CHRISTMAS is rarely the most wonderful time of the year for Bradford (Park Avenue), but there is some real festive cheer spreading around Horsfall for a change.
A run of three wins in a row, including a superb injury-time turnaround at Buxton, has put them four points clear of the National League North relegation zone ahead of the visit of this season’s surprise package, Scarborough Athletic, on Saturday.
Even the postponement of their match at King’s Lynn Town last weekend due to a frozen pitch was not too much of a disappointment for Avenue, veteran midfielder Simon Richman admitting the players were glad it gave them chance to watch England’s FIFA World Cup quarter-final against France properly, rather than on the team bus with poor signal.
And with Avenue having played on an artificial surface at Horsfall since the start of the 2020/21 season, they are one of the few non-league clubs who should have no trouble getting their game on this weekend in the current cold snap.
The last time Avenue were enjoying the festive period this much was back in 2018, when they were riding high at the summit of National League North.
Mark Bower’s side had already enjoyed sensational away wins at Nuneaton Borough (6-0) and York City (4-1) in October and November respectively.
And their good form continued into December, with the highlight a sensational 5-1 win at fierce rivals Guiseley on Boxing Day to put them three points clear at the top of the table.
Their season went south after that, and they failed to win again until a 2-0 victory over Chester on February 23.
Eventually they had to settle for finishing seventh and a spot in the play-offs, where they were beaten in the quarter-finals by Spennymoor Town.
Though the aim this year is very much avoiding relegation, with four teams set to go down, rather than a shock promotion, the objective remains the same: Avenue must bottle this current festive cheer and carry it on into the New Year.
But at least 2018 was a happy Christmas, as the same certainly cannot be said of the following three years.
Following wholesale changes at the club, including the shock departure of Bower, at the end of the 2018/19 season, Avenue made a woeful start to the following campaign.
The departure of new chief executive Damian Irvine just two days before the start of the season did not bode well, with the sacking of former Bradford City midfielder Garry Thompson as player/manager after just two league games, both 5-0 defeats, only compounding the chaos.
Marcus Law came and went after 10 games in interim charge, and even the return of Bower at the end of September did little to halt the slide.
Avenue were already well adrift at the foot of the table by December, with their only league wins before that coming against Darlington (1-0) and Hereford (3-2).
And though December 7 brought a fine 2-0 home win over Altrincham, the rest of the month was a disaster, with three straight league defeats and an embarrassing FA Trophy exit at the hands of lower-level Halesowen Town.
In the end, Avenue were spared certain relegation when the coronavirus pandemic caused the season to end early in March 2020, before officially being declared null and void that June.
And coronavirus was still causing problems the following season.
The campaign did not get underway until October, and Avenue only won three of their 11 league games up to December.
They started the month with a wild 3-3 draw at AFC Fylde, Lewis Knight netting a last-gasp equaliser, but lost three of their other four December games, the exception being a wonderful 4-2 win over York at Horsfall on Boxing Day.
Avenue only played twice more after December, drawing 1-1 at home to Boston United and 3-3 against Chester, before that season was also eventually curtailed by the virus.
After two null and void seasons in a row, 2021/22 thankfully went ahead in full.
But Bower's side were in trouble as the calendar year came to an end.
Successive 5-1 away defeats, to Kidderminster Harriers and Alfreton Town in October, were the low point, and Avenue entered December with just three wins to their name, facing yet another relegation battle.
Results-wise, December was okay, as Avenue drew four of their five games, which included a pair of 3-3s in the FA Trophy against Marine and FC Halifax Town (they won the former on penalties, but lost the shootout in the latter).
But it was the call-offs that proved costly for the club, as they lost the chance to face Halifax at home on a Saturday in that FA Trophy encounter, and the prospect of a bumper crowd at Horsfall for the visit of York on Boxing Day, the former postponed by fog, the latter due to 'adverse weather conditions' in Bradford.
Those games eventually had to be played in midweek, meaning a smaller gate and less revenue for the club.
It would be naive to suggest that everything is perfect in the run up to Christmas this time around for Avenue, given they are still only four points above the four-team drop zone.
But after three wins in a row, and an unmatched team spirit according to Richman, it would be silly to ignore the fuzzy festive feeling at Avenue right now.
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