Bradford (Park Avenue) were proud to host two visiting football clubs from the United States this week, welcoming Hoover Vestavia Soccer from Birmingham, Alabama on Wednesday 23rd July, and Lions Futball Club from San Antonio, Texas on Thursday 24th July, for a series of friendly matches and cultural exchange at the Horsfall Community Stadium.
Both tours were arranged in partnership with Amazing Sports Tours, giving young American players the opportunity to test themselves against UK sides and experience life at a historic English football club.
We caught up with Pete Kenyon, our Commercial Director, and Tomas Fox from Hoover Vestavia Soccer to reflect on their visit.
“We’ve travelled from Birmingham, Alabama. Our club is Hoover Vestavia Soccer,” said Tomas.
“First of all, thank you so much for hosting us — it’s been an amazing experience. What you have here is really special.There’s clearly a lot of history at this club, great habits, and the facilities are outstanding. Back home, it’s something we dream about having access to. So, congratulations — it’s really impressive.”
Tomas also praised the standard of the football:
“The games today were very good. We’ve played three matches so far on the trip, and being able to play two more strong games here has been a great opportunity. We’re very grateful.”
Pete Kenyon added:
“It’s brilliant when we can welcome people from the other side of the world to Park Avenue. Showing off our facilities, making visitors feel welcome — it’s what this club is about.
It also gives us a chance to share the history and tradition of Bradford (Park Avenue) with those who might not otherwise know our story. Long may these kinds of visits continue.”
The following day, Lions Futball Club visited from Texas, joined by Head Coach Peter Moore and Dave Shepard, Managing Director of Amazing Sports Tours.
“We’ve come from San Antonio, Texas,” Peter said. “The girls’ team we played against today was excellent — they had some real quality.
We had a poor first half, but the second half was much better. The girls showed great character to turn things around and put in a strong performance.”
Pete Kenyon again highlighted the value of these exchanges:
“It’s fantastic to see different cultures come through our gates. We hosted an American team yesterday, and another one today — both were very talented and a credit to their clubs.
I’m sure they’ve enjoyed the Horsfall and what we have to offer, and they’re welcome back any time.”
To round off the day, Dave Shepard praised what he saw:
“It’s been a brilliant experience — not just the football, but everything around it. The setup here is superb, and it’s clear how much the club has progressed. It’s really impressive.”
We’d like to thank Hoover Vestavia Soccer, Lions Futball Club, Dave Shepard and Amazing Sports Tours for choosing to visit Bradford (Park Avenue). It’s been a pleasure to host them, and we look forward to more international connections as we continue to grow our reach through the power of football.
Watch all the interviews on the video below.
