City’s FA Cup winning manager Peter O’Rourke shook the young goalkeeper by the hand. “In all the time you play football, you will not let as many goals in again”. In a wartime fixture City had just lost 9-1 at York.
Shipping nine goals was hardly the stuff of dreams for debutant keeper Ken Teasdale, but the warm words of O’Rourke went some way to tempering his disappointment. However, one month later Ken was between the sticks when City lost 10-0 at home to Bradford Park Avenue!
Ken Teasdale, one of the great characters of Bradford sport, recently passed away. Ken was Bradford City’s wartime goalkeeper, but will be best remembered by generations of local league players as a football referee and cricket umpire.
Ken played 71 games for City during World War Two. His debut in the nine-goal thrashing at York on 14 November 1942 warrants some explanation. York were one of the strongest wartime teams due to the close proximity of Catterick army barracks. Teams could field guest players and those who had service bases nearby often fielded several internationals.
City struggled to field a consistent team throughout the war as the majority of the players were scattered all over the world in the armed forces. However, results did improve and Ken retained his place until the end of the conflict when he returned to his job as a postman.
In 1996 Ken was one of Bradford City’s guests of honour when footage of wartime football was screened at Pictureville Cinema. He spoke fondly of his days at Valley Parade and caused much laughter with his story about letting nine goals in on his debut.
Ken was England’s longest serving and oldest football referee before he finally retired at the age of seventy-five. On the cricket field Ken was associated with the Bradford Central League as a wicket keeper, umpire and secretary between 1943-2007.
The thoughts of everyone at Valley Parade are with Ken’s family during this difficult time. Bradford has lost one of its truly remarkable sporting sons.
Saturday 15 March 2008
Saturday 1 March 2008
Dagenham & Redbridge
This afternoon we launched an exhibition on women’s football in Bradford. Fittingly, the players, friends and families of Bradford City Women’s Football Club are our guests at this afternoon’s match.
At halftime there will be a five-a-side match featuring the women’s football club. One of the aims of the museum’s exhibition is to strengthen the relationship with the women’s football club. I’m delighted to report that after several positive meetings, the ties between City and the women’s football club are now the best they have been for a decade.
Bradford City Women's Football Club was formed in 1988 and were founder members of the Yorkshire and Humberside League the following year. Promotion and good cup runs set a high standard in the first season.
The late nineties saw the women’s U16 team play at Wembley as a curtain raiser to City’s play-off triumph. With over 30,000 Bradfordians beneath the Twin Towers, it was a huge publicity boost for the women’s club.
The following year the first team were promoted to the Women’s Premier League. It put them up against many semi-professional teams. For two seasons City held their own against the likes of the Doncaster Belles, Arsenal and Everton.
Another link with the Valley Parade team came with Lorraine Kennedy’s appointment as manager of the women’s team. It was a remarkable double, as her father Bobby Kennedy was City’s manager between 1975-78. Bobby is still fondly remembered as the manager who took City to the FA Cup quarter final in 1976.
The women’s football club has teams playing at U12, 14 and16 levels. The first team plays at Thackley’s Ainsbury Avenue ground on Sunday afternoons. Admission is free of charge, so why not go along and offer your support?
At halftime there will be a five-a-side match featuring the women’s football club. One of the aims of the museum’s exhibition is to strengthen the relationship with the women’s football club. I’m delighted to report that after several positive meetings, the ties between City and the women’s football club are now the best they have been for a decade.
Bradford City Women's Football Club was formed in 1988 and were founder members of the Yorkshire and Humberside League the following year. Promotion and good cup runs set a high standard in the first season.
The late nineties saw the women’s U16 team play at Wembley as a curtain raiser to City’s play-off triumph. With over 30,000 Bradfordians beneath the Twin Towers, it was a huge publicity boost for the women’s club.
The following year the first team were promoted to the Women’s Premier League. It put them up against many semi-professional teams. For two seasons City held their own against the likes of the Doncaster Belles, Arsenal and Everton.
Another link with the Valley Parade team came with Lorraine Kennedy’s appointment as manager of the women’s team. It was a remarkable double, as her father Bobby Kennedy was City’s manager between 1975-78. Bobby is still fondly remembered as the manager who took City to the FA Cup quarter final in 1976.
The women’s football club has teams playing at U12, 14 and16 levels. The first team plays at Thackley’s Ainsbury Avenue ground on Sunday afternoons. Admission is free of charge, so why not go along and offer your support?
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