York Knights to change hands with new local ownership group
Club anticipates bright future with acquisition pending RFL approval
York RLFC is set to see the transfer of majority shares to a new local ownership group, currently progressing through formal channels for approval by the Rugby Football League (RFL).
The group is led by David Dickson and his family, with Richard Larking maintaining his position as a Director on the board.
The club has expressed gratitude to Clint Goodchild for his tenure, during which the club achieved significant progress and success.
Under his leadership, a successful re-brand accompanied remarkable achievements, including York Valkyrie's consecutive Betfred Women's Super League titles and York Knights’ historic victories in the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup at Wembley and their promotion to the Betfred Super League in 2026.
With the club's rapid growth winning city-wide pride, the incoming owners aim to build upon these accomplishments and further advance York Knights' potential.
Over the coming weeks, York RLFC plans to reveal their strategic goals as the 2026 season concludes and preparations for 2027 commence.
During the transition, Neil Gulliver, currently the general manager, will assume the role of Chief Executive, while Clint Goodchild has stepped down from his positions as Chairman and CEO.
Operations, player welfare, and match day preparations across both York Knights and York Valkyrie remain unaffected by the transition.
Reflecting on his departure, Clint Goodchild shared: “I brought ambition. I leave with enough friendships and memories to last a lifetime.
On arrival I knew York was a proud rugby league city, but I didn’t know then how much this place, this club and its people would come to mean to me.”
Goodchild further expressed confidence in the club's current trajectory and praised the involvement of the Dickson family in York RLFC’s future.
The club acknowledges the significance of support from partners, fans, and the York community as they embark on this new chapter.