FORMER Bradford Park Avenue fans' favourite Tom Greaves passed a big milestone for his current club last week and is now a rival National League North boss to Mark Bower.

Greaves was in the Avenue side managed by Carl Shutt who were one of the founder members of the division which was then known as Conference North.

He was a young striker trying to make his way in the game back then but his recent achievement highlights just far he has come.

Avenue have been rivals of FC United of Manchester for many years. That club was formed by disgruntled fans of the Premier League giants after the Glazer family took over at Old Trafford and they subsequently rocketed through the leagues.

They joined Avenue in the UniBond League, which is now the Evo-Stik League, and followed them up into the sixth tier of English football. Last weekend Greaves netted his 100th goal for FC United.

He is the first player in the club's brief history to reach three figures and he reflected: "It was a long time coming but it was a great feeling.

"I was in the 90s for what seemed a long time but I never got a run in the team after a couple of injuries and I was always a confidence player. Playing games makes me sharper and gives me confidence.

"I was coming off the bench and playing the odd cup tie and the appearances were steadily going up but the goals were not. Then I got to 99 and it was the perfect time to score the 100th against Harrogate Town – and it was a last-minute winner.

"There is no better feeling than putting your side a goal up so late in the game that the opposition are deflated because there's not enough time to come back.

"They are a good side, full time and challenging for promotion, so I think that made it even sweeter."

Greaves can take some of the credit for being in the right place at the right time as he selected himself. He is now the manager of FC United after he lifted the club out of the relegation zone during a short caretaker spell, winning four games and losing two.

He said: "It has been a strange couple of months as we were all very shocked when Margy (Karl Marginson) went."

Marginson had been the manager since the inception of the club but with FC United in a perilous position, the change was made.

"As the senior player in the squad, I was asked to take training and be in charge for the next game," said Greave.

"There was a meeting after that match that I was called into and they said they wanted me to take caretaker charge and to 'give the board a headache' they said they wanted me to make it as hard as possible for them not to give me the job full time.

"I never plan long term in football, so I just took it one game at a time, and we got a couple of wins and climbed out of the relegation places.

"We're 15th now but still in a relegation battle. It's a tough division and three good results can take you up a long way but a couple of defeats can take you right back down.

"It's challenging but I'm really enjoying it and we'll see where it goes. Who would have thought I'd be here?"