The museum would like to offer our sincere thanks to City fan Steve Whittaker who has made another generous donation to the museum funds. As is well known, the museum receives no direct funding and is reliant on donations and the work of its volunteers, so every penny we receive is vital and extremely welcome.

We are planning an event to celebrate the life of the first chairman of Bradford City Alfred Ayrton (pictured right). His granddaughter recently donated a magnificent illuminated address that was presented to her grandfather when he retired as City chairman in 1907. The illuminated address is housed in a solid silver case and has therefore been signed over to the Bradford Industrial Museum. At the forthcoming event we will have the address on show for the first time since the centenary exhibition in 2003. David Pendleton will give a talk on Alfred Ayrton’s significance to the club. He saved Manningham Rugby Club from closure when he became their president in 1900. He later drove through the conversion to football and the birth of Bradford City. Alf negotiated, and later became an active opponent of, the proposed merger with Bradford Park Avenue in 1907. In the 1920s he became president of the Bradford City Supporters’ Club and remained a committed fan until his death. We will announce the date of the event shortly.

Prior to Saturday’s game against Cheltenham, bantamspast volunteers will be capturing people’s memories about Valley Parade and its environs over the last fifty, or more, years. It’s the first matchday session where we hope to interview people about their memories of living around the ground and also memories of Valley Parade itself. The event is part of a wider project for which we have received Heritage Lottery Funding. It will form part of an exhibition which will open in the bantamspast museum in 2010.

Whether you have memories large or small we want to hear from you. Perhaps you have old photographs? Everything is welcome in our bid to put together a snapshot of life in and around Valley Parade over the last fifty or so years. Our volunteers will be in the museum from 12.30pm. As ever the cafe will be open, so why not bob in for a bowl of warming soup as well?

David Markham, the Telegraph & Argus’ former Bradford City reporter, will be launching his latest book, entitled Bradford City on this Day, at the bantamspast museum on 12 December prior to the Rotherham United match. David will give an outline of his book and will undoubtedly treat us to some of his many City recollections. David has been a supporter of the club for over half a century and was the Telegraph and Argus’ reporter on City matters for several decades. His knowledge of Bradford City in the last half century is unrivalled and supporters will have the opportunity to ask questions as well.

The launch of Bradford City on this Day will begin at 2pm on Saturday 12 December. As always with events at the bantamspast museum, admission is free and all are welcome.

Former City Gent editor, and author of City Memories, John Dewhirst will be selling a limited range of Bradford City heritage badges based on former club logos. John will be in the museum from 1.45pm. For graphics and further information go to www.paraders.co.uk.

All in all, it will be a busy day around the museum, with Wayne Jacobs' charity 'One in a Million' holding its annual awards in the museum in the morning and Johnson's Paint Trophy is on display in the club shop. Apparently, fans can have their photos taken with it.

Oh, and apparently, there's a football match on at 3pm as well...

Our event Finding Robert Torrance, held at Bradford Cathedral, which remembered the nine City players killed in the Great War, was a resounding success. A good turn out of people saw the early history of the club explained against the background of the lives of those nine City players. In a dramatic closing sequence, the names and images of the nine players were shown in complete silence. Then a moving rendition of the Last Post was played by Lucie Sanderson. It was a fitting event, coming as it did on Armistice Day, 11 November.

Our thanks to all involved, particularly Glyn Watkins, Mark Neale, Lucie Sanderson and the staff of Bradford Cathedral.

Picture shows Lucie Sanderson, the FA Cup and the 1911 Cup Winning Team.

Picture show event co-creator, David Pendleton, with the FA Cup

Picture shows the FA Cup with the majestic Cathedral as its backdrop

The City of Bradford, Bradford City, the FA Cup and the War To End Wars

A memorable and moving show at Bradford Cathedral on the evening of 11th November, Remembrance Day. The show is dedicated to the Bradford City players who lost their lives in the First World War.
Featuring pictures, stories, film and a guest appearance by the F.A. Cup, which is returning to the city that made it in 1911, first won by Bradford City in 1911.
Also featuring The West Riding Cup, made by the same firm that made the F.A. Cup (Fattorini's) and won by a Bradford City reserve side, including one Harry Potter.
The visit of both trophies has been arranged on behalf of the show by Bradford City fan Mark Neale, and it is the third time Mark has managed to bring the F.A. Cup 'home'.
The show has been created by Bradford-based poet and showman
Glyn Watkins, together with David Pendleton and John Ashton, curators of Bradford City's bantamspast museum at Valley Parade.
The F.A. Cup will be at Valley Parade in the afternoon of 11th Nov. raising money for the Burns Unit. It will be at Bradford Cathedral, Church Bank, from 6.30.
The show starts at 7.30. Entry is free, but there will be a collection to cover costs, and profit being shared between the Cathedral and the bantamspast museum. Anyone who is definitely going is urged to reserve seats by calling the Cathedral on 01274 777720.

Andy O’Brien England Shirt

Life long City fan Ben Stainthorpe is emigrating to America next week. We wish him and his family all the best in their new life. We would also like to thank Ben for continuing to loan the museum the match ball from the City v Liverpool match in May 2000; the game that saw City dramatically save their Premiership skins on the last day of the season. Ben has additionally loaned the museum two signs from the old Wembley Stadium. Ben has taken his Andy O’Brien England U-21 shirt to America with him as a reminder of his many happy years supporting, and working for, Bradford City. The shirt was on display in our large spherical case. Many thanks Ben and bon voyage!

City Heroes - Finding Robert Torrance

The museum’s David Pendleton was interviewed today by the BBC regarding our forthcoming event at Bradford Cathedral on 11 November. David talked about the life of that City great Robert Torrance – man-of-the-match in the 1911 FA Cup Final. Of course, Torrance met a terrible end during the Great War when he became one of the nine City players killed in that conflict. We’ll post details of when the interview will be broadcast later.

You can see and hear the story of Robert Torrance, and the eight other players who died in the Great War, at Bradford Cathedral on 11 November 2009 at 7.30pm. Admission is free, however, there will be a collection to cover costs.

The support of the people of the German town of Hamm in the wake of the fire disaster was one of the positive things to emerge from the blackest day in modern Bradford's history. Hamm, of course, provided the memorial that still stands in Centenary Square and it provides the centrepiece for the annual commemoration on 11 May. In recognition of the support of the people of Hamm the new ring road that joined Canal Road with Manningham Lane was named Hamm Strasse.


Today, only a couple of small plaques reminds people of the link with the fire disaster. With the twenty fifth anniversary of the fire due in May, David Pendleton of the bantamspast museum thought it would be fitting if the road was rededicated. With the aid of Councillor David Ward the idea of a re-dedication, and a new marker to remind passersby of the kindness shown towards our city by the people of Hamm, has moved closer to fruition. On Thursday the two Davids met Bradford City Centre managed Bob Parker who has offered his support to the scheme. Bob is now pricing up differing sizes of a stone marker which it is hoped will stand at the junction of Hamm Strasse and Manningham Lane.

It is expected that the new marker will be in place for 11 May 2010 and we are looking to invite local dignitaries from Hamm to rededicate the road during the early afternoon of the twenty-fifth anniversary.

City Heroes - Finding Robert Torrance is the title of what promises to be a memorable and moving night at Bradford Cathedral on 11th November, Remembrance Day, 2009.


Co-written and produced by Bradford based poet and showman Glyn Watkins and David Pendleton, curator of the Bradford City Museum, it is subtitled 'The City of Bradford, Bradford City, the F.A. Cup and the War To End Wars', and includes projected images and guest appearances by both the West Riding Cup and the F.A. Cup, both of which were made by former Bradford jewelers, Fattorini's.

It tells the largely forgotten tale of the earliest days of Manningham F.C., the rugby club that became Bradford City in 1903; how City went on to bring the new F.A. Cup back to the town in which it was made and what happened to some of the players in the First World War, including Jimmy Speirs, who scored the Cup winning goal. We particularly highlight the story of Robert Torrance, who was married at Bradford Cathedral in 1915, killed by shell in 1918, and is one of tens of thousands of World War I British and Empire casualties with no known grave.

The show begins at 7.30 and admission is free.

The Cathedral will be open from 6.30 onwards for short tours and to give people a chance to see the cups.
There will be a collection.
Anyone intending to come and see City Heroes - Finding Robert Torrance is urged to reserve seats by calling the Cathedral on 01274 777720.