Latest news with #Bantams
BBC News
a day ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Bradford goalkeeper Walker signs new deal
Bradford City goalkeeper Sam Walker has signed a new two-year 33-year-old's previous contract with the newly-promoted League One side was due to expire at the end of the has been an ever-present in the league for the Bantams since joining from Charlton in January 2024."The club is more than ready to play at League One level, the fanbase is massive and we have to harness that this coming season," he told the club website., external
BBC News
02-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Bradford skipper Smallwood to depart
Bradford City captain Richard Smallwood is to leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the former Middlesbrough, Rotherham and Hull City midfielder helped the Bantams win promotion from League Two last club said last month that they were in discussions with the 34-year-old about a new who made 130 league appearances for Bradford, posted on X, external that they had "made the decision not to offer a renewal".He said: "I want to sincerely thank the fans for the unwavering support you've shown me and my family during my time here. I wish you nothing but success."Football is a transient industry, players come and go, but the memories we create can last a lifetime."
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Bradford City top flight photos on display to celebrate promotion
Photographs taken while Bradford City were last in the top tier of English football have gone on display to celebrate the club's recent social documentary photographer Ian Beesley added the images to his exhibition at Salts Mill in Saltaire after the club secured League One status. He took the black and white photos while he was artist in residence for the club after they gained promotion to the FA Carling Premiership in 1999. For two seasons, the lifelong supporter took pictures of fans as they watched their team compete against the best football sides in the country. Discussing his time as club artist in residence, the 71-year-old from Bradford said: "I was given an access all areas pass, I thought I'd landed my dream job."How wrong I was - I found the transition from fan to photographer, spectator to observer, unbearably difficult."He added: "I really didn't enjoy the experience." After two seasons in the top flight, Bradford City were relegated and he handed in his pass and returned to the stands - where he has "stayed put" ever was with his daughter Fay at Valley Parade earlier this month when a last-gasp winner ended the Bantams' six-year stay in League Two. "Every couple of months we put a new section in to keep the exhibition current," Beesley said. "Ever since it looked like the Bantams might be going up I've been planning to add these images to the walls at Salts Mill."I refused to jinx it by installing them too early, being a football fan I'm always a bit pessimistic."The Life Goes On exhibition at Salts Mill runs until 31 December. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
"It's been called the forgotten disaster ... it will never be forgotten by Bradford"
WHERE there had been joyous noise, there was silence; where there had been euphoria, there was only quiet contemplation. The stage may have been the same as the promotion party but emotions had changed. After a week of celebration, Bradford remembered. Just as it always does. Centenary Square, which had bounced to Bantams song five days earlier, was a scene of respect and reflection. Those 56 people who would never get to another football game awarded their personal tribute. Players and staff were there as always, back from their sunshine getaways for winning promotion. They stood heads bowed as the names were recited of those that never made it back from Valley Parade on that fateful day. The bell tolled for each of the victims. — Simon (P)arker (@ParkerTandA) May 11, 2025 The turn-out was larger given the increased attention that a significant anniversary always brings to the memorial service. But for those still suffering the pain four decades on, each year remains just as important and as difficult. The anniversary doesn't a zero on the end to feel any different. 'It has been called the forgotten disaster,' said club chaplain Oliver Evans in his welcome address. 'But it will never be forgotten by the people of Bradford.' Today's service was given a modern twist. Stuart McCall and City captain Richie Smallwood read out poignant poems while Graham Alexander recited psalm 23, 'The Lord is my Shepherd'. There was a brighter note struck at the end with a rendition of the anthem, 'Take me home, Midland Road', sung with increasing gusto by the claret and amber congregation. The happiest of times and the most devastating; that's what families go through together. The bond forged by those horrific memories is still as strong as ever.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
NATH'S NATTERS: A Bantams moment in time that will live forever
I BELIEVE the line Martin Tyler famously used to describe Sergio Aguero's title-winning goal for the blue half of Manchester in 2012 was: 'I swear you'll never see anything like this ever again'. Well, if you watched and drunk in a remarkable Saturday, May 3, 2025 in Bradford, you would have witnessed something mighty similar. The creaking 30-year-old I am now, who has genuinely spent the last three days with a bad back after sleeping awkwardly, I headed home at about 7pm. So, I missed Alex Pattison in his bucket hat, the thousand stories behind Tommy Leigh's sunglasses, Sam Walker pulling pints and the collapsing table that brought down Michael Mellon. Nahhh hahaha #bcafc #bantams — Harry (@harry_mjames) May 3, 2025 But rightly, those scenes were enjoyed by diehard Bantams, whose suffering and misery for decades was all forgotten for a while after the most dramatic finish possible to the League Two season. On a personal level, nothing will ever top the manic two weeks I drank in with Newcastle United in March, with me watching us win the Carabao Cup at Wembley before heading up to the North-East for the bus parade and the Town Moor celebrations. But on a non-Toon level, Saturday is clear of anything I have ever witnessed in football. As I mentioned in a recent column, it feels like only this last season or so where City have really and truly got me hooked. From covering more games, to having a brilliant bloke as manager, to having a great set of lads in the squad, I was fully on board the Bantams promotion train. I felt devastated after covering THAT 5-4 defeat to Swindon, feeling I'd somehow personally let City down, and wondering if they'd ever come back. But Graham Alexander's side were just teeing up what happened last Saturday all along, weren't they? I arrived in Bradford at quarter to one, and headed to City Vaults, where the bar was absolutely jam-packed. Eventually getting a pint, I joined a couple of my T&A colleagues, Harry and Rowan, as we nervously discussed the permutations of the afternoon ahead, before the former headed up to North Parade with a couple of his City-supporting pals. Me with Harry and Rowan at about one o'clock last Saturday, blissfully unaware of the madness that was about to unfold. (Image: NQ Staff) Rowan and I soon headed to North Parade, where we quickly established we had no chance of getting into a bar. The scenes were manic as a makeshift DJ pumped out classics like Take Me Home Midland Road, Penny Arcade and Sweet Caroline. The pair of us popped into a packed convenience store, but the shelves had been near-emptied by partying Bantams fans, so I swerved clear of the non-alcoholic lager and Skol that was left to get a couple of Bacardi and Coke cans. Flares were going off, everyone was mingling and then came the raucous march to Valley Parade. STRONG atmosphere on North Parade 🤯😍 #bcafc — Nathan Atkinson (@NathanA_TandA) May 3, 2025 Store owners on Manningham Lane came out to greet the crowds, drivers were high-fiving us, one little girl popped her head out of a sunroof to become an unexpected little star of the day. After meeting an old work colleague for a lovely catch-up, then getting confused over where the entrance to the TL Dallas Stand actually was, I eventually took my seat, via a chicken balti pie pit stop. You'll Never Walk Alone was special, the minute's silence in remembrance of the Valley Parade Fire Disaster was impeccable, and then it was game-time. I don't think City were too bad before the break, as Fleetwood made a couple of brave blocks, there was the odd penalty shout, the keeper made a ridiculous flailing arm save from Calum Kavanagh, then the outrageous challenge which injured a breaking Pattison and perhaps should have brought a red card. But Walker's superb save from Matty Virtue, followed up by a brave clearance from Tayo Adaramola off the rebound, showed the rug could be pulled from under the Bantams at any moment. And the second half was an anxiety-inducing nightmare, as the hosts looked increasingly panicky, were creating little of note, and then Walsall scored at Crewe to dump City out of the automatic promotion spots. With 10 minutes left, some muppet then started a rumour that Crewe had equalised, which took ages to establish as a falsity and when Jack Shepherd hit the post and Antoni Sarcevic blasted over from close range, resignation set in. Then came THE moment that will be remembered forever, in the sixth minute of added time. George Lapslie's volley hit Sarcevic (or Fleetwood skipper James Bolton) and crawled into the net in slow-motion, sending the stadium into chaos. A mass pitch invasion, strangers hugging, general pandemonium, I've never witnessed a live goal like it in my life. After chaos trying to get the game restarted, it finally ended after about 20 additional minutes. Good Lord that was special, cheers for doing it in the most stressful way possible #bcafc 😂 — Nathan Atkinson (@NathanA_TandA) May 3, 2025 The players were then hoisted high on shoulders, so was Alexander, as young, old, white, South Asian, everyone embraced the euphoria, on the pitch and in the stands. After witnessing some dad dancing on the roof by the changing rooms from the City lads and the little plate lift by Richie Smallwood, it was back to North Parade. Flares were going off, there was one good old-fashioned punch up, music was playing, drinks were flowing, and I got to witness it all from the top window of the Brass Monk with Rowan and his mum. I took this picture of a packed North Parade at about quarter past six on Saturday, just an hour or so after City had sealed the most dramatic of promotions. (Image: NQ Staff) It ended up being a very reluctant trudge to the train as I didn't want to leave this behind. But as I headed back to Horsforth in my old claret and amber bobble hat, which I got from a cancer charity long before the Bantams came into my life, I sat back on the train and reflected on an extraordinary afternoon that I will never forget.
