WHEN Bradford (Park Avenue) reformed in 1988, after the club was liquidated in 1974, it was set to be a long way back to a return to their former glory days of starring in the Football League.

While moving through the leagues from the North West Counties (NWC) League to the National League North, 20 men have taken the hotseat, with varying levels of success.

Here are five men that have been integral in Avenue's rise:

Gordon Rayner (1993-96)

It was thanks to the remarkable turnaround in the 1994-95 NWC Division One season that means Rayner gets a spot on this list.

Going into the business end of the season, Avenue were 20 points off top spot and looked likely to play out another campaign against the likes of Blackpool Rovers and a pre 'Class of 92' Salford City.

But Rayner's men then went on a unbelievable run, winning 13 games on the bounce to claim the title by four points and a place in Division One of the Northern Premier League (NPL)

Trevor Storton (1996-2004)

Former Liverpool player, and Chester legend, Storton replaced Rayner and consistently finished in the top half of the NPL Division One before earning promotion.

It was the 2000-01 season which saw Storton and the likes of Jason Maxwell and Dean Calcutt fire Bradford up as champions.

The Keighley-born boss had a great eight-year spell at the club, before resigning after a place in the play-offs to qualify for the newly-formed Conference North didn't look likely.

Dave Cameron (2008)

Despite it being a short stint, March to November, it was definitely a great one for the former striker.

After suffering consecutive relegations, Avenue ended up back in the NPL Division One North.

Benny Phillips was the man tasked with reversing Bradford's fortunes, but with 17 games left of the 2007/08 season, the board and Phillips decided to part.

Cameron grasped his chance with both hands to lead the West Yorkshire side back into the NPL Premier Division, finishing one point above FC United of Manchester.

The Welshman quit the following season, with the club 11 points adrift of top spot.

John Deacey (2008-09), (2009-10), (2010-15)

The reigns of Deacey will live long in the memory of Avenue fans, especially his third stint, where he got Bradford back into the Conference North.

The ex-Farsley Celtic boss helped produce arguably Avenue's best moment since reforming, that 118th-minute play-off final winner by Tom Greaves in the 2011-12 season against FC United, which ensured another opportunity to compete at Step Two of the non-league football pyramid.

He also led the club to the West Riding County Cup in his last season, with a 1-0 victory over Garforth Town at Valley Parade in the final.

Overall, Deacey won 140 times in his 278 games in charge over a collective seven years.

Mark Bower (2016-19), (2019-)

After earning promotion to the Conference Premier with Guiseley, Bower was a sought after manager, so Avenue fans were delighted when he turned up at Horsfall to rescue the club from the drop.

He achieved his assigned mission and followed that up with consecutive play-off finishes, a particular highlight being that final day goal at Spennymoor to ensure a top-seven finish in the 2017-18 season.

With changes made behind the scenes, Bower left at the end of the 2018-19 campaign, only to return five months later in an attempt to save Bradford from relegation again.

Honourable Mentions: Jim Mackay (1989-93) and Carl Shutt (2004-05)

Mackay provided Bradford with their first promotion as a re-established club.

That 1990-91 season, where his side squeezed into the NWC Division Two top three, will never be forgotten by some Park Avenue supporters.

Meanwhile, Shutt was the man who replaced Storton to ensure the Stans were one of the founding members of the Conference North.

The ex-Bradford City forward led his team out of the relegation zone and to a 17th-place play-off finish (with the new league being formed, the top 13 in the Northern Premier League were automatically promoted, while 14th-20th faced off in the play-offs, along with the champions of the league below).

In that eight-team contest, Avenue beat off the rest of the competition, against the odds, to book a place in the new league.