Deacey says Boro spell was his first failure as a boss

Deacey, who was named as Bradford Park Avenue's best manager since 1988 in an online poll, admitted that things did not go well for him during his time in charge at the Flamingo Land Stadium.

The Harrogate-born manager took charge of Scarborough Athletic last April and left the club after a poor start to the NPL season in the last week of November 2019.

Speaking to the Bradford Telegraph and Argus, Deacey said: “It is the first job that you could ever say I failed in, but I am still the only manager who has ever won a trophy at Scarborough.

“When I was there we had injuries and it didn’t quite go for me. You sometimes have unlucky seasons.”

Deacey also predicts that the non-league game may become more competitive when football is safe enough to resume properly.

He said: “I think it is going to be more of a level playing field because I don’t think clubs are going to have the money. I don’t think clubs are going to get sponsorship from businesses.”

The former Farsley Celtic boss spent a total of six years at Park Avenue, taking the managerial hotseat on three separate occasions, and became a fans' favourite.