The Eagles have undergone a resurgence under manager Ian Banks and former City winger Mark Ellis – United’s director of football – and they are looking to climb back from the bottom step of the non-league ladder.

A highly-promising season had threatened promotion at one point. Their challenge faded and they finished in sixth place, ten points behind their new local rivals Albion Sports.

Former Bantams player Banks had insisted on a top-eight finish to ensure qualification for next season’s FA Cup and they got it with six points to spare. However, they will feel that it could have been better, if they had had a deeper squad.

It was a poor start, with five defeats in the first six games, but a handful of key signings by the shrewd Banks turned their fortunes around. A five-match winning run followed and from that point on the Eagles were promotion contenders.

There was a win over higher-ranking Goole AFC in the West Riding County Cup but the Eagles went out in the next round after losing 2-1 to Farsley.

A run of defeats to promotion rivals, Glasshoughton, Albion Sports, Pontefract and Handsworth in a five-game spell, dented their hopes. It was just at the turn of the year and four postponements thrown into the mix made it almost impossible to regain momentum.

Promotion may have gone by then but Eccleshill finished strongly, with just two defeats in the last dozen league games. That sent the fans into their hibernation in good spirits and looking forward to the new term.