22 Oct 2024

Match Preview: Bradford (Park Avenue) vs. Emley AFC

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Tonight, Bradford (Park Avenue) face a significant challenge as they host league leaders Emley AFC at the Horsfall Community Stadium. With the match kicking off at 7:45 pm, it’s set to be a high-stakes clash as Avenue aim to continue their strong form and close the gap at the top of the table.

Form Guide:

  • Bradford (Park Avenue) come into the game unbeaten in their last six league matches, with an impressive five wins and one draw. Recent victories include a solid 3-1 win at Consett, 2-1 vs Sheffield FC, and a 3-0 away win against Stocksbridge Park Steels, showcasing the team’s resilience and growing momentum. Sitting fifth in the table with 23 points, Avenue are just one point away from second place, making tomorrow’s match crucial in their push for the top spots.
  • Emley AFC, on the other hand, lead the league with 29 points and have been formidable this season, losing just once in the league. Their recent form is hampered slightly, with their only loss, 2-1 to North Ferriby. Emley have shown they can bounce back quickly though, and since that defeat they have won against Sherwood Colliery, Ossett United, and Carlton Town.

Key Factors:

  • Defensive Steel vs. Attacking Firepower: Avenue’s recent success has been built on solid defending and clinical finishing. The addition of experienced players like Ben Blythe, Josh Ashman, and Mark Beevers has bolstered the backline, while Paddy Sykes, fresh off scoring twice against Consett, is in fine form up front. However, they will need to be at their best to keep out an Emley side that has scored 27 goals – the most in the division.
  • Battle for the Summit: With Emley having scored the most goals and conceded the least in the league, they represent the ultimate test for Avenue’s improving squad. But with home advantage and a buzzing atmosphere at Horsfall, Bradford (Park Avenue) will fancy their chances of upsetting the league leaders and cutting the gap at the top to just three points.

What’s at Stake:

A win for Avenue would not only boost their play-off credentials but also thrust them firmly into the title race. Meanwhile, Emley will look to solidify their place at the top and extend their lead over the chasing pack.

🕢 Kick-off at 7:45 pm – let’s fill the stands and create a powerful atmosphere! 🔥

🎟️ Admission Prices:

  • £8 for EFL, EPL, Bulls, Huddersfield Town, Bradford City, and Halifax season ticket holders
  • £13 Adults, £10 Concessions
  • £5 for Students, Armed Forces & Blue Light Cardholders
  • £3 Youths (12-17), £1 Juniors (U12s)

🍺 Happy Hour on all draft and hand-pulled pints from 6-7 pm with 50p off your first pint. Come early, grab a drink, and get ready for a big night of football! 🍻

Get down to Horsfall, back the lads, and let’s make tomorrow night one to remember! 🟢⚪ #GreenArmy #BPAFC #Matchday #NorthernPremierLeague #UpTheAvenue

21 Oct 2024

Bradford (Park Avenue) Secure 3-1 Victory at Consett to Climb Back into Play-Off Spots – Match Report

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Bradford (Park Avenue) continued their impressive form in the Northern Premier League East Division on Saturday, claiming a 3-1 win over Consett AFC on Saturday. The victory not only extended their unbeaten run to six games (five wins and a draw) but also pushed them back into the play-off places, and put the Green Army at the top of the form table.

The match began with the hosts threatening early, as Will Constantin managed to break into the box, only to be denied by on-loan Avenue goalkeeper Jack Hall, who reacted sharply to keep the scores level.

Avenue responded swiftly and made the most of some sloppy defending from Consett. Connor Shanks capitalized on a defensive error but saw his initial effort saved by Harry Moss. However, the breakthrough came after 14 minutes when Shanks headed home a superb delivery from Paddy Sykes, leaving Moss with no chance.

Sykes then turned from provider to scorer just before half-time, punishing another defensive lapse by slotting the ball home with a composed finish to double Avenue’s lead and give the visitors a comfortable cushion heading into the break.

Consett came out strong in the second half, earning a penalty shortly after the restart when Will Shaw was fouled in the area. Brandon Holdsworth stepped up to convert the spot-kick, giving the home side hope of a comeback.

However, Craig Elliott’s men showed their resilience and were determined to secure all three points. Avenue’s steelier mentality was evident as they weathered Consett’s pressure and continued to pose a threat on the counter.

The decisive moment came with just under 10 minutes left on the clock when Jimiel Chikukwa played a perfectly weighted through ball to Sykes, who smashed it past Moss to net his second goal of the game and seal the victory for Avenue.

The win sees Avenue move up to fifth in the table on 23 points, just one point behind second-placed Cleethorpes Town after Belper Town suffered a setback.

Next up, Bradford (Park Avenue) return to the Horsfall Community Stadium on Tuesday night for a top-of-the-table clash against league leaders Emley AFC. With the potential to close the gap to just three points off the summit, Avenue face a tough challenge against a high-flying Emley side that has lost just once in the league this season and boasts the division’s best attack and defense.

Come on down and back the boys as they look to continue their superb run and climb the table!

20 Oct 2024

Tuesday Matchday Alert!

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This Tuesday night 22nd October, Bradford (Park Avenue) face off against league leaders Emley AFC at the Horsfall Community Stadium! 🏟️ Kick-off at 7:45 pm. It’s a big test for the lads, and we need the Green Army to bring the noise! 🔊💚

🎟️ Special Offer: Entry is just £8 for all EFL, EPL & Bulls season ticket holders! 🎫

🍺 Happy Hour on all draft and hand-pulled pints from 6-7 pm with 50p off your pint! Perfect way to warm up for the action on the pitch! ⚽️🔥

Get behind the team and let’s make Tuesday night one to remember! 🟢⚪ #GreenArmy #BPAFC #TuesdayNightFootball #NorthernPremierLeague #UpTheAvenue

17 Oct 2024

Match Preview: Consett AFC vs Bradford (Park Avenue)

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Date: Saturday, 19th October 2024
Kick-Off: 3:00 PM
Venue: Belle View Stadium, Delves Lane, Consett, DH8 7BF
Coach Travel: £15, contact Secretary@bpafc.com to book!

Bradford (Park Avenue) travel to Belle View Stadium on Saturday to face Consett AFC in the Northern Premier League East Division. Avenue are looking to extend their solid form, while Consett will be eager to bounce back from recent setbacks and climb up the table.

Current Form:

Bradford (Park Avenue) currently sit 6th in the league table with 20 points from 11 games, while Consett are 18th with 10 points from 10 matches.

Bradford’s recent form puts them 3rd in the form table, and includes a 1-1 draw against Carlton Town on Tuesday, where Dan Francis scored early, but Avenue were held to a draw. Prior to that, Avenue secured a strong 2-1 win against Sheffield and a dominant 3-0 victory over Stocksbridge Park Steels, where Myles La Bastide and Paddy Sykes both got on the scoresheet.

Bradford Recent Results:

  • H vs Carlton Town (1-1): Dan Francis
  • H vs Sheffield (2-1): Paddy Sykes, Ben Blythe
  • A vs Stocksbridge Park Steels (3-0): Myles La Bastide (2), Paddy Sykes

Bradford have been defensively solid while creating plenty of attacking chances, with key players such as Dan Francis, Paddy Sykes, and Connor Shanks contributing goals. The defence, led by Mark Beevers and Ben Blythe, has been particularly strong, with Blythe showing his defensive prowess alongside Beevers in recent matches.

On the other hand, Consett come into this match after a tough 3-0 loss to Carlton Town, and they will be desperate to turn their form around. Despite the setback, Consett’s recent 3-2 win against Ashington AFC showcased their potential to pull off surprises at home.

Key Players to Watch:

Bradford (Park Avenue):

  • Dan Francis remains a key attacking outlet, having scored in Tuesday’s draw against Carlton.
  • Paddy Sykes, known for his physical presence and goal-scoring ability, will look to add to his tally.
  • Connor Shanks will be eager to increase his tally, after being knocked off the top goalscorer spot by Dan Francis on Tuesday.
  • Ben Blythe and Mark Beevers have been standout performers in defence, with Blythe showing his ability to break up opposition attacks and win key headers, making it difficult for opposing forwards.

Consett AFC:

  • Isaac Walker, Consett’s top scorer with 5 goals this season, will be the main threat going forward.
  • Liam Colledge and Marc Costello are also key players who will need to be at their best if Consett hope to take points from this match.

What to Expect:

Given Bradford’s form and the strength of their defence, they will go into the game as favourites. However, Consett’s home advantage and need for points make them a dangerous side, particularly if they can execute on the counter-attack. Expect a competitive, high-intensity match as both teams battle for crucial points.

Next Fixtures:

  • Tuesday, 22nd October: Bradford (Park Avenue) vs Emley AFC at Horsfall Community Stadium.
  • Tuesday, 29th October: Bridlington Town vs Bradford (Park Avenue) (AWAY)
  • Saturday 2nd November: Bradford (Park Avenue) vs Bishop Auckland at Horsfall Community Stadium
17 Oct 2024

CLUB STATEMENT

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Bradford (Park Avenue) AFC are frustrated to announce that we have been expelled from the 2024/25 West Riding County Cup for seemingly fielding an ineligible player in the 2-3 victory against Golcar United in the First Round of the competition on the 24th September 2024.

Having registered this player seven days prior to the fixture, we were then informed by the West Riding FA that the player needed to be registered ‘seven CLEAR days’ prior to the fixture taking place.

Having submitted all relevant evidence proving the fact, the West Riding FA still concluded that we were in the wrong, and the result is that we have been expelled from the competition.

Bradford (Park Avenue) apologises to our loyal fans for the inconvenience caused.

16 Oct 2024

MATCH REPORT: Bradford (Park Avenue) 1-1 Carlton Town

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Venue: Horsfall Community Stadium
Attendance: 256
Referee: Jack Churchill
Competition: Northern Premier League – East Division

Bradford (Park Avenue) were held to a 1-1 draw against Carlton Town in a lively contest at Horsfall Community Stadium. An early goal from Dan Francis gave Avenue the lead, but Lewis Durow equalized for Carlton before the break to ensure both sides took a share of the points.

First Half:

Bradford (Park Avenue) got off to the perfect start, with Dan Francis finding the back of the net in the 6th minute. A corner from Connor Shanks was headed back across goal by Paddy Sykes, and Francis was on hand to convert with a diving header.

Carlton responded with a spell of pressure, with a goal-line clearance denying them an equalizer after a dangerous long throw caused havoc in the Avenue box. The match maintained a high tempo, and Jack Normanton’s cross in the 26th minute nearly doubled the lead, but it went agonizingly untouched. Shortly after, Paddy Sykes headed just wide from another Francis cross.

Carlton equalized in the 44th minute when Lewis Durow volleyed home following a corner, sending the teams into halftime level at 1-1.

Second Half:

The second half saw Bradford pushing hard to regain the lead. Ben Blythe went close with a header from a corner early on, but Carlton’s defense stood firm.

Avenue had more opportunities, with Will Calligan firing a powerful effort that was turned behind for a corner in the 62nd minute. Paddy Sykes was unlucky when his header hit the post in the 68th minute, but the referee halted play for a foul on Carlton goalkeeper Felix Annan.

Despite continued pressure and some late chances, including a near-winner from Paddy Sykes in stoppage time, Bradford couldn’t find the decisive goal.

Full-Time: Bradford (Park Avenue) 1-1 Carlton Town

Post-Match Reaction: Manager Craig Elliott commented after the game, “I’m happy with a point. Carlton have one of the best throws in the league, and we handled it well. A few weeks ago, we might have lost this game, so to keep our unbeaten run going is a positive.”

Bradford (Park Avenue):
1 Jack Hall, 2 Kareem Hassan-Smith, 3 Dan Francis, 4 Luke Hogg (C), 5 Ben Blythe, 6 Mark Beevers, 7 Jack Normanton (Joe Crosby 85′), 8 Sonny Whittingham (Connor Dimaio 75’), 9 Paddy Sykes, 10 Connor Shanks, 11 Will Calligan (Josh Ashman 75’)
Substitutes: 12 Josh Ashman, 14 Joe Crosby, 15 Connor Dimaio, 16 Oli Norman, 17 Ben Whelan

Carlton Town:
1 Felix Annan, 2 Shea Thompson-Harris (Lawrence Stewart Gorman 76′), 3 Lewis Durow, 4 Daniel Brown (C), 5 Dean Freeman, 6 Michael Ford (Niall Davie 65’), 7 Alex Howes, 8 Charlie Carter, 9 Liam Moran (Luca Alanzi 65’), 10 Oliver Clark, 11 Niall Hylton (Neo Saunders 76′)
Substitutes: 12 Neo Saunders, 14 Lawrence Stewart Gorman, 15 Niall Davie, 16 Luca Alanzi, 17 Zac Hill

Next Fixtures:

  • Saturday, 19th October: Away to Consett AFC at Belle View Stadium, Delves Lane, Consett DH8 7BF. To book coach travel for just £15 a seat, please get in touch with Secretary@bpafc.com
  • Tuesday, 22nd October: Home vs Emley AFC at Horsfall Community Stadium.

The unbeaten run continues for Bradford (Park Avenue), who will now focus on their upcoming away fixture against Consett AFC this weekend.

16 Oct 2024

Club Statement

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Bradford (Park Avenue) would like to update our supporters and the wider football community regarding the recent announcement from our neighbours Farsley Celtic about playing at our home, the Horsfall Community Stadium, on Friday 18th October against Spennymoor Town.

We are very keen to help other local clubs and offer the use of our fantastic facilities. However, our priority is to look after the best interests of Bradford (Park Avenue) to protect the future trajectory of the football club.

We have an agreement, in principle, with Farsley Celtic. This agreement is based on various T&C’s being met. Unfortunately, the public announcement from Farsley Celtic has been made before these T&C’s have been met.

Therefore, as we currently stand the game will not go ahead at the Horsfall Community Stadium. However, we are very hopeful that these T&C’s can be fulfilled by Farsley Celtic very quickly and we will be able to help our neighbours and host their upcoming fixture.

We will update supporters, of all clubs concerned, in due course.

16 Oct 2024

Harry Colville Departs Bradford (Park Avenue)

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Bradford (Park Avenue) can confirm the departure of midfielder Harry Colville, who left Bradford (Park Avenue) last week to join Garforth Town.

Harry joined the Green Army at the start of the 2023/24 season, making 46 appearances in all competitions and scoring once. In the current 2024/25 campaign, Harry made 10 appearances.

We at Bradford (Park Avenue) would like to extend our sincere thanks to Harry for his hard work and professionalism during his time with the club and wish him the best in his future endeavours.

15 Oct 2024

Bradford (Park Avenue) Announce the Signings of Jimiel Chikukwa and Ted Lavelle

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Bradford (Park Avenue) is pleased to confirm the signings of forward Jimiel Chikukwa and midfielder Ted Lavelle, who both join the Club on one month deal from FC Halifax Town

Jimiel Chikukwa
Chikukwa, 21, began his career in the Leeds United academy, where he developed from the age of 13. After the expiry of his contract at Leeds, he signed for Watford’s academy in the summer of 2021.

During his time with Watford, Chikukwa gained further experience with a loan spell at Maidstone United in the National League South during the 2021/22 season. Although limited to one league appearance, he was part of the Maidstone squad that went on to win the National League South title.

Chikukwa returned to Watford at the end of the season but was released upon the expiry of his contract in June 2022, later joining FC Halifax Town. Chikukwa will now join Bradford (Park Avenue), where his pace and attacking instincts will be key assets to the team’s forward line.

Ted Lavelle
Lavelle, a talented midfielder, signed his first professional contract with Halifax Town in September 2023.

He previously gained experience with Rochdale and Wigan Athletic before joining Halifax, where he spent time out on loan with Colne FC, Bradford (Park Avenue), and most recently Lancaster City.

While on loan at Colne, Lavelle made 11 appearances and scored six goals across all competitions, showing his attacking prowess from midfield.

Last season, he made 17 appearances for Bradford (Park Avenue), adding two goals to his tally. Lavelle’s return to the club brings an added dimension to the midfield, with his versatility and ability to contribute both defensively and offensively.

Bradford (Park Avenue) welcomes both players to the squad and looks forward to their contributions in the upcoming fixtures.