Chapter 11: Champions of the Rugby League! (1895-96)

The Origins of Bradford City

By David Pendleton

Chapter 11: Champions of the Rugby League!

1895-96

The Northern Union kicked off on Saturday 7 September 1895. Manningham travelled over the Pennines to Tyldesley. Given the travails of the summer it was unsurprising that both teams were decidedly out of shape. Manningham lost a dull game 0-6. The new era had opened with a whimper!

Valley Parade’s first taste of the new code saw a dramatic game against Batley. Losing by three points till almost the last minute, Manningham suddenly burst into life when captain Alf Barraclough scored a try, but well wide of the posts. Up stepped George Lorimer to kick a brilliant conversion and secure a dramatic victory. A couple of weeks later Manningham were at it again. Runcorn lead until the final fifteen minutes at Valley Parade. But, three tries in ten minutes turned the game on its head. Once again Lorimer was the hero, kicking two tough conversions to snatch victory.

The new game was quick to try out new innovations. Manningham met Halifax in an experimental game at Valley Parade on 1 October. Thirteen players were on each side, line-outs abolished and – for part of the game – a round ball was used. A fair crowd was attracted and virtually all the officials of the Northern Union looked on. Play was started with the round ball, but midway through the first half it burst! A conventional oval ball replaced it until another round ball could be found in the second half. Little attempt was made to dribble and kick the round ball and it was thus deemed not to be a success. The game ended 3-3, but the long-term ramifications for the Northern Union were to be great indeed.

October 26 brought Bradford to Valley Parade for the first derby of the season. 14,000 saw the visitors dominate the first half. Indeed, only smart work by Lorimer – when he ran around the back of his own posts and back into play – prevented Bradford increasing on their 4-0 lead. The second period saw Manningham fighting back. Atkinson ran to the visitors 25-yard line, kicked past two defenders and beat them to the bouncing ball to score the Paraders first try of the match. A lineout near the Bradford line ended with Pickles scoring under the posts. Lorimer converted and Manningham won 8-4.

In January Manningham travelled to Brighouse in a clash of the top two. Brighouse raced into an eight point lead, but three penalty goals from the boot of Lorimer - two of which were kicked from the halfway line - gave the Paraders a stunning 9-8 victory. The Bradford derby saw a rare defeat, 10-0 down at halftime, Manningham could only pull back three points. 15,000 saw Bradford overpower and outplay the league leaders. Defeat at Runcorn the following week allowed second placed Halifax to close the gap - the title race was well and truly on. Still the comeback kings, Manningham trailed Warrington 0-6 at halftime, only to run out 8-6 winners.

A notable date in the history of Valley Parade came when the ground hosted its first recorded football - or ‘soccer’ - match. On 14 March the Park Avenue based Bradford FC defeated Leeds 4-0 in the replayed semi-final of the Leeds Hospital Cup. 3,000 spectators witnessed this piece of history.

Back with the oval ball. When Manningham met Hull on 18 April, not only were some 900 Hull supporters at Valley Parade, the entire Halifax team and a special train of their supporters came hoping to see an away victory. The Manningham Brass Band serenaded the 8,000 crowd prior to the vital game. Though Hull pressed the home line on many occasions, the Paraders won 8-6.

The title race went to the last game of the season. Manningham needed to win at Hunslet and the title was theirs. The Manningham team left the Midland Station at 2.10, but the committee elected to travel in two stagecoaches! A huge following travelled with the team, indeed the road adjacent to the ground was packed with various vehicles flying banners flags and even Chinese umbrellas in Manningham’s claret and amber colours.

The match was played at a furious pace. The 15,000 crowd saw the game swing from end to end. The referee at one point had to halt the game in order to caution the players of both sides as the game was getting extremely rough. The game remained scoreless until the second half. Manningham’s Jack Brown attempted a drop kick. The ball struck the post, but flew over the bar to wild cheers. Manningham won 4-0 and thereby became the first ever champions of the Northern Union.

The victorious team returned by road to Bradford. Crowds cheered them all along the pre-planned route: Leeds Road, Well Street, Forster Square, Market Street, Tyrrel Street, Bank Street, Manningham Lane, Bowland Street, Lumb Lane, Carlisle Road, Silver Street, Heaton Road, Victor Road, North Park Road and finally to the Belle Vue. The undoubted hero was George Lorimer; he had scored a third of Manningham’s entire points.

A crowd of over 5,000 packed Manningham Lane outside the Belle Vue. Speeches were made from the balcony by James Freeman, Alf Barraclough, Ike Newton, Fred Clegg and Jack Brown. But, the biggest cheer came when it was the turn of George Lorimer to address the crowd - he was the undoubted darling of Valley Parade.

The Manningham Annual Athletic Festival took place on 23 May. 294 entrants took part in bicycle and running races over various distances. In the evening, at the Belle Vue, Yorkshire caps were presented to the Manningham players who had earned that distinction. The Northern Rugby Union also presented Manningham’s Tony Fattorini with a silver bowl to mark his services as secretary of the Union.

The season had been a profitable one on and off the field. A profit of £252 9s had been made on the season - the previous campaign had seen a loss of £80. However, more than half the clubs income had been paid to the players as broken time payments. £1,347 6s 2d in all. A worrying trend.

However, for the time being Manningham could celebrate the extraordinary feat of becoming Rugby League’s first Champions.

Chapter One: Genesis (1872-80)

Chapter Two: Carlisle Road (1880-86)

Chapter Three: Valley Parade's first season (1886-87)

Chapter Four: Death On The Midland Road (1887-9)

Chapter Five: For Club and Country (1889-90)

Chapter Six: Trouble At The Mill (1890-91)

Chapter Seven: Football Begins to Cast Its Shadow (1891-92)

Chapter Eight: Semi-Finalists and League Pioneers (1892-93)

Chapter Nine: Champions! (1893-94)

Chapter Ten: The Last Season of Rugby Union (1894-95)

Chapter Twelve: Death of a Hero (1896-97)