THACKLEY manager Pat McGuire is stepping up his footballing commitments, by becoming Bradford (Park Avenue)’s academy co-ordinator as well.

McGuire was a schoolteacher until recently, but with the former Bradford City prospect having given that job up to go back into the sport full-time, he is excited to combine his two footballing roles.

Discussing his new job at Avenue, which starts today, he said: “It’s been no secret that I wanted to get back into football full-time.

“A few people had called me about opportunities elsewhere, and then this Park Avenue job came up at the perfect time.

“It was actually my reserve team manager at Thackley, Harley (Hirst), who alerted me to it and I put myself in for it.

“It was an intense process, as first I had to do an hour-long interview, then an hour-long coaching session where I was miked up, but I got the call last Friday to say the job was mine.”

Asked what he’d be doing at Avenue exactly, McGuire said: “My role is really to help (academy technical director) Tom McStravick with the day to day stuff, training and coaching the youth team.

“We’ll oversee the academy set up, as well as help other coaches there develop.

“We want to develop our scholarship programme so young kids are getting into the first team, which is all the more important with the club not having the world when it comes to finances.

“If they don’t make it to Avenue’s level, then I have plenty of contacts elsewhere in non-league.

“It’s a fitting role for me I think, because I’ve got the experience of working with and bringing through young players at Thackley, and I’ve also got that experience in an education setting.”

McGuire added: “Initially I’d tried to move away from coaching, but the game just kept pulling me back in.

“I’ve seen what my best mate (current City assistant manager) Mark Trueman has done, and the opportunities are there to progress as a young coach if you want them.”

McGuire is currently hoping to get 16 to 18-year-olds along to male scholarship trials at Avenue on February 24, but for now his primary focus is on trying to get Thackley a win at home to Penistone Church tomorrow in the NCEL Premier Division.

The Dennyboys sit 14th, but are just seven points behind sixth-placed Penistone.

They could have been even closer to them, but saw last Saturday’s match at Athersley Recreation abandoned after 64 minutes due to fog while they were 1-0 up, with a man advantage.

McGuire said: “It’s so close in this league at the moment, and if we can just put a run together and finish the season strongly, we could jump a long way up the table.

“We were on for the three points at Athersley, because for all it was only 1-0, it genuinely could have been 10.

“The opposition couldn’t wait for the game to be abandoned, but to be fair, if we’d gone on for another 10 minutes, we wouldn’t have been able to see a thing.”

Tomorrow marks the fourth anniversary of McGuire taking charge of Thackley, with his first game also against Penistone.

But he warned: “They’re one of those teams we’ve always seemed to struggle against.

“That means we may look to change things up tactically from Athersley, to combat what they’re good at, and match what they bring to the table.”

Elsewhere in the NCEL Premier Division tomorrow, second-placed Eccleshill United host Barton Town, while Silsden visit league leaders Grimsby Borough.

In the NWCFL First Division North this weekend, Campion travel to in-form Bacup Borough, and Steeton have a home game with Atherton LR.

NPL East Division leaders Liversedge play tonight, as they host Ossett United. Divisional rivals Brighouse Town welcome Shildon tomorrow.