This remarkable photograph captures a moment when football in Bradford truly brought the city to a standstill.
Taken ahead of a Bradford derby at Valley Parade, the image shows supporters packed tightly along the terraced hillsides, with stewards using a megaphone to manage the growing crowd. Around 35,000 people were in attendance – a figure that underlines just how central football was to life in the city at the time.
During this era, both Bradford (Park Avenue) and Bradford City were competing in the Football League, and derby days were major occasions. Supporters travelled from every corner of Bradford to watch the two clubs meet, turning fixtures like this into events that went far beyond the 90 minutes on the pitch.
For Park Avenue, this period saw the club regularly competing against some of the biggest and most established names in English football. Large crowds, high-profile opposition and a strong place within the national game were part of everyday life — a history that many younger supporters today may not fully realise.
Avenue Archives is a weekly series looking back at moments, memories and images from the club’s rich history — celebrating the stories that helped shape Bradford (Park Avenue).
Were you, or members of your family, at games like this? Do you have memories or stories passed down from these derby days? We’d love to hear them. B