Avenue were named UniBond Division One North club of the month for October and their style of play is certainly putting bums on seats.

The seats in question are, of course, the ones Avenue acquired from Lord's, the home of cricket.

Bob Blackburn, Avenue's chief executive, promised to undertake ground improvements, as well as funding a push for success on the pitch, after he bought the major shareholding last March.

In the close season, director Kevin Hainsworth formulated a nine-man taskforce to go to Lord's to collect the seats.

The men Hainsworth included in the magnificent nine spent five days removing 2,000 tip-up seats from the hallowed arena.

They then set about fitting them into the main stand at Horsfall Stadium. Fixings were provided by Jack Pennington Ltd, who are a long-term sponsor partner of Avenue.

The Kelvic Group, Blackburn's building company, began the rest of the work necessary for the club to meet ground-grading standards - but they went much further than that and spruced up the whole site.

A brand new directors' suite and hospitality facilities were installed. Also provided was a medical treatment room, a kit-room with up-to-the-minute washing facilities - for the new full-time kitman Dave Primo' Wilson - toilets, a food and drinks outlet and a club shop.

The social club and bar was refurbished and the car park properly surfaced.

Blackburn is delighted for everyone involved in the hard work that the team are providing entertaining and successful football for the updated surroundings and the fans, who are growing in number.

"The club will get the club of the month award before kick-off tomorrow," said Blackburn ahead of the home meeting with Garforth Town.

"The person I am most pleased for is (first-team manager) Benny (Phillips) because in the early days, when he had a lot of injuries in the squad, the doommongers were crawling out of the woodwork and putting some idiotic comments on the message boards.

"Everything is going well at the moment and it will be the best Christmas for me if we are top of the league on Christmas Day.

"If we get top spot by then it will be a worthy reward for all the people involved to see the fruition of their hard work.

"We had 662 through the gate for the last home game and the atmosphere was brilliant and it helped the players. The support makes them play better - they love it and long may it continue.

"I know some of those were on freebies - we had 20,000 free tickets printed for us by our shirt sponsor Bakes and Lord - but I'm a businessman.

"The ones who come in for nothing will buy a cup of tea, a pie or a burger - maybe even a scarf or a hat.

"The young ones will enjoy the day, their dads might buy a pint or two in the clubhouse. It will all go towards them coming back for the next home game and getting behind the team. These new fans, especially the younger ones, are the future."