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Bradford Association Football Club formed
in 1907 and it added the name of its ground 'Park Avenue'
in order to distinguish itself from the two other clubs
in the City.
Despite
having an application to the football league turned down,
the club's 37,000 capacity stadium hosted an international
match between England and Ireland in 1909. In the 1912/13
season, the club reached the first of its three FA Cup
Quarter Final appearances and, two seasons later, they
joined the First Division of the football league where
they played to crowds in excess of 20,000. Indeed almost
30,000 turned up to watch the Derby against Bradford City
at Valley Parade.
Although
the club again reached the FA Cup Quarter Finals in 1919,
they were relegated a year later. The situation got worse
for the club who were relegated again the following season
into the Third Division North. Despite threatening to
bounce back, it wasn't until 1928 that Bradford Park Avenue
were promoted again. It was in the 1929/30 season that
Albert Geldard played for the club. When he took the field
on the 16th September 1929 for an away league game against
Millwall he was 15 years and 158 days old, making him
the youngest ever player to play in the football league.
He signed for Everton in 1932 for a then club record of
£4,000!
After
and during the Second World War, Bradford had, who is
generally regarded as the club's greatest ever player,
Len Shakleton, in their ranks. He scored a total of 171
goals in his time for the club and in 1946 he was picked
for England in a victory international against Scotland
at Hampden Park. Later that year he was sold to Newcastle
United where he scored six on his debut. Ron Greenwood,
who went on to manage England, also played for Park Avenue
during this period.
In
the 1940s the club again reached the FA Cup Quarter Finals
and had two other notable ties when they beat Arsenal
1-0 at Highbury in front of 47,738 fans and forced Manchester
United to a replay after a 1-1 draw at Maine Road in front
of a crowd of 82,771.
However,
the 50s witnessed the start of the club's steady decline.
In the 1969/70 season the club finished rock bottom of
the football league and, as a result, were voted out in
favour of Cambridge United. However, during this period
of woe, there were a few moments to savour. In 1964 Jim
Fryatt scored the fastest ever football league goal against
Tranmere that was timed at four seconds. The only goal
that has been timed quicker was a goal from Colin Cowperthwaite
in 1980 for Barrow against Kettering Town, which was timed
at 3.55 seconds. Also, when Kevin Hector scored his 100th
football league goal whilst playing for the club, aged
21 years and 156 days, he became the third youngest player
ever to achieve that feat. Only the legends Dixie Dean
and Jimmy Greaves were younger.
After
going out of the football league, the club moved into
the Northern Premier League. However, by 1974, the club's
fortunes had not improved and the shareholders agreed
to liquidate the company with debts of £57,652.
The supporters registered the name as a company and started
again in the Bradford Amateur Sunday League Division Four.
Success followed with numerous promotions from various
different divisions.
In
the 1994/95 season, playing in the North West Counties
League, the club were 20 points behind league leaders
Clitheroe with just 13 points remaining. However, a superb
run-in clinched the title and promotion into the Unibond
League where they remained, having had several seasons
of consolidation before romping to the title in the 2000/01
season, winning the division by a ten point margin and
achieving promotion to the Premier Division.
In
their first season, the club made a bad start. Going without
a win for the first twelve games meant the club were in
danger of going straight back down to the First Division
after one season. However, a much improved second half
to the season, which included a run of six straight wins
towards the end of the campaign, saw the club comfortably
survive, achieving mid table respectability and finishing
tenth. This they improved on the following year finishing
seventh. Avenue finished a disappointing 17th the following
year, however, Play-Off victories over Spennymoor, Ashton
and then Burscough still saw Avenue claim a place in the
new Conference North
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