KEVIN Hainsworth’s decision to stand down from the Bradford Park Avenue board of directors has divided opinion.

Hainsworth is continuing in the role of finance director until the board can be restructured but he will not change his mind.

He feels his health has suffered and he needs to walk away from the stress and pressure of being at the forefront of the club.

“This is not about me it’s about the future of the club,” said Hainsworth.

“Bradford Park Avenue is a big operation and playing at a high level in the non-league game.

“The average man in the street doesn’t know just how much work is involved and just what goes on behind the scenes.

“If I carry on doing what I’m doing one day I will keel over and take my last breath. Where would the club be then? There is no way this is a one-man operation but as it stands there is one man doing the majority of the work.

“That simply cannot continue so the club needs people to come forward, whether those people are already at the club or will be coming in with a fresh pair of eyes and new ideas.

“I’m long enough in the tooth to have seen clubs have spectacular rises, and just as spectacular demises.

“Bob (chief executive officer Blackburn) and I were talking recently about the documentary on Sky Sports about Gretna football club and how it grew from being our rivals in the old UniBond League to being in the Scottish Premier Division and its subsequent closure when the man behind it all sadly died. I don’t want Park Avenue to go the same way.”

The club’s message boards and fans’ forums have been full of differing points of view and peppered with vitriolic comments.

Hainsworth insists that he did not step down directly because of criticism from a section of the supporters but he did acknowledge that it was a part of his decision making process.

“It’s a very difficult situation,” he admitted. “I got criticism before and I’ll get criticised for what I’ve done but I don’t care because I’ve done it for the good of the club.

“It’s like they always say in politics, being in opposition is the easiest job in the world. But it takes guts to stand up and actually do something.

“You will get your armchair fans who think they could do a better job than you and because of the age we live in they can sit anonymously behind their keyboards and stick the knife in.

“But I’ve been here for seven or eight years now and I hope I’ve done a good job. I can hold my head up anyway. I’ve been an Avenue supporter for many years and I’m pleased that I’ve been in a position to help the club move forwards.”