Martin Knight, the director of football of BRADFORD (Park Avenue), responded on Twitter to York City’s acquisition of star goalkeeper and captain George Sykes-Kenworthy.
Since joining Avenue in December 2021, former Bantams goalkeeper Sykes-Kenworthy has been probably the team’s greatest player, keeping the squad competitive in his debut season at Horsfall.
Avenue was demoted from the National League North in the previous season, in part because to Sykes-Kenworthy’s valiant efforts, which caused the match to go to the very end.
In the summer of 2022, the goalkeeper signed a two-year contract with Avenue, and he was expected to play a crucial role in the club’s efforts to secure promotion this season. However, despite the expectations, the club, specifically owner Gareth Roberts and director of football Knight, found it necessary to accept an undisclosed fee offered by York for the goalkeeper’s services.
As a result, Sykes-Kenworthy officially left Avenue to join the National League side, which is managed by Neal Ardley. Given Avenue’s current position in the relegation zone of the Northern Premier League Premier Division, the mood among the club’s fans is understandably gloomy, and the sale of their star player has understandably led to frustration.
One fan described Sykes-Kenworthy’s departure as ‘another nail in Avenue’s coffin’ and called for Roberts to leave the club. This comment prompted a tense exchange with Knight.
Avenue has taken swift action to fill the gap left by Sykes-Kenworthy’s departure, securing the loan signing of Bradford City goalkeeper Heath Richardson just in time for a crucial league match at home against Marske United.
Marske United, a North-East side that includes former Avenue strikers Adam Boyes and Eddie Church, has recently won three consecutive games. However, they suffered ten losses in their first eleven matches, making this encounter a crucial one in the relegation battle. If Avenue manages to secure a victory, they will move one point clear of the relegation zone.
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