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Bradford City Ground Name:
Coral Windows Stadium |
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| 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 (photo) Admission Prices Programme & Fanzine Ground Layout Disabled Facilities Fixtures 2007-2008 Record & Average Attendance Fans Ground Reviews Other Places Of Interest Feedback Return To The Main Menu |
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| 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 Sunwin 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 rather out of place in the shadow of their shiny neighbours. Away fans are housed in a small 'double decker' type stand at one end, called the TL Dallas Stand. The other side, the East Stand is a single tiered stand. There is also an electric scoreboard in one corner of the ground. | |
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| What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters? | |
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Away fans are housed in the TL Dallas Stand where
1,800 supporters can be accommodated. If
possible try to get tickets for the upper tier as the view
of the action is far better. On the downside there are a number of
supporting pillars which could well impede your view. If
demand requires it then a section of the East Stand can also
be made available to away supporters. The
delicious
the Shire Foods Balti Pie
(£2) 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. 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. |
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Sunwin & Carlsberg Kop Stands |
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| 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'. |
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| 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. |
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| By Train | |
| If going by train into Bradford Interchange, it is quite a walk to the ground (25 minutes). Either take a taxi (£3.50) 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'. | |
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| Local Rivals | |
| Leeds United, Huddersfield Town. | |
Lenny The City Gent |
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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'. |
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| Admission Prices | |
| Home Supporters: Sunwin Stand: Adults £20, Students £15, OAP's £14, Juveniles £12 Pulse Family Stand (North West Corner): Adult £16 (when accompanied by a junior), OAP £11, Juvenile £5 East Stand: Adults £20, Students £15, OAP's £14, Juveniles £12 Carlsberg Stand: Adults £20, Students £15, OAP's £14, Juveniles £12 Away Supporters: TL Dallas Stand: Adults £20, OAP's £14, Juveniles £12. |
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| Programme & Fanzine | |
| Official Programme: £2.50. City Gent Fanzine: £1.50. The longest established fanzine still running in England: 
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| Disabled Facilities | |
| For details of disabled facilities at the ground please visit the relevant page on the National Association Of Disabled Supporters (NADS) website. | |
| Fixtures 2007-2008 | |
| For the Bradford fixture list click here (to take you to the BBC Sports Website) | |
| 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: 2006-2007: 8,694 (League One) 2005-2006: 8,265 (League One) 2004-2005: 8,839 (League One) |
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| Fans Reviews Of Valley Parade | |
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Patrick Burke
(Tranmere Rovers) 1/12/07 Stephen Hynes (Manchester City) 29/7/06 |
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| 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 £4'. 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 £15, 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 £5.95 adults, £4.20 concessions (there are also some discounted family tickets also available). The films are shown hourly, on the hour. |
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| 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. | |
| Feedback | |
| If anything is incorrect or you have something to add,
please e-mail me and I'll
update
the guide. |
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