THE FUTURE of Bradford Park Avenue lies in community ownership rather than as a private company – this was the club’s majority shareholder's message to a public meeting in the city last night.

More than 80 people attended the meeting at the Midland Hotel to hear about proposals to convert the club to one which supporters and community stakeholders would own and make the decisions.

In a message from his Texas base, Bradford-born owner Gareth Roberts, who took over the then struggling outfit in January, said: “We have studied every possible strategy for creating a sustainable model for the future of BPA. It is clear that the club needs to find a new generation of supporters.

“We think that the only idea that makes any sense is to create a football centre around Horsfall that will attract young players and their families and that will go on to become supporters of the first team.

“We can do this by involving as many local people with an Avenue connection as possible in this community structure. We hope that there will be many more people supportive of this plan and willing to support our community efforts than currently come to our first team games.”

After several months of research, the major shareholders of the club favour conversion to a Community Benefits Society (CBS).

In this model, anyone could take up membership for a modest annual fee – in the region of £5 to £10 – giving them a vote in selecting directors to represent their views and have a real influence in running the club.

The Supporters Direct organisation, which has already helped many other clubs to take a similar route, would act as advisers during the transition.

The new status of the club as a CBS would open up many new funding streams through grants for redevelopment of facilities, which would create opportunities for income generation as well as attracting greater sponsorship.

Director Joe Mosley, who chaired the meeting, explained that an ambition of the directors was not just to ensure Avenue survives as a football club but to create a legacy for Bradford by putting the club at the heart of a community and sporting hub at their Horsfall base.

He said that no detailed plans had yet been made but he envisaged developments involving millions of pounds of investment over the next three to five years.

The meeting was the start of an ongoing “conversation” about the future direction of Horsfall, involving the council, the supporters and current shareholders, along with the site’s neighbours and the broader community, to ensure the right fit and consensus on what will be possible.

He emphasised that the directors are committed to retaining open access for most of the site for local people, while creating more usable, all-weather facilities to benefit sports groups, schools and other potential users.

A meeting of club shareholders is set to be held before the end of the year to debate options and make a final decision on the conversion of the club.