Bradford (Park Avenue) might be able to achieve more

The words of Mark Bower on July 7, 2022, as we talked about the new season, and how four teams will be getting relegated from National League North this year, as opposed to one last time out.

Let’s get this out of the way first, I’m a big fan of the Avenue boss.

The fact he always picks up the phone to me, or if not, rings back promptly, is a big tick, given the time it can take to chase some stories up.

He is beloved by the Bradford fanbase, his players constantly talk about how he is a big factor in them enjoying their football, and he guided an unfancied team to the National League North play-offs in both 2017/18 and 2018/19.

A turbulent summer followed that second season, with Bower leaving, along with several of his key players, as former Bradford Bulls commercial director Damian Irvine came in as club consultant.

Ex-City favourite Garry Thompson was installed as manager, but things soon went south, with Irvine leaving the club on the eve of the season and Thompson following not long after, having suffered a couple of humiliating defeats.

Garry Thompson was sacked as Bradford (Park Avenue) manager after just two league games. Picture: Tom Pearson.

Marcus Law and Lee Fowler came and went, before Bower was dramatically re-installed as boss in September.

There is no doubt that period of unrest set Avenue back badly, and working with a weaker squad than over the previous two seasons, Bower could not get Avenue off the foot of the table.

Relegation was a near certainty, but the Covid outbreak offered them a lifeline, with the season declared null and void.

In the two campaigns since, Avenue were going nicely in mid-table until 2020/21 was also curtailed, and last term, some excellent results post-Christmas allowed them to banish any earlier relegation fears, as they finished comfortably in 18th, nine points clear of the drop.

There are positives to build on for Avenue. For a start, many of those players who were lost in the big 2019 cull are now back, like captain Luca Havern and former Premier League striker Oli Johnson.

Luca Havern scoring for Avenue against Alfreton in the 2018/19 season. Picture: John Rhodes.

The defence improved too after the mid-season acquisition of ex-Bantams stopper George Sykes-Kenworthy, who has just signed a two-year deal.

From January 2022 onwards, Avenue kept 10 clean sheets in just 25 league games.

And though this year’s friendly with them fell by the wayside due to injuries for the South Yorkshire side, Avenue still have a good relationship with Sheffield United.

They have unearthed some gems from their Under-23s over the last two years, with Harry Boyes, Oliver Arblaster and Frankie Maguire just three who have made an impact at Horsfall after making the temporary switch from Bramall Lane.

Expect a couple more Blades youngsters to shine in West Yorkshire this term too.

Sykes-Kenworthy has a fair claim to be Avenue’s best player currently, and after signing his new deal in the summer, he said: “We know last season wasn’t the easiest of times, but hopefully this year we’re thinking we’re going to be competing a bit more.

“There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be up there or thereabouts. At one stage we weren’t that far off last season, but we just didn’t have the numbers in the squad to keep up with the run we were going on.

“But hopefully there will be a couple more additions and everyone is getting back fully fit for the coming season.

“In my eyes anyway, we should be looking to push up there, really there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be.”

The stopper sees no reason why Avenue can’t look for a third play-off finish in six seasons, and why not?

Granted, this league does tend to favour the big-hitters and/or the full-timers, with Gateshead and York going up last term.

And Stockport’s rise into the Football League has no doubt been massively aided by the financial backing behind them.

But the top-seven all have a shot at play-offs and if Avenue had started last season as well as they ended it, they would have been in with a chance of reaching them.

It is understandable why Bower tends to be cautious with his targets for the season, as on paper, Avenue probably should be a bottom-six side.

Avenue boss Mark Bower tends to insist that avoiding relegation is always Avenue's priority. Picture: Gordon Clayton.

But could he get more backing?

Owner Gareth Roberts is a multi-millionaire living in Texas, so has the money to spend on Avenue.

But speaking to me at the Midland Hotel earlier this year, he said: “I think some of these clubs are still following the model of trying to get promoted and be successful, but I’m a little sceptical about that.

“Even clubs that get to the Football League, they struggle with what their goal is and not everybody can be successful.

“What we’re trying to do is be in the Champions League of the community, not necessarily on the football field.

“The idea is to build a base which will always be something we can count on.

“We’ll try and build that fanbase, because some of these clubs in our league are getting well over 1,000 supporters at home games, so we need to be in that range before we can aspire to start spending the money that others do.”

Bradford (Park Avenue) owner Gareth Roberts is prioritising growing the club off the field.

Admirable stuff sure, and getting the club on solid footing is nothing to be sniffed at, but it might be of concern to fans that Avenue seem happy to plod along in this league for the foreseeable future.

The players have the ambition, it’s been done before, the potential is there, so why not try and push for promotion?

What’s the worst that could happen?