18 Oct 2019

Match Preview: Gloucester (A)

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Bradford (Park Avenue) travel to Gloucester City this Saturday looking for their first back-to-back wins of the season.

Returning manager Mark Bower oversaw the club’s first home win of the season in his first game back in charge at the club, thanks to a 3-2 victory over Hereford at the Horsfall Stadium.

Lewis Knight, Dan Sweeney and Adam Nowakowski found the net in the victory which also marked the first time Avenue had scored more than once in a league game this term.

For Sweeney, it was his first goal since joining on loan from Solihull, while Nowakowski also marked his return to the club by opening the scoring inside 10 minutes.

Joe Green, another of Bower’s four-player haul ahead of his first game back, impressed at the other end with a string of fine saves and excellent handling to make sure of the three points.

Victory over Hereford also moved Bradford out of the bottom two, and further points at Gloucester could see them overtake Curzon Ashton into 19th place.

After being on the end of an FA Cup upset against a depleted Whitby Town last week, Gloucester were defeated at Gateshead in their second trip to the North East in two weekends.

Their home form has been commendable however, with three wins out of four in the league at their temporary Evesham base – with only a close 3-2 defeat to table toppers York tarnishing that record.

Avenue will be without Marcus Wood for the long trip down the M6, as he has left to join Southport, while it remains to be seen if Bower will add any fresh faces ahead of the contest.

You can join Avenue for the match with spaces still available on the official coach. Click here for more info.

Recent League Form

Bradford (Park Avenue)
Hereford (H) W 3-2
Brackley Town (A) L 0-8
Spennymoor Town (H) D 1-1
Boston United (A) L 1-2
Farsley Celtic (H) L 0-3

Gloucester City
Gateshead (A) L 0-1
Guiseley (H) W 3-1
King’s Lynn Town (A) D 2-2
Darlington (H) W 2-1
AFC Telford United (A) L 3-4

Last Time Out

Bradford (Park Avenue): Green, Lund, Priestley, Lowe (c), Hughes, Heaton, Knight (Bazeley 90), Agustien (Marriott 70), Sweeney (Johnson 90), Hurst, Nowakowski

Gloucester City: Bradley-Hurst; Hamilton, Harper, Harrison (Smith, 30’), Avery (c), Russe, Parker, Hanks, Jackson, Kotwica, Robert (Myrie-Williams, 65’)

Admission Prices
Adult – £13
Concession (OAP, Student) – £8
Under-15 – £3
Under-12 – FREE

15 Oct 2019

Bucket Collection Update: Hereford

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Last week saw Bradford (Park Avenue) launch a new charitable campaign in association with the Horsfall Trust.

The campaign features a nominated charity every home game and aims to raise awareness of the charity.

At Saturday’s home match against Hereford we ran our first bucket collection and we are delighted to announce that we received £84.91 in donations. The donations will be equally split between the Horsfall Community Trust and the National League endorsed Prostate Cancer UK’s Manarama. The charity launched the Drive to Save Lives scheme and aims to raise vital funds to help stop the disease killing one man every 45 minutes.

At the game there were also pin badges and wristbands available to purchase with the full amount going to Prostate Cancer UK. Limited badges are still available and they will be on sale at our next home match against Southport on 26 Saturday October.

We would like to thank supporters for their generosity and especially the volunteers who gave up their time to help a fantastic cause.

As a club we are asking for supporters to get involved with the scheme by suggesting charities. If you would like to nominate a charity, please email info@bpafc.com with the name of the charity you would like to nominate and a brief explanation of the type of work the charity does and why you feel the charity deserves support.

We would also be very grateful for any volunteers to help with the collection of donations at our forthcoming home games. This is a vital aspect of the scheme and we really appreciate any support and truly makes a difference in the local community.

14 Oct 2019

Fundraising Committee Meeting – 16th October

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Following the initial meeting last week, there will be a follow up meeting for the fundraising committee on Wednesday 16th of October, here at the Horsfall Stadium.

The meeting will commence at 7pm in the club house and is for the purpose of confirming members of the committee and the allocation of duties.

The club would like to invite anyone wishing to be involved with the committee to attend the meeting or email info@bpafc.com.

14 Oct 2019

UPDATED: Away Travel for Gloucester City

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The club will be running a coach for our away trip to Gloucester City AFC on Saturday 19th of October.

Departure times for the coach are:

Horsfall Stadium – 9:15 AM

Cedar Court Hotel – 9:30 AM

Prices for the coach are:

Adults – £15

Under 18’s – £10

Supporters wishing to travel need to book their place by Friday afternoon by emailing info@bpafc.com.

Photo: Lewis Knight and supporters celebrate following his goal vs Hereford. Credit: John Rhodes

12 Oct 2019

Avenue Add Four Ahead of Hereford Clash

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Returning Bradford (Park Avenue) manager Mark Bower has added four names to his squad ahead of this afternoon’s match against Hereford FC.

Goalkeeper Joe Green and winger Liam Hughes have both joined the club, while fans should recognise fellow signings Adam Nowakowski and Billy Priestley.

Central defender Priestley last played for Avenue a number of years ago, proving a popular figure under John Deacey and Martin Drury.

Meanwhile versatile Nowakowski left the club along with Bower in the summer, with the former Harrogate and Darlington rejoining ahead of Hereford’s visit.

Green, who played under Bower and assistant Danny Boshell at Guiseley, arrives to replace Rhys Taylor, who left the club following Marcus Law’s departure.

And winger Hughes has signed for the club to add some quality in the wide positions, last featuring for Stratford Town.

Avenue host Hereford this Saturday at the Horsfall Stadium for Non League Day. With Avenue the cheapest team to watch in the National League North, why not bring someone new down this afternoon? 

11 Oct 2019

Match Preview: Hereford (H)

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Mark Bower takes charge of Bradford (Park Avenue) for the first time since being re-appointed manager against Hereford this Saturday.

Avenue line up at home against recently-promoted Hereford for the annual celebration of Non League Day.

Non League Day sees fans up and down the country encouraged to utilise the international break to check out their local non league club.

And with tickets at Bradford available from £1 to just £10 – the cheapest in the division – why not bring a friend down to try the club for the first time?

Bower returns to Bradford after leaving the club in the summer, and is back in the dugout following unsuccessful spells for both Garry Thompson and Marcus Law.

He will be joined by returning assistant Danny Boshell, but inherits a squad which has been almost completely overhauled since his last match in charge – the play-off defeat at Spennymoor at the end of last term.

The returning manager is expected to bring in some fresh faces ahead of the match, which sees Avenue looking to come back from a club-record defeat at Brackley Town last time out.

Contrary to Avenue’s woes, Hereford find themselves sitting pretty in sixth position in the league table, coupled with an impressive undefeated home record.

It’s their away form which lets down Russell Slade’s men, who have lost three of their six matches on their travels, and they come into the Avenue clash off the back of FA Cup disappointment, with two 0-0 draws against Tamworth ending in a penalty shoot-out defeat in the week.

Recent League Form

Bradford (Park Avenue)
Brackley Town (A) L 0-8
Spennymoor Town (H) D 1-1
Boston United (A) L 1-2
Farsley Celtic (H) L 0-3
AFC Telford United (H) L 2-3

Hereford
Leamington (A) W 2-0
Kettering TOwn (H) W 1-0
Gateshead (H) W 2-1
Guiseley (A) L 0-3
Boston United (H) D 0-0

Last Time Out

Bradford (Park Avenue): Taylor (c), Lund, Calder, Wood, Cresswell (Bazeley 46), Lowe, Dockerty (Knight 46), Marriott, Sweeney, Hurst, Agustien (Holmes 57)

Hereford:  Hall, Thomas, Bodenham, Jagger Cane (Pollock 68), Cullinane-Liburd, Gowling, Vincenti (Ash 78), O’Sullivan, Symons, Owen-Evans, Nicholson (Finn 96)

Admission Prices
Adult – £10
Concession (OAP, Student) – £8
Under-17 – £1

10 Oct 2019

Celebrate Non League Day at Avenue

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This Saturday marks the annual Non League Day, with Bradford (Park Avenue) playing host to Hereford FC on Mark Bower’s return to the club.

Non League Day takes place every October, with football fans encouraged to use the international break to check out their local non league club.

For Avenue, the match also holds significance, with manager Bower taking charge of the first match since his return to the club was announced almost two weeks ago.

It will be a new start for Avenue, with fresh faces expected to be added ahead of the fixture, and this is the perfect opportunity for fans new and old to attend and show their support for Bradford, in the club’s time of need.

Bradford (Park Avenue) offer the cheapest ticket in the Manarama National League North, at just £10 for adults and just £1 for under-17s, with concessions priced at £8.

So why not come down, perhaps grab a friend or family member who has never attended before, and show them what non league football is all about.

For more information regarding Non League Day, visit nonleagueday.co.uk

28 Sep 2019

Match Report: Brackley 8-0 Avenue

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Ten-man Bradford (Park Avenue) suffered an eight-goal drubbing at the hands of goal-hungry Brackley Town.

Marcus Wood was shown two yellow cards inside half an hour for Avenue, who could simply do nothing to stop a rampant home side.

Brackley enjoyed a lot of pressure early on and twice went close through top scorer Jimmy Armson.

Shane Byrne delivered a deep corner which beat Avenue goalkeeper Rhys Taylor but Armson could only volley wide of the post.

Pacey attacker Lee Ndlovu then got in behind on the right hand side and his low ball looked set to hit the back of the net, but Armson ended up on the ground and Avenue managed to scramble clear.

Brackley did manage to open the scoring on 19 minutes, as a result of Wood’s first booking. 

The midfielder put in a poor challenge out wide and was duly cautioned, with Byrne delivering and the ball ending up in the back of the net following a flick from Glenn Walker – though the final touch may have come from an Avenue head.

Armson was almost gifted a goal as Taylor fumbled an innocuous low cross, but the number eight couldn’t quite squeeze the ball home.

Just before the half-hour though, Avenue went down to ten as Wood was sent off, shown an unquestionable second yellow card for a very poor challenge in the centre of the pitch.

It took the hosts just two minutes to make the extra man count, as Matt Lowe grabbed the second, Bradford failing to clear before the midfielder neatly finished from the edge of the box with Taylor scrambling for position.

The goals looked like they were going to come raining in as Ndlovu got in behind once more, but Taylor did excellently to keep his low effort out.

Brackley had the ball in the back of the net on 36 minutes as Lowe’s cross was touched in by Armson, but the flag was up on the far side.

However Armson only had to wait five more minutes to get in on the act, as he made the simplest of near post runs and nodded in Byrne’s corner for his side’s third.

And as Avenue were begging for the relief of the half-time whistle, Brackley struck a fourth, Ndlovu getting in behind before working some space and lashing home off the underside of the bar.

A double change couldn’t do anything to change Bradford’s fortunes, as the impressive Byrne netted a fifth on 54 minutes, latching onto Ellis Myles’ through ball before rounding a helpless Taylor and slotting home.

Carl Baker struck the woodwork with a header before forcing Taylor into a save, parrying out a long-range strike before the goalkeeper did brilliantly to keep out Dan Holman’s follow-up.

Another free kick proved Avenue’s downfall again on 67 minutes, as centre back Thierry Audel rose highest to head home from Baker’s delivery.

The substitute looked desperate to get on the scoresheet, and he came close again as he ran 60 yards with the ball before lashing just over the bar.

Baker then hit the woodwork himself, following up on an excellent save from Taylor, keeping out a long-range Lowe strike.

The seventh finally came with 10 minutes to play, Ndlovu getting a deserved second as he touched home an excellent Luke Fairlamb cross.

Substitute Holman rounded off the scoring with just over five minutes on the clock, Ndlovu beating Taylor to a long ball over the top before squaring to his strike partner to add his name to the extended list of scorers on a sorrowful afternoon for Bradford.

Brackley Town:Lewis, Myles, Franklin, Byrne, Audel, Dean (c, Langmead 67), Lowe, Armson (Baker 46), Ndlovu, Fairlamb, Walker (Holman 62)

Subs not used:Noon, Worby

Goals: Walker (19), Lowe (31), Armson (41), Ndlovu (45, 80), Byrne (54), Audel (67), Holman (84)

Bradford (Park Avenue): Taylor (c), Lund, Calder, Wood, Cresswell (Bazeley 46), Lowe, Dockerty (Knight 46), Marriott, Sweeney, Hurst, Agustien (Holmes 57)

Subs not used: Bennett, Johnson

Booked: Wood (19), Dockerty (40), Marriott (47), Hurst (59)

Sent off: Wood (29)

Referee: Daniel Locker

Attendance: 490

Words: Joe Cockburn
Image: John Rhodes

27 Sep 2019

Experienced Defender Lowe Joins Bradford

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Bradford (Park Avenue) have secured the signing of experienced central defender Keith Lowe.

Lowe joins Marcus Law’s Avenue ahead of this Saturday’s trip to Brackley Town, aiming to improve the division’s leakiest defence.

The 34-year-old has plenty of recent National League North experience following spells at York City and Kidderminster Harriers, amidst a large number of Football League appearances, with the most notable stint coming at Cheltenham Town.

Lowe actually returned to the Football League last season, helping most recent employers Macclesfield Town into League Two in 2018 alongside Avenue goalkeeper Rhys Taylor.

Law has made plays to strengthen his defence recently, with Lowe the second centre back signed in a matter of weeks following the arrival of Josh Heaton from Darlington.

And Wolves academy graduate Lowe will go straight into the squad for Saturday’s trip to Brackley Town, with Avenue looking to turn around cup upset last week at the hands of Morpeth Town.

Words: Joe Cockburn
Image: John Rhodes

27 Sep 2019

Avenue Add International Agustien

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Marcus Law has further strengthened his Bradford (Park Avenue) squad with the signing of midfielder Kemy Agustien.

The 33-year-old Curacao international joins the club following a stint at Wrexham at the end of last season.

Agustien has lined up for a number of clubs across a long career, most notably featuring for Willem II and AZ Alkmaar in Holland before spells at Birmingham, Swansea and Brighton among others in the UK.

He was in fact part of the squads at both Birmingham and Swansea which earned promotion to the Premier League, featuring in the top flight during his four years at the Welsh club.

The six-foot central midfielder played for his native Netherlands at youth level, from under-15 to under-23, before changing allegiances, first featuring for Curacao in 2015.

After some time playing football around the world in various countries, he returned to the UK to feature for Halesowen Town, then-managed by current Avenue assistant Lee Fowler.

He has since lined up for Barrow and Wrexham in the National League before moving to Bradford.

Agustien goes straight into the squad for Avenue’s trip to Brackley Town this Saturday following the receipt of international clearance.

Words: Joe Cockburn
Image: John Rhodes