UP AND DOWN THE AVENUE

So the football/cricket ground sharing idea got me going and since Mr Hardstaff had dragged Bradford Park Avenue into the conversation, Bradford CC and indeed Yorkshire CCC have played at the Park Avenue sporting complex.

I have already spent time on the club that has 11 previous blog mentions including this one:
http://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/inspiration-from-shelf.html

I have to admit that BPA was part of my upbringing having seen them play at the Goldstone Ground in the 1960s when both teams were in the old Fourth Division. Brighton went upwards and BPA sunk. BPA is one of 35 clubs to have played in all four tiers of the FLeague!

Originally known as Bradford the club played at Horton Park Avenue in the city. The club added PA to their name to avoid confusion with Bradford City. The original Park Avenue stadium was designed by the renowned Archibald Leitch which had the initials BFC emblazened on the stand apex, very much his trademark. If you are keen it is worth looking up more of Leitch's stadia designs.

The club's early years involved Northern Union football (which was actually rugby league). In 1907 there occurred the "Great Betrayal" when the club changed code to "soccer" and applied to join the Football League but had to join the Southern League when Fulham moved to the Football League (Second Division). Their nearest fixture was Northampton Town, 130  miles away!

The next season the club joined the Football League Division Two (1908), had their best position just as the First World War broke out and then moved gently through divisions until 1970 when the club eventually fell out of the Fourth Division having come "root" three season's running. The Avenue did this in style being 8 points adrift in 1967-8, 13 the following season and then 7 in 1969-70.

Cambridge United took their place in the FL.

Park Avenue went into liquidation in 1974 and reformed as a Sunday League club with the Park Avenue ground being demolished in 1980 although the field and the terraces remained.
See this bit of archaeology and video:
www.nationalfootballmuseum.com/football-art/residencies/breaking-ground

BPA have recently gone through the West Riding County Amateur FL, where they first started way back and joined the Northern League in 1995 now playing at the Horsfall Athletics' Stadium.