Geoff Cope, the former England and Yorkshire spin bowler, today joined Bradford Park Avenue as commercial manager.

Cope, who took 700 wickets for Yorkshire, is keen to be involved in Avenue's rise back up the football ladder.

Vice-president of the football club, TV commentator John Helm, made the move to recruit Cope, who will bring a number of ideas with him.

Speaking from his Guiseley home, Cope said: "I was approached by John, who is a close friend of mine. I have always followed the club, going back to my cricketing days when the old ground was the other side of the Yorkshire cricket pitch.

"It was one of my favourite grounds. Now the club is on the way back - three promotions in five seasons. A lot of hard work is being carried out by the players and people behind the scenes and I am happy to be joining them.

"I am very impressed with the set-up there. They have some great ideas and I will be taking along some of my own."

Cope, who played three times for England, is coming to terms with a crippling eye disease.

The 55-year-old can no longer drive. He says his condition - retinitis pigmentosa - is untreatable.

"It's just something I have had to come to terms with," he said.

"I was diagnosed with it when I was 37 but it was described as mild. It is getting worse all the time and I have been told that nothing can be done. I cannot drive now but there is public transport - that is not a problem."

Eye experts say that there is no treatment available to cure or arrest the progress of the disease.

Cope was a controversial figure during his playing days - banned several times for a suspect bowling action. He was eventually released by Yorkshire in 1980 after another complaint was made to the Test and County Cricket Board.

He said at the time: "I have never been called for throwing. Umpires make their reports in private and condemn you behind your back. They have taken my living away without telling me exactly why."