Kingsley James lifts the lid on York City’s promotion season, his partnership with John Askey, and the tensions that eventually led to their departure.

Here is an exclusive early release of Series 15 of York Hospital Ball featuring former York City assistant manager, Kingsley James.

Having spent the vast majority of his playing career in the lower leagues, Kingsley faced the Minstermen many times before joining York City in November 2021 as the right-hand man to John Askey. The pair quickly put their stamp on the club, transforming the team’s fortunes and ultimately leading York City back to the National League with promotion at the end of their first season in charge.

Despite a positive start to the following campaign, tensions began to grow between the management team and the club’s new ownership. Those difficulties eventually led to the departure of John Askey and, shortly afterwards, Kingsley himself.

In this interview, Kingsley reflects on the highs and lows of his time at York City, offering a fascinating insight into life behind the scenes during a memorable and turbulent period at the LNER Community Stadium.

This interview was conducted by Dan Tait, produced by Keith Lea, and edited by James Charters.

The episode is sponsored by Radcliffe and Son Plastering.

If you enjoy these podcasts, please consider supporting our charity:

https://www.justgiving.com/charity/yorkhospitalradio

Hospital Ball welcomes York City striker Dipo Akinyemi for the 100th episode of the podcast.

In this in-depth interview, Dipo reflects on his professional journey — from his early career at Stevenage, through a series of character-building loan spells, before finding his feet at Welling United and getting his career back on track.

A move north of the border to Ayr United followed, where a spectacular first season saw Matt Uggla break the York City transfer record to bring Dipo to the LNER Community Stadium.

Although his stay with the Minstermen lasted only two seasons, his impact was keenly felt by supporters. Here, Dipo talks candidly about his affection for York City, his relationship with the fans, and his departure from the club last year.

This special milestone episode is sponsored by long-time supporter Ol Crabtree.

If you enjoy the Hospital Ball podcast, please consider donating to our charity via justgiving.com/yorkhospitalradio.

Original artwork image created by Tom Poole.

Our final episode in this series on cult heroes features perhaps the ultimate York City cult hero – Gary Swann

Born in York, Gary began his footballing career at Hull City, where he rose through the ranks to become a first-team regular, achieving two promotions over six seasons. He then moved to Preston North End, adding another promotion to his career achievements, before joining York City on a free transfer in 1992.

At Bootham Crescent, Gary became an integral part of John Ward’s side and secured his place in Minstermen folklore with his vital goals in the playoffs. He later went on to play for Scarborough and enjoyed spells in Hong Kong and China before retiring from the game.

This interview was conducted by Dan Tait and edited/produced by James Charters.

If you’ve enjoyed this podcast series, please consider supporting us by donating via York Hospital Radio’s JustGiving page.

In 1995, Paul Stephenson arrived at Bootham Crescent for a bargain £35,000. His dazzling skill and quick feet made an instant impact on York City supporters. Despite battling injuries in his first season, he played a key role in the club’s famous League Cup triumph over Premier League side Everton in 1996 and became a firm fan favourite during his three seasons at the club.

In this exclusive interview, Paul reflects on his years with the Minstermen and his remarkable football journey. Starting out in Newcastle United’s youth ranks alongside Paul Gascoigne, he earned England youth honours before breaking into the first team at St James’ Park and then enjoying successful spells with Millwall and Brentford. His move to York City was followed by a return to his native North East, where he closed out a career of over 500 appearances with Hartlepool United.

Paul speaks candidly about the highs and lows of professional football — from unforgettable victories to the mental and physical challenges of long injury layoffs. This is a heartfelt and insightful conversation for anyone who loves the game, hosted by Dan Tait and produced by James Charters.

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider supporting our charity at: https://www.justgiving.com/charity/yorkhospitalradio

This special mid-series bonus episode features York City FC historian and author Paul Bowser.

Paul has just released Part Three of his acclaimed trilogy, Bootham Crescent: A Second Home, and joins Hospital Ball to discuss his lifelong support of the club and the lengthy but rewarding journey of writing the books.

The third volume is a 370-page A4 hardback covering the years 1993 to 2025 — documenting the final decades at the beloved Bootham Crescent ground, as well as the first four dramatic years at the LNER Community Stadium.

📘 Order your copy of the book here:

https://www.tooab.com/2025/02/10/volume-three-of-bootham-crescent-book-trilogy/

When Jon Challinor came on as a half time sub for Kettering against York City, his only intentions were to help preserve some pride for the poppies having being 4-0 down at the time. By the end of the match Gary Mills felt he was the best player on the pitch, by the end of the week he was a York City player and by the end of the season he was a double Wembley winner. This came after three near misses with promotions to the football league. 

This podcast covers the ups and downs of a career that has included going out to America as a young pro to scoring in a World Cup final for England Seniors. 

This interview was conducted by Dan Tait, edited and produced by James Charters. 

If you enjoy these podcasts please consider donating to https://www.justgiving.com/charity/yorkhospitalradio

From England schoolboy caps to 117 goals in professional football and an FA Cup semi-final, Gordon Staniforth’s career is the kind every young footballer dreams of.

A two-time winner of York City’s Billy Fenton Clubman of the Year award, Gordon was a shining light during a challenging era for the club. Across two spells with York City, as well as a career that brought promotions and cup runs, he’s seen the game from every angle.

In this episode, Gordon reflects on the moments that defined his journey – from being told to cut his hair to represent his country, to the thrill of walking out in an FA Cup semi-final.

Hosted by Dan Tait, edited by James Charters, and produced by Keith Lea.

If you enjoy this episode, please consider supporting our charity via York Hospital Radio’s JustGiving page.

The brand new series kicks off with cult hero Ian Blackstone — a player whose unconventional rise to professional football took him from Starbeck to Wembley in just a few short years.

Affectionately known as Blackie by fans, Ian signed for York City at the age of 25 and quickly made his mark. Thriving under manager John Ward, he became a real menace for defenders and found the net regularly, whether out wide on the left or leading the line up front.

In this episode, he reflects on his time at Bootham Crescent and shares candid insights into his journey both into and out of the professional game.

This interview was conducted by Dan Tait, with editing and production by James Charters.

Episode sponsored by the Nearly Departed app for iPhone.

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider supporting York Hospital Radio via: justgiving.com/charity/yorkhospitalradio

Welcome to our annual sit down with York City co-chair Matt Uggla. Speaking ahead of the 2025-26, Matt discusses the recruitment strategies used by the club, the level of interest for current players, agents fees, the barriers to long-term success with the stadium and much more.

This podcast interview was conducted and edited by Dan Tait, produced by Keith Lea.

If enjoy these podcasts please support us by:

• Donating to the charity (justgiving.com/yorkhospitalradio)
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This is the second part of a special episode featuring a collection of live interviews hosted by Hospital Ball's Dan Tait, recorded at York City Supporters Trust events between February and April 2025. Taken from The Crux of It, our Hospital Ball spin-off, the episode includes appearances from:

• February: Tyrese Sinclair & Malachi Fagen-Walcott
• March: Billy Chadwick & Joe Felix
• April: Marvin Armstrong & Dipo Akinyemi

For full episodes featuring York City FC club ambassadors, be sure to check out the main The Crux of It podcast.

If you enjoy these interviews, please consider supporting our charity at justgiving.com/yorkhospitalradio.