JAMES Mason has resigned from his role as chief operating officer with the Bantams.

The 40-year-old is leaving after nearly four years in the role, having succeeded Dave Baldwin.

It is understood the departure is entirely his own decision and was a difficult one for the lifelong City fan to make.

He is set to leave at the end of the week, though will remain linked with the club in an advisory role.

Mason, who is thought to have had a number of offers in football already, had been rumoured to be lined up for the Plymouth Argyle chief executive role.

But it is understood that such a move has never been an option he has considered.

The former BBC presenter is now looking to pursue other opportunities in his business career, in the charity sector and potentially within sport, though the terms over his Valley Parade exit mean he will take time out first.

In a statement on the club website, Mason said: "It’s a sad day as I think everyone knows how much I cherish this club and how seriously I have taken my role. But after careful consideration, I have made the difficult decision to move on and focus on new projects. 

"It’s been an absolute privilege to work for my club and I am very proud of what we have achieved together.

"We've seen the number of season ticket holders grow from 11,000 to 19,000 last season and I’m especially proud of the vibrant and strong commercial community we have created. Our social media presence has also grown hugely, with the number of followers of our official Twitter account increasing from 35,000 to 95,000. 

"I’d like to thank everyone who has played a part in this because it was a team effort from all the staff, supporter groups, volunteers and sponsors. Undeniably we built something special. 

"I would like to thank Julian (Rhodes) and Mark (Lawn) for giving me the opportunity to join the club in the first place and believing in me to deliver, and for all the good work David (Baldwin) had done before me.

"I am also very grateful to Edin (Rahic) and Stefan (Rupp) for their support over the past two years and for continuing to show faith in me.

"It has been quite a journey. Having seen us beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, then create a series of unforgettable campaigns against Millwall, Sunderland and Reading in the FA Cup to our trip to Wembley the other year, I cannot really complain. But the most rewarding part of the job was the simple pleasure of being able to use the power of Bradford City to make people smile.

"Football is a release mechanism. It’s our job to make the citizens of Bradford proud to support the club. But for this club to be successful it needs the full backing of its constituent parts. Hopefully, that can be achieved with the appointment of a new head coach. Please support the club during this time. 

"I will always offer my help and expertise to Bradford City should it be required. Who knows, I may return in the future. But, for now, I’m looking forward to using my energy and experiences to support other projects."

It is unclear at this stage whether the club intend to employ a replacement chief operating officer.

City co-owner Rahic paid tribute to Mason, saying: “We must say a huge thank you to James for everything he has done.

“James played a key role during our acquisition of the club, and massively helped Stefan and I adapt to the culture of English football.

“He has been a big asset to the football club over the last four years and we are pleased we will still be able to call on his considerable experience going forward”