At the request of F.C. United the visit to Broadburst Park has been moved from Saturday 1st September, to Sunday 2nd September with a 15:00 Kick Off.
McKenna Magic Sinks Saints
A sensational free-kick from Ben McKenna gave Bradford (Park Avenue) an opening day victory over Brackley Town.
Kevin Wilkin’s side knocked Bradford out of the play-offs last season, but McKenna’s sublime strike ensured that the West Yorkshire side emerged victorious this time.
The hosts set the pace early on, and recent loan recruit Jake Beesley forced Danny Lewis to beat away a powerful effort in the opening five minutes after he had dispossessed Luke Graham.
Nicky Wroe then stung the palms of Lewis with a thunderous strike from the right, and Graham was forced to blast clear after the effort was parried.
Mark Bower will have been pleased with the slick nature of Bradford’s passing in the early exchanges, and his side believed they should have had a penalty when Beesley was seemingly shoved in the back by Gareth Dean.
Brackley showed glimpses of their ability to cause problems going forward in the first-half and Bradford debutant Conor Branson had to make an excellent sliding challenge to thwart Matt Lowe, who had accelerated away from Wroe.
Saints stopper Lewis then had to be alert to tip Chris Dawson’s close-range effort over the crossbar as pressure began to mount on the hosts.
Opportunities continued to fall to the hosts as Brackley could only clear a corner as far as the edge of the 18-yard box, where Danny Lowe was waiting to drill towards goal. His effort, however, flew narrowly wide.
The tempo of the game slowed as the interval approached, but Ben McKenna produced a moment of inspiration on the stroke of half-time to edge Bradford ahead. Beesley was bundled over by Graham on the edge of the box, and McKenna stepped up to strike past a helpless Lewis.
The action wasn’t as enthralling after the break, and chances were few and far between. Lee Ndlovu headed wide after meeting Lowe’s cross and that was as close as Brackley got to troubling Steven Drench in the early stages of the second-half.
Jamie Spencer, a replacement for the ill Dawson, slipped through to Ryan Toulson who fired wide under pressure from Glenn Walker.
In the final twenty minutes, Brackley pressed forward more frequently and began to pile bodies forward in search of the elusive equaliser. Substitute Luke Fairlamb demonstrated impressive trickery on the left flank to evade the challenge of Toulson but his cross was steered away from danger by Luca Havern.
Drench then spilled a Walker delivery but Havern was once again on-hand to blast clear before Ndlovu could capitalise on the goalkeeper’s error.
Daniel Nti saw a strike from around 15-yards out blocked superbly by Shane Killock, before Ndlovu blazed over the follow-up.
Three minutes into stoppage time, a Shane Byrne delivery found Connor Franklin, but his header was blocked by his own teammate, Lee Ndlovu.
Bradford held on and celebrated a thoroughly-deserved victory on the opening day of the 2018/19 campaign.
FULL-TIME: Bradford (Park Avenue) 1-0 Brackley Town
Bradford (Park Avenue): Drench, Toulson, Lowe, Wroe (Boshell 90′), Killock (c), Havern, McKenna, Branson, Beesley, Dawson (Spencer 50’), Clee (Johnson 72’).
Unused substitutes: Ross, Nowakowski.
Brackley Town: Lewis, Lowe, Franklin, Byrne, Graham (Fairlamb 63’), Dean (c), Walker, Armson, Smith (Nti 66’), Ndlovu, Murombedzi (Myles 76’).
Unused substitutes: Walker, Hall.
Referee: Aaron Williamson
Atkinson Added To Squad
Bradford (Park Avenue) have completed the signing of goalkeeper Jack Atkinson ahead of the 2018/19 season.
The 18-year-old joins to provide cover between the sticks and provide competition for Steven Drench, who signed a new deal with the club in May.
He spent last season with FC Halifax Town, where he impressed enough for the under-19 side to be called up to train with the first-team on a regular basis in the second year of his scholarship.
The young stopper was crucial as the young Shaymen reached the National League U19 Alliance League Cup final, and played at Walsall’s Bescott Stadium as they lost to Chester.
Jack will be available for selection for this afternoon’s season opener against Brackley Town.
Welcome to Bradford, Jack!
Match Preview: Bradford (PA) Vs Brackley Town
Mark Bower believes that the season opener is ‘not about getting revenge’ against Brackley Town, but last season’s play-off heartache will be fresh in the memory ahead of the visit of the Saints.
Bradford were the only team in the National League North to do the double over Kevin Wilkin’s men last season, but were knocked out of the play-offs by a 110th-minute strike from Brackley’s Aaron Williams.
Marksman Williams has since departed for Harrogate Town, but Brackley have strived to maintain the core of last season’s squad in similar fashion to how Bradford have. Solihull Moors swooped for highly-rated defender Alex Gudger, but most of the stars of last season’s FA Trophy triumph remain at St James Park.
Both sides celebrated victories on the opening day of the 2017/18 season, with Bradford securing a win over Tamworth thanks to a late winner and Brackley edging past FC United of Manchester.
GUIDE TO THE OPPONENTS:
The Gaffer: Kevin Wilkin
The man that guided Brackley to a Wembley win and a play-off final took charge of the Saints in September 2015. He had previously steered Wrexham to the FA Trophy final and led Nuneaton Borough (then known as Town) to three promotions during an eight-year spell as manager. He also enjoyed two spells with Nuneaton as a player, and also represented Cambridge City, Northampton Town, Rushden & Diamonds and Grantham Town.
Key Player: Gareth Dean
Widely regarded as one of the division’s most talented defenders, the imposing Dean played under Wilkin at Nuneaton and was brought to St James Park from Solihull Moors in 2016. A tough-tackler who poses a significant aerial threat, Dean was crucial to the Saints’ success last season and scored a stoppage-time equaliser in the FA Trophy final to force extra-time. His physical presence and leadership qualities will, once again, make Brackley a difficult side to break down and he is likely to wear the captains’ armband against Bradford.
We want to know your score predictions! Tweet @BPAFCOfficial with your predicted scoreline and scorers.
Key information:
Admission – Adults: £12 / Concessions: £9 / Students: £7 / Under-16s: £2
Kick-off – 3pm
Venue – Horsfall Stadium
Coverage – Live updates on our official Twitter feed (@BPAFCOfficial) and a full match report on our official website (bpafc.com) on Saturday evening.
Avenue End Pre-Season With Dallas UK Cup Win
Bradford (Park Avenue) AFC ended their pre-season campaign in fine style with a victory against Vanarama National League outfit Barrow AFC.
The away side started well and had the first opportunities of the game, but Josh Kay and Raul Correia were both denied by Bradford stopper Steven Drench.
Mark Bower’s men, wearing their new home kit for the first time, were chasing the ball down well in the final third, forcing defensive hesitations at the back. But the Avenue failed to capitalise on them.
Ben McKenna looked lively down the right wing and linked up well with new loan signing Jake Beesley. With his first chance, the striker could only head over from ten yards.
Despite Correia failing to find the target from close range, Bradford went down the other end of the pitch and McKenna’s low driven shot was well saved by Firth from 16 yards.
HALF-TIME: Bradford (Park Avenue) 0-0 Barrow AFC
After the break, the Avenue came close to scoring the opening goal but a Trialist’s strike was well saved by Firth. From the resulting corner, Luca Havern saw his shot easily caught.
After a flurry of substitutions from
both teams and half-chances for the Bluebirds, Bradford did break the deadlock.
Continuing his fine form, McKenna got his first goal in the green and white. A superb piece of play from a substitute Trialist saw him deliver a teasing delivery to the back-post, and McKenna calmly tapped the ball home from close range.
Minutes later, it was a proud moment for the club as the hosts doubled their lead. Once again McKenna was involved. His pull-back was side-footed into the roof of the net by Horsfall College of Sport scholar Matthew Rowntree to the delight of him and the home supporters.
The final whistle blew to signal the end of the game and the end of pre-season for Bradford.
The league action returns next Saturday when we host Brackley Town in the Vanarama National League North at the Horsfall Stadium (3pm).
Bradford (Park Avenue): Drench (Trialist 81), Toulson, Lowe, Spencer, Branson, Havern, McKenna, Boshell (Nowakowski 71), Beesley, Dawson (Rowntree 74), Trialist (Trialist 54).
Subs not used: Ross, Ali.
Scorers: McKenna (79), Rowntree (85).
Barrow AFC: Firth, Brown (Barthram 66), Jones (Molyneux 66), Taylor, Granite, Elsdon, Hindle, Rooney, Correia, Kay (Burgess 66), Waterston (Mulholland 66)
Sub not used: Pollard
Avenue Reveal New Shirts For 2018-19 Season
Bradford (Park Avenue) are pleased to reveal their new home and away strip for the 2018-19 season.
The home shirt maintains the green and white colours of the Avenue. The shirt is all green, and will be accompanied with white shorts.
The away shirt will keep the red, amber and black colour scheme. The kit is predominantly amber with a red trim and will be accompanied with black shorts.
The new Nike kits will also see the club welcome new sponsors for the 2018-19 season. The club has explored a number of sponsorship opportunities; however, the club has decided to promote the Horsfall College of Sport on both of the home and away shirts. The club would like to place on record their thanks to previous shirt sponsors, T&P Print for their continued support over the last few seasons.
CEO Rob Stanley made the following comments on the new shirts:
“In a conversation with Gareth [Roberts] he suggested that we use Horsfall College of Sport on the front of the shirt to promote the academy. This ties in with a deal he is working on with Jonathan Collura of the Nebraska Bugeaters [full story to follow] and will provide the academy with some promotion.”
In addition to this, the club have also secured a new shirt sleeve sponsor and would like to welcome, Peardrop Creative. Peardrop are a local business run by Avenue supporters Carl Marsden and Jac Morton and their sponsorship will see improvements made to the clubs online presence in a push to reach a wider audience and attract new supporters to the Horsfall.
CEO Rob Stanley made the following comments on the partnership with Peardrop:
“We are very excited with the partnership with Peardrop Creative. Jac and Carl are talented lads and passionate about their work and the club. The aim is to improve our website, online presence, and attract a younger supporter. They have already re-designed the programme and will be working on different projects throughout the season.”
Director of Peardrop Creative Jac Morton added the following comments:
“Being a Bradford based company that wants to put back in to the city, we were amazed by the work Bradford Park Avenue has been doing within the local community and wanted to get involved. We can’t wait to see what this season has in store.”
The new shirts go on sale in the Clubshop at the upcoming friendly against Barrow AFC, where the team will fight it out for The Dallas UK Cup.
Jake Beesley Joins On Loan From Salford City
Mark Bower has secured the services of Salford City’s forward Jake Beesley on a season long loan.
Beesley who is the son of ex Sheffield United and Leeds United center back Paul Beesley, joined Salford in June 2017 and made 23 appearances last season before going on loan to fellow National League North side Boston United. Beesley has spent most of his career at Chesterfield where he made his league debut in November 2016 against Fleetwood Town.
Want to see Beesley in action next season then why not purchase your 2018-19 Season Ticket now. This year’s adult ticket comes with one FREE under-16’s Season Ticket, and is excellently priced at just £135. Concessions are priced at £110, students / apprentices at £30 and under-16s can pick up a 2018-19 league Season Ticket for just £20. To download a season ticket application form please click here
Jake Beesley is now available to sponsor and supporters are able to sponsor either his home or away kit for £60. To download a player kit sponsorship form please click here
Terriers Win Yorkshire Rose Cup
Huddersfield Town’s youthful side lifted the Yorkshire Rose Cup after a 2-0 victory at the Horsfall Stadium.
The first opportunity of the half fell to Jamie Spencer, who stooped to meet Ryan Toulson’s cross but headed over the crossbar.
Ben McKenna was a thorn in Huddersfield’s side throughout and began causing problems within the first five minutes. He burst past Mason O’Malley with explosive pace but saw his low-drilled cross steered away from danger by Romoney Crichlow-Noble.
However, it was the visitors that broke the deadlock when Tom Bell struck from long-range and found the top corner despite watching Steven Drench get a fingertip to it.
Spencer had another opportunity to convert with his head when Nicky Wroe’s in-swinging cross found the young midfielder, but his effort flew over the crossbar and his blushes were spared with the raising of the offside flag.
McKenna combined well with Bradford’s trialist forward to release Toulson down the right wing, but the defender’s low drive was fired narrowly wide of the post.
The Terriers had a golden opportunity to double their lead when Aaron Rowe squared to Jordy Hiwula, but the first-team forward couldn’t find the target with his strike.
Spencer lifted a cross into the box from the right that appeared dangerous but eluded the head of an on-rushing Danny Boshell.
Hiwula found himself in a similar situation to when the earlier chance was presented to him, but blasted into the clutches of Drench from the left-hand side of the box.
HALF-TIME: Bradford (Park Avenue) 0-1 Huddersfield Town
Bradford introduced another trialist after the break and his first touch of the ball saw him blast over the crossbar from close-range after the ball fell kindly in the box.
The miss was followed up by a second opportunity shortly after, as Wroe’s corner delivery found Luca Havern in the box. The defender’s header, however, flew narrowly over the woodwork.
McKenna then found a trialist on the left flank with an inch-perfect pass, but the latter’s effort was blocked after he cut-in and darted into the box.
Chris Dawson then threaded through to McKenna, who forced Gabriel Rosario to make an excellent save as pressure began to mount on the visitors.
The Terriers did remain in contention despite the pressure and almost doubled their advantage when Olly Dyson burst through the Bradford midfield and forced the goalkeeper to palm wide of the post.
Dawson found more space in forward positions in the second-half and did so in the 75th minute but rifled wide of the post from the edge of the box.
Huddersfield had a flurry of opportunities late on but failed to convert any, and were let off the hook when O’Malley blocked a Ross Boyle cross that looked destined to find Jordan Botwood.
The visitors doubled their lead in stoppage time as Scott High converted a penalty that was won by Kit Elliott.
FULL-TIME: Bradford (Park Avenue) 0-2 Huddersfield Town
Bradford (Park Avenue): Drench (Trialist 45′), Toulson (Boyle 87′), Lowe (Ridley 78′), Wroe, Branson, Havern, McKenna, Boshell (Trialist 45′), Trialist (Nowakowski 61′), Dawson (Rowntree 78′), Spencer (Botwood 87′).
Huddersfield Town: Rosario, Jackson, O’Malley, Gibson, Crichlow-Noble, High, Dyson, Bell, Obiero, Rowe, Hiwula.
Substitutes: Spratt, Davison-Hale, Eli, Bamford, Raymond, Danaher, Elliott.
Referee: Elliott Swallow
Dawson Added To Bradford Ranks
The club are delighted to confirm the signing of 23-year-old midfielder Chris Dawson, subject to FA approval.
Dawson joins having represented Bradford as a trialist during pre-season and impressing Mark Bower with a string of outstanding displays, which saw him pick up the man-of-the-match award in the defeat to Bradford City.
He began his career with Leeds United and was handed his debut by Neil Warnock in April 2013, being named in the starting eleven for a Championship clash with Derby County. During his time with Leeds, he was capped by Wales at under-21 level and likened to the legendary Johnny Giles by Whites boss Warnock.
Injuries hindered his progress at Elland Road and led to his release in January 2016. He was snapped up by Rotherham United, but found first-team opportunities limited and had to join Norwegian side Viking FK on loan in order to play first-team football.
The midfielder left the Millers at the end of the 2016/17 season before spending a prolonged period on the sidelines with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. He then spent the second half of the 2017/18 campaign with Scarborough Athletic as he looked to regain match fitness.
Welcome to Bradford, Chris!
Want to see Dawson in action next season then why not purchase your 2018-19 Season Ticket now. This year’s adult ticket comes with one FREE under-16’s Season Ticket, and is excellently priced at just £135. Concessions are priced at £110, students / apprentices at £30 and under-16s can pick up a 2018-19 league Season Ticket for just £20. To download a season ticket application form please click here
Chris Dawson is now available to sponsor and supporters are able to sponsor either his home or away kit for £60. To download a player kit sponsorship form please click here
Adam Boyes Leaves For Spennymoor
The club can confirm that forward Adam Boyes has left to join Spennymoor Town for an undisclosed fee.
The 27-year-old joined last summer from Guiseley and made 48 appearances for Bradford during the 2017/18 season, scoring 24 goals.
He was crucial as the club made a late surge into the play-offs, denying his new club a play-off spot with a late winner against Kidderminster Harriers on the final day of the regular season.
Manager Mark Bower paid tribute to the forward’s influence whilst explaining why he is making the switch to Spennymoor:
“Adam expressed his desire to leave the club during the summer and cited travelling from his North East home as the main factor. We discussed all possible options to help Adam in this respect to keep him at the club, but it was made clear that he wanted to leave. This coincided with interest from Spennymoor and I decided that it was in our best interests to allow the transfer once a suitable financial agreement had been reached.
We wish Adam well and thank him for his efforts during his time at the club, which included some memorable moments.”
Everyone associated with the club would like to echo Mark’s sentiments and wish Adam all the best for the future.