YORK City have won their battle to stay at Bootham Crescent after two long years of turmoil at the club.

Plans to move to Huntingdon Stadium will now be scrapped following six months of behind-the-scenes negotiations to broker a deal.

A statement from the club, ground owners Bootham Crescent Holdings (BCH) and Persimmon Homes Ltd revealed 'an agreement has been reached in principle to enable the football club to continue to play professional football at Bootham Crescent'.

A statement issued on behalf of BCH, Persimmon Homes and the directors of the club said: ''The legal arrangements will now have to be put in place and these will take a period of some months. This means that the relevant details of the agreement cannot be made public at this time.

''The necessary details will however be made available when all the legal arrangements have been concluded. Until that time the parties involved will be unable to make any further statements on this matter.''

The announcement brings one of the most dramatic periods in the club's history to an end after former chairman Douglas Craig said that the club was for sale and would quit the Football League unless a buyer was found in December 2001.

Club director Jason McGill has stressed that legal arrangements still needed to be put in place over the coming months.

He said: "It has taken much hard work and many sleepless nights, but subject to contract, we have achieved our aim of ensuring York City has a home for next season and for the future.

''I am sure we will have a football club the people of York can be proud of. All parties involved in these intense negotiations have been very co-operative."