It has been a busy week at Horsfall Stadium as the club announced that manager John Deacey had signed a two-year contract to remain in charge, assistant Mark Hume has on offer on the table – and there will be a drive to increase attendances next month.

Chief executive officer Bob Blackburn has been disappointed with the turn-out from the Bradford public in light of the team’s fine start to the season. Despite Avenue having topped their division and being in free-scoring form, crowd figures have not risen.

Blackburn said: “We are trying to get the gates up and sometimes it makes me wonder what we have to do to get the backing we deserve from the people within the city.

“We were top of the league, and will go back there if we beat Northwich Victoria tomorrow, and last weekend in the FA cup we won 8-0 – and that wasn’t against a club from a lot lower down the non-league ladder.

“When Harrogate Railway came here last Saturday, they must have felt they were in with a chance of pulling off a surprise win. They are only one division below us and the FA Cup is a great leveller, as we all know from ties down the years.”

The Avenue board worked hard to get the contract sorted in order to keep their manager and they are prepared to do whatever it takes to attract new supporters. They intend launching a similar deal to the one that was in place last season.

Blackburn explained: “Anyone with a season ticket for a West Yorkshire club, football or rugby, can come in for half price next month.

“City and Bulls fans will be most welcome but also Leeds United, Huddersfield Town, Halifax Town; anybody with a season ticket for a club – that proves they are sport people – can benefit from our reduced price.

“I have been a bit disappointed with the locals really because Bradford is a big city with lots of sports nuts in it and they don’t make their way to Horsfall very often, if at all, unless they are Park Avenue born and bred.

“We are playing good football and providing top-class entertainment. We stamped our authority on the last FA Cup tie and have another home tie in the next round against a club from Harrogate Railway’s division, so we have a good chance to progress again. It is good for the city, so why don’t people come?

“I know we won’t change peoples’ allegiances and we don’t want to. I would like football fans, from anywhere, to come along and enjoy the way we are playing and maybe come back whenever they can.”

The deal applies to league games only as the club are not allowed to make offers for cup competitions.