Two games in three days await the Avenue in the Vanarama National League North.

Bradford (Park Avenue) will look to build on their impressive home win against Leamington last Saturday as they travel to high-flying Brackley Town this weekend.

Confidence will be high amongst Avenue ranks as they made light work of their opponents last time out, emerging with a vital 3-1 victory to strengthen their survival hopes after controlling large parts of the game. However, this weekend poses a different challenge entirely against a Brackley side that has had an impressive season so far in their hunt for promotion.

With a handful of sides around Bradford (Park Avenue) having played mid-week fixtures due to their games in hand, the Avenue find themselves travelling to Brackley’s St James Park in 19^th place, three points ahead of the relegation zone. However, having still played more games than some of their rivals, every game is equally important in the fight for survival.

Brackley Town were also in action on Tuesday night, securing a narrow 2-1 victory away over Kidderminster Harriers. The Saints will entertain the Avenue on Saturday from 3^rd place in the National League North, but have struggled for consistency in recent weeks. Despite suffering only one defeat in their previous 21 league fixtures, Brackley have failed to string together successive victories since early November, a statistic which the Green Army will hope to continue beyond this weekend.

One player that Bradford (Park Avenue) will need to keep a watchful eye on is Brackley’s Callum Stead. The Saints forward has netted 11 times in 30 league appearances, averaging 0.41 goals per game. His attacking prowess has complimented Brackley’s stubborn defence, with the Saints boasting the league’s best goals against tally so far this season having conceded just 23 times.

The reverse fixture between these two sides saw Brackley emerge from the Horsfall Community Stadium with a 2-1 victory back in October. The Avenue led at half time through a Will Longbottom strike on the quarter of an hour mark, only for second half goals from Martin Woods and Cosmos Matwasa to turn the game around for the Saints. In fact, Bradford (Park Avenue) will be hoping to break what has become a torrid run of form against this weekend’s opponents, having lost the last six meetings between the pair. The Avenue’s last victory at Brackley came back in April 2018, a 1-0 victory courtesy of an 80^th minute goal from Ryan Toulson.

A win at St James Park on Saturday could lift Bradford (Park Avenue) as high as 17^th place, whilst defeat could leave the Avenue 21^st and in the relegation zone depending on results elsewhere.

Just two days after the trip to Brackley, Bradford (Park Avenue) will be welcoming Blyth Spartans to the Horsfall Community Stadium in a game of huge importance at the bottom end of the league table.

At the time of writing, the Spartans sit 23^rd in the National League North, four points from safety and six points behind the Avenue. Blyth will be travelling to Bradford after hosting 18^th placed Kettering Town on Saturday and will then turn their attention to a trip to bottom of the league AFC Telford United the following weekend. Many of the Spartans faithful will therefore see the next three games against fellow strugglers as a make-or-break period for the remainder of their season.

The reverse fixture back in late October was a significant one for Bradford (Park Avenue) as the 1-0 victory at Croft Park was their first away win of the season, part of a run of games which helped propel the Avenue off the foot of the table. In fact, Bradford have come out on top in each of their last three meetings against the Spartans and are unbeaten in their previous six against Monday’s visitors. Last season’s home encounter against Blyth resulted in a 2-1 victory for the Avenue thanks to goals from Luca Havern and Luke Rawson, despite the Spartans taking the lead on the brink of half time. Bradford’s Green Army will be hoping their excellent head-to-head record holds to key to taking another giant step towards survival against a fellow struggler under the lights at the Horsfall.

Match Previews by Stephen Grimshaw (@sgsportswriter on Twitter)

Saturday 18^th February – Brackley Town vs Bradford (Park Avenue)

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

Kick off: 3pm

Address

Brackley Town F.C. St James Park, Churchill Way, Brackley, NN13 7EJ

Public Transport

Brackley doesn’t have a train station, the closest station is Banbury, which is around 10 miles away. Banbury bus station is a 5 minute walk from the train station and from there you can catch a Stagecoach No 500 bus to Brackley which takes around 30 mins.

Traveling by Bus

The nearest bus stops to St James Park are on Bridge Street or around the Market Place which are around a 5 to 10-minute walk to St James Park.

TRAVELING BY CAR

From the South (M40 & A43)

From, or crossing the M40 at Junction 10, follow the A43 towards Northampton. (The road is a dual carriageway all the way to Brackley – 9 miles). At the large roundabout at the bottom of the hill as you approach the town, take the 2nd exit signposted Brackley (South).

* After approximately 100 metres, take the 2nd exit at the mini roundabout (Tesco store on the left, Mercedes / Petronas Formula One Racing on the right), and follow the road towards the town. The New Locomotive public house is almost immediately on the left hand side and Churchill Way is the next turning on the right as you go up the hill. (Signposted Football Club). Turn into Churchill Way and follow this road which leads directly into the Club car park.

From the East (A422 Buckingham)

From Buckingham, follow the A422 to Brackley (8 miles). The A422 joins the A43 at a roundabout as you enter the town at the bottom of a hill. Take the first exit (signposted Oxford, A43 & M40) and follow this dual carriageway for approximately three quarters of a mile. At the next roundabout, take the last exit signposted Brackley (South). Then follow the directions marked * above.

From the West (A422 Banbury & M40 Junction 11)

Leave Banbury at the M40 junction 11 and follow the A422 (signposted Brackley). After approximately 8 miles go straight over the first small roundabout and follow the signs for the A43. About a mile further on the road passes a Tesco store on the left and almost immediately take the first exit at the roundabout signposted Brackley (South). Then follow the directions marked * above.

From the North (A43 Northampton, M1 and the A5)

Leave the M1 at Junction 15A and follow the A43 South (signposted Oxford & M40).

After approximately 8 miles the road crosses the A5 at a roundabout just outside Towcester. Follow the A43 past Silverstone to Brackley and at the first roundabout (BP garage), take the first exit (signposted A43, Oxford & M40). At the second roundabout, take the second exit (signposted A43, Oxford & M40). At the third roundabout, take the third exit (signposted Brackley, South). Then follow the directions marked * above.

Monday 20^th February – Bradford (Park Avenue) vs Blyth Spartans

Kick off: 7:45pm

Where To Find Us:

Bradford (Park Avenue) AFC, Horsfall Community Stadium, Cemetery Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD6 2NG

Directions By Car:

Leave the M62 at junction 26 and follow signs for the M606. Continue on the M606 to junction 3 and take the A6117 exit to Ring Road West. At the roundabout take the 2nd exit on to Rooley Lane / A6036 signposted Halifax. Pass the Odsal Stadium on the left hand side and at the next roundabout take the 3rd exit on to Halifax Road / A6036 signposted Halifax. After approximately one mile turn left down Cemetery Road immediately before the Kids Planet Children’s Nursery, and the ground is 150 yards on the left. We have a car park which will be signposted off Cemetery Road and parking charges may apply.

Directions By Train:

Bradford Interchange rail station is the nearest to the ground and trains operate on the  Calder Valley Line timetable from Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield, Manchester, Preston and York.

From there you can catch the bus directly to the ground (details below):

Bradford Forster Square rail station There are regular services from Leeds (Leeds-Bradford Line timetable), Skipton (Airedale Line timetable) and Ilkley (Wharfedale Line timetable).

From Forster Square it is a 10 minute walk to Bradford Interchange bus station for a bus onwards to the stadium.

Directions By Bus:

From Bradford Interchange bus station bus services 681 and 682 and Halifax Bus Station bus services 508, 681 and 682.

These services stop at the Halifax Road Cemetery Road stop near to the stadium.

Turnstiles:

The turnstiles open around an hour and a half before kick off and are located at either end of the ground on Cemetery Road and Park Road. Matchday prices for league games are as follows:

Adult – £14

Concession – £10

Student – £5

Youth (12-17) – £3

Junior (under 12, must be accompanied by an adult) – £1

Fight for survival hots up with Leamington visit.

Bradford (Park Avenue) will welcome fellow strugglers Leamington to the Horsfall Community Stadium this Saturday in what could well be a relegation six-pointer in the Vanarama National League North.

The Avenue will be desperate to secure all three points to steer themselves away from the relegation zone, having now gone eight league games without a win. This weekend’s fixture follows successive away defeats last week at the hands of Kings Lynn Town and Gloucester City respectively, both professional outfits chasing promotion this season.

Bradford manager Mark Bower will be sweating on the fitness of a handful of important first-team players, noting after the defeat to Gloucester City that “we lost Reece Staunton injured which is a blow, with the likes of Blythy (Blyth), OJ (Johnson), Jordan Preston out, Spenner (Spencer) and Lundy (Lund) not a hundred per cent fit yet, we are thin”. Bower will be hoping for some good news in the coming days to strengthen the cause on Saturday.

This weekend’s visitors have also struggled for form in the National League North this season and are currently enduring a thirteen-game winless run dating back to October, managing only one victory in their previous 19 league matches. Indeed, Leamington have arguably become draw specialists this term, sharing the spoils in fourteen of their 27 league fixtures. As well as this, the Brakes have failed to find the net in each of their last three fixtures. Considering these figures, the Green Army will be confident that they can extend Leamington’s poor form even further beyond this Saturday.  

Despite losing to Leamington 1-0 at the New Windmill Ground in the reverse fixture back in September, Bradford (Park Avenue) can take optimism from the Brakes’ terrible away record, with the visitors failing to win any of their twelve away matches this season. The Avenue faithful will also fondly recollect this fixture from last season, as the Green Army recorded a 2-1 victory at the Horsfall courtesy of goals from Brad Dockerty and Luca Havern.

If the form table is anything to go by, home advantage could be crucial for the Avenue this Saturday. Bradford (Park Avenue) head into the game occupying 19^th spot, one point and one place above visitors Leamington having played three games more. Following the midweek fixtures, Bradford are now just two points clear of the relegation zone with the three sides directly below holding games in hand. A win this weekend would definitely see Avenue leapfrog either Buxton or Kettering Town as both sides clash this weekend, whereas defeat could prove damaging in the race for survival.

Match Preview by Stephen Grimshaw (@sgsportswriter on Twitter)

Where To Find Us:

Bradford (Park Avenue) AFC, Horsfall Community Stadium, Cemetery Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD6 2NG

Directions By Car:

Leave the M62 at junction 26 and follow signs for the M606. Continue on the M606 to junction 3 and take the A6117 exit to Ring Road West. At the roundabout take the 2nd exit on to Rooley Lane / A6036 signposted Halifax. Pass the Odsal Stadium on the left hand side and at the next roundabout take the 3rd exit on to Halifax Road / A6036 signposted Halifax. After approximately one mile turn left down Cemetery Road immediately before the Kids Planet Children’s Nursery, and the ground is 150 yards on the left. We have a car park which will be signposted off Cemetery Road and parking charges may apply.

Directions By Train:

Bradford Interchange rail station is the nearest to the ground and trains operate on the  Calder Valley Line timetable from Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield, Manchester, Preston and York.

From there you can catch the bus directly to the ground (details below):

Bradford Forster Square rail station There are regular services from Leeds (Leeds-Bradford Line timetable), Skipton (Airedale Line timetable) and Ilkley (Wharfedale Line timetable).

From Forster Square it is a 10 minute walk to Bradford Interchange bus station for a bus onwards to the stadium.

Directions By Bus:

From Bradford Interchange bus station bus services 681 and 682 and Halifax Bus Station bus services 508, 681 and 682.

These services stop at the Halifax Road Cemetery Road stop near to the stadium.

Turnstiles: PAY ON GATE

The turnstiles open around an hour and a half before kick off and are located at either end of the ground on Cemetery Road and Park Road. Matchday prices for league games are as follows:

Adult – £14

Concession – £10

Student – £5

Youth (12-17) – £3

Junior (under 12, must be accompanied by an adult) – £1

Avenue are back on the road again this Saturday.

Bradford (Park Avenue) will be on their travels again this weekend as they make the 175-mile journey to mid-table Gloucester City on Saturday. The trip to New Meadow Park will be a second successive away fixture for the Avenue, following on from Tuesday’s narrow defeat at promotion chasing Kings Lynn Town, a result that took the opposition to the summit of the Vanarama National League North.

Despite the loss in midweek, Bradford boss Mark Bower expressed pride in his side’s performance against a full-time team, and felt unfortunate not to take anything from the game after Will Longbottom had put the Avenue ahead early in the second half. The Green Army were boosted by the return of Reece Staunton after a recent spell on the side-lines, but now expect to be without striker Jordan Preston for the trip to Gloucester after he was forced off inside the opening fifteen minutes with a suspected hamstring injury.

Bower also made clear his desire to improve Bradford (Park Avenue)’s league position this Saturday. It is now seven games without a win for the Avenue after what was an impressive end to the calendar year. The run has left the side looking nervously over their shoulders, just three points clear of the relegation zone having played more games than the chasing pack. A win at New Meadow Park on Saturday could lift Bradford up a place into 16^th, providing results go their way elsewhere.

Gloucester City are also approaching this weekend’s fixture struggling for consistency, with only one win recorded from their previous seven games. The Tigers have struggled at the back this season, with their leaky defence conceding the second-highest amount of goals in the National League North, a statistic the Avenue attack will no doubt look to exploit. The hosts are also reeling from the loss of top goal scorers Matt McClure and Tré Mitford. McClure had netted 14 goals in 24 games before moving to National League South club Chippenham Town in January, whilst Mitford had netted eight times this season before departing to Boston United last month. The Gloucester fans may understandably be left worrying where their goals will come from in the absence of their star strikers.

The Green Army will be hoping for more of the same when reflecting on the reverse fixture between these sides. The Halloween encounter saw Bradford (Park Avenue) emerge victorious with a 2-1 win at the Horsfall Community Stadium, courtesy of goals from Jacob Blyth and Brad Dockerty. Furthermore, the Avenue are unbeaten in their previous three away matches against Gloucester City, one of which included an enthralling 4-4 draw back in November 2020. Bradford (Park Avenue) came back from 3-1 down to lead 4-3, only to be denied by a Gloucester equaliser in the second half. The Avenue faithful will be hoping for similar free-flowing attacking football this Saturday.

Match Preview by Stephen Grimshaw (@sgsportswriter on Twitter)

Getting to the ground:

TigerTurf Stadium, Sudmeadow Road, Gloucester, GL2 5HS

Public transport – The nearest train station is Gloucester, which is about a 25 minute walk away. Stagecoach buses 8 and 11 stop just a minute or two walk from the stadium and both leave from the City Centre.

​Car – There is limited space for car parking at TigerTurf Stadium, and as such parking is only available on matchdays for blue badge holders (email before matchday info@gcafc.co.uk), guests and officials.

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Local Car Parks

• 3 Hours free parking is available at Sainsbury’s on St Ann Way GL2 5SA, a 5 minute walk from the ground. 
• Castlemeads Car Park, GL1 2NH is a Pay & Display car park and is a 10 minute walk
• Gloucester Quays Car Park, Baker Street GL2 5RG offers up to 4 hours parking for £5 and is a 12 minute walk 

Directions (from the North)

Exit the M5 at junction 11 and take the A40 westbound towards Gloucester. At the roundabout take the 4th exit (A40) towards Ross. At the next roundabout go straight on (2nd exit) staying on the A40. At the next roundabout take the 1st exit left towards the city centre. Go right at the next junction towards Hempsted (A430). Straight ahead at the next set of lights and Sudmeadow Road is the third right turn just before the next set of traffic lights.

Directions (from the South)

Exit the M5 at junction 12 and head towards Gloucester. Go straight ahead at the roundabout on the A38 Quedgeley by-pass. Ahead at the next roundabout and straight ahead at the next two sets of traffic lights. onto Secunda Way (A430). Follow this road past three more sets of lights onto marina junction. Stay in the left hand lane towards Cheltenham/Ledbury/Ross. At the next lights with ‘The High Orchard’ to your right, go straight ahead and text the first left onto Sudmeadow Road.

To purchase tickets ahead of the game, click the link below

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/gloucestercityafc/840520#