GORDON Gibb, the man who twice tried to buy York City, has turned his attention to cash-troubled Nationwide League division one outfit Bradford City.

Gibb, the owner of north Yorkshire's Flamingo Land theme park near Pickering, is believed to be part of a consortium of businessmen gathered together by current Bradford City chairman Geoffrey Richmond to gain control of the club.

It was Richmond, the one-time Scarborough FC owner, who sanctioned the placing of the Bantams into administration last month after spiralling wage costs and the collapse of ITV Digital left the Valley Parade club with crippling debts of £13million.

One of the first tasks of the administrators was to sack 16 of the club's highest-earning senior players, but that did not stop close on 20 parties registering their interest in snapping up the club.

Richmond's consortium is reported to feature Gibb, who, after failing in a bid to buy York City 18 months ago, was back in for the Minstermen when the club was put up for sale by Bootham Crescent Holdings last December. However, former City chairman Douglas Craig always maintained he never received a bid for City from Gibb.

Updated: 12:16 Thursday, June 20, 2002