Why York City Will Be The Next Wrexham?

York City Football Club has been a club stuck in the lower tiers of English football for over a decade, but things are changing, fast. With new billionaire owners, ambitious investment, and a revitalized squad. Think Wrexham's Hollywood-backed fairytale was impressive? York City has all the ingredients to follow a similar path - maybe even quicker. York has a rich history, a loyal fanbase, and now the financial backing to climb the football pyramid.

In this article, we'll dive into the story of York City Football - their rollercoaster past, their ambitious present, and what looks increasingly like a future that could see them rapidly climb the football leagues. This isn't just wishful thinking from hopeful fans - the numbers, investment and strategy all point to a club that's building something special.

So grab a brew, settle in, and let's explore why football fans across England should be keeping a very close eye on what's happening at the LNER Community Stadium. York City might just be the next name on everyone's lips.

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Where were they before the new ownership?

Before diving into their current situation, let's take a quick trip down memory lane to see how York City got to where they are today.

York City are based in – surprise - York, that gorgeous historic city in North Yorkshire that the Romans founded back in 71 AD. It's famous for its medieval buildings and that massive Gothic cathedral, York Minster.

The club itself was founded in May 1922 when York City Association Football and Athletic Club Limited was formed. After a few attempts to get into the established leagues, they finally made it into the Football League in June 1929, joining the Third Division North.

Fast forward through decades of ups and downs – World War 2, loads of mid-table finishes, some decent FA Cup runs – and you get to some genuine highlights. Like their Fourth Division triumph in 1983-84 when they racked up 101 points, becoming the first Football League team ever to hit triple figures in a season.

They even made it to the Second Division in 1992-93 and knocked out the mighty Manchester United (who went on to win the double that season) from the League Cup in 1995-96!

But then things took a nasty turn. By December 2001, the club was put up for sale for £4.5 million, with owners threatening to pull them out of the Football League altogether if nobody stepped up. Racing driver John Batchelor took over in March 2002, but by December, they'd gone into administration.

The Supporters' Trust rescued the club in March 2003, but the damage was done – York didn't win any of their final 20 league games in 2003-04 and finished dead last in the Third Division. That ended their 75-year run in the Football League.

The comeback started in 2012 when they beat Luton in the Conference Premier play-off final to return to the Football League after eight years away. But the joy was short-lived – they went down again to the National League in 2015-16, then dropped further to the National League North the following season. At least they won the FA Trophy at Wembley that same year as a consolation prize!

After a few more years of struggle, they clawed their way back to the National League via the play-offs at the end of the 2021-22 season, which is where they still are as I'm making this video in 2025.

As for their home, York City lost ownership of their Bootham Crescent stadium in 1999, before buying it back in 2004 with a £2 million loan. But the ground was falling apart, so plans for a new stadium were drawn up.

After the usual delays, the council finally gave the green light in 2014 for an 8,500-seater at Monks Cross. Building began in 2017, and they officially moved in January 2021 – playing their first match with no fans thanks to COVID restrictions. Talk about bad timing!

Who Are the New Owners? 

So why am I comparing York City to Wrexham and their incredible success story? Well, stick with me here…

After years of being skint and struggling on the pitch, York City is finally enjoying something of a rebirth. Everything changed when the Uggla family swooped in and grabbed a majority stake back in June 2023 – and trust me, these aren't your average football owners.

The Ugglas are proper loaded – we're talking Canadian billionaires with fingers in all sorts of pies from business to charity. Matt Uggla is the son of Lance Uggla, a financial big shot worth over £650 million who made his fortune in financial data. While Matt's background is in property and investments, his real passion has always been football.

His mum, Julie-Anne Uggla, isn't just sitting around counting cash either – she's heavily involved with human rights organizations including Human Rights Watch.

Together, they run 394 Sports Ltd, which now controls 51% of York City after the Ugglas recently sold a 24% chunk to another investor, The family office of Bill E Ford, the chief executive officer of private equity firm General Atlantic, spreading the ownership around and bringing in some extra expertise and money.

This wasn't actually their first rodeo in English football. Before York, the uggla family tried to buy Yeovil Town, but that deal collapsed. Seems they learned their lesson though – this time around they did their homework properly and picked York as a club with massive potential that just needed some fresh ideas and, let's be honest, a decent bank balance.

When it comes to wages, they're not just throwing cash around like confetti. They've set up a wage structure of about £1.8 million a year – roughly what other clubs that successfully climbed out of the National League were spending.

It's this mix of careful spending and targeted investments that shows they're deadly serious about moving York up the leagues.

Sound familiar? It should do – because it's not a million miles away from what's been happening at the Racecourse Ground!

York City FC: The Money Talk and Transfer Madness

Alright, let's chat about what's been happening with York City FC on the financial and transfer front – and trust me, it's been quite the ride!

Remember when York were scraping by on pennies? Those days are long gone. The club has pulled off a financial turnaround, going from being £8.1 million in the red back in 2020 to sitting pretty with £3.4 million in net assets by June 2023. In simple terms?

 They've gone from skint to actually having some cash in the bank – nearly £500k compared to the measly £15k they had in 2021.

The transfer scene has gone absolutely bonkers since the new owners rolled in. For years, York were like that mate who never buys a round – always picking up freebies and loan players because they hadn't coughed up actual transfer money since dropping about £69k way back in 2011/12. Which tbf in pretty normal for non-league clubs.

Then 2023 happened, and boom! They splashed over £410k on a striker and centre-back. Not content with that, they basically binned the entire squad and started fresh – we're talking 37 new faces in and 39 shown the door in a single season!

Mental, right? They kept at it in 2024/25 too, bringing in another 26 players through free transfers and loans from all over – Championship, League One, League Two, you name it.

The cherry on top? In January 2025 they've broken the bank with over £350k for a Wigan striker, smashing their transfer record and even outspending what Wrexham paid when they were still battling it out in the National League.

The LNER Community Stadium opened in 2021 is also state of the art, with a capacity of 8,500 and built to Championship standards.

Though the club don’t actually own the stadium, the stadium is owned by the City of York Council, and the club is a licensed tenant, along with York Rugby League Football Club.

Now this does have the potential to be a problem in the future, in order for the club to maximise potential revenue, owning the stadium could be pivotal. Either way, the stadium is in a healthy position and primed if York City do start climbing up the leagues.

 

The Next Chapter for York City FC

As we've seen, York City has all the ingredients for a remarkable rise through the football pyramid. From their historic past to their billionaire-backed present, the Minstermen are no longer just dreaming of a brighter future – they're actively building it.

The Uggla family's investment isn't just about splashing cash; it's about creating a sustainable model for success. With their strategic signings, improved wage structure, and modern stadium, York City is positioning itself to follow in Wrexham's footsteps.

For fans who've endured the painful rollercoaster of relegations, administration, and near-extinction, this new era offers genuine hope. The transformation happening in North Yorkshire isn't just about chasing glory – it's about restoring a proud football club to where many believe it belongs.

Will we be watching York City in the e f l Football League next season? And how far can they go beyond that? Only time will tell, but one thing's certain – the days of York City being stuck in football's wilderness appear to be over.

Keep your eyes on the Minstermen. This story is just getting started, and it might just become one of football's most exciting journeys of the next few years.