Due to the current weather conditions and the forecast for the rest of the day an early decision has been made to postpone todays game with Kings Lynn on safety grounds.
Once a date has been set for the rearranged fixture this will be announced on the website.
Bradford (Park Avenue) face a mountain of a task as they travel to Kings Lynn on Saturday afternoon to take on the runaway leaders in the National League North.
Despite only being a point above second place, Kings Lynn have three games in hand over their nearest rival and are looking like a certainty to be promoted to the National League.
Meanwhile, Bradford Park Avenue sit on the other end of the spectrum. After a heartbreaking 2-1 loss at home to Gloucester City last week, Avenue’s future in the division looks more and more bleak as they now sit 15 points back from Gloucester, who occupy the final spot of safety, and they will need to pull off what would be one of the biggest upsets of the season this weekend if they are to have any hope of avoiding the drop this season.
If past results are to go by though, then it shows that anything can happen in this league and that Bradford should remain confident as just last week the high flying table toppers were stunned 2-0 at home by Kidderminster, ending a run of 14 unbeaten league games.
If Avenue are to get anything from this game then they would be ending their own rot. It has now been 10 league games without a win for the Green Army, with only two points being picked up from a possible 30 in the process.
Despite the way the season has gone for both sides, Bradford manager Mark Bower remains confident that his side can grab a result at the Walks Stadium stating that while he knows that not many people will expect it, “we know we’re capable of getting a result (at Kings Lynn) if we do our jobs properly.”
VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE NORTH- MANAGER OF THE MONTH
Phil Parkinson (Altrincham)
If there’s one thing a manager can do to keep people happy it’s to make sure your regulars are looked after.
Altrincham have a home record many will envy – and the home fans haven’t seen a defeat since the opening day of the season.
Throw that in with a January to remember and it’s a great time to be a Robins fan right now.
Last month started with a well-earned 2-1 win over tricky Curzon Ashton, and the side quickly followed that up with three points at Leamington.
They then saw off Blyth Spartans before a good point against Guiseley. They couldn’t get the better of Gateshead but ended the month with two hardworking 2-0 wins against Bradford PA and Kettering Town.
They are playing the type of football ever fan craves as the boss they call Parky (right) continues to push the club on.
With 50 goals to their name already, you can’t rule out Altrincham this season.
VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE NORTH – PLAYER OF THE MONTH
Josh Hancock (Altrincham)
It was double January joy for Altrincham as they swept up with two awards.
Not only did Phil Parkinson take the top boss accolade, but his attacking midfielder grabbed glory after his goals as well.
Josh Hancock is the month’s top National League North performer thanks to four weeks to remember.
The Robins deadly finisher has been in fine form and found the back of the net in now fewer than five matches as he helped fire the club into the play-offs. He was prolific and hit the target against Curzon Ashton, Leamington, Blyth Spartans, Bradford PA and Kettering Town. But it’s not just his goals that have grabbed the fans’ attention this season.
Unfortunately, Josh was not available to receive his award at the time of announcement.
VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE NORTH- VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH
Glen Maddison and Dick Creasey (Boston United)
Glen Maddison and Dick Creasey have won Volunteer of the Month for Boston United in the National League North.
Glen and Dick have held a variety of roles at the club over the years, including managing the club’s reserve team.
They have established themselves as a vital part of the club’s matchday experience, now specialising in hospitality.
In their second season in the role, the duo have helped the Pilgrims develop the Club 85 offering which has seen hospitality numbers treble at times this season.
With manager Craig Elliott masterminding performances on the pitch, plus Glen and Dick providing a great service off it, there’s certainly an award-winning showing every fortnight at York Street!
Gloucester City eased their relegation fears with a huge 2-1 victory away at Bradford (Park Avenue) in a result which leaves Avenue resigned to their fate at the bottom of the National League North.
Despite Bradford dominating possession for the majority of the game, most of the clearcut chances fell the vistors way with Bradford unable to muster up many opportunities of their own. Defensive fragilities have been the downfall of Avenue this season and it reared its ugly head once more as the Avenue defence were unable to deal with a long ball played into their box, the ball then fell nicely to Mensah from a header and he volleyed into the bottom corner leaving Nicholson no chance.
Gloucester then had chances to double their lead. Again, more defensive mistakes from Avenue as a Hughes back pass was far too weak and allowed Jackson to race through on goal but his shot was well saved by Nicholson.
The hosts started putting more pressure on as the second half got underway but it was the visitors who grabbed the vital second goal from a free kick as Brunt curled the ball into the net from 20 yards out.
Bradford rescued a goal back through Hughes in the 67th minute, and had more chances to grab an unlikely equaliser, the best chance falling to Lewis Knight inside the box but his powerful effort struck the post and somehow fell into Maher’s hands.
The loss now means that Avenue sit at the bottom, a massive 15 points from safety with time unfortunately running out as just 12 games remain in the season.
SUMMARY:
Bradford (Park Avenue) 1
Hughes 67
Gloucester City 2
Mensah 24
Brunt 56
Attendance: 296
Star Man: Jackson
Bradford (Park Avenue) (4-3-3): Nicholson, Toulson, Lund, Nowakowski (Johnson 57), Hughes, Priestley, Hall (Hurst 64), Hibbs, Clare (Lyons 84), Knight, Clee (C)
SUBS NOT USED: Green, Boshell
Gloucester City (4-3-3): Maher, James, Brunt, Pennell, Daly, Thomas, Robert (Kotwica 65), Hanks (Hainault 90), Jackson, McClure, Mensah (Allen 81)
SUBS NOT USED: Johnstone, Ebbutt
Dear BPA fans,
Tonight I look forward to meeting many of you at our fans forum. I will be introducing Mark Leadbeater as our full-time Stadium Operations Manager, and Colin Wilson our Director of Development, who some if you might have noticed hanging around the club recently but he has actually been doing a great job of helping us secure a stadium worthy of playing great football. As I mentioned over the new year we are planning improvements to the stadium including a new surface and hospitality. We have been working with the West Bowling rugby league teams to have them base out of Horsfall as a major partner which will help everyone to support the cost of running the stadium and they are also applying for eligible grant funding to underwrite some of the improvements.
We shall know by 26 March whether the project will be definitely going ahead, and indications are good so far. If the project goes ahead we expect it to start work in early May and be finished by August. At this point we are very confident that it will and assuming that it will, then our priorities next year will be to increase our match day revenues and Increase the size of our Academy.
With a 3G pitch available during the day our Academy students are going to enjoy studying and playing at Horsfall. We hope to increase the size of the Academy over the next few years which will provide not only a great experience for them but will provide a source of young players that will knock on the door of the first team. Perhaps we will gain some new supporters alongside them.
I plan to attend the match tomorrow and usually the team loses when I do that!! But I think our luck is going to change and perhaps I can start to be a lucky charm when I do visit the Horsfall.
Up the Avenue.
Gareth Roberts.
The club’s owner Gareth Roberts will be in Bradford this coming weekend and would like to invite supporters to a forum this Friday.
The forum will provide supporters with an update on the latest developments at the club and the floor will be open for questions.
The event will be held in the club house, Starting at 7pm on the 7th of February. The bar will be open from 6:30pm.
Bradford (Park Avenue) welcome Gloucester City to the Horsfall Stadium on Saturday afternoon in a game which involves two reeling sides desperate for a victory.
It’s safe to say that it’s not been the season both Avenue and Gloucester fans would have been hoping for at the start of the season, and with both teams staring relegation directly in the face as we reach the final few months of the season, anything but three points will be a disaster to either side when they meet this weekend.
The two sides have already played each other twice this season and the results were shared — Gloucester ran out 1-0 winners in October, while Bradford gained revenge with a 2-0 victory in the FA Trophy a month later, with both games taking place at City’s Jubilee Stadium.
Since that result against Bradford in the FA Trophy, Gloucester’s run of form has taken an almighty turn for the worst. At that point, they sat comfortably in mid table in the National League North, but since then, they have gone on a run involving just one win in ten, with a 6-1 defeat to Alfreton Town just last week, which leaves them languishing in 20th place — just one spot above the relegation zone.
Avenue, though, are in an even worse position and three points are neccessary for Mark Bower’s side this weekend if they are to have any hope of surviving relegation this season. A loss, or even a draw against one of their main relegation rivals will probably leave Bradford resigned to their fate with still over 2 months left to play in the season.
The Green Army are still showing plenty of fight, and they proved it last time out in a thrilling 3-3 draw away at playoff chasing Southport. It was a game in which they took the lead twice through Lewis Knight and Tom Clare, but ultimately they could not hang on for all three points and needed a Billy Priestley header to equalise late on and rescue a draw.
Hard work isn’t the issue for Avenue, and they are playing relatively well in games but defensive lapses and at times, not showing enough of a clinical nature are what is haunting them this season and leaves them in the position they are in. But hopefully the three goal output at Southport will be the start of a more clinical approach for an Avenue side desperately in need of points in order to make what would be an unbelievable great escape.
The Bradford (Park Avenue) U19’s will be in action tonight against Scarborough at the Horsfall Stadium.
Kick off is at 19:45 with entry costing £3 for Adults and £1 for Under 16’s.
The clubhouse and bar will be open for supporters with warm refreshments available.
Despite leading twice, Bradford (Park Avenue) had to fight back on Saturday afternoon to earn a 3-3 draw away at Southport.
Both teams felt the ire of a blustery and very windy day, but maybe that was what contributed to the six goal thriller. Avenue manager Mark Bower wanted this fixture to be the game that kick started a great escape for his side that are currently languishing at the bottom of the National League North table, and they got off to the perfect start.
Lewis Knight’s inswinging corner on 15 minutes evaded everybody in the box and swung into the net directly off the post. It was a deserved opener for an Avenue side who had dominated the early stages of the game and gifted Knight his fifth goal of the season,
Both teams then had their opportunities to score in what was a very topsy-turvy affair. Resolute defending from the Avenue backline saw Astles and Sampson both having strong shots blocked, before Avenue had a glorious chance of their own to extend the lead — the ever present Tom Clare forced a mistake from Astles and raced through on goal, but the center back made sure to recover from his mistake and blocked Clare’s goalbound effort.
Avenue would’ve been looking forward to entering the break leading the game, and it looked like that was going to be the case until Southport equalised just on the stroke of half time through George Newell, who headed home past Nicholson after a long throw caused the Avenue defence problems.
Bradford didn’t let that phase them though, and returning out of half time, they once again looked the better of the two teams and it didn’t take them long to again take the lead. Tom Clare, who had a brilliant game for the Avenue, left some of the Southport defenders for dead with a magnificent touch and turn, before curling the ball past Hanford into the top right corner.
Much like earlier though, it was a case of Avenue not being able to keep hold of their lead. Just moments after making it 2-1, they were drawn back level as Brad Bauress slotted the ball past Nicholson.
Then what was a once promising game turned to complete disaster for Bradford as Southport took the lead for the first time on the 65th minute with Newell grabbing his second goal of the game, heading home from an Astles cross which left Nicholson stranded.
Avenue looked bewildered by the sudden turnaround of the game, and Southport had plenty of chances to kill the game off with Newell and Woods both having chances to extend their lead and end any hopes of an Avenue comeback.
Southport were then made to rue the missed chances as Oli Johnson assisted Billy Priestley to level the scores at 3-3. It was superb work down the right from Johnson, who sent in an inch perfect cross which was met by Priestley who headed the ball into the net with Hanford this time being the goalkeeper to be left stranded.
Momentum then swiftly changed and it was Avenue who were back on top looking to grab the winner with Lewis Knight having a wonderful opportunity to score but scuffed his shot wide.
Avenue were then reduced to 10 men in stoppage time as newest signing Stelios Demetriou was sent his marching orders for taking down Newell who was through on goal.
Despite being reduced to ten men, though, it was Avenue who had the final opportunity of the game, and it was oh so close. A miscue from Astles led Clare to finding himself through on goal, albeit at a tight position, he managed to get a shot away but it struck the outside of the right post in which was the final kick of the game.
In what was a rollercoaster of a game, both teams left with a point a piece, but both teams will also have been frustrated at not walking away with all three.
It’s a trip to Merseyside this weekend for Bradford (Park Avenue) to play Southport.
The Avenue are hoping to end a miserable run of form and kick start what would be an unlikely road to survival. Time, though, is running out for Mark Bower’s side and with each loss that mounts up, relegation is looking more and more inevitable making three points this Saturday a necessity.
Avenue are coming off a 2-0 defeat at Altrincham in which they were completely outplayed in the first half. A much improved second half wasn’t enough unfortunately, and the loss now leaves them 13 points off survival with 14 games to play.
The hosts ended their own terrible run of form last weekend, beating Gloucester City on the road 1-0. Before the game, Southport had been on a run of six straight defeats but the victory on Saturday will undoubtedly have increased their confidence heading into the game this weekend.
Southport currently sit in 11th place in the league table, a far cry from where they were just over a month ago. They do, though, sit only two points out of the playoff places but will be kicking themselves at finding themselves in that position.
For Avenue, it’s been a consistent season — just not in a good way. Although performances have seemed to improve over the last couple of months, especially since Mark Bower re-took charge of the team, results are just not going their way and a complete turnaround in form is needed if they are going to have any chance to escape relegation this season.
This represents a game with two sides that are desperate and eager for three points. One to try avoid relegation, and one to try kick start another push for the playoffs.
