Ratcliffe has belief in Knights

York City Knights new coach James Ratcliffe believes the club can still win promotion despite this week's off field problems.

Paul March was sacked for gross misconduct and former director of rugby Ratcliffe has taken over.

Ratcliffe worked with March at York and he told BBC Radio York: "I wish Paul well and we've had a great two years but he's gone.

"Hopefully we can carry on what we started and that's promotion."

March appointed Ratcliffe as his assistant when he first moved to the Knights at the end of 2007. Ratcliffe said taking over as head coach had been a strange feeling.

"Very strange, very surreal but as I said earlier life moves on.

"I've got mixed feelings but I'm absolutely ecstatic to be able to do so. It's been a long term vision of mine to be head coach anyway in the professional game and I've worked really hard to get there and I don't apologise for doing the role.

"Unfortunately, it's at someone else's expense and that's professional sport."

Ratcliffe expects the majority of the players to remain with the club and there will be a good level of continuity with the coaching.

"Paul was playing and I was coaching off the field,

"We had a 50% input into team selection etcetera. That won't change. As regards team selection Mick Ramsden (assistant reserve team coach) is going to come in and help me until the end of the season at least and he'll have an input into it as well.

"There will be a continuity regards the players. Nothing will change on how we go about our pre-match build up etcetera so hopefully we can sit them straight back in and move on to this weekend."

Ratcliffe takes a squad of 14 players to Blackpool this weekend for the Northern Rail 9s competition.