BRADFORD PARK AVENUE FC CLUB HISTORY
The history of Bradford (Park Avenue) Football Club is a sad but occasionally uplifting tale that will hopefully achieve it's desired happy ending in the fullness of time. The wonderful old stadium that gave the club it's name is all but gone (only a few fragments remain) but the club's CEO Bob Blackburn has dangled the carrot of a new 20,000 capacity stadium in the Thornbury area in an effort to return the club to its former glories. Although these ambitious plans have been revised downwards in recent times as the recession has begun to bite, there is no doubt that the will exsists within the club to see it re-emerge as a serious rival to the City's other club League Two's Bradford City.
The club started life in 1863 as Bradford Football Club but the sport played was Rugby Football rather than Association. In 1884 the club won it's first major trophy the Yorkshire Cup before breaking away from the RFU to join the rebel Northern Rugby Football Union following a dispute in 1895. Bradford went on to win the new Championship in 1903-04 and the Challenge Cup in 1905-06. In 1907 a majority of members voted to change the club to Association rules, leaving the dissenting members to form a breakaway club Bradford Northern which is now the modern day Bradford Bulls.
The now Association playing club joined the Southern League in 1907-08, replacing Fulham who had joined the Football League. Bradford themselves had only one season to wait before joining the Football League, entering Division Two for season 1908-09. An FA Cup Quarter Final place was achieved in 1912-13 before in 1913-14 the club finished as runners-up in Division Two and was promoted to the First Division. The following season the club achieved its highest league position to date, finishing ninth in what is now The Premiership. The First World War intervened to stop any further progress and after the cessation of hostilities a slump set in, although the club did make it back to the FA Cup Quarter Finals in 1919-20. Relegation back to the Second Division came at the end of the 1920-21 season but worse was to follow a year later as the club fell into the newly created Third Division North. However, the club regrouped and in 1927-28 they were promoted back to the second tier as Champions. A return to the top flight was almost achieved the following season but in the end the club had to settle for a third place finish. This was a consistent period for the Avenue and up until 1934 the club were barely out of the top six without quite being able to push on back to the top level. The late 30's, though, saw a slump with Avenue just hanging on in 1936-37 when they finished 20th out of 22 clubs in Division Two. Once again the war years intervened but the club could not use the break to their advantage and continued to struggle after the resumption of the league in 1946, although in their first season back 1945-46 they completed a hat-trick of appearances in the FA Cup Quarter Final. In 1949-50 they were relegated in bottom place despite only losing half of their games (W 10 D 11 L 21) in a very competitive division. Fortunes flucatuated over the next few seasons but Avenue chose the wrong season to finish in 22nd place in 1957-58 as the league re-organised Division Three South and North into Divisions Three and Four. Needless to say Avenue were placed in the latter.
In 1960-61 the club achieved promotion back to the Third Division, finishing fourth in Division Four. The clubs position of 11th in Division Three in 1961-62 sadly remains the clubs highest position achieved in the almost 50 years that have followed. In another ridiculously competitive season in 1962-63 the club were relegated in 21st place, despite achieving what would be a points total of 54 with the modern scoring system. The same season the club achieved their best League Cup run, losing in a Third Round replay. A few seasons of struggle followed at the end of the 1960's culminating in three consecutive seasons with a bottom of the table finish. In 1969-70 the 'old pals act' failed to save them from re-election and Cambridge United replaced Avenue in the Football League. In a modern context this may all seem fair enough but you have to remember that at the time several clubs had finished in the re-election places on dozens of occasions but still retained their Football League placings. So Avenue can consider themselves a little unlucky to have been plying their trade in the Northern Premier League for season 1970-71. In 1972-73 a revival was briefly threatened as the club achieved a 5th place finish but it proved a false dawn and at the end of the 1973-74 season the club went into liquidation after finishing in 21st place.
The club continued to play in Sunday football in the Bradford Amateur Sunday Football League, winning promotion in 1974-75. Progress continued at this minor level culminating in promotion to the newly formed Bradford Sunday Alliance Football League at the end of the 1984-85 season. In 1988-89 the Saturday side of the club was resurrected, joining the West Riding County Amateur Football League. The club then joined the Central Midlands League before moving to the North West Counties League the following season. After spells groundsharing at Rugby League clubs Bramley and Batley the Avenue returned to a home of their own in Bradford at the Horsfall Athletics Stadium. This was at the start of the 1995-96 season and saw the club back in the Northern Premier League having won the North West Counties League in 1994-95. In 1999-99 the club achieved its best FA Trophy run to date, reaching the Fourth Round. In 2003-04 Avenue reached the FA Cup First Round Proper for the first time since season 1971-72. Following a re-organisation of the Football Conference the club found themselves competing in Conference North for the 2004-05 season, the highest level of football achieved by the club since the 1969-70 season. Hopes of a return to the Football League were dashed, however, as relegation followed after just one season at step two. Worse was to follow as Avenue found themseleves relegated to Division One North at the end of the 2005-06 season, equalling the lowest level of football played by the club in Saturday football. In 2007-08 the next revival began as the club were promoted back to the Northern Premier League's Premier Division. Last season was one of heartbreak for the club. A great closing run saw Avenue on the brink of promotion back to Conference North, only to be pipped at the post by local rivals Guiseley after losing two back to back matches against the eventual champions. The play off semi-final was won, only to lose out to Boston United (another ex-Football League club) in the final at Horsfall. Damien Reeves had given Avenue a 35th minute lead but Marc Newsham's 61st minute effort took the game into extra-time before Anthony Church's 93rd minute winner caused heartache for most of the 2,208 crowd. The Avenue fans humour was not helped by news that boss John Deacey had announced his resignation at the end of the match.
It was always going to be difficult to lift the squad after such a depressing finish to a season but new boss Simon Collins was the man given the task of attempting to go one better than Deacey in 2010-11. Initial signs were reasonably promising, including a 5-1 thrashing of FC United at Horsfall in front of just under 1,000 fans. However, question marks remained about the style of football being played and there were continual rumours of player discontent behind the scenes, not helped by early exits from the FA Cup and Trophy at the first hurdles. After a 2-3 home defeat by struggling Frickley Athletic Collins decided to call it a day, setting up an emotional return to the club for John Deacey for his third spell in charge. Deacey stated 'unfinished business' as his main reason for returning to Horsfall and fans will be hoping that he can yet prove to be the man that will lead them back to the promised land of the Football League.
PHOTO CREDITS INCLUDE: GETTY IMAGES, HISTORICAL FOOTBALL KITS:
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