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Post by hatter_in_macc on Aug 29, 2017 15:10:17 GMT
Next up, and into September, a visit from The Avenue - with an immediate need for County to get back to winning ways.
Our visitors could potentially populate almost half their team with former Hatters, given that Danny Boshell, Luca Havern, Oli Johnson, Mark Ross and Javan Vidal are all currently on the books at Bradford.
You know what to do...
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Post by hatter_in_macc on Aug 29, 2017 15:13:39 GMT
In the meantime, and by way of further background, here is my 'Take Five' piece for COWS:
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TAKE FIVE… Bradford Park Avenue
By Hatter in Macc
1. Seven August games done and dusted - so let’s Avenue month, shall we?!
Accompanied by an old pun, too, eh?! But yes, County’s September schedule gets underway with a visit to SK3 by Bradford Park Avenue - our second successive guests, following Gainsborough last Saturday, who were once of the Football League (in Avenue’s case, from 1908 to 1970).
More recently, Avenue happen to be the last team to have won a competitive fixture at Edgeley Park - after shading last season’s League match here by the odd goal in three, in added time and more than nine months ago, on 19 November.
2. They themselves hark back to a bygone era, I see. When was their year of birth?
Now, there is a question. And one that could lead to several different answers! Officially, Bradford Association Football Club (the ‘Park Avenue’ part - taken from the name of the then-ground - got added to avoid confusion with both footballing rivals Bradford City, born during 1903, and Rugby League outfit Bradford Northern) was formed in 1907. But it is argued by some that Avenue are actually Bradford’s most senior club - given that, from 1895 to 1899, Bradford FC played in the West Yorkshire and Yorkshire Leagues, as well as entering the FA and FA Amateur Cups.
So, keep 1895 and 1907 in mind as possible birth-years. Then add 1974 and 1988, by way of another two! During the former year, the club - by then a Northern Premier League outfit, which in 1973 had sold the ground on Horton Park Avenue in an attempt to remain afloat - suffered liquidation, but was immediately re-started as a Sunday league team (and even got to host matches again at Park Avenue for 1987/88). And 14 years later, Avenue were fully reformed to play Saturday football - beginning a long ascent back up the non-league pyramid to its second tier, at which they have now been plying their trade continuously since 2012.
3. Plenty of anniversaries to celebrate, then! How did they fare in the Football League?
The club itself enjoyed three seasons in the top flight - the only current National League North team to have done so - but possibly of even greater note are individual feats by its players.
Away from the playing field, and on the battlefield, Donald Simpson Bell - an Avenue right-back from 1912 - earned renown as the first English professional footballer to be awarded the Victoria Cross, after single-handedly attacking and destroying German front-line positions in the Somme with hand-grenades and a pistol on 5 July 1916. And, a decade or so later, there was Albert Geldard, a tricky right-winger with magic as a hobby - that led him to be dubbed as ‘a wizard on and off the pitch’. Geldard’s appearance at Millwall on 16 September 1929 made him, at the tender age of 15 years and 158 days, the youngest player to turn out in a Football League match (until the record was broken by Barnsley’s Reuben Noble-Lazarus in 2008).
Among Avenue’s Football League players who later moved to County were goalkeeper Willis Walker (at County in 1926/27), who also played first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire, and striker Jim Fryatt (1967/68 and 1974), who, on 25 April 1964, scored at Bradford against Tranmere after just four seconds - which still stands as a League record for the fastest-ever goal.
4. A good many other players will have featured for both clubs more recently, I guess?
Well, there is a whopping list of 11 ex-Hatters who are either currently at Avenue or played there, after leaving County, in the last couple of seasons! And our own Ben McKenna did things the other way around - turning out 20 times for this afternoon’s visitors during 2016, before joining us via next Tuesday’s opponents, Southport.
5. That would make Avenue the ‘new Brighton’, then?
I cannot possibly say! But their home of the last 20 years or so, the Horsfall Stadium, does have a surrounding athletics track to evoke memories of The Albion’s former Withdean ground, where we ended up watching (from a distance) a few of our number from the old ‘Class of 2008’. Spooky…!
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Post by gazz on Aug 29, 2017 18:32:55 GMT
Brilliant research and a great read once again, Maccy!
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Post by hatter_in_macc on Aug 29, 2017 18:37:28 GMT
Cheers, matey!
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djm68
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George Whitelaw's Gut
Posts: 23
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Post by djm68 on Sept 1, 2017 13:59:00 GMT
Such enjoyable reads these pre-match rambles. Thanks.
The mention of Jim Fryatt and his fastest goal for Bradford PA brings back the great Fryatt/Atkins partnership. It also makes me recall Ray Drake. Because recording/filming techniques were not what they are now, there is an argument by those who were there, that Ray Drake's goal for County may have been as fast. Those that remember Ray will recall what a lovely man he was and a man who dealt with his deafness in a remarkably positive way. I used to enjoy many a chat with him in the Alexandra on Northgate Road. He thought nothing of bringing an old match programme in, just to add to the enjoyment of talking all things football.
Really hope County can get back on track tomorrow. I've only managed two games this season, but like what I've seen and will be perplexed if they don't end up improving another notch on last season, irrespective of losing Lloyd & Montrose. Will be there and as I've not seen County lose in ten games, here's hoping I'm a good omen.
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(Advert alert...Advert alert!! Ye Olde Vic open 12:30 before the match!)
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Post by hermannsays on Sept 1, 2017 14:34:48 GMT
With only a few 'cementing' a starting place after the August's games, it feels like some will have to up their levels a fair bit to avoid being left out of the match-day squad entirely. Time to step things up!
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Post by bringbacklenwhite on Sept 1, 2017 18:07:30 GMT
Great article Macca.
Back to winning ways, hopefully.
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Post by harrogatehatter on Sept 2, 2017 8:16:11 GMT
Making it to my first game of the season today after a busy summer.
Apart from the Tamworth defeat I think the season has started reasonably well. No need to overreact or anything but the nature of the defeat has, inevitably, raised a few questions about the strength of the squad.
As for today's game I'll go for a 2-0 home win.
Warburton and Stephenson to score.
Att 2950
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djm68
Random Canadian Substitute
George Whitelaw's Gut
Posts: 23
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Post by djm68 on Sept 2, 2017 10:08:54 GMT
Any news on whether Oswell is back? If he is, then 2-1 County (Oswell, Warburton), if not 1-1.
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Post by ceefer on Sept 2, 2017 11:48:01 GMT
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Post by hatter_in_macc on Sept 2, 2017 12:28:19 GMT
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bluejon
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Post by bluejon on Sept 2, 2017 13:44:14 GMT
Here with my son ( amazing what the promise of a balti pie will do!)
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Post by hermannsays on Sept 2, 2017 17:26:09 GMT
Another change in shape saw Winter starting ahead of Ball and S.Walker, while Warburton played off the left in a dual #11/10 role trying to get close to Oswell. Unfortunately, Hampson was pinned back because BPA left their #7 forward. Within a few minutes, it was clear that, without losing a central midfielder, the game would play out on half the width of the pitch as we had no left side at all. Given they would be happy with a stalemate and compacting the game, this could only play to their strength and nullify ours... and it did.
Aside from bits and bobs, the two best chances for us were probably a Smalley header from a corner in the first half and a good chance in the second half for Stephenson. Hampson, on the rarest of ventures forward, got behind them and pulled back nicely only for Stephenson to balloon it. That lack of chances sums up how we simply failed to stretch them width ways or get behind them. At the same time, and for all their lack of possession, they were able to carve us open 5 or 6 times and create excellent chances which should have resulted in 4 goals for them.
Only Hinchliffe and Minihan played well enough, and that's never going to win a game. But it's not through a lack of effort - the players did appear genuinely lost today without any width. A player like S.Walker is used to being able to use his range of passing in all directions. Warburton is used to not having his #10 role congested by others. The move of Ball to #4 from the #7 he played in earlier pre-season games has just changed things and even when he plays individually well, I'm not seeing that it really works for the team.
There was a kerfuffle between their backroom staff and JG when Boshell held onto the ball to waste time. Cue a wrestle. Some players unfortunately got invoved in the verbals etc. and lost some focus... which wasn't at a high level as it stood!
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Post by jimboslovechild on Sept 2, 2017 17:32:30 GMT
Listened to the game today, it does feel like one of those "where do we go from here?" moments. I hate supporting County.
It might also benefit listeners if JK could tone down the stuff about Stopforth. He's a reasonable player who runs around a lot, not Pele.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 2, 2017 19:03:02 GMT
They started well, the players looked as though they were keen on getting Monday's result out of their system but it quickly became clear that we haven't got a penetrative pass in the midfield or too many players throughout the side with the ability to create something from little or nothing. Sam Minihan as MoM? I watched him repeatedly try to beat his man on the outside, repeatedly run into a dead end and repeatedly need more touches than was necessary. That he was voted MoM speaks volumes. I thought Ball covered a lot of ground but generally very little on show today that would suggest a promotion contending team.
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