bantamspast blog

Forthcoming Events and Thanks

2010-01-23T08:12:00.003Z

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.

Valley Parade and Manningham Memories

2010-01-01T09:03:00.001Z

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?

bantamsbook Launch at the bantamspast Museum

2009-11-29T21:06:00.006Z

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...

bantamspast at Bradford Cathedral

2009-11-17T16:12:00.005Z

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.

2009-11-17T16:00:00.002Z

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

2009-11-17T15:00:00.000Z

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

City Heroes - Finding Robert Torrance

2009-11-09T11:12:00.007Z

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.

Bits of News

2009-10-30T23:40:00.004Z

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.

A More Fitting Reminder

2009-10-15T20:52:00.003+01:00

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

2009-10-08T17:55:00.010+01:00

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.

Really Ten Years Ago?

2009-10-08T17:53:00.000+01:00

The Dawn of Football at Valley Parade

2009-09-25T17:06:00.005+01:00

Football has been played at Valley Parade on a regular basis ever since Bradford City were formed in 1903. Prior to that date the oval ball ruled the roost as City's predecessors Manningham Rugby Club played both rugby union and rugby league at the ground.

Prior to 1903 several local football matches were played at Valley Parade, but thanks to research by the bantamspast team we can reveal that the first ever football match played at Valley Parade was a women's football match.

On 7 May 1895 the British Ladies' Football Club played an exhibition North v South match at Valley Parade. Thus the game was ground breaking in more than one way. As both the first ever football match on the ground and one of the earliest women's football matches played in the World to a paying public.

Following is the report from the Bradford Daily Argus of 8 May 1895.

THE LADY FOOTBALLERS IN BRADFORD
The active members of the British Ladies' Football Club paid a visit to Bradford and played a match under Association rules on the ground of the Manningham Club last evening. The game attracted a considerable attendance. There were probably 2,000 people present, including a sprinkling of lady spectators. The players as they posed on the field and as the pursued their sport, presented a series of interesting and, to Bradfordians, highly novel pictures. Each player was attired in loose tunic and bifurcated nether garments, with the exception of the goal keepers, who were in skirts. The sides were Reds and Blues. On each side hostilities were conducted by ten players, there being one forward less than the customary compliment. As regards play it was of a leisurely character and a rather poor exhibition of the Association style. "Little Tommy" dominated play, and towards the finish one or two of the other participants played up with spirit. The game ended in a draw.

Bradford Daily Telegraph, 8 May 1895
THE LADY FOOTBALLERS IN BRADFORD
Although the visit of the Lady Footballers to Valley Parade last night had only been advertised for one day a crowd of between 2,000 and 3,000 people turned up to see the fun. It was fun that was expected by the spectators, and fun was all that was forthcoming, the attempts at football being feeble and farcical. There was nothing in the costume of the lady footballers to shock Mrs Grundy, but all the same the attire is not likely to become popular with the fair sex, for the simple reason that it is not becoming. Had the lady footballers been less favoured by nature they would have presented a "dowdy" appearance, but the natural beauty and grace of several saved the team from this. To the regret of many Rugbyites the ladies played yesterday evening under Association rules, and owing to the half-hearted way in which most of the players entered into their work the exhibition at times fell woefully flat. Several members of the team seemed, as the crowd put it, afraid of hurting the ball, and they persistently refused to "give it boot." The kicking of some was so gentle as to suggest parlour football, but there was one exception. A young girl operating on the left wing, who was styled "Tommy" by the London spectators under the belief that she was a boy, put in a lot of dashing play and fairly roused the crowd from its lethargy to cheering. She was certainly worth any three of the other players, but at the same time it should be said that one or two other players did not "frame" at all badly. The great drawback to ladies' football, however, seems to lie in the fact that is seems a physical impossibility for ladies to run quickly and gracefully. As an exhibition of football the play was a miserable travesty of a splendid game and as an entertainment it soon became tedious.

Extra Time Event for Older Supporters

2009-09-17T13:37:00.004+01:00

Bradford City FC Community Foundation
Bantams Community Programme

Are pleased to announce our new projects for older people. The Extra Time programme is to help support independence and wellbeing for older people. We hope to show films of matches from the 1940s and 50s. With the aid of photographs and memorabilia we hope to rekindle memories of days gone by.

We would like to invite you to join us at the launch of these projects Friday 25th September 2009 10am to 12.00(lunch included)in the bantamspast museum at Bradford City (above the club shop).

To book your place please call Paula on 01274 706850 or 07814760198 or email paula.helliwell@googlemail.com

Valley Parade Heritage Launch

2009-09-13T11:13:00.002+01:00

All are welcome to Wednesday's launch of the bantamspast memories project. Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the project will collect the memories of those who have lived around Valley Parade since the Second World War.

The old ground has witnessed huge social and demographic changes, particularly over the last fifty years. The collapse of the traditional industries and immigration from Eastern Europe and Asia. We want to know what is was like to live alongside the football ground on a daily basis. Whether you are now in Manningham or Baildon your memories are vital to our project.

The launch takes place in the bantamspast museum at Valley Parade on Wednesday 16th September between 10am-11.30am. For more details please contact Paula Helliwell on 01274 706850 or 07814 760198.

Bantams and Brewers

2009-09-06T16:42:00.000+01:00

There can’t be many towns that can boast of having three different Football League clubs. With Swifts, United and now Albion, the beer town of Burton has hit a hat-trick of league clubs.

The history of matches between City and the Burton clubs is brief in the extreme. However, Bradford City’s first ever victory came at Burton United in 1903. Since then the football fortunes of the Worstedopolis and the Beeropolis have trod very different paths.

On a misty November day in 1995 Burton Albion visited Valley Parade in the FA Cup. When City went 3-1 up it seemed like a regulation victory, but Albion staged an amazing fight back and at 3-3 with seconds remaining many were beginning to plan a trip to the brewery town. Ian Ormondroyd had other ideas and saved City’s blushes with a late, late winner.

On Saturday City and Albion meet as equals in the Football League. Visiting fans are more than welcome to visit the bantamspast museum and cafe. Admission is free and reasonably priced snacks are available in the volunteer run cafe. The museum opens around 12.30pm is situated above the club shop behind the Kop end of the ground.

Intertoto Cup Reunion

2009-09-03T09:09:00.001+01:00

It was quite a night in the City Vaults after the Torquay game. A fair number of the fans who attended City’s European debut in Lithuania in 2000 rolled up to renew friendships and swap Intertoto Cup tales. Three options came up: whether to return to Lithuania next summer, or to the second and third round venues of Holland and Russia respectively. A trip to Rotterdam by overnight ferry was alluring but the consensus was for a return to Vilnius next summer.
We’re busy trying to contact the fans who couldn’t attend last Saturday and are beginning to look into the costs of returning to Vilnius. More news as it happens.

Intertoto Cup Reunion

2009-08-26T07:06:00.000+01:00

After the Torquay game on Saturday 29 August there will be a reunion of all those supporters who travelled to Lithuania for City’s European debut in the Intertoto Cup. The reunion is in particular aimed at those who travelled independently to Lithuania. The trip was by common consent one of the most memorable undertaken by City fans in recent years. Next year it will be ten years since the trip, there is tentative talk of a return to Lithuania in the summer of 2010. The reunion will therefore be part social and part a pre-planning meeting.
The reunion will be in the City Vaults pub on Hustlergate in the city centre from 5.30pm. Doubtless, the reunion will go on for some hours, so feel free to call in later in the evening if the start time is not convenient.

Bits of News

2009-08-07T16:39:00.005+01:00

Thanks to a helpful bantamspast reader, we now have names for the upcoming season's team picture. We've also got most of them for last season's now, although there are still one or two question marks. Any help would be gratefully accepted.
David Pendleton mentioned how Jimmy Speirs' now has a new headstone on his grave at Dochy Farm Cemetery, complete with the correct spelling of his name. As you can see, it looks very smart.

Team Group for the New Season

2009-08-05T09:32:00.004+01:00

Once again, the club has provided us with a team image for the coming season. Many thanks to Jon Pollard. It completes the decade in our team groups gallery. bantamspast would be grateful if anyone could provide names to go alongside the image. In fact, for some reason we never got round to providing them last season, so names for 2008-09 would also be welcome.
We know this image doesn't feature the current squad. Right year and decade - wrong century!

Jimmy's Return - More Pictures 3

2009-08-04T18:58:00.004+01:00

David Pendleton with Jimmy at Forster Square Station, Bradford

Jimmy's Return - More Pictures 2

2009-08-04T18:56:00.004+01:00

David Pendleton with Frank. Frank is wearing his Kortrijk scarf.

Jimmy's Return - More Pictures

2009-08-04T18:54:00.003+01:00

bantamspast's David Pendleton with Jimmy and fellow traveller Glyn Watkins.

Jimmy's Return - More details

2009-08-03T23:08:00.004+01:00

The museum’s full size figure of FA Cup legend Jimmy Speirs returned to Valley Parade following a two year loan to the Passchendaele Museum in Belgium. We loaned the figure to help the Museum commemorate the ninetieth anniversary of the Battle of Passchendaele in which Speirs was killed along with 300,000 British and Commonwealth troops.

Last week bantamspast’s David Pendleton travelled to Belgium to visit the Passchendaele Museum and bring the figure of Speirs back to Valley Parade in time for the new football season. On Saturday David, along with his daughter Rosie and fellow City fan Glyn Watkins met Frank at the Passchendaele Museum. Frank kindly drove our small party to Dochy Farm New British Cemetery where Jimmy Speirs is buried. We were pleased to note that Jimmy has received a new headstone and for the first time in ninety years his name is now spelt correctly on his grave – it had been spelt Spiers, an error that had been made on Jimmy’s enrolment form when he first joined the army.

Frank then drove us to the Passchendaele Museum, where we were given a guided tour. The museum is well worth a visit and has an impressive reconstruction of a British dug out. We later visited Tyne Cot Cemetery, the largest British war cemetery in the world, where we viewed the memorial to that other great FA Cup winner – Robert Torrance. Sadly, he has no known grave and is commemorated on Tyne Cot’s Memorial to the Missing.

Frank gave our party a lift to Kortrijk railway station – sadly as we had the cut-out figure of Speirs booked on a London bound Eurostar that evening, we had to turn down Frank’s offer to watch his beloved Kortrijk play Anderlecht on the opening day of the Belgian football season. We received a few bemused looks as we boarded a Ghent bound train with the large cut-out. After a short stop at Ghent we arrived in good time at Brussels to place the figure on a Eurostar bound for London. We followed two days later and picked Jimmy up from St Pancras. It was quite a challenge to get the cut-out, its base and a large framed photograph from there to King’s Cross. By now the group was down to David and Rosie, so the short distance was a bit of a struggle. However, the helpful National Express staff soon had our items stowed in the guard's van and we were soon heading north. At Leeds it was an easy hop to a Forster Square bound train and bantamspast’s John Ashton met us at the station for the short journey to Valley Parade.

The cut-out figure of Jimmy Speirs will be on display once more when City open their home campaign against Port Vale on Saturday 15 August. Our thanks to Frank at the Passchendaele Museum for his hospitality. The staff of SNCB, Eurostar, National Express East Coast and Northern Trains for their assistance in getting Jimmy Speirs back to Valley Parade in time for the new season. A fuller account of the journey will appear in a forthcoming City Gent.

Jimmy Returns

2009-08-03T20:09:00.002+01:00

Just to allay all fears, bantamspast can confirm that the life-sized figure of Jimmy Speirs is now safely back in the museum after its long stay in Belgium. Here it is with fellow traveller, Dave Pendleton, still in its protective wrapping, outside the museum this afternoon. More details of the trip to follow.

Jimmy's Coming Home

2009-07-26T08:10:00.003+01:00

After a two year loan to Belgium the bantamspast museum’s life sized figure of Jimmy Speirs will be returning to Bradford in time for the new season. We loaned the cut out of Speirs and a framed picture of the 1911 FA Cup winning team to the Passchendaele Museum to mark the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Passchendaele in which 300,000 British and Commonwealth troops died – including City’s FA Cup winning captain Jimmy Speirs.
bantamspast’s David Pendleton is travelling to Belgium this week and will bring the Speirs figure home by train. We’d like to acknowledge Eurostar, National Express East Coast and Northern Rail for their support in getting the near six foot figure back to Bradford.
It is hoped that the graves of Jimmy Speirs and Gerald Kirk will be visited. As well as the inscriptions to Robert Torrance and James Comrie who have no known grave. Pictures of the trip to Belgium will appear here next week.
Picture shows Jimmy outside the museum before he set off nearly two years ago.