Lights, camera, action. Park Avenue have been the Bradford club in the spotlight this week.
Television crews from local news have visited Horsfall Stadium during the week and put together footage for the broadcast that was featured on regional magazine programmes leading up to the weekend.
The reason for the interest is Avenue’s FA Cup fourth-qualifying round tie at Kidsgrove Athletic.
John Deacey has led his squad to this tie and the obvious carrot is that the next stage is the first-round proper when the Football League clubs come into the competition, beginning talk of a possible derby clash with the Manningham lot.
Avenue manager Deacey warned they are not that far yet but it has been a profitable journey.
He said: “Everyone loves a run in the FA Cup. The fans revel in it, the board are delighted with it because of the revenue it generates, the players get excited and practice goal celebrations that might be on TV and I love ot - but for very different reasons.
“It puts us on the map, and that’s what means the most to me personally. No non-league club is ever going to win the cup but getting through a few rounds does swell the coffers.
"But for me it’s the raising of the profile of the club that is most rewarding. There is something about hearing people talking about your club, reading about your club and even watching your club on the local news that is pleasing.”
Not that Deacey is a media darling - quite the opposite.
He is a quiet man and is uncomfortable when on centre stage. He featured on national television a few short years ago when he was Lee Sinnott’s assistant at Farsley Celtic.
Setanta Sports had the broadcasting rights for the Blue Square and the Celts' home clash in the Premier Division against York City was chosen as a live game.
Former Bantams and Terriers defender Sinnott was head-hunted by Port Vale and he left Throstle Nest just days before the game.
That left a nervous-looking Deacey being interviewed by Rebecca Lowes, who is now asking the manager’s questions on behalf of ESPN for their Premier League coverage. The anxious memories of that came flooding back to the Bradford boss this week.
Deacey continued: “I’m not one for all that. I like my club to have a high profile but I like to keep mine much lower.
"It was a nightmare for me when - in my first game in charge of Farsley - the television cameras were all over the place for the York City game.
“They used to interview you in the dug out during the game then, and I didn’t like that either. The TV people have followed us around a bit this week - at training before the midweek FA Trophy replay at Worksop Town, and I’m still not keen.
“The game is all about the players, not managers. We should be able to go about our job and be answerable to our boards and chairmen while all of the interest is on the lads running about out there on the pitch and the club as a whole.”
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