Football Ground Guide: Coral Windows Stadium, Bradford City Football Club

Contents
What's The Ground Like? Exterior Of The Sunwin Stand (photo) What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters? Sunwin & Carlsberg Kop Stands (photo) Where To Drink? How To Get There By Car & Where To Park By Train The Midland Road (East) & TL Dallas Stands (photo) Local Rivals City Gent Club Mascot Admission Prices Programme & Fanzine Ground Layout Disabled Facilities Fixtures 2008-2009 Record & Average Attendance Fans Ground Reviews Other Places Of Interest Feedback Return To The Main Menu
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. Top Of Page
Exterior Of The Sunwin Stand
Top Of Page
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 Stand. For 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. The delicious the Shire Foods Balti Pie (Ł2) is available inside the ground. 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'. 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. Top Of Page
Sunwin & Carlsberg Kop Stands
Top Of Page
Where To Drink?
There is the Carlton pub which is only a few minutes walk from behind the Kop Stand. It does allow in away fans, but the pub is quite a basic one. There are also a couple of hotels with bars, all about a ten minute walk away. 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' a good real ale pub on Bolton Road, but this has more of a home fan 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'. Top Of Page
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. 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. Top Of Page
By Train
If going by train into Bradford Interchange, it is quite a walk to the ground (25 minutes). Either take a taxi (Ł3.50) 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'. Top Of Page
The Midland Road (East) & TL Dallas Stands
Top Of Page
Local Rivals
Leeds United, Huddersfield Town. Top Of Page
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'. Top Of Page
Admission Prices
Home Supporters: Co-Operative Stand: Adults Ł20, Students Ł15, OAP's Ł14, Juveniles Ł12 TL Dallas Stand: Adults Ł20, OAP's Ł14, Juveniles Ł12. Carlsberg Stand: Adults Ł20, Students Ł15, OAP's Ł14, Juveniles Ł12 Away Supporters: Midland Road (East) Stand: Adults Ł20, Students Ł15, OAP's Ł14, Juveniles Ł12 Top Of Page
Programme & Fanzine
Official Programme: Ł2.50. City Gent Fanzine: Ł1.50. The longest established fanzine still running in England: Top Of Page
Ground Layout
Top Of Page
Disabled Facilities
For details of disabled facilities at the ground please visit the relevant page on the National Association Of Disabled Supporters (NADS) website. Top Of Page
Fixtures 2008-2009
For the Bradford fixture list click here (to take you to the BBC Sports Website) Top Of Page
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: 2007-2008: 13,694 (League Two) 2006-2007: 8,694 (League One) 2005-2006: 8,265 (League One) Top Of Page
Fans Reviews Of Valley Parade
Patrick Burke (Tranmere Rovers) 1/12/07 Stephen Hynes (Manchester City) 29/7/06 Top Of Page
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 Ł4'. 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 Ł15, 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 Ł5.95 adults, Ł4.20 concessions (there are also some discounted family tickets also available). The films are shown hourly, on the hour. Top Of Page
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. Top Of Page
Feedback
If anything is incorrect or you have something to add, please e-mail me and I'll update the guide.

Return To The Main Menu

<a href="http://media.fastclick.net/w/click.here?sid=37435&m=1&pageid=1" target="_blank"><img width=468 height=60 src="http://media.fastclick.net/w/get.media?sid=37435&m=1&tp=1&d=s&v=1.0c&pageid=1" border=0></a>		<a href="http://media.fastclick.net/w/click.here?sid=37435&m=3&pageid=1" target="_blank"><img width=120 height=600 src="http://media.fastclick.net/w/get.media?sid=37435&m=3&tp=3&d=s&v=1.0c&pageid=1" border=0></a>

	Bradford City Ground Name: Coral Windows Stadium (But still known to a number of fans as Valley Parade) Capacity: 25,136 (all seated) Address: Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD8 7DY Main Telephone No: 0870-822-0000 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: White with Black Trim 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)