When 50 hands shot up inside the social club at Horsfall Stadium, a smile spread over chairman Frank Thornton's face.

The 70-year-old boss of Bradford Park Avenue had just asked the assembled throng whether they would be prepared to inject the cash to boost the club back into the Football League.

Around 75 of the historic club's faithful assembled for the crisis meeting in which Thornton, who had a 400-mile round-trip from his Oxford base, laid his plans for the future. The chance for 200 fans to take over control of the club for a £5 a week was being offered, and the response had been positive.

Bradford Park Avenue left the league in 1970 and £52,000 a year in additional income was being sought to bankroll its return.

Thornton felt the club had reached its potential under the current financial structure and decided giving it to the fans would be the best option.

"I love this club," he told the meeting.

"And I want it to succeed and I can see the only way forward for that to happen is to hand it over to the people who really matter, the supporters.

"The alternatives are a major sponsor or a sugar daddy and I don't think either scheme will work."

It was revealed at the meeting that six supporters had taken up associate directorships at £1,000 a year, and two more agreed to do so as the evening wore on.

Subscriptions had also come in from supporters in Spain, Switzerland and Canada.

The re-financing of the club seemed overwhelmingly to be backed by supporters, who urged the need for younger folk to take up the offer.

But the audience were divided over the question of location.

A discussion on whether the newly-developed Odsal Stadium could be a possible venue proved inconclusive, as fans were split over attempting to move to the council-owned ground or remaining at Horsfall.

Although Bradford Park Avenue is suffering off the field, things are looking up on it.

"I want this club to succeed," said ambitious manager Trevor Storton.

"We are not letting this get to the players, they are still focused on doing a job on the pitch and will remain so.

"I think this is something that needed to happen, the extra money this could generate could improve things and try and push us on for promotion."