With around 20,000 people visiting the museum this season, it would be fair to say that the move to our new home has been an unqualified success.
We are already planning for next season, opening with an exhibition featuring City programmes from 1903 to date. Also before the first league game of the season we will be hosting a City flag competition. Bring along your flags, large and small. The flags will be draped all over the museum and the most popular will win a modest prize.
The museum will have a presence at Thornton Local History Day on 28 June. The theme this year is sport and leisure, so we will be showing contracts and images from the life of City player and Thornton resident Donald Duckett. He played at Valley Parade between 1914-24, with majority of his 165 appearances being in the top flight of English football.
I would like to thank all the volunteers who have given their time so generously to the museum and café this season. In particular thanks are due to Leeds Metropolitan University, whose sponsorship pays the lease on the museum space.
Saturday 26 April 2008
Saturday 19 April 2008
Grimsby
It all began on a Tuesday evening overlooking the Humber in the fishing port of Grimsby. Fully, 105 years ago on 1 September 1903, the first ever Bradford City team ran out in their claret and amber shirts at the beginning of a journey that goes on to this day.
Despite the opening match being on a Tuesday evening, interest was high, with the Great Northern Railway running a three shilling excursion to Grimsby Docks and Cleethorpes. It left Bradford at 12.10pm, arriving at Grimsby Docks at 3.10pm, over two hours before kick off. Two hundred and fifty fans, including several former Manningham rugby players, travelled on the train.
At 5.30pm City kicked off their first ever game. Around 10,000 fans witnessed the game and they sportingly cheered the visitors when the ‘Manningham’ jerseys came onto the pitch. The infant City side had adopted the colours of their predecessors Manningham Rugby Club. Indeed, throughout the first season City played in Manningham’s claret and amber hooped shirts.
Grimsby had been relegated from the First Division the previous season, so they were hot favourites to beat the Football League’s newest team. However, City did most of the attacking, but chances were repeatedly wasted. Old habits died hard, during a spell of City pressure a cry of ‘nah Manningham’ was heard. It was a keen game, but Grimsby deservedly won 2-0.
Among that first ever line up was George Robinson. He was to remain at Valley Parade for nineteen years, making 377 appearances, including the 1911 FA Cup Final victory. Even after his retirement, he worked in a garage near the ground and was a supporter of the club until his death in 1945.
Prior to the MK Dons game, City Gent duo Mark Neale and Mike Harrison will be giving a presentation on the ‘nearly’ season of 1987/88. Mark has recently discovered several press photographs from that season, which will illustrate the talk. We are hopful that players from the season will be in attendance. The talk begins at 1.30pm.
Despite the opening match being on a Tuesday evening, interest was high, with the Great Northern Railway running a three shilling excursion to Grimsby Docks and Cleethorpes. It left Bradford at 12.10pm, arriving at Grimsby Docks at 3.10pm, over two hours before kick off. Two hundred and fifty fans, including several former Manningham rugby players, travelled on the train.
At 5.30pm City kicked off their first ever game. Around 10,000 fans witnessed the game and they sportingly cheered the visitors when the ‘Manningham’ jerseys came onto the pitch. The infant City side had adopted the colours of their predecessors Manningham Rugby Club. Indeed, throughout the first season City played in Manningham’s claret and amber hooped shirts.
Grimsby had been relegated from the First Division the previous season, so they were hot favourites to beat the Football League’s newest team. However, City did most of the attacking, but chances were repeatedly wasted. Old habits died hard, during a spell of City pressure a cry of ‘nah Manningham’ was heard. It was a keen game, but Grimsby deservedly won 2-0.
Among that first ever line up was George Robinson. He was to remain at Valley Parade for nineteen years, making 377 appearances, including the 1911 FA Cup Final victory. Even after his retirement, he worked in a garage near the ground and was a supporter of the club until his death in 1945.
Prior to the MK Dons game, City Gent duo Mark Neale and Mike Harrison will be giving a presentation on the ‘nearly’ season of 1987/88. Mark has recently discovered several press photographs from that season, which will illustrate the talk. We are hopful that players from the season will be in attendance. The talk begins at 1.30pm.
Tuesday 8 April 2008
Barnet
With only two homes games remaining, there’s not much time left to catch our exhibition about women’s football in Bradford. During the summer we are hoping that the exhibition will move to the home of Bradford City Women’s Football Club, Thackley AFC.
The women’s football club first team have one remaining Sunday fixture to play, when they entertain Scunthorpe on 27 April. Kick off is 2pm and admission is free. They also have two home fixtures against Curzon Ashton and Middlesbrough to arrange, keep an eye on the local press or www.bcwfc.co.uk for further details. The women’s football club recently won their section of the Valley Parade memorial tournament, when they defeated Bradford Park Avenue 3-1.
Joe Colbeck and Kyle Nix presented the trophies and even Stuart McCall managed to watch his son in action before making the trip to Rotherham. It was a successful tournament for City with the U14s thrashing Bradford Park Avenue 6-0 in their final. The U12s lost their final in extra time to Bradford’s twin town Hamm of Germany.
Players and officials from several of the clubs were at our home game with Chesterfield, where the Easter weekend was topped off with a home victory. Once again it was a magnificent effort from Carl Dalton and his team at Bradford Council’s Sport and Leisure department and the Prison Officers’ Association. In the museum we have on display the tournaments former trophies, which were retired to the museum last year following their replacement after twenty-one years of use.
Prior to the Grimsby game City fan Manny Dominguez will be giving a presentation on the campaign to bring back standing areas to English football grounds. The talk starts at 1.30pm and as usual admission is free.
The women’s football club first team have one remaining Sunday fixture to play, when they entertain Scunthorpe on 27 April. Kick off is 2pm and admission is free. They also have two home fixtures against Curzon Ashton and Middlesbrough to arrange, keep an eye on the local press or www.bcwfc.co.uk for further details. The women’s football club recently won their section of the Valley Parade memorial tournament, when they defeated Bradford Park Avenue 3-1.
Joe Colbeck and Kyle Nix presented the trophies and even Stuart McCall managed to watch his son in action before making the trip to Rotherham. It was a successful tournament for City with the U14s thrashing Bradford Park Avenue 6-0 in their final. The U12s lost their final in extra time to Bradford’s twin town Hamm of Germany.
Players and officials from several of the clubs were at our home game with Chesterfield, where the Easter weekend was topped off with a home victory. Once again it was a magnificent effort from Carl Dalton and his team at Bradford Council’s Sport and Leisure department and the Prison Officers’ Association. In the museum we have on display the tournaments former trophies, which were retired to the museum last year following their replacement after twenty-one years of use.
Prior to the Grimsby game City fan Manny Dominguez will be giving a presentation on the campaign to bring back standing areas to English football grounds. The talk starts at 1.30pm and as usual admission is free.
Saturday 5 April 2008
Morecambe
Undoubtedly, the real success at Valley Parade this season has been off the field. With the crippling debts finally cleared and the stunning success of the season ticket offer there is, despite the erratic performances on the field, a good feel about the club.
The relocation of the museum above the club shop has been an unqualified triumph. In conjunction with the volunteer run café, the museum is rapidly becoming the place to be in the hours running up to kick off. It’s noticeable that fans have been arriving earlier and earlier as the season has progressed.
With our regular presentations, exhibitions and good value café, there’s plenty to see and do. If you are one of the few City fans who hasn’t visited us yet, come along before the end of the season. We are far from a dusty archive, more a vibrant Bantams community, doing our little bit to help improve Valley Parade.
Next season we are planning a programme exhibition, featuring every design produced over the last 105 years. We already have the majority of the designs produced, but not being experts in the field of programmes, we would gratefully welcome any help offered. Please drop into the museum before any home game and ask for myself. Or email davidpendleton1@googlemail.com
Prior to the Grimsby Town game Manny Dominguez will be giving a presentation on the campaign to bring back standing areas to English football grounds. The talk will commence at 1.30pm and as usual admission is free.
The relocation of the museum above the club shop has been an unqualified triumph. In conjunction with the volunteer run café, the museum is rapidly becoming the place to be in the hours running up to kick off. It’s noticeable that fans have been arriving earlier and earlier as the season has progressed.
With our regular presentations, exhibitions and good value café, there’s plenty to see and do. If you are one of the few City fans who hasn’t visited us yet, come along before the end of the season. We are far from a dusty archive, more a vibrant Bantams community, doing our little bit to help improve Valley Parade.
Next season we are planning a programme exhibition, featuring every design produced over the last 105 years. We already have the majority of the designs produced, but not being experts in the field of programmes, we would gratefully welcome any help offered. Please drop into the museum before any home game and ask for myself. Or email davidpendleton1@googlemail.com
Prior to the Grimsby Town game Manny Dominguez will be giving a presentation on the campaign to bring back standing areas to English football grounds. The talk will commence at 1.30pm and as usual admission is free.
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