BRADFORD Park Avenue head to Staffordshire on Saturday as they begin their Vanarama National League North campaign at Tamworth.

The match at the Lamb Ground kicks off a testing opening eight days for Mark Bower’s men, with three tough games in that spell.

Avenue were hammered 5-1 when they visited the Lambs in the sixth game of last season.

Tamworth were chasing a play-off place right through the campaign, and were eight points outside the top five with 12 points to play for when they came to Horsfall last April for the return game.

Avenue were under the stewardship of former Bantams skipper and Guiseley boss Bower by then, unlike last season’s first meeting with the Lambs when the luckless Alex Meachin was in charge.

If it could go wrong, it did go wrong for Meachin, and when Bower took over Avenue had three points from a possible 33 and were out of the FA Cup.

Bower knows he’ll need the rub of the green as he begins his first full term.

“It couldn’t be a much harder start to the season to be honest, Tamworth on Saturday, Southport at home on Monday and then York City a week on Saturday,” said Bower.

“Tamworth had such a good home record last season and they were near the play-offs by the end, and then we face a couple of relegated teams.

"Southport have kept a strong squad together and will be challenging to bounce straight back up into the National League.

“Then York, and they are one of the full-time clubs in our division and were unfortunate to come down last season.

"They will be right up there this season so it’s fair to say that after three games we’ll have a very clear idea about where we stand and what our own prospects are.”

Bradford lost their final friendly fixture, beaten 4-2 at home by Altrincham, who were relegated from National North last term, but there were a handful of players missing due to holidays and work commitments.

Bower will have more options for Saturday, and said: “We will be better off availability wise when the season gets under way.

“Having players who are not injured or suspended but are missing from games, especially pre-season, is what you have to deal with at the level we’re at.

"Some of the players work in schools or have children of school age and they have to take holidays outside term time.

“Part-time players don’t get paid in the close season or pre-season, so work comes first for them then and the club respects that.

"Now they have done what they need work wise and have had their holidays with their families, so they are back and fully focused.”