At the start of every season the bookmakers always put Bradford right up there as one of the favourites because of the stature of the club.

I feel we should embrace this fact next term and prove them right, rather than seeing it as unwanted pressure and crumbling.

Last week delivered the news of the club’s first summer signing and, although it was not a new name to City fans, it was certainly a very important one.

Andrew Davies put pen to paper on a permanent deal which will keep him at the club for at least next season, if not longer, to the delight of all his team-mates and supporters alike.

This was a monumental capture for Bradford as he had plenty of interest from teams in higher divisions and it also shows the intent of the club in securing the correct players to gain promotion.

On a personal level I’m also pleased he chose to stay, because in and around the training ground “Dava” is the sort of person you want around with his bubbly attitude and infectious manner.

You normally hear him coming well before you see him as he is not known for his quiet, timid approach.

And he is most definitely not the sharpest tool in the box, with many ‘Trigger’-like qualities! But all this adds to the character that he is.

Dava will undoubtedly be looking after himself through the summer and keeping himself in peak condition as his ambition and will to win matches that of the rest of the squad.

All he has to do now is stay on the pitch and well away from referees and we’ll be laughing.

There’s always a lull when a football season comes to an end and the reality of a couple of months away from the game we all love sets in.

But the break is much needed to relax, recharge the batteries and spend some time with family and friends who help us through such a demanding ten months.

After a disappointing season in terms of achievements and league position, I personally have gone into the summer months full of optimism and excitement at the thought of the next.

Everyone with any connection to Bradford City all crave the same.

Whether it’s the board of directors, management, players, fans or even office staff, we all want to see this club move in the right direction. Hopefully 2012-13 will be the season we get the ball moving!

Since joining City in November I feel the club have definitely taken small steps in getting to where we all want to be. But last season was about consolidation, whereas next time is most definitely about promotion.

While players get to go away and completely switch off from football, the management team now have to blend holidays with a lot of hard work ensuring they assemble the correct squad to fulfil the goals we have all set.

In the midst of some average performances over the course of the season were some excellent games in which the team played quality football.

We beat Torquay twice, Southend twice, convincingly beat both Shrewsbury and Crewe at home and also held the dominant champions Swindon to two goalless draws in which we felt unlucky not to have won.

To gain such results show that we are more than capable of beating the best. But, as I have stated before, consistency is the key to promotion.

With a few new additions and a lot of hard work, I have a good feeling about the future.