My dad who sadly passed away 2 years ago was at the tragic game and he and my uncle pulled over 30 kids from the stand to save them from the fire it still brings a tear to my eye every time it is mentioned thankyou for covering city and park avenue excellent video.

As an American who absolutely loves the game but obviously can’t just go down the street to see something like this, you have no idea how much your videos do for me!

Hi Sam, my name is Bob Robinson who led the campaign to reform Bradford Park Avenue in 1988. Great video, enjoyed it very much. Many thanks for adding us to your repertoire 😉

I remember talkjng to a Leeds fan in Bradford about 10 years ago and he told me he was a Bradford PA fan as a kid up until they fell out of the league then he said a lot of the PA fans couldnt bear to support Brad City so they became Leeds Utd fans and it coincided with Leeds great spell in the early 70s

I've followed Bradford PA on a casual basis for some time now, and I must say it's great the way they've consolidated in the National North in recent years. I think it would be brilliant for the game to see them return to the Football League, and they have a squad at the moment laced with real quality and proven players. One of them, Adam Nowakowski, has actually been playing for something like £1 a week - maybe £1 a season - for the last year or two, as a gesture to the club to help them through the tough times. Great old club, who had to start again from Sunday League level forty-odd years ago, but might just be ready for a promotion push...

I watched The Avenue in the early nineties when they had just reformed and actually played in Leeds at Bramley rugby league ground Mclaren field.( Now a housing estate). It has taken a lot of hard work from a lot of dedicated people to put the club back where they are . I always keep a look out for them and would love to see them progress further. Must get back to watch a game soon.

My grandad used to go here, he always told me stories of Len Shackleton who could chip the ball down the wing with backspin sending the fullback chasing it and it would come back to him, this being with the old heavy leather footballs and the goalkeeper 'Chick' Farr who, as was common at the time, also played cricket, he also had a party trick as a keeper if the ball came in the box at head height the crowd would shout "head it Chick" and he would head it out to a defender, every year Park Avenue played a charity match against Yorkshire Cricket (a game of football and a game of cricket) Chick Farr was playing wicket keeper for P. A. and a fast ball went straight through, someone in the crowd shouted "head it Chick!" and he instinctively did and got knocked unconscious

This club has a great history. Will be refreshing to see Bradford in the PL

Bradford City used to be Manningham FC and were a Rugby League (or Northern Union as it was then called) and were one of the strongest clubs from the 1895 split until, under the influence of the Fattorini brothers, who effectively owned the club, they switched codes in 1903. One club didn't "take over" Valley Parade from another, it simply changed the code they played and then its name. Bradford was the epicentre of the Northern Union, with two of the top clubs, but after the departure of Manningham (now Bradford City) there was still the city's senior club (at least in its own view) Bradford FC, aka "Park Avenue". In 1907, 12 years after the split, the secretary of Bradford secretly tried to negotiate re-entry to the Rugby Union. The rest of the committee, and in particular the treasurer, knew nothing about it. When they were told, the treasurer did his nut. Fixtures against the few minor clubs still playing Rugby Union in Yorkshire would attract scant support and the club would not be financially viable on the basis of such unappealing games. The Park Avenue administration was now stuck. They couldn't re-join the Rugby Union for the above reason and the treachery of the "Bradford Betrayal" (as it was then called) meant they were no longer welcome in the Northern Union (which became the Rugby League in 1922). What could they do? There was no alternative but to "adopt the Sheffield code" (as round ball football was then known in Yorkshire). The club more or less survived, but it was a great fall from its previous eminence. Park Avenue in previous years had a attracted great crowds of wealthy supporters. There are descriptions of the queues of carriages lining up to drop off their owners before games. I know that's not he popular image of Rugby League, but it was the reality of Park Avenue early last century. Those were not the majority of supporters, but they had the power of money and they were not interested in supporting a minor club in this strange round ball game. So what had been the Northern Union's effective capital city, was now without a professional club. Some supporters started from scratch and formed a new club. I used to wonder why Bradford Northern played at the Southern edge of the city. Odsal wasn't actually the new club's original home, but the name was nothing top do with what part of Bradford they were in. It was to emphasise that this club was loyal to the Northern Union, and there would be no dodgy business, no betrayal from them. The name of the Bradford club stuck, even after the name of the game changed to rugby league. That's why I particularly regret that historic name being changed to one of those stupid animal names in the 1990s. Now, they're in the Championship (the 2nd division) which serves 'em right for disrespecting their history.

Another fascinating vid Sam. And yes your right, Motherwell changed their kit colours from blue and white to claret and amber in 1913, inspired by the success of Bradford City.

So the history of football (of various codes) in Bradford: As with a lot of Yorkshire, rugby was THE football code in Bradford in the early years and the city's 2 big clubs were Bradford FC and Manningham FC. When rugby split into league and union both clubs became founding members of the 'northern union' as league was originally called. The plaque at Valley Parade is one of a number at the grounds of the founding members of the rugby football league. Wanting to have an association football club somewhere in west Yorkshire and break the rugby league monopoly, the football league offered Manningham a place if they changed codes. They did and changed their name to Bradford City AFC and entered the football league without having previously played a single association football match. Bradford FC followed suit in changing codes a few years later - an act known as the great betrayal by the city's rugby fans who were now left without a professional club. The rugby fans started a new club called Bradford Northern Rugby Football Club. The name indicating that they played northern rugby football (ie northern union, aka rugby league) It was at this point that Bradford FC started being referred to as Park Avenue after their ground's name to avoid being confused with BCAFC. Bradford Northern became known as Bradford Bulls in the 1990s and are 9 times British rugby league champions, 5 times challenge cup winners and 3 times world club champions. Interestingly both BCAFC and B(PA)AFC won more major trophies in their previous guises as rugby clubs than they have as association football clubs.

Bradford Northern and Bradford City have had several goes at playing at each other's grounds. Bradford City played at Odsal for a while after the fire, and Bradford Northern (I refuse to use any silly new animal name) have several times struggled with the costs and problems of maintaining an old ground theoretically bigger than Wembley (but no longer in practice).

Bradford City gave me a trial in 1964, The then manager, Bob Brocklebank (Of Aston Villa & Burnley fame as a player) responded favourably to a letter I wrote asking for a trial. Valley Parade looked a lot different in those days. Only three stands, the North side was just an eight foot wall, on the other side was a steep drop to a railway line, woe be tide, if you kicked the ball over there during practice, I was just 16 at the time, loved every minute of it. Bradford City won the FA Cup in 1911 and were tipped to be the team of the future at the time, but, as war broke out in 1914, the players were joined up as part of the Bradford Pals by 1916. most of them tragically falling at the battle of Passchendaele in Belgium. It took them a long time to recover from that, since the famous Herbert Chapman, manager of Leeds City was able to get local desk jobs for his players, one wonders why sadly, Bradford City weren't able to do the same.

Mate have had a really shit week to be honest but you’re video today just mad me extremely happy thanks dude

Good videos but what a shame that you didn't do more research on Bradford PA before going to the old PA stadium. You were looking at the wrong one! That was the old cricket stadium as you eventually realised but the football stadiums main stand backed onto it. Had you have gone back down the hill and turned left, you would have walked back towards what's left of the old terracing. Close to where the the abandoned car was, there was once a cottage in the ground similar to Fulham. There was an open terrace at that end and a large open terrace right at the opposite end. All the walls and old turnstiles were still there last time I went and the terracing is still there albeit taken over by trees and shrubs. There is even an old toilet block at the back of the terracing that you could have shown. Missed opportunity to show the remains of a ground that once held 39000 in a match against Leeds United I believe. Keep up the vids though as I do enjoy them.

Surprised you didn't visit one of the great British stadiums, Odsall, while you were in Bradford. It used to hold over 100,000.

You walked the wrong way,you should have walked past the mosque and you would have seen more turnstiles and entrance with admission still painted on,also the terrace is still there on that side . The football ground is the bottom end where the indoor cricket building is.

Bradford Bulls used to be the best rugby league team in England but have had financial issues and are now in the championship, they beat Leeds rhinos in the challenge cup a few seasons ago which was refreshing to see

18:47 "We stand with Ukraine" & "NO STANDING" right next to it. Iconic.

Great video as usual Sam and finally you’ve made it to my beloved Valley Parade (I’ve been going there 43 years as it stands). Just a couple of pointers. City were founded in 1903, 4 years before Park Avenue. Archibald Leitch rebuilt the stadium in 1908 after promotion to the first division and in 1911 City had their most successful year coming 5th in the first division (our highest ever placing) and winning the FA Cup. I believe Motherwell adopted claret and amber around this time in honour of the success of City and their unique colours. On the subject of Avenue, I would love it if they were promoted and joined us in the league again. They were voted out of the league in 1970 just before I was born after their 4th straight re-election bid and were replaced by Cambridge United if I remember correctly. They continued to play at Park Avenue until their final season when they had to sell their ground and shared Valley Parade for the 73/74 season after which they sadly folded. It’s a sobering thought that at the start of this century City were a Premier league side and Bradford Bulls were one of the top teams in Super League. Sadly chasing the dream has been almost terminal to both clubs. Hopefully the progress of the Phil Parkinson years and the second coming of Stuart McCall between 2012 & 2017 can be repeated again with Mark Hughes at the helm. City started from 18th in league 2 at the end of 2011-12 season to being minutes away from the Championship in 2017 via that amazing league cup run to the final in 2013 and beating the likes of Arsenal, Villa and Chelsea in various cup comps. We also still hold a world record of winning 9 penalty shoot outs in a row during that era. For the benefit of your Scottish viewers 2 of our suites at Valley Parade are named after Scottish heroes of the club. Stuart McCall and John Hendrie. Both are absolute legends at our club.

When doing Bradford’s stadiums you should include Odsal Stadium.

Great video focusing on Bradford Park Avenue but you walked by the cricket pitch and not the football ground! And there used to be a raliway that ran along the side of the ground, the mosque is on the site of the railway station that the fans used

Glad you gave the Valley Parade memorial the respect ✊

I looked up this club a while back. There were two sides to the main stand so you could watch football on one side and cricket on the other. Some great photos in Google images, they had a little pavilion too.

My mum was born in Bradford, not too far from this ground. She moved away when she was 15 and she told me how she used to go and watch Bradford Park Avenue play with her dad (my grandad)

Hi mate,I found this very interesting and I’m pleased to see Bradford Park Avenue are still on the go, my first game watching my team Lincoln city in 1966 as a young 7 year old with my dad was at Sincil bank and we beat BPA 5-1 ,and I was at Bradford watching the Imps on the terrible day of the fire at Bradford city. 👍

That ASDA supermarket next to the Park avenue stadium used to be a Morrison supermarket. In the early 70's there was a glam rock concert held at that stadium starring a very infamous rocker who is spending his retirement in prison

Great video, love seeing abandoned stadium videos. I was unable to get to watch my team Walsall at Valley Parade this season but hopefully I will be up there next season. I did walk around the Valley Parade when working opposite some years ago. A stadium that should be gracing a higher level than league 2. Some good teams in the National league North, I recently went to watch Kidderminster Harriers v Hereford in which I thoroughly enjoyed. Some good teams at that level who have graced the football league.

A great video. To fans from Yorkshire over a certain age will remember John Helm. he was the main commentator for Yorkshire TV in the 1980's and was on duty at the Bradford City v Lincoln City game in 1985. His report and the scenes from that day will always be with football fans who watched the events unfold. John deserved a lot more recognition for this reporting on that day. John is also a Bradford (Park Avenue) fan and does attend games when he can.. A bit of trivia, the current design of the FA Cup trophy was made in Bradford in 1911 and the first winners were Bradford City.

"And was Jerusalem builded here, among these dark satanic mills". Also can't talk about rugby league without a shout out to Eddie Waring! Thanks for doing this video, it brought back lots of memories. In the late sixties my dad was a board member of BPA along with George Sutcliffe, Raymond Ambler and a couple more who sank a lot of money into the club. Back in those days the home kit was all white, at least at the start of the game! Another Scottish legend who played for the club was Jimmy Scouler, who led Newcastle to the FA cup win against Man City in 1955. He was player-manager, a beast on the pitch but a genuinely nice guy who always had time for me as a young lad and became a good friend of my dad. The star player was Kevin Hector who we had to sell to Derby County to help pay off some debt. My favorite player was Bobby Ham who left it all on the pitch and like many others took a lot of the pitch back to the dressing room after the game! (No 4G pitches in those days!) Other memories include the smell of camphor in the dressing room, the thirsty journalists after a match and seeing Yorkshire play the West-Indies (with Gary Sobers) on the cricket side in 1966. So glad to see the Avenue still going and wish them all the best for the future!

Great video, motherwell actually got their colours when Bradford lent them some kits years ago

At the opposite end at the old ground is the old terrace , amazed you missed the best remaining bits ?

They is a tv recording of Bradford Park Avenue in 1968 the year Yorkshire Television started. Which Yorkshire Television televised. Also, Yorkshire played first-class, cricket at Park Avenue

Motherwell used to play in Blue, then Bradford won the FA cup in 1911 and Motherwell changed their colours to claret and amber

Be from Bradford and a player who was in the academy at Bradford Park avenue but left due to injury if was great seeing u go through and talk about the history

My first viewing of one of your clips. Outstanding. I love learning the history. I was well aware of English football history once I started following it way back in 1973 . But to see the grounds "now", this is really really relevant. Thank you ever so much much and now I am about to start snooping through your other clips. Workington would be another goodie. I remember them always finishing towards the bottom of Div 4.

Went into Avenue's ground in 1977 just before it was demolished.What a ground it was better than Valley parade at the time.Any city fan of a certain age will never forget the fire in 1985.

I’m a Bradford City fan, I feel Park Avenue are 100% a club that deserve to play in a higher league. They’re a fantastic club and would love to see them back in the EFL one day.

Love your videos mate, this one was a really fascinating insight especially the history of a local club I'd not usually look into or know about.

Dude, I'm an American BEGGING for content like this. SO GLAD I found your channel!!! Cheers!

Great video again .. i remember seeing Bradford PA playing in the old Fourth Division up at my local Workington AFC , Cumbria when i was a kid .. they`re now in a lower league than BPA ...

The club's all time top scorer is George McLean from Forfar. Oddly at one time in the 20s they had three ex Forfar Athletic players in their line up. George plus his brother Scotland international David and Frank Lowson.

Really fascinating video, not just any old exploration of an abandoned ground well done mate

Bradford City AFC colours are taken from the West Yorkshire Regiment colours, Valley Parade used to be used as the base for the West Yorkshire artillery and the rugby club Manningham FC and newly formed football club Bradford City which followed the demise of Manningham FC used to use Belle View barracks as its changing room facilities. In regards to association football, Bradford City AFC is the oldest club in the city formed in 1903 where as BPA formed in 1907.

Utterly superb. I respect your interest in the rich footballing heritage of these Isles. Very novel selection of adventures.

Kevin Hector, who played in tha disastrous England team loss to Poland at Wembley 1973 which kept England from reaching the World Cup in 1974, was probably one of the last top class players to don the Avenue shirt.

I've been to watch BPA as an away supporter a few times. They sell bottles of very strong beer in their bar. You can takes them out onto the terracing (in plastic glasses) whilst the match is being played. I have ended up in a tangle every time I have been there. My wife hates me going there. I love it. That's my only input *hic*.

always love these abandoned videos, such a shame what happened to those stadiums but its always nice to look back.

I've walked past there many times. The Masjid across the road took ages to build. Nice video.

Northern Ireland were the last home nations champions. They should definitely bring that tournament back, would be hard to fit it in the calendar though. They still have the youth tournament at the minute called the victory shield I think.

Great little video to watch. My late grandfather played for Bradford Park Avenue, at this stadium back in the 1940s, before signing for Manchester United.

Very strange ground Valley Parade. Because they have 2 small and 2 massive stands. And after what I understand it is because they had ambitions to play in the Premier League. But after several relegations it is basicly "half finished" Great video and the old stadiums history is amazing. And Bradford PA new stadium is pretty good.

Great video. Love how you were so respectful to the people who lost their lives in the fire. Thanks for great content and knowledge. Would you consider doing a non league club called Bootle FC. Great history with Jamie Carragher etc and a great community club.

My great, great grandad was playing for England during the early 1900s. He didn't play in the game at Bradford, but he scored twice in a game against Scotland at Crystal Palace not long after.

Great vid man. I live nearby to the the original BPA pitch and there’s another old part that would’ve been of interest… Down opposite the Mosque there’s some old steps that look like they used to lead up to the other corner of the ground from the turnstiles you looked at. Cheers for this, top man 👍

I remember when Kevin Hector the Derby County player played at Park Avenue. Good old days.

This stadium was used by the university Archery club for a couple years in the mid-late 2010s, not sure if it is now like but we really tried to give it a lick of paint and sort out the facilities but it was such a large task. Many summer days spent in here!

Could you do the old abandoned ground of Darlaston Town FC near Walsall, founders of the What is now the Midland Premier Division, they were also apparently the 2nd oldest club in England but went bust nearly 10 years ago, the Phoneix club is Darlaston Town 1874 FC who play over in Bentley maybe about 5 minutes away from the old ground. The Pitch was famed for it's Slope. There isn't a Stand there anymore. But there is the Gates, some old buildings on one side and unless it was all demolished the old Bar/Pavilion and Changing Rooms, I think the Goalposts, Dugouts, Perimeter Fencing around the Pitch and Floodlights are still there. But Walsall Council may have demolished it now. I myself am doing Darlaston as a Project at College so if I find out more maybe able to help.

You should go to Walker road in Newcastle to try and find where the old Newcastle east end stadium was

This is an extremely so emotional to watch this video regarding Bradford and thanks for your video which is informative for me to learn this abandoned stadium,good friend!!!🙏

I think Bradford Park avenue were the bigger club in Bradford, and had the biggest stadium, in fact I heard that Bradford City fc, at one time tried to buy the park avenue ground.

Brilliant vid as always! Can't believe the old ground hasn't been developed. Many thanks.

They do like building grounds on hillsides in Bradford. You get a good free view of the B(PA) games from the approach at the other end .Unlike Oxford where we've only ever won once at both utd & city ,our wins in Bradford at both grounds were more frequent.

Really interesting exploring old football stadiums

Unreal Abandoned stadium my brother ❤️👍🏻

Love your videos. Thanks for the information and your limitless enthusiasm.

Great content and great stories as always.

went there a few years ago to see north ferriby. was impressed with the ground (seemed a little run down but still really nice) and the fans were brilliant

Love your videos mate! Another very insightful and interesting watch, I remember Bradford bulls growing up as the best team around, shame what happened to them. All the best anyways pal from the other side of the pennines! Keep up the good work 🙌😁

This is mad! Love your energy and presentation. This is all local to me, so very interesting.

Would be great if Bradford PA made it back to the football league.

First chance I've had to watch an abandoned stadium video, superb work mate!

The abandoned stadium, wow how interesting to learn about the history of Bradford park av.... I'll sleep better tonight..

Youre about 5 mins down the road from my house at the old Avenue stadium! And used to live just across the cemetery from the new ground. Im A Bolton fan but living here now I've been going most of my life.

Another great video. All I'm sorry about is not getting to England or places like Bradford any time soon. I am sorry mainly because I would like to put a scarf of Sparta Prague next to the monument to the victims of the fire.

Well done for battling through the nomenclature issue. "Park Avenue" is Bradford AFC. I'm a City fan and it continually grates to hear national media (and occasionally even local) refer to my team as Bradford. It must do so for Avenue fans too. I only began to know the old ground in the mid-70s a few years after it had been abandoned. But it was still an impressive and imposingly ground, significantly bigger and better than the then Valley Parade. In the aftermath of the 1985 fire there was some initial talk of City moving to Park Avenue rather than rebuilding at Valley Parade. Glad they didn't but you could see why it was a plausible idea - Park Avenue was the bigger ground, on a more suitable site for expansion. And it's main stand used to form one end of the cricket ground, creating a mini-Headingley. Back in the day the Park Avenue 'complex' was a first class county cricket ground and an imposing football stadium.

You should check out the old Vetch field at Swansea! Another classic old ground

RIP to the Bradford fire victims. Very sad.

Nice video. Remember in the sixties when Barrow and Park Avenue used to play each other in Division Four. Think we signed Don McCalman from them.

Great video. Love see clubs from the lower leagues

This takes me back, I went to Park Avenue many years ago when they were in the league. Jimmy Scoular ( who made his name at Newcastle) was the player/manager. Park Avenue folded just two three years later. I remember that the terraces were sunken so the pitch was at about shoulder level. There was also low roof so it was like watching football in a tunnel. If the ball went into the air you had to guess where it was going to land. Great Times

Great video, interesting to know the history of this club.

Real love this video. Very interesting. Thanks for upload.

Under the stands there are still functioning changing rooms with electricity etc used for cricket. It’s weird like semi abandoned.

I'm seriously into the history of the team I support and at almost 50 I'm still as enthusiastic about the history of football I've only just found your channel and enjoyed this vid, Instant sub and I will work through your others

Great video once again btw thx for the reply last vid keep it up 👍

Love the vids 👌keep up the great work

The mill is Drummonds mill which burned down in 2016, only the chimney stack left, the mosque is Al-Jamia Suffa-Tul-Islam Grand Mosque (Bradford Grand Mosque), will never forget the City fire we lived streets away and served pg tips to help people who had come out of the ground.

I used to train and compete at Horsfall Stadium in athletics when I was little, nice to see it looking a lot better than it used to.

I’m old enough to remember Bradford PA when it was still a league club,(in the old Division 4). It was a massive shame when it folded, but hopefully it won’t be too long before it’ll return to full EFL status.

My late dad played for both of these clubs back in the day. Think I have his old BPA club tie somewhere at home

More soccer history, Adam - another great presentation from you

I love the abandoned stadium videos 😀

Shame you didn't get to see Odsal Stadium while in Bradford, Bit of a wreck but Impressively large

Really great video which I enjoyed. Very informative. Well done 👍

I'll never forget the day of the Bradford fire - I was watching City beat Charlton 5-1 on a joyous day of promotion.... then I got home and saw the news - never rewatched the promotion video - can't accept the joy I felt on the day such a terrible tragedy took place

Sam you're brilliant mate! What you do is amazing!! I'm a Jambo but also play for Scotland in Amputee Football.. would love if you could cover one of our games? Maybe not got the biggest of crowds but we only formed this year And won our first game in November!!

Saw them play Boston there a few seasons back, they had a great model off the old ground in a glass case inside the clubhouse had to take a few pictures of it

Just looked up some pics of the old stadium, absolutely fantastic a pity it's no longer there

Brilliant vlog Sam…..It’s great to a see young guy like yourself so passionate about the history of the game in this country…The Main Stand at Ibrox was probably Archibald Leitch’s greatest legacy….it’s now a listed building and provides a real and lasting link to the past …and the era of 100k plus attendances. Another Ibrox link to your vid was Jimmy Speirs who played for Rangers before signing for Bradford City…as Captain, he scored the goal which won City’s only ever FA Cup win in 1911…sadly…he volunteered to serve his country in WW1 and perished in Passchendaele in 1917…..aged 31…a true hero!