Bradford (Park Avenue) goalkeeper Craig Ellison was one of the few players to experience relegation with the side last season, but he insists having some people left at the club with those painful memories alongside a host of new faces is the ideal balance.

The likes of Jak Whiting, Harry Colville and Ellison tried desperately to keep the club in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, but they and boss Danny Whitaker came just short, Avenue going down with a game to spare.

The quartet remain at Horsfall, but otherwise much has changed, as Avenue look to climb back up the non-league ladder after two successive relegations.

Speaking to the T&A, Ellison insisted: “I think it works both ways.

“The lads who have experienced relegation here, like myself and a couple of others, we’re hungry to turn it around and make sure we bounce back straightaway.

“But it gives a bit of ambition to those coming in to match that drive and make sure we go up.

“We’re all working together towards the same thing, so regardless of whether we were here when we went down or whether we’re new to the team, we all know where the club should be and needs to be.”

As well as being a freshened-up squad, it is also a largely young and inexperienced one, though Ellison, Ed Hall and James Hanson are notable exceptions to that.

James Hanson brings his extensive Football League experience with him to Horsfall, having first joined Avenue at the end of March.James Hanson brings his extensive Football League experience with him to Horsfall, having first joined Avenue at the end of March. (Image: John Rhodes.)

Ellison said: “I think it’s a good mix, because we’ve got energy in the squad, as well as good, technical young lads.

“Myself and a few others have got experience too, so it’s the right balance.

“As a group, it’s worked pretty well, because if you only have older heads, because you need energy and youth in the team, especially towards the back end of a season when fatigue can kick in.

“But you also need direction and know how in the squad, just to get yourselves through those tough games.”

Over the last few years, Avenue’s back up keeper has tended to be either a youth product or goalkeeping coach Danny King, who is now at Guiseley.

But there are now two genuine contenders to be the club’s No.1 in Ellison and Hall, with the former reflecting: “Competition’s the best thing you can have.

“There’s nothing worse than plodding along knowing you’re guaranteed to be the starting goalkeeper whatever you do.

“You have to be pushed and having Ed here’s brilliant, because he’s not just a young lad to be there as back-up, he’s got a bit about him.

“It’s made sure I can never rest and I know I’ve always got to be at the top of my game because Ed’s very talented, with a lot of ability.”

Both have started in goal for Avenue this pre-season, with the side unbeaten so far ahead of today’s clash at Golcar United, with their last game being a 3-1 win at Wakefield AFC in midweek.

Ellison is pleased with the early signs, saying: “A good pre-season can give you a platform to kick on.

“More for us, it’s about getting to know each other, bonding as a team and getting that way of playing sorted.

“We know how we want to go about things, with the lads and the ability we’ve got in the squad to get the ball down and play football.

“It’s just having confidence and trusting each other, building that up throughout pre-season.”