YORK RLFC chairman Clint Goodchild has dismissed rumours that he is to sell the club - insisting its purchase is the best thing that he has ever done.

Rumours had been rife among supporters that the Australian businessman was to call time on the club two years after he took over from Jon Flatman.

Some fans had even gone as far as to suggest that a potential sale had affected York Knights’ performances on the pitch, with Andrew Henderson’s side winless in the first three rounds of the new Betfred Championship season.

“I’m not [selling York], it’s probably the best thing I have ever done,” Goodchild told YO1 Radio. “It’s the best thing that I’ve ever been involved in, and that’s the truth.

“The community, what it means to people, those you work with. You find out who is really on board in these tough times.

“Last year we went through a really tough time mid-season, we’re getting it early this year, and the character we had in that squad - a lot of them are still here this year - the way we go about it and how we do it, I’m very proud of them.

“The reality is that if you can’t deal with the rumours and that sort of stuff, you just shouldn’t be in the job. It’s part of the package, so you have to just take it with a smile.

“People love a bit of drama, and I’m a fan of my teams in various sports as well, so when there’s a rumour, I’m a shopper too, I love to hear it. You can’t have it both ways.

“But I’m not buying London [Broncos] and I’m not buying Newcastle [Thunder] either, you can’t get rid of me that easily!”

York Press: Jacob Gannon is the Knights' newest addition on loan from Leigh Leopards.Jacob Gannon is the Knights' newest addition on loan from Leigh Leopards. (Image: Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com)

With the club welcoming back Jacob Gannon on a season-long loan from Betfred Challenge Cup holders Leigh Leopards yesterday, Goodchild hinted that another forward, Frenchman Robin Hugues, would be next through the doors at the LNER Community Stadium.

“We’ve got a couple of people coming in,” he explained. “ A ball-playing middle, an edge back-rower, Jacob Gannon’s come in from the Leigh Leopards on loan.

“And we’ve got a bit of a wildcard, a young lad from France, Robin Hugues. He’s a big lump of a lad, I’ll tell you.

“He’s 6ft 4in and I picked him up from the airport. Neither of us can speak English properly, so talk about an interesting drive home!

“He’s a great bloke, and I’m really excited to see the potential he has.”