football and it was no surprise to see the Tigers battling on all fronts. Despite having to play manager Leroy Rosenior in goal against Kingstonian in their first game in the FA Trophy, City managed to reach the semi-final before being beaten by Dagenham & Redbridge after a dramatic replay. The cup run proved to be a thorn in the side for City as they had to play three games a week to claw back games in hand and eventually lost out to Cheltenham Town in the race for second spot (after Champions Gresley Rovers ground was deemed ineligible for promotion). Relegation and almost bankrupt The failure to secure promotion crippled the club as City struggled to keep their heads above water. A managerial merry-go-round ensued. Brian Hughes tried his luck, but a diminishing playing budget and poor performances meant the club was relegated. To exacerbate the situation, just before Christmas 2000 Meadow Park was struck another hammer blow when the River Severn burst its banks for the second time in a decade, the flood water did more damage than before because it reached just under high, and also managed to get inside the changing rooms, ruining whatever stood in its way. The club was unable to hold matches at the ground for more than six weeks. The lack of revenue for the club almost saw it go under and it meant that due to non-payment of players several walked out on the club Tommy Callinan took over in a player-manager role, and left at the end of the 2000–01 season. Next to try his hand was Chris Burns, who was tempted back from Forest Green Rovers and brought with him a largely untried bunch of young players to fit in with the limited wage structure. In November 2001, ex-director Colin Gardner returned to the club to take over the chairmanship. Working hand in hand with the Supporters' Club, together they steadied the ship. On the pitch things were looking up with new manager Chris Burns moulding his former City youth team into a force to be reckoned with. Bouncing back The 2002–03 season saw the club bounce back. Off the field, a deal was struck between the club and local entrepreneur Eamonn McGurk, who bought the ground and took on the majority of the club's debts. Financially, the club made a trading profit for the first time and were