York City Supporters Trust will not be able to step in to pay wages again with deadline for new buyer set to pass

The trust have the option to buy chairman Glen Henderson's 51 per cent stake before then, to pass it immediately to a new owner. With two bids collapsing, that looks highly unlikely.

Henderson says he will continue to fund City and look for a buyer himself, comments Brown “takes with a pinch of salt".

The trust provided £145,000 so players and staff were paid in full in February and March, but cannot do so again.

"It's really drained our resources," said Brown. "We've put more into the football club this season than Glen Henderson has – by a very small amount, I must say.

"My hope is he'll have sold his shares before that (April's payroll) becomes an issue.

"We've had two prospective buyers, we'd signed contracts waiting for their counter-signing and they've dropped out at the last minute because of logistical issues within their own businesses.

"On Wednesday it’s business as usual to a degree. Myself and Alastair Smith, the chief exec, are continuing to keep the cogs whirring and that usually means email or text messages with Glen."

Henderson's shareholding is valued at £650,000 but the view is that new investors will need to put in at least £1m.

The trust holds the remaining 49 per cent and is open to offering some of it to a new owner.

"That's an opportunity for the trust to sell some of its shares to recover some of that and rebuild our reserves," said Brown.

There was better news for York City on the pitch last night.

A 40th-minute goal from Shaq Forde gave them a 1-0 win play-off hopeful Barnet at the LNER Stadium.