The Bantams' History Week commenced under clear blue skies with a walk through the history of the city centre. A good number of walkers took in sights related to the football club's history. A new display in the Midland Hotel's Spirit of Bradford bar tells the story of the links between the hotel and Bradford City's FA Cup triumph of 1911. The walk ended at the Sparrow Bier Café on North Parade where displays show how John Baines of North Parade reshaped global football culture with his invention of football collectors' cards. A collection from the walk raised £85 for the Bradford Burns Unit and finally Bradford City chairman Mark Lawn pulled the first pint of a specially brewed Baines Blonde to offically launch the history week. The beer was produced by the Saltaire Brewery and all 210 pints were drunk within four hours on Saturday - we suspect City's victory which ensured a place in the play-offs may have been a contributory factor.
On Sunday a well attended guided walk of Undercliffe Cemetery was used to tell a few of the personal stories of individuals with strong links to the Bantams. Two former chairmen are buried within a handful of yards of one another: the well known Stafford Heginbotham, who twice helped save the club from closure and led the Bantams through the dark days following the fire disaster; Alfred Ayrton, the man who oversaw the change from rugby to football in 1903 and, when asked what the new football club was to be named, replied 'Bradford City'.
There are a few tickets left for the final event of the Bantams' History Week which is a dinner at the Midland Hotel on Friday 26 April - the anniversary of Bradford City's FA Cup triumph. The guest speaker will be David Conn of the Guardian. The two course meal costs £18, to book a place please email bantamspast.
Showing posts with label Stafford Heginbotham. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stafford Heginbotham. Show all posts
Monday, 22 April 2013
Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Undercliffe’s Bantam Legacy
Two of the most remarkable chairmen in Bradford City’s history have their final resting places in the magnificent Undercliffe Cemetery. Barely the length of a football pitch separates the graves of City’s first chairman Alfred Ayrton and the man who did much to keep the club alive in two spells as chairman Stafford Heginbotham.
Alfred Ayrton stabilised Manningham Rugby Club in the early 1900s when they faced extinction, he then oversaw the switch to football and during the meeting that ratified the change he was asked what the new club would be called he replied: ‘Bradford City’. He evaluated, and then put to a vote, the proposed merger with the infant Bradford Park Avenue in 1907. His final act prior to retiring was to make the club a limited company and he left the chairmanship with the club poised for promotion to the top flight.
Stafford Heginbotham’s first spell as chairman saw him rolling up his sleeves to physically improve Valley Parade. He convened the famous crisis meeting at St George’s Hall that ultimately saved the club from closure. Like Ayrton he also considered a merger with Park Avenue but rejected it on the grounds that Bradford City was the first name on the FA Cup and that heritage should be preserved. He returned to the club in 1983 when he and Jack Tordoff saved the club from closure with hours to spare. He later guided the club through the difficult days in the wake of the fire disaster. Stafford’s dignity, and full acceptance of blame, did much to ensure that the grieving process could go ahead without any background controversy.
Underclife Cemetery will be part of the Bantams’ History Week in April when a guided tour will be available. The cemetery is run by volunteers.
Alfred Ayrton stabilised Manningham Rugby Club in the early 1900s when they faced extinction, he then oversaw the switch to football and during the meeting that ratified the change he was asked what the new club would be called he replied: ‘Bradford City’. He evaluated, and then put to a vote, the proposed merger with the infant Bradford Park Avenue in 1907. His final act prior to retiring was to make the club a limited company and he left the chairmanship with the club poised for promotion to the top flight.
Stafford Heginbotham’s first spell as chairman saw him rolling up his sleeves to physically improve Valley Parade. He convened the famous crisis meeting at St George’s Hall that ultimately saved the club from closure. Like Ayrton he also considered a merger with Park Avenue but rejected it on the grounds that Bradford City was the first name on the FA Cup and that heritage should be preserved. He returned to the club in 1983 when he and Jack Tordoff saved the club from closure with hours to spare. He later guided the club through the difficult days in the wake of the fire disaster. Stafford’s dignity, and full acceptance of blame, did much to ensure that the grieving process could go ahead without any background controversy.
Underclife Cemetery will be part of the Bantams’ History Week in April when a guided tour will be available. The cemetery is run by volunteers.
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