92

An extract from a new book written by a Bradford fan who’s followed the Bantams all over the country for the last 40 years

Oct 06, 2024

Sunday 6 October 2024

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Dear County fans, Stopfordians, and anyone else from The Football Family joining us today, a very warm welcome to your Sunday edition of The Scarf My Father Wore.

Duncan Yellen started life in Yeadon, a market town close to both Bradford and Leeds. The easy route could have been to follow Leeds. But with a dad from London who was a Chelsea fan and hated “Dirty Leeds” this was going to be a challenge. Duncan likes to eat and knew when not to push it. In fact, the Bradford allegiance came from his grandad. Yeadon born and bred, grandad George was born in 1904, so as a 7-year-old he saw Bradford win the FA Cup and finish 5th in the league. At this point Leeds United didn’t even exist. Grandad George was a Bradford fan so of course Bradford it was.

Duncan went to school at Woodhouse Grove, which is where Bradford now train. He was in the school team at the age of 9 and was once trained by a Bradford player but history has forgotten which one! “Duncan is turning out to be a good full-back, he tackles hard and plays well” reads the school report. On moving up to big school it was rugby only. No football. This has left Duncan with a deep seated dislike of all things rugby. Duncan hasn’t lived in the Bradford area since he was 18 but returns regularly for the football, beers and curry.

Having first set foot inside Valley Parade in December 1984, Duncan has travelled the length and breadth of the country supporting the Bantams. 92 is a collection of crisp memories, funny anecdotes and wry observations from his adventures around England’s top four divisions.

Today’s edition is sponsored by C J Motors Stockport. A big thank you to Connor.

Finally, I’m currently walking every street in Stockport to raise money for mental health charity Mentell. If you’d like to make a donation to help me reach my target, please click here.

Total distance so far: 176.31 miles

Total steps so far: 284,130

Total raised so far: £2,027

Total completed streets so far: 399 (Click here for the full list, which includes reports and photos from every day of the walk.)

Further information on the walk can be found by clicking here.

Des Junior

Northampton

If there’s one fixture that sums up the life changes between the carefree youth who started the quest to visit the 92 and the careworn middle-aged man who’s finally finishing it off, it’s Northampton.

I first visited Northampton on a whim on 20 February 1990. I’d started a job in Solihull a week earlier and so found myself in a strange town with no friends nearby. I was frankly bored. It was a Tuesday night so there must be some football on. A quick check on Teletext showed that the nearest game was Northampton v Walsall. About an hour’s drive – that’ll do me. I head off towards the M6, that’s where Northampton is right? No satnav in those days. Heading down the M6 and then south on the M1 there’s a sign for Northampton and at that stage I realise I haven’t got a clue where I’m going and I can’t see any telltale floodlights anywhere.

Maybe Northampton is bigger than just a football ground? So I stop at the next garage, top up the car with a bit of petrol and wander in to pay, but really to ask for some directions. A lady next to me in the queue hears my question and immediately tears a page from her Filofax (ah the 90s!) and scrawls some directions down to hand to me. I still have these directions, 34 years later, tucked away in the match programme. I must have looked confused (“Keep on rd, past sta on left, stay mid lane, follow rd to right”) so she says: “No worries, I’m going that way, follow me.” Even better, so we head off to our cars and I discover I have just met the 1990 equivalent of Lewis Hamilton. Fortunately, I’m no slouch either and we tear across the Northampton suburbs at breakneck speed. Eventually the warm glow of the floodlights appear and she gives me a cheery wave goodbye. Thank you, whoever you were.

33 years later and it’s the “squeaky bum” end of the season. Bradford have a reasonable chance of the play-offs and an outside chance of automatics. Away at Northampton, who are currently in third, the last automatic place. Clearly this is a game not to be missed. I’ve looked at Northampton many times over the years since they moved grounds, with really no excitement to visit. Three miles out of town, no pubs, Cineworld, Argos and Wickes with a TGI Friday really not my thing at all. But this is going to have to be done, so the military planning begins. Country pubs en-route are considered and discarded and after much agonising I plump for The Malt Shovel Tavern.

I could not have chosen better. Not only is this a real proper old school pub with eight real ales on hand pump, it happens to be having a free beer festival with a further 50 beers and a barbeque in the beer garden. Absolute heaven. You can see a few of the extra barrels behind us.

It’s late April and it’s also a beautiful sunny day, surely the day couldn’t get any better. I often think when I hit the two-pint happy place that I shouldn’t go to the game as it will just ruin my mood, but I always go. As it turns out much excitement remained. Firstly, Tony had obviously enjoyed the beer as well. As we walked back to the car there were a lot of pro-lifers campaigning against abortion. Unusually for Tony, he wound down the window as we drove past and gave them a fruity discourse as to his alternate views on the subject. I’m sure that told them!

My military planning had identified a range of parking options by the ground and we end up in a field. Perfect on a sun-drenched April day but I wonder what it’s like on a wet February evening? The game goes to plan, Northampton play the better football and Bradford take the lead. Eventually Northampton equalise and batter us for the remainder of the game. A win would see them promoted. Into injury time and Bradford break and score. Heartbreak for the Northampton fans and they stream out of the stadium in their masses. They should not worry. They will go up winning away at Tranmere the following week.

In truth, this new ground is as much a horror as the other new grounds I’ve visited but it’s worth making the effort to combine with the town centre.

Click here to purchase your copy of the book.

Make sure you get your car serviced before your next trip

Not everyone travels abroad these days for a holiday. Whether you’re taking your caravan to Cornwall, your motorhome to Margate, or simply packing up your Skoda for a few days in Skegness, make sure you’re on top of your servicing. Don’t be that family stuck on the hard shoulder with their hazard lights on!

Before you go away, get your vehicle booked in for a service with Connor at CJ Motors (opposite The Peel Centre) to avoid any additional stress on your holiday.

Visit cjmotorsuk.com for further details.

Photo of the day

A house in Edgeley

I only caught the final 30 minutes of the Wigan game yesterday. It’s very difficult to prise yourself away from these two little bundles of joy, especially when you’re at their first birthday party. A wonderful afternoon of cake and cuddles, and County remain in the play-offs as well.

Today in SK

🎬 Cinema

Two films at The Savoy Cinema (SK4) today. Disney Junior Cinema Club (U) at 2.30pm, followed by Joker: Folie à Deux (15) at 4pm and 6.45pm. Click here for tickets.

🍽 Food and drink

Enjoy a delicious Sunday roast at The Crown (SK2) or The Three Tunnes (SK7) with homemade Yorkshire puddings and all the trimmings. 12pm - 6pm.

If you’re simply in the mood for a couple of pints today, pop along to one of our featured venues such as AMP (SK1), The Dog & Partridge (SK2), The Crown Inn (SK6) or The Cross Keys (SK8).

🎱 Free pool

The Nelson Tavern (SK1). 8pm - 11pm.

🎤 Live music

Zoe Kyoti at The Steelworks (SK6). 3.30pm.

Random photos of County players at other clubs

#22 – Carlton Palmer, Leeds

Our former player-manager signed for Leeds for £2.6m in the summer of 1994. Carlton was at Elland Road for three years, and played for Leeds in the 1996 League Cup final, which they lost 3-0 to Aston Villa at Wembley.