WITH their Vanarama National League North status secured and the management duo of Mark Bower and assistant Danny Boshell signed up for the next 18 months, Bradford Park Avenue can finally look ahead.

The club endured a dreadful run early in the season, and many observers thought that Bower was taking on a lost cause when he stepped in with two months of the season gone.

The former Bantams centre back cut his teeth in management with Guiseley, and is now looking to repeat his success at Nethermoor by leading Avenue into the Vanarama National League.

There is a lot of work to do but he feels that Park Avenue’s potential can be realised, and he is already planning.

Bower said: “The players have effectively been playing for their futures over the last couple of games as the only pressure on them has been to earn new deals for next year.

“Nobody has been signed up yet. There were no deals or contracts already in place that go into next season, so Bosh and I have a blank piece of paper in front of us.

“We’re starting with a clean slate but, having said that, the players have done so well since we came in that we’re hoping to get most of them tied down to new deals.

"The lads have been really positive and have worked very hard to lift the club out of trouble.

“From where we were and to have done what we have with a top scorer who has only got five goals, it’s a tremendous effort.

"That’s obviously an area that we have to look at, but the signings we made as the season went on did well for us.”

The players will head into the summer recess after tomorrow's final game of the season at Kidderminster Harriers, but for the management team, board and backroom staff, it marks the start of a frantic period.

Bower added: “It’s funny because it’s busy all of the time for us. As the players go away and enjoy the rest, there’s a load for us to do.

"We’ll be at it all through the close season - doing research, going to games, checking on and sounding out potential targets.

“The season isn’t over for a lot of clubs because of play-offs and cup games, so there are still games we need to watch. Then we’ve got all of the pre-season planning and recruitment to do, and we’re looking forward to it.”