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?
Saturday, 9 February 2008
Bury
Bradford City’s finest hour came in 1911 when we became the first winners of the current trophy. On display in the museum is the FA Cup Final ball and Jimmy Speirs winners’ medal.
The club’s ‘crown jewels’ recently travelled with the U-13 team for their tournament in Arizona. Mark Lawn and David Baldwin accompanied City’s youngsters. Apparently, David kept the 1911 ball on his lap all the way across the Atlantic!
The trip was a success on and off the field. City won the competition and the Americans were delighted to be able to see the ball and medal. Even the former England coach Steve McLaren, who was coaching at the tournament, joined the clamour to hold Speirs’ medal.
The forthcoming women’s football exhibition is on track for its 1 March opening. Last week Bradford City WFC chairperson Sally Chaplin and myself had a very positive meeting with David Baldwin. One of the aims of the exhibition is to bring the men’s and women’s clubs closer together, so it is pleasing to see that happening before the exhibition has even opened.
A roof-mounted projector will shortly be installed in the museum. In conjunction with a radio microphone and built in speakers, it will transform our pre-match presentations. The equipment comes courtesy of Leeds Metropolitan University. They are currently refurbishing a block of classrooms and the projector has become surplus to requirements. We would like to thank City fan John Lynch for sourcing the projector.
We have had the Telegraph & Argus that reported the fire disaster in 1985 reframed. The paper had been put in a second hand frame back in 2003 and to be honest it was a bit of a rough job. The new frame contains the entire paper. In effect it is a mini-time capsule and when it needs to be reframed in years to come someone will have a pleasant surprise.
The club’s ‘crown jewels’ recently travelled with the U-13 team for their tournament in Arizona. Mark Lawn and David Baldwin accompanied City’s youngsters. Apparently, David kept the 1911 ball on his lap all the way across the Atlantic!
The trip was a success on and off the field. City won the competition and the Americans were delighted to be able to see the ball and medal. Even the former England coach Steve McLaren, who was coaching at the tournament, joined the clamour to hold Speirs’ medal.
The forthcoming women’s football exhibition is on track for its 1 March opening. Last week Bradford City WFC chairperson Sally Chaplin and myself had a very positive meeting with David Baldwin. One of the aims of the exhibition is to bring the men’s and women’s clubs closer together, so it is pleasing to see that happening before the exhibition has even opened.
A roof-mounted projector will shortly be installed in the museum. In conjunction with a radio microphone and built in speakers, it will transform our pre-match presentations. The equipment comes courtesy of Leeds Metropolitan University. They are currently refurbishing a block of classrooms and the projector has become surplus to requirements. We would like to thank City fan John Lynch for sourcing the projector.
We have had the Telegraph & Argus that reported the fire disaster in 1985 reframed. The paper had been put in a second hand frame back in 2003 and to be honest it was a bit of a rough job. The new frame contains the entire paper. In effect it is a mini-time capsule and when it needs to be reframed in years to come someone will have a pleasant surprise.
Tuesday, 29 January 2008
Shrewsbury Town
Looking across towards the Midland Road during the Notts County game, I couldn’t help recalling the last time we met County in the league.
On a cold Tuesday night in March 1996, then chairman Geoffrey Richmond boldly announced the building of the very Midland Road stand I was looking at. It was ironic that its eventual capacity would have comfortably accommodated the sparse attendance that witnessed City’s single goal victory over the Magpies.
Barely eight weeks later over 30,000 Bradfordians travelled to Wembley to see City defeat Notts County in the play-off final. It was the beginning of a dramatic decade that saw promotion to the Premiership, the complete rebuilding of Valley Parade and our European debut. The flip side was unsustainable wages and the eventual financial collapse of the club. Benito Carbone’s £40,000 a week wages are even more astonishing when viewed from our current position.
Apart from the unforgettable memories, one positive we have from our Premiership sojourn is the support levels the club still enjoys. Despite three relegations and two financial collapses in six years, as long as the fans stay loyal to the club, we have every reason to remain positive.
Supporters will have the chance to peek into the museum archive prior to the Bury game on 9th February. Images from 1903-22 will be shown on the big screen.
The presentation will cover the golden age of Bradford City. From the formation of the club in 1903, promotion to the First Division in 1908 and FA Cup win of 1911.
On a cold Tuesday night in March 1996, then chairman Geoffrey Richmond boldly announced the building of the very Midland Road stand I was looking at. It was ironic that its eventual capacity would have comfortably accommodated the sparse attendance that witnessed City’s single goal victory over the Magpies.
Barely eight weeks later over 30,000 Bradfordians travelled to Wembley to see City defeat Notts County in the play-off final. It was the beginning of a dramatic decade that saw promotion to the Premiership, the complete rebuilding of Valley Parade and our European debut. The flip side was unsustainable wages and the eventual financial collapse of the club. Benito Carbone’s £40,000 a week wages are even more astonishing when viewed from our current position.
Apart from the unforgettable memories, one positive we have from our Premiership sojourn is the support levels the club still enjoys. Despite three relegations and two financial collapses in six years, as long as the fans stay loyal to the club, we have every reason to remain positive.
Supporters will have the chance to peek into the museum archive prior to the Bury game on 9th February. Images from 1903-22 will be shown on the big screen.
The presentation will cover the golden age of Bradford City. From the formation of the club in 1903, promotion to the First Division in 1908 and FA Cup win of 1911.
Saturday, 12 January 2008
Notts County
On 1 March Bradford City’s bantamspast museum will be launching an exhibition on women’s football in Bradford. It will feature the forgotten history of women’s football with five figure crowds in 1921, a fifty-year FA ban right through to the current Bradford City WFC.
The exhibition will be in three parts. Firstly, the golden age of women’s football in the 1920s. When matches against the Preston based Dick Kerr’s Ladies attracted crowds of up to 10,000 to Valley Parade. Two Bradford teams, Manningham Ladies from Lister’s Mill and Hey’s Ladies from the Bradford brewery, raised hundreds of pounds for charity during their matches against Dick Kerr’s.
The next part will focus on the current Bradford City Women’s Football Club and the re-emergence of the women’s game in the 1980s. The Football Association banned women’s football in 1921. The ban effectively killed the women’s game and it wasn’t lifted until 1971.
The game began a slow rebirth. In the late eighties after the Football in the Community scheme had trained girls from local schools, a Bradford City team was formed. The highlight thus far was two years in the Women’s Premier League. They current play home games on Sunday afternoons at Thackley AFC. We hope that the exhibition will help to forge a close relationship between the women’s football club and Bradford City.
The final part of the exhibition will be about women’s experiences of watching matches at Valley Parade. It’s incredible to think that before the rebuilding of the ground in 1986 there was only one women’s toilet in the whole ground. Indeed, in the 1950s women had to leave the ground to use a toilet in a nearby house! What a contrast to today’s facilities.
We need memories and experiences for the exhibition. Please call in at the museum before any home game and ask for David Pendleton. Alternatively, write c/o Bradford City AFC, Valley Parade, Bradford, BD8 7DY, or email dpen@blueyonder.co.uk
The exhibition will be in three parts. Firstly, the golden age of women’s football in the 1920s. When matches against the Preston based Dick Kerr’s Ladies attracted crowds of up to 10,000 to Valley Parade. Two Bradford teams, Manningham Ladies from Lister’s Mill and Hey’s Ladies from the Bradford brewery, raised hundreds of pounds for charity during their matches against Dick Kerr’s.
The next part will focus on the current Bradford City Women’s Football Club and the re-emergence of the women’s game in the 1980s. The Football Association banned women’s football in 1921. The ban effectively killed the women’s game and it wasn’t lifted until 1971.
The game began a slow rebirth. In the late eighties after the Football in the Community scheme had trained girls from local schools, a Bradford City team was formed. The highlight thus far was two years in the Women’s Premier League. They current play home games on Sunday afternoons at Thackley AFC. We hope that the exhibition will help to forge a close relationship between the women’s football club and Bradford City.
The final part of the exhibition will be about women’s experiences of watching matches at Valley Parade. It’s incredible to think that before the rebuilding of the ground in 1986 there was only one women’s toilet in the whole ground. Indeed, in the 1950s women had to leave the ground to use a toilet in a nearby house! What a contrast to today’s facilities.
We need memories and experiences for the exhibition. Please call in at the museum before any home game and ask for David Pendleton. Alternatively, write c/o Bradford City AFC, Valley Parade, Bradford, BD8 7DY, or email dpen@blueyonder.co.uk
Saturday, 15 December 2007
Rotherham United
The museum will be launching its new exhibition about women’s football in Bradford prior to the Dagenham and Redbridge match. A presentation about the history of the women’s game will take place at 1.30pm.
Although women’s football dates back to at least 1895, it was the Preston based Dick Kerr’s Ladies team who popularised the women’s game. They began playing matches to raise money for charities at the end of the First World War. They became a national institution and their success lead to the formation of hundreds of clubs.
In April 1921 Manningham Ladies, made up of workers from Lister’s Mill, was formed to play Dick Kerr’s in a charity match at Valley Parade. Despite only being formed six weeks before the match, the Manningham Ladies gave a good account of themselves, but the visitors ran out comfortable winners. More importantly, the ten thousand crowd raised £900 for Bradford hospitals and the Earl Haigh Fund.
The match inspired the formation of another Bradford team, Hey’s Ladies who were based at a Lumb Lane brewery. They also lost to Dick Kerr’s at Valley Parade, but helped raise £184 for the lifeboat fund. However, Hey’s went onto establish themselves as the leading team in Yorkshire.
The rising popularity of women’s football was viewed with unease at the Football Association. When Dick Kerr’s played several matches to aid striking miners, the FA decided to act. In December 1921 they banned women from playing on Football League grounds. The FA statement said: “The game of football is quite unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged." In reality, it was a combination of sexism and politics that lead to the banning of the women’s game.
The games moved to rugby and athletic grounds. Hey’s played several games at Greenfield Stadium at Dudley Hill. The highlight was a match against Olympique de Paris, which was played in aid of Reims Cathedral Restoration Fund and the Bradford Hospital Fund. There was even a cup competition played against teams from all over Yorkshire.
However, the FA ban slowly stifled the women’s game. It remained in place for fifty long years. Even after it was lifted in 1971, it was a decade before the game really began to recover. The 1980s saw an explosion of interest with many clubs, including Bradford City WFC, being formed.
The Women’s World Cup of 1999 in the USA, followed by the 2005 tournament in England, re-established the women’s game in the public mind. Today, football is the most popular participation sport among girls and women in Britain.
Although women’s football dates back to at least 1895, it was the Preston based Dick Kerr’s Ladies team who popularised the women’s game. They began playing matches to raise money for charities at the end of the First World War. They became a national institution and their success lead to the formation of hundreds of clubs.
In April 1921 Manningham Ladies, made up of workers from Lister’s Mill, was formed to play Dick Kerr’s in a charity match at Valley Parade. Despite only being formed six weeks before the match, the Manningham Ladies gave a good account of themselves, but the visitors ran out comfortable winners. More importantly, the ten thousand crowd raised £900 for Bradford hospitals and the Earl Haigh Fund.
The match inspired the formation of another Bradford team, Hey’s Ladies who were based at a Lumb Lane brewery. They also lost to Dick Kerr’s at Valley Parade, but helped raise £184 for the lifeboat fund. However, Hey’s went onto establish themselves as the leading team in Yorkshire.
The rising popularity of women’s football was viewed with unease at the Football Association. When Dick Kerr’s played several matches to aid striking miners, the FA decided to act. In December 1921 they banned women from playing on Football League grounds. The FA statement said: “The game of football is quite unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged." In reality, it was a combination of sexism and politics that lead to the banning of the women’s game.
The games moved to rugby and athletic grounds. Hey’s played several games at Greenfield Stadium at Dudley Hill. The highlight was a match against Olympique de Paris, which was played in aid of Reims Cathedral Restoration Fund and the Bradford Hospital Fund. There was even a cup competition played against teams from all over Yorkshire.
However, the FA ban slowly stifled the women’s game. It remained in place for fifty long years. Even after it was lifted in 1971, it was a decade before the game really began to recover. The 1980s saw an explosion of interest with many clubs, including Bradford City WFC, being formed.
The Women’s World Cup of 1999 in the USA, followed by the 2005 tournament in England, re-established the women’s game in the public mind. Today, football is the most popular participation sport among girls and women in Britain.
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