The 12 weeks I have been at Bradford (Park Avenue) FC have been an enjoyable experience wherein I have learnt many different skills that aren’t taught as part of my degree. This is mainly down to Tally, the placement supervisor. She is very welcoming and ensures you feel comfortable in your new environment. Not only this, the players are very friendly and funny and as such make you feel welcome in your new role as their sports therapist. The whole group of staff and players have all but cemented my decision to pursue a career in sports therapy.

Whilst on placement, we learnt new techniques, rehabilitation procedures and injury prevention. During my time there, I saw an array of different injuries which in turn improved my knowledge of the common injuries seen in football. Sitting pitchside on the bench was a whole new experience and opened my eyes to a different side of football. My time at BPA has given me a new love in football and I will carry on to follow their results for the remainder of the 2018/19 season and hope for promotion from the national north league. Thank you for the experience.

– Oliver Parkin

My placement at Bradford Park Avenue (BPA) has not only been extremely enjoyable but also very rewarding. Tally has been an excellent supervisor and helped me develop my skills as a sports therapist. Tally has done this by furthering my understanding of rehabilitation plans, soft tissue massage and injury prevention. Everyone at BPA has been very welcoming, from the players to the owner. It has been a privilege to have a placement at such a great club for the 2018/2019 season and have enjoyed every minute of it! It has given me the reassurance I needed that I want to work in a sporting environment. I would highly recommend any students wanting to do placement to work with Tally and the club.

– Ashely Harris Bullivant

I found my time at Bradford Park Avenue Football club a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I gained an insight into what it is like to work within the industry and it was a great learning curve. Two months of placement has given me confidence in that fact that I would be able to pursue a career in sports therapy upon graduation. My placement provider Tally, from start to finish she made me feel comfortable, taking me through the process and teaching me the knowledge that is only available through hands-on work as opposed to working from a textbook. The players at Bradford Park Avenue made my experience a much more positive one, as they created a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, making me feel part of the team, rather than a university student. I would love to return to the club in the future if any help was needed and it has been an honour to work as a part of the team for the past two months.

– Amarah Maddar

My Sports Therapy Placement at Bradford Park Avenue has really opened my eyes to working within the world of sport. My placement supervisor, Tally, was extremely helpful throughout my time at Bradford and helped me build my confidence in identifying, diagnosing and treating injuries accordingly. I feel like my therapy skills have come on leaps and bounds over my short 10-week placement. Tally, the other staff members and the team themselves were all so friendly and worked hard to make me feel comfortable while at placement and involve me into the team dynamics. Although I am happy that BPA has helped me start my developing career into a sports therapist, I am also very sad to be leaving this placement and hope that if any help is ever required in seasons to come that they give me a shout.

– Allissa Butterfield

The placement students have played an important role in assisting our sports rehabilitator in the maintenance and treatment of all our players. They have been enthusiastic and helpful throughout their time with us and they have all shown a willingness to assist in everything they have been asked to do. The placement students have been greatly appreciated by everyone at our club.

– Mark Bower

This year saw the move of the college down to the Horsfall Stadium, an FA Youth cup debut and a lot of success both on and off the pitch. We caught up with academy staff and students as they reflected on a busy year and look forward to what 2019 has in store.

“This term has been a very busy one for me. I am new to both SCL and the Horsfall College of Sport and I have had to jump straight in at the deep end. It has been fantastic to get to know all the students. Being able to teach them and have a discussion about the work and football has been great as well as interesting.

We have been learning about how the human body works and why certain aspects are important for athletes. We have also been learning about what skills coaches need to be successful and those skills have been put into practice with the scholars delivering top quality football sessions to each other, with a particular passion for Josh’s shooting practice! It also helps when the scholars can learn off high-quality coaches, Alex Meechan, Mick Wood and Danny East. Learning about the technical and tactical aspects of football has also been on the terms agenda, with the scholars lucky enough to have an assignment related to watching a football match!

Maths and English lessons have also been very successful, with the boys contributing to all aspects of the course. There have been some fantastic pieces of descriptive work written in English, with Felan talking about James Hanson’s rise to Bradford City glory and Harry selling the replica stadium like he was a professional advertiser. In Maths, we have been learning about fractions, percentages and area. All the hard work throughout these lessons have been clear to see in the grades the students have gained in their mock exams all being over the required 4.

2019 is looking to be an exciting year. The students will be undertaking a lot more work experience, with interests such as physiotherapy, teaching and media being undertaken. Being fully settled in the brand new classroom should also help the scholars carry on succeeding in their studies. The BTEC course will be geared towards the Fitness side of the sport, with Physiology of Fitness and Fitness Training & Programming being delivered in the lessons. I have high hopes for the students as they have already shown they know a lot about training and programme creation throughout their studies. In Maths, we are looking forward to having a specialist from SCL work alongside me to ensure the students can carry on the high trajectory path they are currently working at. In English, the students will be focusing on non-fiction work and will hopefully be as successful as they have with their creative writing.”
“Elliot Mather”

“This Year the club took a huge step in running the academy at the home of Bradford Park Avenue, Horsfall Stadium. Stepping away from its education partnership with Grange Technology College. This also saw a new partnership with SCL who specialise in providing education to the football programmes.
This will enable the club to show the next generations of young sports enthusiasts in the community, the opportunities that the club can provide them in their development into young adulthood.
The ambition to become a first-team player in the future is a step that can or could be made with the correct components and skills and attitude a reality.
We have on the pitch become a competitive match for opponents and the scholars now see the commitment on and off the pitch to succeed in whatever they want to with a positive hard working work ethic.
We have finished the current year unbeaten and are at present challenging to win our College League in 2019.

The under 19 league gives an indication of the physical aspects players need to strive for. It has been fantastic that this year some of our lads have been involved in First Team Preseason games and training with Mark Bower and his squad. Mark has also used a number of scholars in the county cup games which is highlights the importance of the academy for the whole club. It also demonstrates that the scholarship programme is a successful model for future young aspiring footballers.
The challenge is still to build and become better and make positive steps again in 2019.”
“Alex Meechan”

“I looked forward to moving to the college at the start of the year because it sounded like a good place to continue my education in sport and to improve my progress in football, it is a good place to have fun with teammates but also do get work done and to learn new things and the staff are very helpful and motivate us to do the best we can. This year I strived to do the best I could in my education and in playing football and 2019 will be no different.”
“Sean Greenwood (2nd year /1st year at HCoS)”

The club is delighted to be nominated this week’s home match against Southport as our Foodbank donation for Wyke Food Bank.

Community Development Manager, Jayne Spencer stated “We are delighted again to nominate a home game for supporters/club officials and players to donate food items for this local project. The donations received will make a difference to those living within our local community especially as we are approaching Christmas’.

Donations can be placed inside the clubhouse and we thank you in advance.