BRADFORD (Park Avenue) manager Mark Bower may have been disappointed with the heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to Kidderminster last week, but there was plenty of off-field joy to keep him smiling.

He is enthusiastic about the club trying to expand its fanbase and has spoken positively about the changes at board level.

Gareth Roberts has assumed sole control of Bradford, and has brought in close friend Jonathan Collura as director. The American is passionate about the sport, and launched his own football club, Nebraska Bugeaters, in January.

Bower was pleased with his first impression of Collura, saying: "I've spoken to Jonathan and he has expertise in areas that will help the club improve its infrastructure.

"He wants to get youth more involved and he knows what he's talking about after working at Alfreton Town a few years ago.

"He's close to Gareth, who trusts him, and he's a very enthusiastic guy. He was wary about getting involved at first but thinks it's the right time now to come in and make a positive impact."

Collura himself has spoken about his big plans for Avenue, and he enthused: "Bradford have an amazing history and now it’s time to lay the foundations for the next 50 years. We need to establish a brand and an identity.

“The Horsfall College of Sport is something I’ve worked with Gareth on and the goal there is to get to 100 students. We currently have 26 but we think we can reach 60-90 in the next season and give opportunities to people in the community.

"At some point, we will have a player that comes through the college and plays league football for the first team. That’s going to be something very special."

Speaking about what he brings to the table, Collura added: "My interest stems from my background as an entrepreneur and my success with my own companies, as well as my passion for the game and thoughts on innovation and marketing.

“I’m a director elect, pending FA approval. This is to help Gareth focus on two things. One is sustainability, and the second is the community. The club, as it stands today, is fantastic on the pitch but needs some help off it.

"For the club to endure the next 50 years, we need to set the path for that today. The club has a decent fanbase but in today’s digital era, it’s not just about the fans at the match, it’s also about the outreach that you have.

"Bugeaters are an example of that, as not only do the club have fans in Nebraska, it has fans internationally.

"We have fans here in England who actually watch live streams of our matches. Boosting the social media and digital side of things is vital in establishing the brand."

Collura was keen to emphasise the importance of the fans, as was Bower, who liked what he saw at Horsfall on Saturday.

The Avenue boss enthused: "It was busier with the schools and community projects turning up and it was a better atmosphere.

"Gareth is keen to put up perimeter fencing so the fans are closer to the pitch, which makes attending a more attractive prospect.

"The big focus for us is getting younger people through the turnstiles. Bradford City have improved in that aspect over the past decade and we'd like to do that on a smaller scale."

He admitted that he would leave all that to the experts though, saying: "I've been told to just concentrate on the on-pitch matters and keep the club punching above its weight."