-offs by a meagre three places. This year, York drew 1-1 at home to Mansfield in the first leg before seeing The Stags off 0-1 away. York hope to climb back into League Two after an eight year absence.