BELIEVE it or not, this time 50 years ago Bradford had two clubs in the Football League.

One of those embarked on a quest to make it out of the basement division last weekend.

The other was in a similar - yet much more grave - predicament half a century ago and now plies its trade in non-league under a slightly different guise.

Bradford City are the former, while the latter are Bradford (Park Avenue).

It is a week of poignant memories for the Avenue faithful, who began a new chapter themselves under the stewardship of Garry Thompson last Saturday, only for him to be sacked after just two games last night following two 5-0 defeats.

Read more: Garry Thompson sacked as Avenue boss after just two games

The city's 'second club' were once Bradford's premier footballing attraction, but 50 years ago on Friday Avenue embarked on their final campaign in the Football League.

Avid fan Jeremy Charnock has charted that fateful season - and the three years of turmoil beforehand - in a new book.

Aptly titled, "Diary of a Lost Cause - Bradford (Park Avenue) AFC 1966-1970" takes the reader on a journey through Avenue's final years of demise and brings together five years' worth of hard work, research and interviews.

Recently, Avenue played Bradford City at Horsfall Stadium in their annual pre-season friendly.

City won on penalties after the sides could not be separated. But the tight nature of the game was nothing compared to the rivalry which existed when the clubs were playing at the same level, with Avenue just edging City in the competitive record between the clubs.

In his soon-to-be published book, Charnock details the final four years when Avenue fell on hard times, with attendances falling as playing performances nosedived.

Across over 400 pages of nostalgia, readers will be treated to a look at the day-to-day news of the time, match reports, statistics, analysis and opinion.

This all leads up to the fateful moment Avenue were voted out of the league at the end of the 1969/70 season by other member clubs, following a fourth successive application for re-election.

Another year spent propping up the rest of the League as the bottom-placed club proved to be one too many for a side which had once graced the First Division and rubbed shoulders with the game’s elite.

Now, the present incarnation of Bradford (Park Avenue) - formed in 1988 - play at Horsfall Stadium, after making the move from their historic old home ground Park Avenue.

Charnock watched his first ever Avenue game there at the age of 13 in 1968 and continues to support the club to the present day.

His book also takes a look back through present-day interviews with personalities involved at the time.

These include Terry Dolan, who later went on to play for and manage Bradford City, Kenny Hibbitt, who had an impressive playing career with top-division Wolverhampton Wanderers, Bobby Ham, who served both Bradford clubs with distinction, and the late captain and manager Don McCalman, amongst many others.

Each of these Avenue men have their own tale to tell which reveals an unfolding human story among all the strife.

The book is strictly limited edition and will only be available through ordering in advance by August 31.

To ensure you don’t miss this opportunity, for details email: j.charnock@btinternet.com or write to the author, Jeremy Charnock, at 22 Rylands Avenue, Bingley BD16 3NJ.

Names of subscribers will be printed in each copy and a launch night is expected in November.

The price of the book in hardback format is £25 (+£5 postage where applicable) for around 400 pages of nostalgia.