On a bright sunny day in 1974, captain Barry Swallow led his side out for the club's first ever game in Division Two. The date was Saturday 17th August and Bootham Crescent was packed with excited fans.
The atmosphere was electric, it was a day of celebration as York City faced football's elite.
Newly-promoted City were expecting a testing season against some big name opposition, a list that included the likes of Manchester United, Sunderland, Norwich City, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Fulham, West Bromwich Albion, Bolton Wanderers and Aston Villa.
As they prepared to make their opening day bow in front of their adoring fans, it was the mighty Villa that stood before them.
City were relying heavily on the side that had led them up from the third division the previous season, with the addition of left-back Peter Oliver on a free transfer from Hearts, new record signing Micky Cave, an £18,000 midfield capture from Bournemouth, and Jimmy Hinch, a towering centre-forward from Hereford United.
Roared on by an expectant crowd, City almost made a dream start when a first minute free-kick from Ian Butler was headed just over the bar by Swallow.
The York side, clad in their unmistakeable maroon shirts with the broad white 'Y' down the front, put Villa keeper Jim Cumbes under intense pressure.
After just eight minutes, and to the delight of the home support, the Minstermen took the lead. Cumbes was penalized for carrying the ball too many paces and from the resulting free-kick midfield maestro Ian Holmes placed a neat pass to Barry Lyons, who cracked home a low shot past the defensive wall and just inside the keeper's right hand post.
Graeme Crawford, who perhaps deserves the accolade of York City's greatest ever goalkeeper, was then called into action, making two sensational saves.
Just before the half-hour and the home side almost doubled their advantage, when striker Jimmy Seal, one of the most honest and hard working players ever to don the great shirt, rounded keeper Cumbes but saw his shot kicked off the line by full-back Charlie Aitken.
Then on 30 minutes Villa equalised when Ray Graydon met Chico Hamilton's cross to head home from point-blank range.
The Midland side proceeded to dominate the next stage of the game and City were indebted to Crawford and Swallow in particular as the second half wore on.
Bravely the home side fought back and in the last quarter their lethal strike duo of Seal and Chris Jones both went close.
Villa had a goal disallowed when towering Northern Ireland international centre-back Chris Nicholl headed past Crawford following a corner, before the Minstermen had claims for a penalty waved aside by referee Trevett after Jones went down in the area.
The game ended all square, a fair result between two good footballing sides.
The Villa team, which included Brian Little and John Gidman, was packed with internationals, both current and future.
In contrast the York City side may have been lacking the big names, but they were a collection of high-quality and talented players, moulded into an efficient and organised playing unit by manager Tom Johnston.
York City had now arrived on the big football stage, a platform they were to grace for what was to be a very memorable and thrilling season.
York City: Crawford, Stone, Oliver, Holmes, Swallow, Topping, Lyons, Cave, Seal (Hinch), Jones, Butler
Goal: Lyons (8)
Aston Villa: Cumbes, Gidman, Aitken, Ross, Nicholl, Robson, Graydon, Little, Morgan, Hamilton (Betts), Carrodus
Goal: Graydon (30)
Ref: G.M Trevett (Manchester)
Att: 9,396
