Memory Lane Have you been to Bradford City before?

[AndyT]

Following hot on the heels of the Scunthorpe United thread because, well, so does the match at Bradford City, I thought I would kick this one off :

Wednesday 4th March 1981 - Bradford City 2-1 Southend United

I was on a roll of away games by then and a lot of the trips we did by train (using the student rail cards and Persil vouchers), which on this occasion we did, arriving home via the Milk Train from Liverpool Street around 4:00am on the Thursday morning.

The match itself wasn't overly memorable. We ended up sitting in their main stand. The one that was the scene of horror only a couple of years later.

The original match was scheduled for Saturday 17th January 1981 and with ice and snow around, we departed on one of the Esdaile specials.

News filtered through on the radio about 9:30am that the match had been called off, so undeterred a straw poll was taken on the coach and a quick check of the fixtures that day saw us roll into Norwich to see Norwich City lose 1-0 at home to Liverpool.

Good day out which, sadly these days of pre-booked online ticketing and so on, would be a lot more difficult to achieve.

 

[Kevin Hogg]

23rd April 1977. Lost 0-2, aged 15 - a terrifying place to go.

 

[mfurok]

1968 (or possibly 1969).

We lost 3-2 if I recall correctly and it was down to Ray White.

Certainties to go up with a superb team and we blew it.

 

[shrimperjon]

Went a few years back, won 2-0 with goals from Corr and Grant

 

[RHB]

I've been to Bradford loads of times as I used to have work in Shipley a fair bit. Never managed to watch Southend play there though. Does that count?

 

[Suffolk Shrimper In Dorset]

Went a few years back, won 2-0 with goals from Corr and Grant

That was my first and so far only visit - a Friday game. Grant was superb that day. One memory is that sad old 80 year old Bradford mascot dressed up in his Bradford kit snarling away. Went up with youngest son and camped up there for weekend. Went to National Coal Mining Museum (free and a really great place to visit) and the National Film Museum (ditto, in Bradford). The city centre was full of cops chasing a few facists on a march.

 

[spoons]

I've been to Bradford loads of times as I used to have work in Shipley a fair bit. Never managed to watch Southend play there though. Does that count?

Ummmmm errrrrrrrr NO:nope:

 

[DoDTS]

28th April 1968 Bradford City 2-1 Southend (Best)

This was part of our amazing collapse, when after beating Workington 7-0, we managed two draws and six defeats in the next eight matches and missed out on what looked certain promotion, (I saw all eight of those matches).

I went to the Bradford match on the Youth Section Coach, usually the drivers were very good but this was a real jobsworth. If your not back on the coach by a certain time I'll go without you he said. The match went on a bit but off he went at the allotted time leaving seven or eight teenagers stranded in Bradford.

Mick can tell you the full story.

 

[Ricey]

I went back in 2012 when we lost and Elliot Benyon came on as a sub, lasted about 15 minutes and got sent off.

 

[ozzie]

23rd April 1977. Lost 0-2, aged 15 - a terrifying place to go.

Was with you at that one Kev.Think it was another"ozzie-Kev.K "coach tour.
Went with my new girlfriend Jill at the time.But could not remember the score...but the beer was good

 

[WESTY_SUFC]

I went back in 2012 when we lost and Elliot Benyon came on as a sub, lasted about 15 minutes and got sent off.

Same here. Ticked it off my list then. I have no intention of going again. S*** hole

 

[ex-exiled]

I went back in 2012 when we lost and Elliot Benyon came on as a sub, lasted about 15 minutes and got sent off.

Cheers I had managed to forget about that game :nope:

 

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

Same here. Ticked it off my list then. I have no intention of going again. S*** hole

I was there for that game too, I really like it there though, the size and steepness of the seating makes it a pretty intense place to see a match - that appealed to me.

 

[WESTY_SUFC]

I was there for that game too, I really like it there though, the size and steepness of the seating makes it a pretty intense place to see a match - that appealed to me.

Oh agree the ground was good. I was referring to the area. Horrible place.

 

[CyrilSneer]

Also went to the 2-0 defeat under Sturrock over Easter, when Benyon and Clohessy were sent off. Also a 0-0 under Whelan in 1996 when we had another red card with Mark McNally. Keith Dublin had a header clearly cross the line but wasnt given.

 

[DTS]

Been once, drove up after meeting mates at Ilford. Got there early had a few pints, saw a grown lad about 24 **** in the strret and we won 2-0 or 2-1. Remember Gutteridge scoring thats about it

 

[Ricey]

Oh agree the ground was good. I was referring to the area. Horrible place.

When we left there was lots of police activity and an area cordoned off. I looked it up and someone had been stabbed. Just glad I've ticked it off now as its one I don't intend on going back too.

 

[westie]

28th April 1968 Bradford City 2-1 Southend (Best)

This was part of our amazing collapse, when after beating Workington 7-0, we managed two draws and six defeats in the next eight matches and missed out on what looked certain promotion, (I saw all eight of those matches).

I went to the Bradford match on the Youth Section Coach, usually the drivers were very good but this was a real jobsworth. If your not back on the coach by a certain time I'll go without you he said. The match went on a bit but off he went at the allotted time leaving seven or eight teenagers stranded in Bradford.

Mick can tell you the full story.

Remember that trip only too well. Ian & I got Comp. tickets from Mickey Beesley and nearly missed the coach back thanks to that "Jobsworth" driver you mentioned. From being certs for Promotion we fell away quite badly after that game. :'(

 

[B.B.The Legend Lives On.]

28th April 1968 Bradford City 2-1 Southend (Best)

This was part of our amazing collapse, when after beating Workington 7-0, we managed two draws and six defeats in the next eight matches and missed out on what looked certain promotion, (I saw all eight of those matches).

I went to the Bradford match on the Youth Section Coach, usually the drivers were very good but this was a real jobsworth. If your not back on the coach by a certain time I'll go without you he said. The match went on a bit but off he went at the allotted time leaving seven or eight teenagers stranded in Bradford.

Mick can tell you the full story.

I was also one of those left behind and if my memory serves me well(which it doesn't)think we walked to Selby(don't know why)then bunked on the train back to London. Not a great ground for me either, have been a few times and never seen us win. 1966-67.lost 2-1(Bentley), 1967-68.lost 2-1(Best), 1968-69.lost 3-2(G.Moore/Hamilton)we were winning 2-0 at H/T, 1969-70.(LC)lost 2-1(G.Moore), 1980-81.lost 2-1(Gray), 1982-83.lost 1-0, 1983-84.drew 1-1. I also saw Bradford City beat Lincoln City 3-0 in the F.A.Cup in 1969.

 

[Mick]

28th April 1968 Bradford City 2-1 Southend (Best)

This was part of our amazing collapse, when after beating Workington 7-0, we managed two draws and six defeats in the next eight matches and missed out on what looked certain promotion, (I saw all eight of those matches).

I went to the Bradford match on the Youth Section Coach, usually the drivers were very good but this was a real jobsworth. If your not back on the coach by a certain time I'll go without you he said. The match went on a bit but off he went at the allotted time leaving seven or eight teenagers stranded in Bradford.

Mick can tell you the full story.

I was also one of those left behind and if my memory serves me well(which it doesn't)think we walked to Selby(don't know why)then bunked on the train back to London..

Oh, okay. I think there were six of us and not all teenagers; the six included the Brothers Grimm. They went to the police station from where they phoned their parents who lodged money with the Leigh Police Station and Bradford Police gave them a corresponding amount and they returned by train (this pre-dated mobile phones by about 25 years). Very sensible.

We decided to hitchhike back. (No, Dave, we didn't walk to Selby (about 30 miles!)).

We got a bus to some point on the A1, split up into pairs and set off. We got a very short lift to a bit further down the A1 but it was slow going and we started to walk. After a bit of a trek it was now getting dark but we heard someone calling. It was the other two who had found a railway station right by the A1, in a small village called Micklefield (appropriately enough). We clambered down the banks and rejoined the others. The station was deserted but we found the "station man" in the adjacent pub and ascertained there would be a train in a while to, I think, Selby.

We changed on to a London bound train and managed to keep ourselves scarce from any ticket inspectors. When we arrived at Kings Cross we hung around til well after the last person had left the train and I managed to convince the ticket inspector at the gate that we'd been meeting someone off the train who hadn't been on it and asked him when the next one was and he said hours, but there was a late night cafe round the corner where we could wait. Very helpful.

Strong representations and complaints were made to Supreme Coaches. The driver did not work for them again and we were all refunded our train fares!! I remember going to their offices in Hadleigh and collecting a number of brown packets containing cash; we had a share out (in the Spread ?) that evening.

My last visit to Bradford City was in September 1983, when Steve Phillips got us a point in a 1-1 draw. We sat in the stand which was to become the scene of the tragic disaster the following season.