Bradford Park Avenue (again)

Following on from the other day, did any of you older Reds ever go to a match at BPA? If so, how did the experience differ from a trip to Valley Parade to see a City / Reds match? Would love to hear your memories.

BPA obviously turned into a basket case club towards the end, but it is still seen as a tragedy in the City that events unfolded as they did.

Anyway ........ if I started a sentence these days with 'imagine living in a City like Bradford .....' you'd look at me daft. But if it was 1966 and I started a sentence with 'Imagine living in a City like Bradford with beautiful rows of terraced housing, a still-thriving wool industry, a perfectly kept-park, a connecting rail line, BPA playing at one side and Yorkshire playing at the other' ........ then you can imagine the pride. I loved that ground ........ so many memories, and if BPA hadn't gone under I would no doubt be a follower still. they were my Dads team; he stopped following football through bitterness hence I missed live matches as a kid. In the years it took him to swallow his pride and go watch City, I had discovered Barnsley (via family).

but you can't argue with this scene .......

 

Must have seen BPA at Oakwell but for the life of me can’t recall a game.
I remember the memory man Pete Blackman mentioning BPA in the record books for something like youngest player for something or other , I think it was a sending off but couldn’t swear to it tbh . My memories shot on a lot of things alately but amazing on others (not selective)

 

Saw us lose 7-2 there think we were winning at half time and i'm pretty sure Kevin Hector got 5 of them.

 

Used to love going to the cricket at Bradford back in 70s and 80s. Bradford PA had gone bust late 60s I think but the football ground was still there. Remember peering in through the gates and seeing the decaying terraces and grass on the pitch a couple of feet long.

 

Never went to BPA but saw the home FAC win in 1970.

Next round didn’t go so well - Rhyl

 

Now he was a terrific goal scorer

 

Yup, won 1-0. Barry Wood, the Lancashire opening batsman was playing centre forward that day for them.

 

Didn’t they have a Barnsley-born full back Mick Booker?

 

You could well be right, old mate, but I can't honestly remember.

 

I remember a night visit to Park Avenue in the early sixties, when I was about 11 or 12. I'd been told their strip was a riot of colour, red and gold and black, but they trotted out all in white with just a tiny bit of green trim. I remember their captain was a stocky, follically challenged gentleman who I think was called Jimmy Scoular. Hard bugger he was.

I can't remember much of the match and I can't bring the score to mind. So we lost.

 

Quiz quiz question.

Who played for Bradford City at lunchtime and Bradford Park Avenue later that same evening?

 

Yes they did. He's a neighbour of mine is Mick and still going strong.

 

Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band ?

 

I'll give you that.

 

Well, obviously being much younger than other contributors to this post, I never went. Would loved to have though and that is a cracking photo. Suggest putting it on the FB site 'Lost Grounds of England and Wales' - Recommendation for BBSers - Good site and worth a look.

Oddly there is BPA supporters club in a Dales village I used to live in. Population 257! Sad to say i was the only member of the Barnsley FC branch. Got the pennant up behind the bar though - along with the BPA one - and it always got comments from Visitors including a few Reds.

 

They held the record for quickest league goal if I recall, 4 seconds ish

 

May well be but I vaguely remember a youngest player doing something and I’m sure it was a sending off or some sort .

 

Same here. Used to love spending summers at cricket with my packed lunch, then climb through to the footy ground at lunch for a kick about. I have memories of being a mascot at one of the last games played there for my Dads side. And I played on the pitch in my 20s after the actual stands had been demolished.

 

Hector was the hero, my Dad followed his career at BPA and was proud of his England appearance against Poland, 1973. I was allowed to stay up and watch a BPA legend

 

He did and their fans couldn't help singing about it when we next went there, the following season.