DESPITE the recent curtailment of Bradford City Women's' season, manager Chris Hames (pictured) is staying positive and believes his team can make good use of this enforced time out.

Hames has been in the post for a little under 18 months and has seen both his seasons at the helm cut short due to the pandemic.

This time City’s first and reserve sides played just four out of 22 and five out of 20 games respectively.

With no action on the pitch since December 2020, the club has moved to form the overall Bradford City Women & Girls set-up under the Community Foundation.

Foundation coach Gareth Davis has now become part of the senior staff, working with reserves coach Manny Mehmood.

This reserve side will now become the under-23s for 2021/22, providing a clear route from City girls’ under-9s through to the senior first team.

Hames and his coaching staff will bring the players back in for training on March 30, in anticipation of some form of football over the spring and summer months.

He said: “We are a highly ambitious side and will use this as an opportunity to continue to develop, to improve and gear ourselves up for a strong campaign next season.

“We want to take this club up. Work has had to be off the pitch, but there has been plenty of it to make sure that when we are back, we can kick on.

“New staff have joined, new ideas and new targets set so it should gear us up for an exciting future.”

Ultimately, Hames could understand why the season had to end early.

“It’s a shame to see. We are all desperate to get back playing, but I do believe that the FAWNL have done all they can to try and find a positive resolution.

“The group have handled it brilliantly. They've really supported each other.

"I’d be keen to see the league give us a cup competition to chew over.

"Failing that, I know a lot of work has been done behind the scenes to make sure some games are played before we break for summer."