25 Aug 2018

Match Preview: Hereford vs. Bradford (Park Avenue)

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Bradford (Park Avenue) visit the side that sit one place above them in the league table this afternoon as Hereford provide the opposition in the club’s sixth game of the season. 

The two sides are both level on ten points having both enjoyed promising starts to the 2018/19 campaign. Known as ‘the Bulls’, they kick-started their season with a 3-0 win over Blyth Spartans, a win that was followed by a draw with Nuneaton Borough. They then returned to winning ways, edging past Curzon Ashton and Leamington before league pacemakers Chorley inflicted defeat on Peter Beadle’s side.

Bradford suffered their first defeat of the season at the hands of Leamington after wins over Brackley Town and Blyth Spartans, but bounced back to accumulate four points from clashes with Spennymoor Town and Stockport County.

GUIDE TO THE OPPONENTS:

The Gaffer:

Peter Beadle 

When Hereford F.C were born out of the ashes of the dissolved Hereford United, Beadle became the newly-formed club’s first-ever manager. He had previously worked as Director of Youth Football at Hereford United and also enjoyed a stint as Caretaker Manager. Beadle has also managed Taunton Town, Newport County and Clevedon Town. A treble-winner in his first season as manager of the Bulls, Beadle has guided Hereford to three consecutive promotions and is now on the hunt for a fourth.

The former forward hung up his boots in 2005, having played over 350 professional games. He started his career with Gillingham, impressing enough to earn a move to Tottenham Hotspur in 1992. The Lambeth-born forward failed to make a single competitive appearance at White Hart Lane and moved on after loan spells with Bournemouth and Southend United. He struggled during a spell at Watford but found form at Bristol Rovers, making more than 100 appearances for the club before departing for Port Vale. A brief stint with Notts County followed before Beadle returned to Bristol, this time arriving at Ashton Gate to represent his former side’s rivals, Bristol City. After making 82 appearances for the Robins, he spent time with Brentford, Barnet, Team Bath and Clevedon Town before retiring.

One To Watch:

Harry White

An experienced player despite his tender age, White has enjoyed a stellar start to the season. The 23-year-old opened his account on the opening day against Blyth Spartans and went on to notch against Curzon Ashton and Leamington. An industrious forward, he cut his teeth in non-league football after being released by Coventry City, plying his trade with a string of sides including Coventry Sphinx and Banbury United. He then moved to the USA but returned to England in 2014, joining Gloucester City. White demonstrated enough potential to earn a move to Barnsley, but made just two first-team appearances and made more of an impact during loan spells with Kidderminster Harriers and Boreham Wood. The forward left Oakwell in 2016, and represented Solihull Moors and Chester before sealing a move to Edgar Street in the summer of 2018.

Supporters coach departure times:

Horsfall Stadium: 8:30am

Cedar Court Hotel, Bradford: 8:45am

Alternatively, you can keep up with action by following @BPAFCOfficial on Twitter.

 

24 Aug 2018

Bradford (Park Avenue) To Hold Beer Festival & Charity Day

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Bradford (Park Avenue) will be holding a beer festival at the Horsfall Stadium over the weekend of 14th – 16th September.

There will be a range of 12 different beers, 3 ciders, craft gin and food available over the weekend.

Friday 14th September – 5pm-11pm (Free Entry)

Saturday 15th September – 12pm-11pm (Free Entry After 4:30pm)
BPA Vs Altrincham 3pm kick off

Sunday 16th September – 12pm-10pm (Free Entry)
Charity day involving football matches between ex players, fans and guests. There will also be stalls, games, a bouncy castle and live music. All funds raised will be donated equally between the Bradford Park Avenue Community Trust and the Marie Curie Hospice. Any fans wishing to take part in the charity football match please contact Ben Harvey by email – b_a_harvey@hotmail.com

For further information or to offer any support for the event please contact Dave Stordy on 01274 512989 or davestordy@hotmail.co.uk

Beer Festival Sponsors

This year’s beer festival would not be possible without our fantastic sponsors.

No.1 – Jackson and Co
No.2 – Paul Armitage
No.3 – Paul O’Shea
No.4 – Geoff Kaye
No.5 – Jamie Sinclair
No.6 – Dave Stordy
No.7 – Fairweather Windows
No.8 – Guess the Gate
No.9 – David Bruce
No.10 – Joe Mosley
No.11 – Judith Cummins MP
No.12 – Sandale Community Development Trust
Medium cider – Alan Ham/Roger Banks
Dry cider – BPAFC
Pear cider – Peardrop Creative LTD

24 Aug 2018

New Look Academy Side Draw In First Friendly

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A new looking academy side consisting of 7 new scholars competed in a competitive friendly last Wednesday at Durham County FA against an under 18 side.
The game started bright with a couple of half chances for Jordan Botwood and a long shot missing the target by Joe Ockleby.
The hosts started to take a grip on the game and took a chance which was gifted to them from BPA losing possession in there own half . George Widdop pulled off a couple of fine saves soon after and with Adam Whitrick having to limp off odds were stacked against BPA. Conceding a goal on the stroke of half time It was looking like it could be a glum result .
After the break a lot more energy in there play and BPA were rewarded with a goal to get them back in the game with a neat finish from Tanvir Ali.  The hosts had another chance to pull further clear but fine defending from Harry Holmes put an end to that. With the instructions of Academy manager Alex Meechan , Harry himself with five minutes to go was told to go up and attack a set piece and he duly obliged. A fine header from a good delivery from Matt Rowntree and BPA got what they deserved.
With a final result of 2-2, all in all a good learning curve for the new recruits.
22 Aug 2018

Horsfall College Of Sport Announces New Partnership With SCL Education Group

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Horsfall College of Sport, the academy arm of Bradford (Park Avenue) AFC is teaming up with SCL Education Group to deliver a training and education programme for 16-18 year olds, offering them a stepping stone into a career in football, and in further education.

The programme will support students in developing valuable life skills, as they gain key qualifications alongside relevant work experience and an excellent full-time football training programme from Bradford (Park Avenue).

All educational aspects of the programme will be fully managed by SCL, a leading independent provider of education through sport. SCL are approved to deliver qualifications with over 15 years’ experience in delivering a range of forward-thinking and successful sports programmes for young adults.

Horsfall College of Sport is the new name adopted by Bradford (Park Avenue) AFC for its academy which, has been based at Grange Technology College for the last two years and will move to Horsfall Stadium from September 2018. The college provides opportunities for 16 – 18 year olds to gain an academic qualification whilst developing their technical and personal skills. Although only two years old the college has had four scholars involved in the first team this pre-season with Matthew Rowntree becoming the first scholar to score in a first team fixture. All coaches, led by Alex Meechan, are fully qualified with ‘A’ licensed UEFA badges and offer a strong training programme to develop each individual’s technical ability. The college also offers a fully fitted medical room under the management of our Head of Medicine Tally Clayton.

Couple this with a support network from SCL consisting of tutors, curriculum managers, quality assessors and operations support, it’s a programme that’s hard to rival.

CEO Rob Stanley stated, “Partnering with a company of SCL’s standing is a strong move for the club and college. Their expertise in their field will enable the club to concentrate on providing quality coaching sessions in order to develop both the individual technically and personally. This is an exciting time for the college and we are looking forward to working closely with SCL to develop the college and courses we offer”

Students will benefit from:
Full-time education and training programme
Daily training from highly qualified FA coaches
Guidance on individual football fitness
Nutritional advice
Regular appraisal to monitor development both on and off the pitch
Proven progression routes

Graduates of the programme will have the opportunity to progress onto fantastic exit routes, including professional or semi-professional football, further education, scholarships abroad, training or employment.

If you’re interested in finding out more about the Programme or know someone who would like to apply, please contact:

info@horsfallcollege.com

18 Aug 2018

Nowakowski Salvages Draw Against Hatters

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A late equaliser from substitute Adam Nowakowski salvaged a point for Bradford (Park Avenue) after Matty Warburton’s moment of magic had given Stockport County the lead.

Stockport supporters travelled in their numbers and were treated to a first-half display full of attacking intent from their side.

This didn’t faze Bradford, who did excellently to nullify the threat of the visitors’ attacking contingent.

Sam Minihan proved dangerous down the right flank, particularly in the first-half, and he found Jake Kirby with a cross after a marauding run. Kirby swivelled and shot but was denied by Steven Drench.

Former Bradford loanee Frank Mulhern was named in Stockport’s staring eleven on his return to the Horsfall, but he was forced off with an injury after just nine minutes following a collision with Shane Killock.

Minihan continued to threaten, skipping past Nicky Clee and pulling back to Matty Warburton, whose shot was deflected wide by Conor Branson.

Bradford did have opportunites of their own but didn’t trouble Ben Hinchliffe and failed to register a shot on target in the entirety of the first-half. A speculative effort from Ben McKenna flew wide and Oli Johnson miscued a cross after advancing into the 18-yard box.

The Hatters looked certain to break the deadlock when Kirby latched on to a perfectly weighted pass from Conor Dimaio, but he saw his powerful strike palmed wide by Drench.

Nicky Clee felled Kirby inside the 18-yard box to give Warburton the chance to convert from 12-yards, but Drench dived to his left and held the tame effort.

HALF-TIME: Bradford (Park Avenue) 0-0 Stockport County

Defensive lynchpin Luca Havern did excellently to thwart Minihan after the break, steering his cross behind for a corner as Sam Walker lurked.

Bradford registered their first shot on target in the 52nd minute, but Chris Dawson’s audacious volley was held by Hinchliffe.

Branson then had to be alert to prevent a Kirby cross reaching Dimaio, who had advanced into dangerous territory and was preparing to shoot.

The energetic Jamie Spencer looked to rally Bradford, darting forward and shooting but watching the effort cannon off the back of Jordan Keane before being cleared.

Ben McKenna provided an outlet for the hosts throughout but really hit his stride in the final fifteen minutes. His teasing delivery found Jake Beesley, but the forward sent a glancing header wide.

With twelve minutes remaining, the Hatters took the lead as Warburton found the top corner with a sensational strike from distance.

Bradford responded by piling bodies forward, and deployed the towering Adam Nowakowski as a makeshift striker. The decision was rewarded when Nowakowski put the hosts back on level terms, steering home after meeting a Beesley delivery from the left.

FULL-TIME: Bradford (Park Avenue) 1-1 Stockport County

Bradford (Park Avenue): Drench, Ross, Clee, Branson, Killock (c), Havern, McKenna, Dawson (Wroe 53′), Beesley, Johnson (Knight 58′), Spencer (Nowakowski 71′).

Unused substitutes: Atkinson, Boshell.

Stockport County: Hinchliffe, Minihan, Askew, Keane, Smalley, Walker, Dimaio (Mantack 75′), Turnbull (c), Mulhern (Bell 9′), Warburton, Kirby (Stephenson 63′).

Unused substitutes: Cowan, Ormson.

Attendance: 825

Referee: James Bell

18 Aug 2018

Match Preview: Bradford (Park Avenue) Vs. Stockport County

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Bradford (Park Avenue) welcome a side that carry a lot of expectation on their shoulders to the Horsfall Stadium this afternoon as Stockport County provide the opposition. 

Boasting a squad brimming with talent, the Hatters are among the favourites to gain promotion this season after losing narrowly to Chorley in the elimination round of last season’s play-offs.

They kick-started their 2018/19 campaign in style, convincingly disposing of F.C United of Manchester on the opening day with an emphatic 5-1 win. A defeat to York City followed, but Jim Gannon’s side put Southport to the sword after a late winner from former Republic of Ireland under-21 international Conor Dimaio. Guiseley visited Edgeley Park on Tuesday, holding the Hatters to a 1-1 draw.

County triumphed on their last visit to the Horsfall back in March 2018, as a crowd of 1,044 watched midfielder James Ball claim a 3-2 win for the visitors with a stoppage-time volley.

Today’s opponents will be keen to start showing consistency as they look to establish themselves as front-runners in the promotion race, but will be facing a confident Bradford.

The hosts have won three of their opening four games, and are yet to concede at the Horsfall Stadium following 1-0 wins over Brackley Town and Spennymoor Town at their West Yorkshire home.

There are several ex-Hatters in the Bradford squad, including Mark Ross, Gianluca Havern, Danny Boshell, Ben McKenna and Oli Johnson.

GUIDE TO THE OPPONENTS: 

The Gaffer:

Jim Gannon

Gannon is currently enjoying his third spell as Stockport manager, having previously taken the reigns between 2005 and 2009, and 2011 and 2013. He led the Hatters to promotion from League Two via the play-offs in 2008 and kept the club afloat in League One despite a ten-point deduction. Gannon has experience of managing in the Championship following a spell in charge of Peterborough United in 2010, and has also managed Dundalk, Motherwell, Port Vale and Northwich Victoria. As a player, he made over 350 appearances for Stockport and also played in Yorkshire with Sheffield United and Halifax Town.

One To Watch:

Frank Mulhern

Bradford supporters are already aware of the talent possessed by 21-year-old Mulhern, who helped fire the club into to the play-offs during a loan spell at the Horsfall Stadium last season. A pacey and powerful forward, he can also operate on the wing and was utilised in both positions by Mark Bower during his time in Bradford. He dropped into non-league football with Guiseley after leaving Huddersfield Town, who swooped for him after his shock departure from Leeds United. After finding first-team opportunities at Nethermoor limited, he spent time on loan at Harrogate Town and Alfreton Town before joining Bradford on a temporary basis in February 2018. The former Republic of Ireland youth international was quickly off the mark for his new club, netting Stockport’s first in a 5-1 drubbing of F.C United of Manchester on the opening day.

Admission Prices:

Adults: £12

Concessions: £9

Students: £7

Under-16s: £2

17 Aug 2018

Drench: We’re Looking Forward To Another Tough Game

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Bradford (Park Avenue) goalkeeper Steven Drench has claimed that he and his teammates are relishing the prospect of another tough game ahead of Stockport County’s visit tomorrow.

The experienced stopper has kept clean sheets in both of the club’s home wins so far, and was particularly impressive on Tuesday night as he proved to be a thorn in the side of Spennymoor Town’s attacking contingent.

Speaking after the 1-0 victory over the Moors, Drench discussed the the importance of the win, the competitive nature of the division and the upcoming test against Stockport.

“We came unstuck against Leamington on Saturday, so we wanted to put in a performance against Spennymoor and we have done,” explained the goalkeeper.

“We started the season by playing against sides that we’d like to think will be up there at the end of the season, but Leamington was a tough place to go as well. People assume, because of where they finished last season, that we had a right to go there and win but no team does. 

“Anyone can beat anybody in this league and some of the results have showed that. With the exception of Chorley, no team has set the world alight and it just shows how tight the league will be this season.

It’s still early days and a lot of teams are still sussing out their best eleven. It’s a case of feeling each other out, but we’ve won three of our first four games and we’d have taken that if it was offered to us at the start of the season. We’re looking forward to another tough game on Saturday.”

Bradford face Stockport County at the Horsfall Stadium tomorrow, with the action kicking off at 3pm. Admission is priced at just £12 for adults, £9 for concessions, £7 for students and £2 for under-16s.

16 Aug 2018

Stockport County Match Arrangements

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A decision has been taken to make the match fully segregated but will not be all ticket as per previous games over the last few seasons.

With full segregation in place, Avenue fans will only be able to enter the ground on the day of the match via the Cemetery Road turnstiles. We are also encouraging home fans not to use Park Road car park, as that is where visiting Stockport County supporters will be directed to.

The club will be implementing additional facilities to accommodate the Stockport supporters. There will be a separate beer tent, burger van, as well as portable toilets, located at the Park Road end of the ground. The club will also be running a card payment only turnstile to try and ease congestion around the turnstiles.

Home supporters will, as usual, have access to the clubhouse and in-house cafe, and will be able to view the match from the main stand, one half of the pavilion side, and the stand behind the goal.

Fans are asked to arrive at the ground early to avoid queues, and take up their position in plenty of time with seating especially limited.

16 Aug 2018

The Dolan Effect: A Thank You Following Terry Dolan’s Departure

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Following the conclusion of a memorable 2017/18 campaign, Director of Football Terry Dolan left the club.

An extremely well-respected and successful footballing figure, Terry returned the club he represented as a player as a director in 2015 before being appointed as Director of Football in 2016.

He took on the role in order to help rebuild the pyramid within the club, as well as developing a community-led academy. During his time at the club, he also worked closely with first-team managers to produce teams that Bradford (Park Avenue) could be proud of, and that would attract supporters.

The move to bring Terry back to the club was a logical one; it was made out of common sense. He brought a wealth of experience of football to the Horsfall, following a distinguished career of playing and managing at a high level. His professional playing career began with Bradford (Park Avenue), who he represented until Huddersfield Town swooped in 1970. Terry played in all four divisions for the Terriers before going on to enjoy a successful five-year spell with Bradford City. He also represented Rochdale and Brackley Town as a player and spent time with Harrogate Town and Thackley as a player-coach before eventually stepping into senior management. As a manager, he took the reigns at Bradford City, Rochdale, Hull City, York City and Guiseley before working with the St Vincent and Grenadines national team as a consultant and with Notts County as Head of Recruitment.

One of Terry’s most challenging tasks when appointed was establishing an academy that would serve both the club and the local community. Perhaps unsurprisingly considering his credentials and experience, he was pivotal in ensuring that the academy was successfully set-up. Now known as the Horsfall College of Sport, it provides opportunities in football for young people in Bradford as well as helping them develop academically. Recently, young midfielder Matthew Rowntree became the first scholar to score for the first-team and the College’s success will always serve as a reminder of Terry’s contribution to the club.

Everyone associated with Bradford (Park Avenue) wishes Terry all the best and he is always welcome at the Horsfall Stadium.

Thank you, Terry!

15 Aug 2018

Bradford Edge Past Moors

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Bradford (Park Avenue) produced the perfect response to Saturday’s humbling with a hard-fought win over promotion-chasing Spennymoor Town.

The Moors invested heavily in their squad over the summer and handed starts to former Bradford duo Rob Atkinson and Adam Boyes. However, it was their former employers that demonstrated a clinical edge and wrapped up a third win in four games.

The visitors dominated possession in the opening exchanges, and almost opened the scoring early on when Shane Henry latched on to a stray pass from Jake Beesley before sending a shot wide.

Despite spraying the ball around with relative comfort for large portions of the opening twenty minutes, Spennymoor never really troubled Steven Drench and resorted to audacious strikes from distance that the goalkeeper held.

Glen Taylor came closest, combining well with Rob Ramshaw but seeing his shot blocked by Luca Havern with Drench beaten.

Oli Johnson began to open the game up as his incisive runs down the left flank stretched the Spennymoor defence. He raced to the byline after skipping past Callum Williams but Ben McKenna couldn’t convert after connecting with the cross.

McKenna then turned provider with a teasing delivery from the right that found Beesley, but the forward flicked wide under pressure from Atkinson.

The hosts then won a free-kick barely an inch into the Moors’ half when Henry felled Chris Dawson. From the set-piece, the ball was worked out to the left where Johnson drilled a cross in from and picked out McKenna, who steered past Matthew Gould.

As momentum began to shift in the hosts’ favour, Gould became busier as shots rained down on the former Stourbridge stopper, who was a thorn in Bradford’s side during the FA Trophy clashes with his former employers last season.

A powerful drive from Conor Branson was palmed away by Gould whilst at full stretch and a cross from Johnson was deflected wide as Beesley arrived at the back post, ready to pounce.

Bradford were dealt a blow with seven minutes of the first-half remaining as Danny Lowe was forced off with an injury. The experienced Nicky Clee, however, had deputised at left-back on numerous occasions before and slotted in well as Lowe’s replacement.

Former Bradford marksman Boyes had the ball in the back of the net in the 41st minute and wheeled away to celebrate after meeting a Jamie Chandler cross and flicking past Drench. Luckily for the hosts, he had strayed offside and was penalised.

HALF-TIME: Bradford (Park Avenue) 1-0 Spennymoor Town

Boyes slipped in behind the Bradford backline early on in the second-half, but fired straight into the clutches of Drench after escaping his marker.

Pressure began to mount on the hosts, with Moors manager Jason Ainsley’s half-time team talk clearly paying dividends.

The slicker Spennymoor side that had emerged after the interval went close again as Boyes cut back to Mark Anderson but could only watch as he lost his balance and passed the ball wide.

Taylor forced Drench to beat away a low-drilled effort from the right-hand side of the box and the goalkeeper then did to superbly to thwart Atkinson, palming away a header powered towards him after the defender connected with Anderson’s corner delivery.

The referee was forced to dismiss appeals for a Moors penalty in the 72nd minute after Taylor and Shane Killock collided in the box, with the former convinced he had been bundled over.

Jamie Spencer had provided a much-needed injection of energy upon his return to the starting eleven, and he was crucial as Bradford looked to relieve the intense pressure they were under in the late stages. The midfielder wriggled away from Chandler and almost found the bottom corner with an effort that flew narrowly wide before turning provider for McKenna, who rattled the post.

The hosts hammered the woodwork once again barely a minute later as Branson struck goal wards but was denied by the post.

Spencer flicked the ball into the path of Beesley with a clever header but James Curtis was on-hand to sweep up and hook away from danger.

Former Bradford loanee Jake Hibbs was introduced in the final ten minutes and almost made an instant impact, unleashing a venomous strike from distance that Drench had to be alert to get down to and hold.

The visitors piled bodies forward as the full-time whistle approached but shot themselves in the foot on numerous occasions by giving away cheap free-kicks with niggly fouls, stifling their own attacks.

FULL-TIME: Bradford (Park Avenue) 1-0 Spennymoor Town

Bradford (Park Avenue): Drench, Ross, Lowe (Clee 38′), Branson, Killock (c), Havern, McKenna, Dawson (Wroe 64′), Beesley, Johnson (Nowakowski 90+3′), Spencer.

Unused substitutes: Boshell, Knight.

Spennymoor Town: Gould, Williams, Brogan, Chandler, Atkinson, Curtis (c), Boyes (Foley 79′), Henry (Hibbs 81′), Taylor, Anderson (Johnson 69′), Ramshaw.

Unused substitutes: Thackray, Elliott.

Referee: Barry Lamb

Attendance: 392

Report: Tom Coates