FORMER City chief operating officer James Mason has urged fans to get behind Julian Rhodes' attempts to revitalise the club.

His return to Valley Parade this week has been largely welcomed as a positive move.

Rhodes is back in a consultancy position to assist owners Edin Rahic and Stefan Rupp but is understood to have a hands-on role.

Incentives have already been announced to encourage support with a £1 ticket offer for the next home league game with Oxford and free travel to the next league away trip to Peterborough.

However, with widespread disillusionment at how the club has been run, mixed feelings over this week's events still exist among fans who were hoping for a change of ownership.

When asked on social media about the return of Rhodes, Mason, who is now chief executive at League One rivals Rochdale after leaving City in the summer, tweeted: "I understand why fans at VP are conflicted but Julian wouldn’t be back if things weren’t so serious. To save the club, I’d urge fans to get behind him."

Rhodes, along with co-owner Mark Lawn, sold City to the Germans in May 2016 but has been approached for help following a nightmare 2018, which has seen City fall from a play-off place to rock-bottom of League One.

On the back of lower season ticket sales this season, crowds have dropped further with some supporters staying away in protest.

Mason's comments come on the back of a declaration of support for Rhodes on fan website widthofapost.com which was endorsed by City Gent editor Mike Harrison, Bantams author and historian John Dewhirst, the Bantams Banter podcast and former Friends of Bradford City chairman Mark Neale.

Widthofapost editor Jason McKeown, who launched his new City book Who We Are at last week's Stephen Darby Appreciation Night, wrote: "With the ownership situation still a mess, but not going to be fixed overnight, we think we’ve reached a point where we should focus on the team, and trying to support them in avoiding relegation. Because make no mistake, falling back into League Two could be a major blow for the club."

Meanwhile, a supporters' campaign for a change of ownership called SaveOurCity1903 released a statement today backing Rhodes' £1 ticket offer for the Oxford clash on Saturday, November 24, when the club hope to attract over 20,000 for the crunch relegation clash.

The group - who reaffirmed their desire to see Rahic leave the club - have held meetings to organise a fans protest march before the Oxford game but now believe it would be 'counter-productive'.