Tom Greaves’ 20-goal haul led to him picking up Bradford Park Avenue’s top scorer’s award at the club’s presentation night last Friday.
Former Bradford City and Leeds United striker Carl Shutt was the first to spot the potential of a raw but enthusiastic Greaves.
When Shutt was Avenue’s manager, when they were founder members of the Conference North (now sponsored by Blue Square Bet), Greaves was the young striker he tried to mould in his own image.
Greaves drifted away from Horsfall Stadium after Shutt’s departure but has since returned and his teamwork, desire and effort have once again endeared him to the club’s supporters.
Avenue director Kevin Hainsworth said: "Tom obviously picked up the top goal-scorer’s award but he was also voted supporters’ player of the season. Everyone loves Tom and he is doing very well at the moment under John Deacey.
“Martin Drury was the players’ player of the season, and once again that was very much a deserved award because he has been almost ever present (played 45 of the club’s 50 games in all competitions) and is consistently well above average.
“The clubman of the year award went to Tim Parker, and the reason for that, largely, is that he has turned the match-day programme around. Tim won it by a country mile after all the votes were counted - that shows how well he has done.
“He is the programme editor and it is a good read now, not just page after page of adverts and statistics but a genuine magazine, if you like.
"I think it has helped that Bakes and Lord, our main sponsors who are printers, have come on board and are actually helping out with the compilation, as well as just producing it.”
The general mood at the end-of-season awards evening was very good, suggesting the play-off semi-final defeat at home to FC United of Manchester has been confined to the annuls of history.
The positive outlook towards the new campaign is keeping spirits high.
Hainsworth added: “We have had some good news regarding next season already in that the board has spoken to John (manager Deacey), and he and Humey (assistant Mark Hume) are both committed to the club.
“Knowing we have a settled management team in place, one who did so well to rescue last season for us, makes us more stable.
"John has been caretaker, Lee Sinnott had a brief spell and Simon (Collins) was rushed in last year after we lost John because of the circumstances.
“It has been a bit hectic or chaotic during pre-season for the last few years but I think with Deac and Humey both committing to us we have the chance of hitting the ground running this time around.
"John has told us he still has one or two people to talk to but is hopeful that he will have all the players back and a few new faces ready to join us.”
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