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Bradford City

Ground Name: Coral Windows Stadium
(But still known to a number of fans as V
alley Parade)
Capacity: 25,136 (all seated)
Address: Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD8 7DY
Main Telephone No: 01274 773 355
Fax No: 01274 773 356
Ticket Office: 01274 770 012
Club Nickname: The Bantams
Year Ground Opened: 1903
Pitch Size: 113 x 70 yards
Shirt Sponsors: Bradford & Bingley
Home Kit Colours:
Claret & Amber with Black Trim
Away Kit Colours:
Navy Blue With Claret & Amber Stripes

Kit Manufacturers: Surridge Sport
Official Web Site: www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk
Unofficial Web Sites:
Boy From Brazil
Supporters Trust
The City Gent (Rivals Network)
Vital Bradford City (Vital Football Network)


Map
Contents
What's The Ground Like?
Co-operative & Carlsberg Kop Stands (photo) 
What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters?

The Midland Road (East) & TL Dallas Stands
(photo)
Where To Drink?

Midland Road Stand (photo)
How To Get There By Car & Where To Park
By Train
A Closer Look At The TL Dallas Stand (photo) 
Local Rivals
City Gent Club Mascot
Admission Prices

Programme & Fanzine
Ground Layout

Disabled Facilities
Fixtures 2009-2010
Record & Average Attendance
Fans Ground Reviews
Other Places Of Interest
Feedback


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What's The Ground Like?
The term 'a game of two halves' is often applied to a football game; in the case of Valley Parade, a stadium of 'two halves' comes to mind. The ground has been now been completely re-built since the mid 80's, but the initial impression is that one side is twice as big as the other. The Kop End (or now known as the Carlsberg Stand), is a relatively new two tiered stand, that is simply huge and looks quite superb. It once towered over the rest of the ground, but the addition of an additional tier to the Co-Operative Main Stand during 2001 has led to it meeting its once larger neighbour. With the corner between these stands also being filled, one has a truly impressive spectacle.

The rest of the ground now looks somehow rather out of place. The Midland Road (East) is a covered single tiered stand, which has windshields to each side. At some other grounds this would look impressive, as it is of a fair size and is free of supporting pillars. However it almost is lost in the shadow of its larger newer neighbours. At the remaining end is the TL Dallas stand which is an odd looking small 'double decker' type stand. This two tiered covered stand has the upper tier largely overhanging the lower tier, giving this 'double decker' effect. There is also an electric scoreboard in one corner of the ground.

In the upper tier of the corner of the Co-operative Main Stand and Carlsberg Kop Stands is located a fans flag dedicated to the fans who lost their lives in the Bradford City fire at the ground in May 1985.

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Co-operative & Carlsberg Kop Stands


Co-operative & Carlsberg Kop Stands

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What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters?
After many years of being housed in the TL Dallas Stand, away fans are now accommodated in part of the Midland Road Stand at one side of the pitch. The Club decided to do this following a campaign by Bradford supporters, as the Bradford End as it was known before the commercial sponsorship deal, has always been the traditional home end at Valley Parade.

Around 1,300 supporters can be accommodated in this area of the Midland Road StandFor larger followings then another block can be opened, raising the allocation to 1,800. The good news is that the facilities are generally better than those of the TL Dallas Stand and there are no supporting pillars to impede your view. 
Roger Mulrooney a visiting Barnsley fan adds; 'On my last visit I found the home crowd friendly and non threatening. The stewards were particularly good natured and helpful. Still a very good away day for a visiting fan'. Inside the stadium food on offer includes: Cheeseburgers (£3.10), Burgers (£2.90), Hot Dogs (£2.90), Pies including the Chicken Balti Pie (£2.60) and Sausage Rolls (£2.10).

Having been a student in Bradford and having watched them win the old Third Division, I have a bit of a soft spot for this club. And having been there are the day of that fateful fire in 1985, Valley Parade will always stay deep in my memory. Pleasingly I have found Bradford to have become rather more friendly towards away supporters in recent years. It is quite an enjoyable day out especially if you enjoy what the city has to offer. Make sure that you wrap up well unless the weather forecast is 80 degrees. This is because Bradford is situated at a bottom of a valley, down which a rather cold wind normally prevails.

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The Midland Road (East) & TL Dallas Stands


The Midland Road (East) & TL Dallas Stands

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Where To Drink?

There are  a couple of hotels with bars, that are about a ten minute walk away from the stadium. They are the Park & Cartwright hotels. Just continue to walk on the main road by the ground away from the town centre and at the traffic lights where the entrance to the park is, turn right and you will see them in a row on your right. Also about a ten minute walk away is the 'Corn Dolly' on Bolton Road, which is listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide, but has more of a home fans feel about it. Otherwise it is probably wise to drink in the centre or if you are feeling adventurous jump in a taxi and visit the Fighting Cock in Preston St which serves excellent real ale and is quite a mecca for CAMRA members. Darren Middleton recommends Haigys Bar on Lumb Lane whilst Jamie Morgan adds; 'a new pub/curry house has just opened called The Valley. It is on Manningham Lane, only a short distance past the ground'. Otherwise alcohol in the form of Carlsberg is available to away fans inside the stadium.

Can anyone confirm whether alcohol is available to away fans inside the ground? If so please e-mail me.

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Midland Road Stand



 

How To Get There By Car & Where To Park
Leave the M62 at Junction 26 and take the M606 for Bradford. At the end of the motorway, keep to the right hand lane and Valley Parade (Bradford & Bingley) is well sign posted. If you do happen to lose track of the signs then in the city centre, then just keep heading towards Skipton (A650) and you will reach the stadium on your left. Mostly street parking around the ground.

For a map showing the location of the ground click here
(to take you to the Street Map website).

To go to a simplified page, containing the directions and pub info, which you can print out click here.

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By Train
If going by train into Bradford Interchange, it is quite a walk to the ground (20 minutes).  Either take a taxi (£3.50) or alternatively the bus station is located next to the train station (Bus No's 622, 623, 626 or 662). Chris Hawkridge suggests; 'supporters travelling via Leeds should catch the Leeds - Bradford Forster Square service (two trains per hour during the day) rather than those to Bradford Interchange. Forster Square is only 10 minutes walk from the ground'.

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A Closer Look At The TL Dallas Stand


A Closer Look At The TL Dallas Stand

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Local Rivals
Leeds United, Huddersfield Town.

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Lenny The City Gent  

Michael Wood from the Boy From Brazil website adds; 'Lenny is in essence an adult supporters mascot. Lenny is a large man sporting an impressive and frequently unveiled stomach and carrying a briefcase which contains a large pie, presented to raucous cheers from supporters before each game. Based on the club's cartoon mascot of the 1960s, then a representation of chairman Stafford Heginbotham, Lenny as an incarnation of the City supporting Gent with a case and an umbrella came as a surprise to most. As for why he was revived in the 90s, and indeed Lenny's purpose, reason is unclear, but his commitment to the mascot's function, to make the supporter feel closer to the club, is unfettered. How could one get closer to the club than by having its representative approach you in the bar before a game and drink heavily from your pint?  Lenny's style is very much that of the traditional football goer. Pint and pie, there for the lads. More than a comedy mascot to be involved in japes, Lenny is a representative of the mainstay of supporters. Lenny travels with us, he drinks with us and, tellingly, while all comedy characters are banished in moments of grief, Lenny stands bowler hat bowed, during minutes silences, and mourns with us'.

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Admission Prices
Home Supporters:
Co-operative Stand: Adults £20, Students £15, OAP's £14, Juveniles £12
TL Dallas Stand: Adults £20, OAP's £14, Juveniles £12.
Carlsberg Stand: Adults £20, Students £15, OAP's £14, Juveniles £12

Away Supporters:
Midland Road (East) Stand: Adults £20, OAP's £14, Juveniles £12

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Programme & Fanzine

Official Programme: £2.50.

City Gent Fanzine: £1.50.
The longest established fanzine still running in England.
 

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Ground Layout


Layout

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Disabled Facilities
For details of disabled facilities at the ground please visit the relevant page on the National Association Of Disabled Supporters (NADS) website.

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Fixtures 2009-2010
For the Bradford fixture list click here (to take you to the BBC Sports Website)

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Record & Average Attendance
Record Attendance:
39,146 v Burnley,
FA Cup 4th Round, March 11th, 1911.

Modern All Seated Attendance Record:
22,057 v Liverpool
Premier League, May 1st, 2001.


Average Attendance:
2008-2009: 12,704 (League Two)
2007-2008: 13,694 (League Two)
2006-2007: 8,694 (League One)

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Fans Reviews Of Valley Parade
Tony Rastelli (Cheltenham Town) 2/1/10
Chris Dutton (Bury) 28/10/08

Patrick Burke (Tranmere Rovers) 1/12/07
Stephen Hynes (Manchester City) 29/7/06

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Other Places Of Interest

Bradford has some excellent curry houses such as the Kashmir in Morley St and the Mumtaz in Great Horton Road to name but two. Omar Eliwi adds; 'The K2 Curry House on Lumb Lane, about five minutes walk from Valley Parade, serves great curries for under £4'. Whilst Jamie Morgan informs me; 'By far the very best place to have an authentic curry is the Shiraz on Oak Lane, 10 minutes walk away from the ground above where the Cartwright Hotel is (see where to drink). Three of you can eat for under £15, however the Shiraz is not licenced, the nearest off licence is at the bottom of Oak Lane by the Cartwright Hotel'.

If you have time, the National Museum of Photography, Film & Television is worth a visit, if only to see one of the short films on its huge Imax cinema screen. The museum is free to visit, but the Imax costs £5.95 adults, £4.20 concessions (there are also some discounted family tickets also available). The films are shown hourly, on the hour.

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Hotel Accommodation
If you require hotel accommodation in the area then first try a hotel booking service provided by Football Hotels who are powered by Activehotels, who specialise in locating accommodation near or within a short travelling distance of the football ground. They also have the added advantage over some other hotel booking services that you pay on departure. Yes this site will earn a small commission if you book through them, but it will go to help with the running costs of keeping the Guide going. To access their Bradford page click here.

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Feedback
If anything is incorrect or you have something to add, please e-mail me and I'll update the guide.

 


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© Duncan Adams 2010
All rights reserved                                                                  
Last Updated: 14 March 2010