Bradford (Park Avenue) v Bishop Auckland First Qualifying Round Saturday 12th September 2009

For this stage of the cup the opportunity to visit Bradford (Park Avenue), one of the most famous names involved so early, was too much to resist. Bradford played in The Football League from 1908 - 1970 and actually reached the quarter-finals of the cup three times as well as being able to boast the legendary Len Shackleton amongst their former players. After leaving the league the club went into decline and folded, before reforming and working their way back up from the local Sunday leagues. Having lost their original Park Avenue ground, the club ended a nomadic period of ground sharing and moved into their current home at the Horsfall Stadium in 2001.

As they currently play in the Unibond League Premier Division, the home side were starting their cup campaign at this stage. The visitors, Bishop Auckland currently play in the First Division of the Northern League and were one of the most famous names in the halcyon days of amateur football, having won the FA Amateur Cup on 10 occasions. To reach this stage they had already beaten Hall Road Rangers and Hebburn Town.

Having plotted my route to the game by train from Victoria, I arrived into the suitably impressive Bradford Interchange to get my bus that should take me to the ground.

I had copied the postcode from the club's website and put into a travel website which had given me the bus I needed to take a and a handy little map of where to walk from the stop to my destination. When I boarded and explained to the driver I was going to the football ground, he said no problem he stopped right outside it. Brilliant. Ten minutes later, I was stood outside a football ground but not the one I wanted.


Getting my bearings from the map, I realised I was a mile or two from my target - no problem I had the best part of an hour to kick off. Walking through an estate which interestingly had a pony tethered up in the front garden, I reached Tyresal Lane which should be where the ground was which took me through a few fields and the alarm bells should have started to sound by now.



The lane then petered out into a dirt track and then footpath with no sign of a football ground in sight. By the time I had got myself back to a main road (and a mobile signal) I had looked up the stadium on my phone and been lucky enough to get an address (with a completely different postcode) which was about 5 miles from where I was and it was now 3pm. I was determined not to miss out on the game so phoned a taxi from a nearby pub and eventually got to my objective about 10 minutes before half-time. The turnstiles were, of course locked up, but the steward on the gate was happy to take my admission money and let me in.

At this stage the home side were already leading 2-1 with goals from Mark Betts & Simon Ainge, Steven Salvin had replied for the visitors from the penalty spot. The Horsfall Stadium doubles up as an athletics venue, which gives the spectator a distant feeling with regards to the action on the pitch.

There was soon more goalmouth action shortly after my arrival, when Bradford were awarded a penalty but squandered the chance to extend their lead as the visiting keeper dove smartly to his left to deny the home team.

As the 45-minute period passed the 4th official indicated 5 minutes of added time, which is unusual for a first half. At his stage I made my way slowly towards the opposite end with half an eye on a welcome half-time pint. As I result I almost missed Simon Ainge tuck away his second of the day to make it 3-1 to Bradford.

Suitably refreshed, I had the chance to take in the ground properly which is dominated by the 1,750-seater main stand. The club were threatened with demotion last year as the seats needed to be replaced. The club put an appeal and the seats you see were duly provided by Lords cricket ground who were refurbishing themselves.

The second-half commenced and Bradford continued to dominate without any clear cut chances, until Simon Ainge managed to head his hatrick from a corner in the bottom picture, below.

With the result in no doubt at all, and in spite of the warm weather, it was time to investigate the pie offering of the day. I opted for the pork pie, as it is quite a rarity at football matches, topped a very generous allowance of mushy peas with mint sauce to add flavour. Excellent.

The momentum of the game seemed to have tailed off by now and it was a little niggly with Bradford creating all the chances without managing to extend their lead before proceedings were brought to a close.

Bradford's reward for the next round is a home tie with Harrogate Town, whilst I have decided to swap the white rose of Yorkshire for the red rose of Lancashire for Fleetwood Town v Farsley Celtic.