Horsfall Stadium – Bradford Park Avenue

Horsfall Stadium is primarily a council owned athletics facility which is also used for football. It is dominated by one large seated stand on one side. This Main Stand which has 1,800 seats, is mostly covered but does have some portions of open seating to either side. It has a number of supporting pillars running across the front of it. which may impede your view. An interesting fact is that the seats in the Main Stand came from Lord’s Cricket Ground. Although the open areas each side of this stand may appear to be for standing, in fact, supporters are not allowed to stand but must sit on the concrete. There are large notices saying ‘No Standing.’ At the Cemetery End situated directly behind the goal, the Club have erected a very small covered terrace. Comprising seven steps, the stand is not much taller than the goal itself and is around twice as wide. This stand is for home supporters only and has been christened the ‘Bus Shelter Terrace’ by the Park Avenue faithful. Otherwise, the rest of the stadium is primarily open with just a small flat standing area around the perimeter.

One of the main features of this ground is the brick built structure on the south side of the pitch. This actually resembles a house, but it contains the team dressing rooms, P.A. announcer and the Press. On the front of this structure there is an engraving in the wall which says: City of Bradford Horsfall Playing Fields. These grounds were opened on the 5th day of September 1931 by Alderman S Horsfall JP Chairman of the parks and cemeteries committee from 1913. On the same side of the pitch as this structure is probably the smallest stand you will ever see! It has 29 new plastic tip up seats. However this is where is gets even stranger – there is no access to the stand! It has perspex to each side and the front is completely closed in with a strong metal grill. I have been informed that the stand was built a few years ago to comply with ground regulations should the club be promoted to the next league up, where they must have two stands. It is never or very rarely used. To the East End the ground is overlooked by a number of houses that are set into the hill side above. As the stadium has an athletics track then fans are mostly set well back from the action.
There are four floodlight pylons on each side which do not get in the way.

There is a bar at the stadium itself, which welcomes away fans. Inside this clubhouse bar, you will find on display a fantastic model of the old Park Avenue ground. You can see some photos of it on John Rhodes Google Album.

Ben Hache adds; ‘There are three pubs within five minutes walk of the stadium. There are two pubs virtually opposite one another on Huddersfield Road. One is called the ‘Drop Kick’ and the other the ‘British Queen’,  both of which show both BT and Sky Sports. Fans using the Drop Kick pub can also leave their vehicles in the pub car park for the duration of the game. On Halifax Road, there is the Northern pub which also has Sky television’.

Leave the M62 at Junction 26 and take the M606 towards Bradford. Just before the end of the M606 take the left hand slip road signposted Ring Road West A6177. At the top of the slip road you will reach a roundabout at which you take the second exit towards Halifax (A6036). You will pass Odsal Stadium on your left and at the next roundabout take the 3rd exit continuing on the A6036 towards Halifax. Horsfall Stadium is signposted from this roundabout. After one mile and immediately before the Childrens Nursery, turn a sharp left into Cemetery Road. The stadium entrance is down on the left. There is a car park at the stadium which is free, otherwise there is street parking available along Cemetery Road.

The nearest railway station to the Horsfall Stadium is Low Moor which is located on the Bradford Interchange to Halifax line. An hourly service is in operation each way along the line. Low Moor station is located 1.3 miles away from the Horsfall Stadium and it is a steady uphill walk to the ground, which will take around 30 minutes (but much less going back down after the match!). As you come out of the station turn left and proceed along New Works Road through the Industrial Estate. Continue past the Royal Pub on your left. On reaching the end of New Works Road, turn right and then immediately turn left onto Abb Scott Lane. On reaching a mini roundabout bear left continuing along Abb Scott Lane. Then take the second right into Cemetery Road. The entrance to the Horsfall Stadium is further up on the right, after the park.

The two main railway stations in Bradford are Bradford Forster Square and Bradford Interchange. Forster Square is served by trains from Skipton, Ilkley and Leeds, whilst the Interchange is served by trains from Rochdale, York and also Leeds. Both these stations are around three miles away from Horsfall Stadium, which is really too far to walk. Outside Interchange station there is a taxi rank and housed above the station is the bus station.

From the Bus Station you can get a bus number 681 to Halifax which runs every 30 minutes on Saturdays  (05 & 35 minutes past each hour, with a journey time of 15 minutes). This runs along Halifax Road, past Cemetery Road which leads down to the stadium. On weekday evenings bus number 682 runs along the same route, departing at 18:05, 18:40 and 19:10. It may be an idea to ask the driver to let you off at the nearest stop. You can view a timetable on the First Bus website. There is also a free regular bus service from Bradford Forster Square to the Interchange called ‘Free City Bus.’

John Thornton adds; ‘If you arrive at Forster Square station, then on Saturdays you can get the bus number 613 service to Buttershaw. Leave the station via the cobbled ramp exit and pass the Midland Hotel. Cross over the road into Market Street, then cross to stop M3. Bus 613 is every 20 minutes, with a journey time of 25 minutes. If journeying in from outside West Yorkshire, then savings can be made by purchasing a ‘plusbus’ ticket with your rail ticket’.

Booking train tickets in advance will normally save you money! Find train times, prices and book tickets with Trainline. Visit the website below to see how much you can save on the price of your tickets:

Adult £10
Senior Citizens & Students (with current NUS card) £8
Under 17’s £1

Official Programme £2.

Bradford Park Avenue FC fixture list (takes you to the BBC Sports Website).

Bradford City, FC Halifax Town and Guiseley.

Record Attendance: To be advised

Average Attendance
2018-2019: 524 (National League North)
2017-2018: 495 (National League North)
2016-2017: 454 (National League North)

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If anything is incorrect or you have something to add, please e-mail me at: [email protected] and I’ll update the guide.

Official Web Site: >tc1.bpafc.com

Unofficial Web Site: Fans forum

Special thanks to Geoff Jackson of the Cumbrian Groundhopper website for supplying a photo of the Main Stand.

Special thanks also to Ben Robinson for providing the other Horsfall Stadium photos. Ben also has his own Football Grounds Blog.