With City playing away at Darlington, and having promised myself after Stockport that I wouldn't go away until next season (City got a 2-2 draw by the way), I decided to go and watch Bradford Town again to enjoy Western League hospitality.
5 of us were going, so after a few refreshments at The Three Horseshoes we headed down to Trowbridge Road for the game against Oldland Abbotonians. Oldland are a club based in nearby Bristol, next to Oldland Common, and that is all I know about them really, having never been to Oldland I cannot say much more!
Town have lost Matty Cooper since I last watched them, and given his knack for scoring important goals we discussed what impact it would have, but given he has moved for family reasons good luck to him.
Town were playing some very nice football, and could have raced into an early lead with a couple of good chances narrowly going over, or being saved by the keeper. Bradford were showing an intent around the box that has sadly been missing from recent City games, and a few of the moves were very nicely executed, including a wonderful interchange between Minnis and his new partner, that should have led to the lead.
Instead, following the trend of this season, Oldland in their first real attack managed to find the back of the Bradford net with a shot flashed past the keeper. 0-1 to Abbotonians. Bradford carried on attacking, but a little bit of the verve had gone out of their play and the game went into halftime 0-1.
At this point we decided to go into the old Avon Club to purchase a can of beer. Here a little bit of history is needed. Bradford on Avon despite its picturesque nature, has historically been a working town, originally making its money from the wool trade, and there are many wool mills left in the town (sadly they are all flats now) then the economy moved onto rubber with Moulton Rubber being the towns main employer, in time Moulton Rubber were taken over by Avon Rubber. The rubber factory ran a club for the workers, which is the Avon Club which is part of the area that contains the football facilities. Originally the club was well used, and often full with the company subsidising the beer and ensuring events were held. However, with the rubber company leaving Bradford the club fell onto hard times and closed suddenly last year.
However, the bowls club and football club remain, and have to have an area which sells alcohol. So despite the bar being locked behind shutters, still with bottles and everything to run a bar there, the football club sell cans from just in front of the shutters. It is an eerie sight, and one which prompted Palmer to comment that it was "like Cherynobl" when we saw the dusty chairs gathered around tables etc, but not used. There are old team photos on the walls, including a brilliant 1994 team shot, where Bradford are wearing Blackburn Rovers kit, right down to the red lace ties at the neck.
Having asked what was happening with the clubhouse, apparently they are willing to sell it, but also all the land adjacent, which as its a big plot of land will be very expensive. So no clearer on what was to happen we went outside to watch the rest of the game.
Bradford piled on the pressure, and from a cross from a freekick Bradford managed to score. Leading to number 5 for Oldland screaming "Who was marking that cunt?!" to which Palmer bellowed from the sidelines "You were, and less of the language there are children present." Superb, I do love non league football!
Nearing the end of the game, Bradford crossed the ball into the box again and Matty Minis continued his fine goalscoring form, despite his lacklustre performance he rose highest and powered his header home. 2-1 to Bradford and that was the way the game was to finish. Yet again Bradford had provided a welcome distraction, and our mood was further buoyed when we heard City had come from 2-0 down to score two goals in the last 10 to drag Darlington down with us.
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