Bradford City History Week Additional Event

A walk through the history of Bradford sport

Bradford city centre

10.30am-noon

20 April 2013

The hidden sporting history of Bradford will be brought to life in a guided walk around the city centre on Saturday 20 April. The walk, staged as part of the inaugural Bantams’ History week, will follow part of the route taken by Bradford City’s victorious team when they returned in triumph with the FA Cup in 1911.
Buildings and locations will include: where Bradford Northern Rugby League Club were formed; where the Bradford jewellers Fattorini’s designed the current FA Cup; the hotel where City’s players celebrated their cup triumph; the wool warehouse which was the business of Bradford City’s chairman during the Great War; a sports outfitters owned by a Bradford rugby international in the days when players were supposed to be strictly amateur; the premises where millions of football collectors cards were manufactured.
Walkers are requested to meet downstairs in the Turls Green public house (formerly known as Lloyds) in Centenary Square 10am for 10.30am. The pub has kindly agreed to host the meeting place of the walk. There will be a halt for refreshments at the Midland Hotel and the walk will end at the Sparrow Bier Cafe on North Parade in time for the official launch of the Bantams’ History Week at midday.
The walk will be led by the bantamspast museum curator David Pendleton and the irrepressible Glyn Watkins, poet, writer and leader of the recent walk celebrating Bradford’s patron Saint Bishop Blaise. The walk is free but a donation to the Bradford Burns Unit would be appreciated.

Locations en route:
Bradford fire memorial, Centenary Square
Site of Mechanics’ Institute, Centenary Square
Former Bradford Daily Telegraph office, Centenary Square
Site of Great War recruiting office, Norfolk Gardens
Site of Bradford Exchange railway station
Great Northern Victoria Hotel
Route taken through streets of Bradford by Bradford City team parading FA Cup in 1911
Wool Exchange, Market Street
Site of Fattorini’s where FA Cup was designed
Site of Sports & Pastimes, makers of Bradford City’s shirts in 1911
Plaque commemorating FA Cup win outside Midland Hotel
Site of former Bradford Midland (Forster Square) Railway station
Midland Hotel, Spirit of Bradford bar
Former warehouse of I & G Lancaster, Cheapside
Former British Sport Depot shop, Darley Street/Duke Street
Former shop of Baines Cards, North Parade
Sparrow Bier Cafe, North Parade