2011–12 York City F.C. season

Jon Challinor was signed days after playing against York for Kettering Town.

Walker scored an 83rd-minute penalty kick and a 90th-minute header to give York a 2–1 victory away to Ebbsfleet United in the opening match of the season.[36] A second victory came in York's first home match of the season, a 3–1 victory over Barrow, with Walker, McLaughlin and Blair scoring.[37] Former Stockport County winger Danny Pilkington was signed on non-contract terms following a trial with the club.[38][39] The team's first defeat of the season came after going down 1–0 at home to AFC Telford United, after former York striker Craig Farrell scored an 87th-minute goal.[40] York responded to this by defeating Kettering Town 5–1 away, with Boucaud, Walker and Moke scoring in the first half and debutant Pilkington scoring the fifth in stoppage time.[41] Shortly after this match, Kettering midfielder Jon Challinor was signed by York on a contract until January 2012.[42][43] York picked up their first clean sheet of the season after drawing 0–0 away to Fleetwood Town.[44] A second successive defeat at home came after losing 1–0 to Alfreton Town, with former York player Levi Mackin scoring the only goal with a penalty.[45]

Walker scored what proved to be only a consolation after scoring in the 84th minute against Tamworth, with York losing 2–1 away after conceding two penalties, both of which were awarded from fouls committed by Chris Smith.[46] York's first victory in four matches came after Jamie Reed scored an 88th-minute winner to give the team a 1–0 win at home to Bath City.[47] This was followed by a 3–0 win away to league leaders Wrexham, with first half goals from McLaughlin, Chambers and Reed handing York victory.[48] York then drew 2–2 at home to Darlington; Reed opened the scoring in the second minute with a shot into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area, and in the 79th minute Walker scored with a curling shot into the top corner to equalise for York.[49] Chambers and Walker scored first half goals as York defeated Luton 3–0 at home.[50] After a four-match unbeaten run York were defeated 3–2 away to Gateshead, with former York loanee Jon Shaw scoring their three goals, and Walker and a Curtis own goal making up York's tally.[51]

Jason Walker scored with a bicycle kick in York's 2–1 home win over Grimsby Town.

Following defeat to Gateshead, York beat Stockport County 2–1 away after Blair and Walker scored second-half goals.[52] York then went on to beat Braintree Town 6–2 at home, with Chambers, McLaughlin, Fyfield, Walker and Moke scoring.[53] Chambers scored in the 62nd minute with York's goal in a 1–1 draw away to Southport, before the home team scored an equaliser nine minutes from time.[54] Chambers scored an 86th-minute winner in a 2–1 victory at home to Grimsby Town, in which Walker had earlier scored with a bicycle kick for York in the first half.[55] Walker scored twice at home against Cambridge United to give York a 2–2 draw, with the equaliser being scored direct from a free kick in the 89th minute.[56] York then beat Hayes & Yeading United 4–2 away, with Walker, Challinor, McLaughlin and Chambers scoring.[57] York were knocked out of the FA Cup in the fourth qualifying round after losing 2–1 away to Conference Premier league leaders Wrexham, with McLaughlin scoring York's only goal.[58]

A second match with Wrexham in eight days finished in a 0–0 draw at home, with Ingham making a number of fine saves to preserve the clean sheet.[59] Henderson was signed by fellow Conference Premier club Forest Green Rovers on a one-month loan.[60] York drew 0–0 draw away to Barrow, with Walker and Boucaud being sent off during stoppage time.[61] Striker Moses Ashikodi was signed on loan from league rivals Kettering until January 2012.[62] Reed gave York the lead away to Forest Green after scoring a penalty in the 83rd minute, before the home team scored an equaliser in the fourth minute of stoppage time.[63] York defeated Lincoln 2–0 at home with Pilkington and McLaughlin scoring in each half.[64]

A second successive victory came after a 7–0 win at home to Kettering, in which Ashikodi scored against his parent club for his first for York goal.[65] The other scorers were Reed, Challinor, Blair, McLaughlin and Chambers.[65] York were held to a 0–0 draw away to Telford, in which Boucaud, Blair and Walker were denied from scoring by opposition goalkeeper Ryan Young during the first 15 minutes.[66] Challinor scored during stoppage time to secure an FA Trophy first round replay with Conference North team Solihull Moors, with the match ending a 2–2 draw at home.[67] York won the replay away to Solihull 3–0, with Smith scoring his first goal of the season and Blair scoring twice.[68] York suffered their first league defeat since September after losing 3–2 at home to Kidderminster.[69] Henderson scored his first goal for York with the equaliser away to Mansfield Town on Boxing Day, which finished a 1–1 draw.[70]

James Meredith scored his first goal of the season in a 3–2 home victory over Ebbsfleet United.

York were 2–0 down in their New Year's Day fixture at home to Mansfield until the 77th minute when Blair scored, and in the first minute of stoppage time substitute Fyfield scored the equaliser to draw the match at 2–2.[71] Ashikodi was signed on a permanent contract until the end of the season,[72] having scored one goal in six appearances for the club while on loan.[67][73] Challinor signed an extended contract until the end of the season, while McDermott was allowed to join Telford after being unable to break into the team.[74] Henderson joined Forest Green for a second loan spell, signing until the end of the season.[75] On the same day, York signed former Fleetwood midfielder Scott Brown on a contract until the end of the season.[76] Blair scored both of York's goals in a 2–0 victory away to Lincoln, which was the team's first win in five league matches.[77] Striker Matthew Blinkhorn was signed on a contract until the end of the season after his contract with League of Ireland Premier Division club Sligo Rovers expired.[78]

York won their FA Trophy second round match away to Salisbury City 6–2, with Blair, Reed, McLaughlin and Blinkhorn scoring the goals.[79] York defeated Ebbsfleet 3–2 at home for a second successive league win, in which Blair scored twice and Meredith scored his first goal of the season.[80] Smith scored York's goal in a 1–1 draw away to Kidderminster with a 57th-minute header, before the home team equalised in the 85th minute.[81] York fought back from two goals down in the following match away to Darlington, with Smith and Chambers scoring in the second half.[82] Transfer deadline day saw the departure of Boucaud to Luton for a fee of £25,000,[83] while midfielder Erik Tønne was signed on loan from Sheffield United until the end of the season.[84]

Free agents Chris Doig, a defender who previously played for Aldershot Town, and Ben Swallow, a winger who previously played for Bristol Rovers, were signed on contracts until the end of the season.[85] Middlesbrough defender Ben Gibson was signed on loan until the end of the season.[86] York progressed to the quarter-finals of the FA Trophy after Ebbsfleet were beaten 1–0 at home in the third round, courtesy of a second half Blair goal.[87] Reed and Blinkhorn scored late goals to give York a 2–1 victory at home to Stockport, with the visitors having taken the lead earlier in the second half.[88] York suffered their first defeat in eight league matches after losing 2–1 at home to Gateshead.[89] Progression to the semi-final of the FA Trophy for the third time in five seasons came after York defeated Grimsby 1–0 away in the quarter-final, in which Scott Kerr scored his first goal for the club.[90]

Jamie Reed scored York's goal in the 1–0 home win against Luton Town in the FA Trophy semi-final first leg.

Oyebanjo, with his first goal for the club, and Walker scored to give York a 2–0 victory at home to Hayes.[91] This was followed by a 0–0 home draw with Tamworth.[92] York defeated Luton in the first leg of the FA Trophy semi-final at home, with Reed scoring a penalty in a 1–0 victory.[93] Fyfield scored the winning goal away to Grimsby during stoppage time with a 25-yard shot, after Reed and Smith had scored York's earlier goals in a 3–2 victory.[94] York reached the FA Trophy final for the second time in four seasons after drawing 1–1 away to Luton in the semi-final second leg, with Blair scoring a 90th-minute equaliser, meaning the team went through 2–1 on aggregate.[95] Free agent midfielder Eugen Bopp was signed on a contract until the end of the season after a trial.[96] York were beaten 2–1 at home to Southport, with Reed's 84th-minute goal not being enough to earn York any points, after the visitors had scored twice earlier in the second half.[97] McLaughlin scored for the first time since December with the only goal in a 1–0 victory away to Bath, which restored York's position in the play-offs.[98] A second goal in two matches from McLaughlin saw York equalise away to Luton in the 81st minute, before Meredith scored an 86th-minute winner in a 2–1 victory.[99]

McLaughlin's third goal in three matches came in a 2–1 defeat away to Newport County, with the home team scoring the winner 20 minutes from time through Romone Rose.[100] York lost a second match in a row when being beaten 1–0 at home by league leaders Fleetwood, in which former York striker Richard Brodie scored the only goal in the 73rd minute.[101] Blair and Oyebanjo scored in the second half to give York a 2–0 victory away to Alfreton.[102] Swallow was prematurely released by the club because of an internal issue.[103] York drew 1–1 at home to Newport with Walker scoring a second half equaliser, which was his first goal from open play since 22 October.[104] Musselwhite was forced to make his debut in York's away match against Cambridge due to an injury to Ingham, with York winning 1–0 through a second half Walker goal.[105][106] York were guaranteed a play-off place after beating Braintree 1–0 away, with Tønne scoring his first goal for the club in the 75th minute.[107] The league campaign concluded after a 1–0 victory at home to Forest Green, with Moke scoring in the 82nd minute.[108] The result meant York finished fourth in the Conference Premier table and that they would play third-placed Mansfield in the play-off semi-final.[108] Following the match, Kerr was named as the season's Clubman of the Year, voted for by the club's supporters.[109]

Matty Blair scored the winning goal in the 2012 Conference Premier play-off final.

York drew 1–1 with Mansfield at home in the first leg of the play-off semi-final.[110] Mansfield took the lead in the 26th minute after Exodus Geohaghon's long throw was headed in by Ross Dyer, before York equalised on 42 minutes after Geohaghon scored an own goal from a Challinor cross.[110] York defeated Mansfield 1–0 after extra time in the second leg after Blair scored a header from a Walker cross in the 111th minute.[111] With an aggregate score of 2–1 York progressed to the play-off final to play Luton.[111][112] The club won its first national knockout competition, and first piece of silverware in 19 years, after Newport were defeated 2–0 in the 2012 FA Trophy Final at Wembley Stadium, with Blair and Oyebanjo scoring in the second half.[113] Days after the Trophy victory, plans for a community stadium to be built at Monks Cross, which would be shared by York City and rugby league team York City Knights, were approved by City of York Council.[114]

On 20 May 2012, York regained their Football League status with promotion to League Two after a 2–1 win over Luton in the 2012 Conference Premier play-off final at Wembley Stadium.[112] Luton took the lead when Andre Gray scored in the second minute, before Chambers scored the equaliser on 26 minutes with a low shot from a Smith hooked cross.[112] The winner came two minutes into the second half after Blair, despite being in an offside position, scored from close range after latching onto Daniel Parslow's header.[112] After the match, Blair was quoted as saying "I scored the goal and it feels unbelievable but I'm not taking anything away from the other lads today. The back five, and Daniel Parslow in front, defended like heroes and were brilliant all game".[112] Mills summarised York's achievements by saying "To come to Wembley Stadium two weeks running and do the double is an incredible feeling. In fact, with the ground announcement, it's been a terrific treble and probably the best hat-trick ever at York City Football Club".[115]

The day after the play-off final, thousands turned out to witness the club's players, management, staff and directors ride through York city centre on an open-topped bus,[116] in celebration of what The Press described as "an unsurpassed nine days in the Minstermen's proud existence".[115]

† Brackets around club names denote the player's contract with that club had expired before he joined York.

† Brackets around club names denote the player joined that club after his York contract expired.