Wealthier Than The Bingley

After the weather enforced fortnight’s break, Mossley's league campaign gets back under way with the first of our two scheduled trips within the space of a month to Bradford Park Avenue.

On the pitch though things aren’t going too well for ex-Mossley manager Benny Philips as Avenue’s promotion challenge is rapidly turning into a fight to remain in a play-off spot. In fact since I wrote that sentence Benny has become an ex-Bradford Park Avenue manager as well.

Last Tuesday's home draw with Clitheroe turned out to be his last match in charge; the final match in a sequence of eight league games in which they picked up just two wins (though they lost only two as well). Also in the same period their first choice XI were beaten in a friendly by a visiting Ashton United side made up of trialists and fringe players.

On the face of it being sacked (or leaving by mutual consent) for performances when the team you manage is in fourth place seems incredibly harsh. Looking at the bigger picture though, when you're being backed by an ambitious chairman with a wage bill reported to be around £5000 per week the stakes are going to be considerably higher; it's the rough to go with the smoothness of being able to afford to sign anybody you practically want at this level. So be careful that you don't trip over the bags of money they must have lying around... ;)

The managerial change has also instigated an influx of new faces on the playing side with five players signing on loan from Conference sides. Whilst it may look like an admittedly impressive transfer coup at first glance, those Conference clubs are Droylsden and Farsley who are both doing their best to stink the league out this year, and they're hardly likely to let the better players go. I mean look at our loan signings from similar levels last season!

Away from the comings and goings on their bench, the attentions of Avenue's fans have been distracted by their chairman's announcement of a new sports complex that the team will be a central component of – primarily as the tenants of a 20,000 capacity stadium. Yes, 20,000! The owner obviously believing in the 'Field of Dreams' principle of “Build it and they will come”.

The first meeting between the two sides this season took place back in August at Seel Park when Jamie Miller scored a late equaliser to earn Mossley a deserved point. Turning out for Bradford that day were ex-Mossley players Adam Morning and Danny Meadowcroft but both have since moved onto new pastures on the Cheshire salt flats. Some ex-Lilywhites still remain in the shape of Jon Worsnop and Ross Clegg whilst Lee Connor will be playing his first game at the Horsfall Stadium since leaving Avenue to captain Mossley in the summer.

Prediction: While there's the possibility that Benny's departure may give Bradford that adrenalin like shot to the heart (otherwise known as New Manager Syndrome), I think that Avenue are there for the taking and took they will be: Mossley to pick up their first win of 2008.