The 1911 Annual Memorial Dinner

26 April 2014

1911 Club, Valley Parade

Ever since the success of the dinner that commemorated the centenary of Bradford City’s FA Cup triumph, the organisers of the bantamspast museum have arranged an annual dinner on 26 April, the date when Jimmy Speirs' headed goal won the famous trophy for the Bantams. This year the 103^rd anniversary falls on a Saturday, so it is appropriate that the host venue will be Bradford City’s own 1911 Club. 

The evening will comprise a three course carvery dinner and an after dinner speaker. The cost is, perhaps appropriately, £19.11. As we approach the centenary of the Great War, the bantamspast museum’s David Pendleton will speak about the impact of the conflict on the football club and will reveal plans in place to commemorate the centenary. Nine City players died in the war, including the captain and goal scorer in the FA Cup final Jimmy Speirs and the man-of-the-match Robert Torrance.

The dinner takes place on Saturday 26 April, 7.30pm for 8pm at the 1911 Club, Valley Parade. There are only sixty places available, so the event is expected to sell out. Tickets are available from the 1911 Reception.

Arsenal - A Long View

As Bradford eagerly awaits the visit of Arsenal for the League Cup quarter-final tie, we look back to the Gunners first ever visit to Valley Parade in 1904. This snippet is taken from David Pendleton’s book Paraders, the 125 year history of Valley Parade, which is available from Waterstones in the city centre.

When high-flying Woolwich Arsenal visited Valley Parade on 13 February 1904 a double row of wagons was placed on the plateau at the top of the Manningham End to allow more supporters to see the game. Woolwich Arsenal had selected the trip to Valley Parade for their annual club holiday. Three special trains, provided by the Midland Railway, conveyed the two thousand, five hundred trippers from London. Bradford City had specifically requested that Woolwich Arsenal use the Midland due to the close relationship between the railway company and the football club – mainly due to the fact that Bradford City were the Midland’s tenants at Valley Parade.

The first train arrived in Bradford at 6am on the morning of the match. The visitors were recommended to see the district by tramcar, with the Saltaire and Queensbury routes being specially mentioned. Drummond’s, Shaw’s and Salts Mills all offered tours for the trippers. Unfortunately, ceaseless rain ruined the spectacle. The Woolwich Arsenal captain, on winning the toss, joked that he would ‘play with the tide’. With Bradford City leading 1-0 at half-time the match had to be abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch. As the first train was not due to depart for London until 11.15pm the trippers enjoyed the local theatres and public houses.

The Arsenal supporters proved to be popular visitors and a large crowd of their Bradford City counterparts were on the Midland Station to see the trains off. Some evidently enjoyed their trip to Bradford rather too much as several Arsenal supporters were reportedly seen wandering around Lister Park on the Sunday morning.

Celebrate Christmas with One in a Million and bantamtamspast

One in a Million invites you to celebrate Christmas and bantamspast with a festive event and book signing.

The event follows the launch of a new book by the co-curator of the bantamspast museum, Dave Pendleton, and will see copies of his book ‘Glorious 1911’ on sale and an opportunity to have it signed by the author.

“Bradford City's ascent to the upper reaches of English football within a few years of formation was quite remarkable and the period immediately preceding the First World War has remained the pinnacle in the club's history. GLORIOUS 1911 and Bradford City’s Golden Age, 1908-15 tells the story of the Bantams' campaigns in the first division and the legendary FA Cup winning season of 1910/11.

It provides background on the personalities of that time as well as the major events and also examines the reasons for the club's change of fortune when peacetime football resumed in 1919. GLORIOUS 1911 and Bradford City’s Golden Age, 1908-15 is the product of extensive research by author Dave Pendleton with input from two other writers with considerable knowledge of the club's history, David Markham and John Dewhirst.

Additionally it features a wealth of long-forgotten images and archive material to provide a unique insight into a fascinating era.”

To get everybody in the Christmas spirit, a festive menu will be available from the Bantams Cafe and Christmas music will be played.

A presentation will also be made by bantamspast.

Lenny the City Gent will also be making an appearance and Bradford City Supporters Trust will be offering FREE membership which gives an immediate 10% discount for use in the Club shop.

Everyone welcome. Admission, as always, is free.

Glorious 1911: Selling Well!

Since its Grand Launch at Pictureville last Sunday, copies of Glorious 1911 have been flying off the shelves. There was a great deal of interest at both recent home games and Waterstone's in Bradford have been doing a roaring trade. Possibly as a result of the plummeting temperatures, Glorious 1911 scarves are also proving most popular.
The book is also on sale at Salt's Mill and this weekend at Bradford Industrial Museum's Victorian Christmas Market.
If you can't reach any of those venues for your copy, why not download and complete an order form?
Of course, there are more Glorious 1911 events to come: the Centenary Celebration Dinner at the Midland Hotel on 26 April 2011 and the exhibition at the Industrial Museum, beginning in March. More details coming soon.

Pictureville Is Go!

Tickets for the Grand Launch of 'Glorious 1911 and Bradford City's Golden Age, 1908-1915' at the National Media Museum's Pictureville Cinema on November 21 are on sale now.
As part of the launch there will be an illustrated presentation and historic film show (Bantams related, of course).
Call 0844 856 3797 to book your ticket.

New 1910-11 Squad Image: Update

There are many pictures of the 1910-11 FA Cup winning team, often reproduced as postcards to commemorate what was, arguably, City's finest hour. This one is a little unusual, however, in that it shows the whole squad in front of a match day crowd.
We have most of the names as well:
Back (left to right) Chaplin, Spendiff, Bigland, Speirs, Mellors, Lintott, Campbell, Farren, Blair, Maskrey, Robinson;
Centre: P. O'Rourke (secretary-manager), Torrance, Peart, McDonald, Graham, O'Rourke, Young, Logan, Potter, Handley.
Front: D.L. Menzies (asst trainer), Harewood, Bond R., Pimbley, Hampton, Boocock, ---, Bond A., Devine, C. Harper (trainer).
Thanks to Bill for providing names originally missing from this post.

Archive Acquired

Amidst all the other activity on Saturday, we were also given a carrier bag full of images! For the most part these come from the 1980s although there are many from earlier times. Quite a few scanning evenings ahead before we can get them out to a wider audience, but here's one to whet your appetite.
It shows City's centre-forward Derek Stokes scoring his side's second goal against Burnley in the fifth round of the FA Cup. The match was played at Valley Parade in front of more than 26,000 on Saturday February 20th 1960. Although City were two goals ahead after 75 minutes, the game was eventually drawn, 2-2. The Bantams eventually lost the replay 5-0 and Burnley finished the season as First Division Champions.