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I've booked my train tickets for Saturday- my first trip to Valley Parade (or the Bradford and Bingley Arena or whatever). Is there a particular meeting place and/or pub where people go in Bradford? Would be good to meet up with some more folk on here!

Southampton Gull wrote:
Don't come that one, you never work on a saturday, you just spent all your pennies on fruit machines and the wife has slapped your wrists and grounded you for a month.

I got paid this week :na:
Wifey is the one working I am the one babysitting

Answer your phone, just called to see if you fancy watching Saints tonight.

b*****ks!

cant make the game now!

I don't suppose anyone is going from Glasgow for this one are they? Or Scotland in general? I really want to go cos I hand my dissertation in on friday and want to celebrate! But the trains are about £60! Which means the whole day will probably be about £100. Can any of your northern gulls help me out?!

whats the Gulls Travel Club's email address? Trying to find out where they're going to be having their pre-game beers

Decided to fork out the £50 for the train down from Glasgow, i've only managed two games so far this season so thought it was worth it (even though I'm now totally skint...) However, was just looking at the Bradford website and it says that although student tickets are £15, you have to be a member of their student club to qualify for the discount. Anyone know if this means that away fans simply can't get that price? If so it's bloody ridiculous, they must make so much money from charging £20 to all the away students whom they should be charging £15! Anyone been to Valley Parade (or whatever the hell they're calling it these days) and know the drill?

Hello Gulls fans

Just wanted to give you an ickle piece of information on why our stadium is so lop sided if that's ok?

The Bradford End (Ickle one) is like it is due to the constraints re: space around the ground. During our time in the Prem Geoffrey Richmond attempted to buy the residents out of the houses behind and sort and agreement with the council on the road immediately backed onto the stand so we could bring this side up to spec with the rest - He was met with a big fat 'NO' on each side.

Another frequent topic of discussion with the stadium and fans of other clubs is the question of why our two tiered main stand stops two thirds of the way along the pitch - This is because yet another road inhibited it's progress. Valley Parade itself runs directly behind the stand and cuts into the immediate space behind. Again, Geoffrey Richmond tried to gain permission from the council to bypass this section and again failed with his request. At the time we were up in arms, but in retrospect it's probably a good thing we don't have a 40,000 seat stadium now.

Thanks and good night xx

Thanks for that Babs, V interesting. As you say, definitely a good thing that you don't now have a 40k stadium to look after. Popular consensus tells us that you are in the pickle you are in because of the money demanded to run the ground, which is a real shame, because, I'm certain that, given the choice between a willy waving capacity, or a decent punt at promotion, I know which one Bantams would choose.

Matt.

Completely mate. The ground has become something of a white elephant during our tumble down the leagues, and since administration and the buying of the stadium by the 'saviour' and Chairman immediately thereafter, Gordon Gibb, we have been held to ransom on the rates charges. I think across the board, and all premises we are paying £1.3M a season, which obviously for any League 2 club, is simply unsustainable. Any previous attempts made by our joint chairmen to speak to Gibb with regards to buying the stadium back have fallen on deaf ears. The local rag today explains their latest offering to try tempt Gibb into some sort of concesion, with the rental being based on annual turnover and directly to which League we find ourselves in. Basically, if by some miracle we returned to the Championship the deal would be more in his interests as we'd pay significantly more than the current rates as with extra TV revenue, gate receipts etc, this would be more easily sustainable - Makes more sense, and for my mind is a great proposition. Should free up around £750K per year for team building / wages than we have at present, and would give us a realistic chance of getting back out of League 2. We shall see what happens.

Will you be making the trip up tomorrow Matt?

Re: Torquay and I'm amazed at how well you've done this season. I'd have to admit that I thought your start was a bit of a flash in the pan, and as soon as the rigours of injuries etc kicked in further down the line, you'd drop back down the league. At one point it looked like I'd be proven right, but you hung on in there, and despite losing a seriously quality player at this level in the form of Benyon, you've kept up with the pace. Good on yers

Jeff wrote:I'm gutted, as I can't make this one - only the 4th away game this season I will miss.

No point then in staying up late for a non existent match report !!! :slap:

How you get MOTM gawd only knows.

Trojan 67 wrote: No point then in staying up late for a non existent match report !!! :slap:

How you get MOTM gawd only knows.

Believe me, I would take great pleasure in being able to deliver the usual match report today, as it is I'm out sweltering in the mid afternoon sun on the railway near Ely. Bloody inconsiderate planning projects on TUFC away days!

At least my non-attendance gives someone else to air their views first - can normally rely on tommyg I think it is to give a good summary.

Bet you're gutted to miss out, Jeff!!

I'm trying/hoping to get to Burton as I feel that if we've taken 4/6 points from Port Vayul and Wycombe we'll have about 800 up there..

3 points at Bradford, winner at the National, but sadly was too late to buy lottery tickets so my lucky day ended there.

Bigman wrote:3 points at Bradford, winner at the National, but sadly was too late to buy lottery tickets so my lucky day ended there.

interesting you mentioned that.

i had an identical day saturday, and it took me back to grand national weekend last season, when we thumped top of the league Rochdale 5-0 at Plainmoor. i had the national winner that day too, but alas, my lottery numbers didn't come in then either !!

always next year !!