Bradford (Park Avenue) manager Martin Drury didn’t expect to be in charge of BPA on the opening day, six months ago
Martin Drury admits that being the manager of Bradford (Park Avenue) on the opening day of the 2015-16 Vanarama National League North season wasn’t the career plan 12 months ago.
Drury was forced to retire because of injury last year and soon became John Deacey’s assistant at Horsfall Stadium.
When Deacey departed in May, Drury was given the top job which means he leads Avenue into battle for tomorrow’s curtain-raiser with Alfreton Town at Horsfall.
“It didn’t cross my mind (that would be managing Avenue this time last year) because I wanted to play for another five or six years,” Drury told Non League Yorkshire ahead of his first competitive game in charge of Avenue.
“It is a big shock, but things happen and that’s life.
“But, I love doing it (managing) and I love training, planning, communicating with people, every second of it.
“Playing at this level for a lot of my career is helping because I know roughly where we need to be.
“I’m loving it and the players are making it easy for me because their work ethic is brilliant.”
Ambition is high at Avenue due to the arrival of new owner Gareth Roberts, a rich businessman, in January.
He has helped Drury and his assistant Jamie Price bring in several high profile signings.
However, Drury insists that Avenue are building for the future rather replicating Barrow by going all out for the title.
He said: “First and foremost, the aim is consolidation in this league because you look at the league this year it is the toughest I have ever seen it.
“There are some very good teams in it.
“We have signed some very good players, but we don’t want to get carried away. On the grand scale we’re going to be coming up against players just as good so it is going to be tough.
“I want consistency because I don’t want us to be a team that wins one week and then gets beat the next.
“I want to be picking up points on a regular basis so that hopefully by Christmas we can have a good base to kick on from in the second half of the season.
Drury added: “I wouldn’t say the expectations have risen (since Roberts’ arrival) because they have always been high at this club.
“There has certainly been no pressure put on us to finish in a certain position. The club want consolidation and they want us to build something that isn’t just going to last for one season.
“They want us to build something for the next four to five years. They have the same thoughts as us – to be a strong solid Conference North outfit.
“The backing has been great from the board.
“There has been some numbers thrown about the budget which are far from the mark.
“We certainly won’t be near the top payers in this league. I’d say we will be probably eighth or ninth in terms of budget and I’m guessing at that.
“As a club we are working hard and moving in the right direction, that’s the main thing.”
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