AFTER playing 11 league games in just seven weeks, Park Avenue can now look forward to a quieter spell.

Barring cup replays or re-arranged matches it will be strictly Saturdays only for the National League side.

But the drop in intensity presents it own problems for managers like Mark Bower

The former Bantams’ skipper said: “These problems are traditional and affect clubs at every level, it’s all part of finding the right balance.

“With a small squad like ours in a big league, when the intensity is full on, it’s no surprise that the sheer number of games is going to test you.

"It’s a test for all the clubs and we really needed some of our players to have the full recovery time that one game a week allows you.

“But in some ways it’s not good that the midweek games are drying up because the players that are coming back from injury need to play as part of regaining their match fitness."

To combat the problem Bower revealed: "We might look at arranging a game instead of a training session next week or over the next couple and a few of the lads might benefit from a little loan spell.

"Three or four weeks of getting games in at another club is always another option.”

Bower has gone on record saying that the National League set up, has never been as competitive and professional as it is at the moment.

In Avenue’s division alone there are recent Football League sides such as Stockport County, Darlington and York City.

There are also the highly ambitious clubs with substantial financial backing like Southport, Kidderminster Harriers, Harrogate Town and Salford City, the latter being part owned by former Manchester United players, the so-called Class of 92, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt and the Neville brothers Gary and Phil.

Bower said: “Our players have got to keep themselves as fit as possible and be ready to take their chance once they get back into the side.

“We're right up there as one of the best non-league clubs in our area and the standards are high and demanding.

"You can’t give a player three games to play his way back in – he has to be right at it from the minute he’s back in the side either as a starter or as a substitute.

“We’re coming up against more and more full-time teams and the lads have to work hard to be able to perform to the best of their ability. There are some good earnings to be made at this level and with that comes the responsibility.”