Name The OLD Ground: No.3

[60sIMP]

60sIMP got it very early on, possibly because he is a 60sIMP: it is Park Avenue, home of Bradford Park Avenue.

They failed to be re-elected in 1970 after four successive bids for re-election, losing their place to Cambridge United. They soldiered on for three more seasons in the NPL before spending their final dying season sharing at Valley Parade. They folded in 1974 with debts of £57,652 - in today's money, that equates to £605,000, a terminal amount for a struggling Northern Premier League club with a crumbling former ground.

And that is the problem: the ground was already deteriorating rapidly by the time they lost their League place in 1970.

When I took that photo in the early 1980s (I think it was 1983), the stands had recently been demolished - you can clearly see some of the rubble to the left of the picture. Somewhat strangely, all the terraces were left in place, perhaps hoping for a revival of the club and a return to its spiritual home? The club did reform in 1974 and actually spent one season in the 1980s playing in the eerie surrounds of the old terraces before folding again. I haven't been near the place in more than three decades, but the ground was rendered unsuitable for further development when the area to the right of the photograph was redeveloped in the late 1980s, meaning that it is highly unlikely the site can ever be used for first class football again.

The current club - the third incarnation - dates from 1988.

Well done, everyone.

I remember seeing PA play their last match at Sincil Bank. Charnley played up front for them who had played at a higher level from memory.
I’d seen a similar pic of the ground taken from a different angle...nice to get one right. Thanks for posting.

 

[Merthyr Imp]

I remember seeing PA play their last match at Sincil Bank. Charnley played up front for them who had played at a higher level from memory.

Yes it was the week before Easter and we played them on a Monday night due to fixture congestion. Won 5-2.

Ray Charnley had won one England cap while with Blackpool and he scored one of Bradford's goals. Also in their side was ex-Imp Lewis Thom and two managers-to-be - Terry Dolan and Graham Carr (Alan's dad).

 

[clanford]

Got to be Bradford park avenue, wasn't it a cricket ground like bramall Lane?

https://images.app.goo.gl/9vfMEy7NaSkxnB1t8

Not 3 sided like Bramall Lane but the main stand was double sided with viewing balcony on the cricket side.

 

[60sIMP]

Yes it was the week before Easter and we played them on a Monday night due to fixture congestion. Won 5-2.

Ray Charnley had won one England cap while with Blackpool and he scored one of Bradford's goals. Also in their side was ex-Imp Lewis Thom and two managers-to-be - Terry Dolan and Graham Carr (Alan's dad).

Hi Merthyr, I’ve actually found the program from that match. Monday 7 April 1969. Looks like we played Aldershot away on 4th and Workington home on 5th. So 3 matches in 4 days.
Teams as per program
Imps, Tennant, Hubbard, Peden, J Smith, Hartford, Grummett, Hughes, Kearns, Fletcher, Kerrigan, D Smith Sub Brooks

BPA, Lawson, Hudson, Hopkins, Atkinson, Brown, Gibson, Savill, Charnley, Andrews, Henderson, Clancy No sub named.

Probably loads of changes from the program teams with so many matches in a short time.

 

[Merthyr Imp]

Hi Merthyr, I’ve actually found the program from that match. Monday 7 April 1969. Looks like we played Aldershot away on 4th and Workington home on 5th. So 3 matches in 4 days.

No - that was the previous season. That game in 1969 was on Easter Monday afternoon (we won 3-2). Aldershot away was on Good Friday and Workington home was on Easter Saturday. It was quite common in those days to play three games in four days over Easter.

The 5-2 win - which was Bradford's last game at Sincil Bank - was Monday 23rd March 1970. We did actually play five games in ten days in that period:

Saturday 21 March - Home v Wrexham - 0-0
Monday 23 March - Home v Bradford - 5-2
Good Friday 27 March - Home v Newport - 3-0
Easter Saturday 28 March - Away v Bradford - 3-0
Easter Monday 30 March - Away v Workington - 1-1

As I said, the reason for the rare Monday night match v Bradford was due to it being a re-arranged fixture because of an earlier postponement.

 

[Eweimps]

No - that was the previous season. That game in 1969 was on Easter Monday afternoon (we won 3-2). Aldershot away was on Good Friday and Workington home was on Easter Saturday. It was quite common in those days to play three games in four days over Easter.

The 5-2 win - which was Bradford's last game at Sincil Bank - was Monday 23rd March 1970. We did actually play five games in ten days in that period:

Saturday 21 March - Home v Wrexham - 0-0
Monday 23 March - Home v Bradford - 5-2
Good Friday 27 March - Home v Newport - 3-0
Easter Saturday 28 March - Away v Bradford - 3-0
Easter Monday 30 March - Away v Workington - 1-1

As I said, the reason for the rare Monday night match v Bradford was due to it being a re-arranged fixture because of an earlier postponement.

I’m not sure how many fans travelled in those days (I was quite young and would have been to the home games, not that I can remember them) but the fixture list doesn‘t seem to be kind with the travel distances

 

[60sIMP]

No - that was the previous season. That game in 1969 was on Easter Monday afternoon (we won 3-2). Aldershot away was on Good Friday and Workington home was on Easter Saturday. It was quite common in those days to play three games in four days over Easter.

The 5-2 win - which was Bradford's last game at Sincil Bank - was Monday 23rd March 1970. We did actually play five games in ten days in that period:

Saturday 21 March - Home v Wrexham - 0-0
Monday 23 March - Home v Bradford - 5-2
Good Friday 27 March - Home v Newport - 3-0
Easter Saturday 28 March - Away v Bradford - 3-0
Easter Monday 30 March - Away v Workington - 1-1

As I said, the reason for the rare Monday night match v Bradford was due to it being a re-arranged fixture because of an earlier postponement.

Thanks Merthyr, I’ve got confused (easy at my age). The match I thought was BPA’s last at the Bank was not this one then. I’ll have a look if I have the program from 1970. I may have it. Appreciate your input.

 

[60sIMP]

Thanks Merthyr, I’ve got confused (easy at my age). The match I thought was BPA’s last at the Bank was not this one then. I’ll have a look if I have the program from 1970. I may have it. Appreciate your input.

Found the program now for the 1970 match and BPA’s last at Sincil Bank.
I even scribbled the team changed on the program.

IMPS Kennedy, Taylor, Peden, Hubbard, Harford, Brooks, Hughes, Grummett, FLetcher, Holmes, Smith

BPA Hardie, Walker, Eyre, Dolan, Campbell, Wright, Pewley, Woolman, Charnley, Carr, Thom

 

[Merthyr Imp]

I’ll have a look if I have the program from 1970. I may have it. Appreciate your input.

You'll find it has the originally-scheduled date of the fixture on the front cover(11th March) - unless like me you amended it!

 

[Merthyr Imp]

BPA Hardie, Walker, Eyre, Dolan, Campbell, Wright, Pewley, Woolman, Charnley, Carr, Thom

Having dug my own copy of the programme I can say you missed one team change - it was Peter Brannan at no. 3 rather than the well-known author and ex-Imp Fred Eyre!

There are a couple of misprints too - it was Alan Tewley not Pewley, and Tony Woolmer not Woolman