INSPIRATION FROM THE SHELF

Hepworth United Under 12s played Shelf today at home and we won 8-0. The opposition were a mid table side whom we had beaten earlier in the season 3-2. Today they turned up with 8 men for a 9 a side game. They were let down but we did not take pity because the last match we played against 8 we lost and it was made worse when one of the opposition players had to retire through an injury. We lost 1-2 to 7 men!

Shelf is near Halifax and having mentioned another "x" club, see yesterday's blog, I wander off now towards Bradford. Why? Well, I was chatting to one of the Shelf parents and as we were cruising to victory, I switched off from my usual touchline banter with the team, to talk to him about Bradford Park Avenue, the team he supported.

I mentioned that I had been at the Goldstone Ground, Brighton and Hove Albion's home to watch a Division Four League game in 1964 against Bradford PA. The score was 0-1 to the northerners and it was not a very impressive match. Mind you at 13 years old, who was I to judge?

Bradford Park Avenue now play in the National League North and play at the Horsfall Athletics' Stadium with a capacity crowd of 3500. This, for a team that was formed in 1907 and "re-instated" in 1984. It has been through hard times which seems to be a theme this week.

Bradford PA used to play at the Horton Park Avenue stadium, hence the name to help distinguish it from rivals Bradford City FC. The club played in the Football league from 1908 until 1970 when it dropped out of the FL, going into liquidation in 1974. The club was re-vitalised in 1987 and has worked its way up to the National League.

BPA is one of 35 clubs that has played in all four top tiers of English Football. It would test you to name the other 34.

BPA rose from the ashes in the 13th tier (Pyramid level) of Division Three of the West Riding County Amateur League and seemingly has never looked back.

The club originally formed in 1863 (the year the FA was founded) as Bradford Football Club, playing rugby. In 1907 the club took part in the "Great Betrayal" by leaving the Northern Union game (basically rugby league) in favour of Association Football.  Bradford FC joined the FL Second Division in 1908 and was promoted to the top division in 1914.

The club dropped out of the league in 1970 and was replaced by Cambridge United. When the club had huge debts (£57,000+), it went into liquidation and reformed as a Sunday league side immediately.

In 1988 the club rejoined Saturday football in the West Riding League and then moved to the Central Midlands League. In 1995, winning the North West Counties League the club joined the Vanarama National League North and moved to the Horsfall Stadium. Most recently they lost 1-2 to Solihull Moors and lie 15th in the division. Solihull are top.

Work Conquers All