Editing Valley Parade (section)

==History==
[[Manningham Rugby Football Club]],which was formed in 1876, played games at Cardigan Fields in the Carlisle Road area of [[Bradford]].<ref name="f53"/> When their ground was sold to facilitate the construction of Drummond School, the club bought one-third of the Valley Parade site in [[Manningham, Bradford|Manningham]],<ref name="official history">{{cite web |url=http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/news/article/transformation-of-valley-parade-252222.aspx |title=Transformation of Valley Parade |access-date=4 February 2013 |publisher=Bradford City official website |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130302060558/http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/news/article/transformation-of-valley-parade-252222.aspx |archive-date=2 March 2013}}</ref> taking a short-term lease on the rest of the land in time to play there for the 1886–1887 season.<ref name="f53"/> The new ground and the road upon which it was built adopted the area's name Valley Parade, which was derived from the steep hillside below Manningham.<ref name="f53"/><ref name="official website"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bantamspast.co.uk/EarlyDays/chapter3valleypa.html |title=The Origins of Bradford City—Chapter Three: Valley Parade's first season |access-date=8 April 2008 |publisher=A History of Bradford City Football Club |first=David |last=Pendleton| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012210220/http://www.bantamspast.co.uk/EarlyDays/chapter3valleypa.html| archive-date=12 October 2007}}</ref> The land was previously a quarry, and formed part of a larger site that was owned by [[Midland Railway Company]].<ref name="f53"/>

The club spent £1,400 appointing designers to oversee the excavation and levelling of the land, and moved a one-year-old stand from Carlisle Road to the highest part of the new ground. The original ground comprised the relocated stand, a 2,000-capacity stepped enclosure with the players' changing rooms beneath the stand, the playing area, a [[track and field athletics|cinder athletics track]] and fencing to limit the capacity to 18,000. The playing field was made of [[track ballast|ballast]], ashes, soil and sods. The ground was officially opened on 27 September 1886 for a game against [[Wakefield Trinity]], which was watched by a capacity crowd, but construction work meant most of Manningham's early games were away fixtures.<ref name="f53"/>

On 25 December 1888, 12-year old Thomas Coyle was killed at the ground when the barrier under which he was sitting collapsed on him, breaking his neck. An inquest decided the death was an accident that happened due to the weight of spectators leaning on the barrier. The takings from the game, totalling £115, were distributed to Coyle's family and those of other boys who were injured in the incident.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000076/18881229/033/0009 |title=The fatal occurrence in a football field in Bradford |work=[[Leeds Mercury]] |date=29 December 1888 |page=9 |issue=((15,828)) |volume=125 |url-access=subscription |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}}</ref>

[[File:Valley Parade Main Stand.PNG|left|thumb|The ground's current main stand]]

Manningham RFC continued playing until 1903, when financial difficulties caused by relegation at the turn of the 20th century<ref name="d1">{{cite book |last=Dewhirst |first=John |title=City Memories – An Illustrated Record of Bradford City A.F.C. |publisher=True North Books |year=1998 |chapter=chapter&nbsp;1 |isbn=1-900463-57-1}}</ref> prompted club officials to change codes from [[rugby league]] to [[association football]]. The first association-football game to be played at Valley Parade on 6 April 1903 was a promotional fixture between a side of West-Yorkshire footballers and [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]]'s [[1903 FA Cup Final|1903 FA Cup]]-winning side. The game was organised to stimulate interest in the sport in Bradford and attracted 8,000 fans.<ref>{{cite book |last=Frost |title=Bradford City A Complete Record 1903–1988 |page=12}}</ref><ref name="f54">{{cite book |last=Frost |title=Bradford City A Complete Record 1903–1988 |page=54}}</ref> The new football club, [[Bradford City A.F.C.|Bradford City]], were elected to [[The Football League]]'s [[Football League Second Division|Division Two]] the following month.<ref>{{cite book |last=Frost |title=Bradford City A Complete Record 1903–1988 |page=13}}</ref> Bradford City's first game at Valley Parade came on 5 September 1903 against [[Gainsborough Trinity F.C.|Gainsborough Trinity]], drawing a crowd of 11,000.<ref name="f54"/><ref>{{cite book |last=Frost |title=Bradford City A Complete Record 1903–1988 |page=170}}</ref> As a result of alterations first implemented in 1897,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bantamspast.co.uk/grounds/valley_parade.html |title=A History of Bradford City – Valley Parade |access-date =28 July 2009 |publisher =A History of Bradford City Football Club |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090724013340/http://www.bantamspast.co.uk/grounds/valley_parade.html |archive-date=24 July 2009}}</ref> City players originally changed in a shed behind one end of the ground and visiting teams used the old rugby club's dressing rooms at the back of the nearby Belle Vue Hotel. After City's 5–1 defeat by [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] on 10 February 1906, United player [[Bob Bonthron]] was attacked as he left the ground. As a result, [[The Football Association]] (FA) closed the ground for 14 days, ordering City to switch its changing rooms to the nearby Artillery Barracks for the [[1906–07 in English football|1906–07]] season. Several supporters faced criminal proceedings for the incident.<ref name="f54"/>

[[File:Midland Road stand for Bradford City Football Club.jpg|thumbnail|The concrete Midland Road stand for Bradford City Football Club nearing completion in 1908.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/concreteconstruc05lond#page/16/mode/2up "Reinforced Concrete Football Stand at Bradford"], ''[[Concrete and Constructional Engineering]]'', Vol. V., No. 1, January 1910, pp. 16-22.</ref>]]

After Bradford City won the Division Two championship in [[1907–08 in English football|1907–08]], the club hurriedly reconstructed the ground to prepare for the club's first season in [[Football League First Division|Division One]]. Football architect [[Archibald Leitch]] was commissioned to design new [[terrace (stadium)|terracing]] in the paddock—a standing area in front of the 5,300-seat main stand that was built in 1908—and build a [[Spion Kop (stadia)|Spion Kop]] at the north side of the ground and an 8,000-capacity stand at the Midland Road end opposite the main stand. Further work was done to lower the railings, erect barriers, move the pitch and add extra turnstiles. The changing rooms were moved and a tunnel leading from the rooms underneath the Kop along the main-stand side of the ground was built.<ref>{{cite book |last=Frost |title=Bradford City A Complete Record 1903–1988 |pages=54–55}}</ref> The total project cost £9,958,<ref name="f55">{{cite book |last=Frost |title=Bradford City A Complete Record 1903–1988 |page=55}}</ref> and raised the capacity to 40,000.<ref>{{cite book |last=Inglis |first=Simon |title=The football grounds of Great Britain |publisher=Willow Books |year=1987 |page=117 |isbn=0-00-218249-1}}</ref> The work was completed midway through the [[1908–09 in English football|1908–09 season]]. Following the work, the first match took place on 25 December 1908, when 36,000&nbsp;fans saw Bradford City host [[Bristol City F.C.|Bristol City]].<ref name="d1"/> The improvements allowed Bradford City to set their attendance record of 39,146 on 11 March 1911 against [[Burnley F.C.|Burnley]] during the club's [[1911 FA Cup Final|FA-Cup-winning run]]. It is the longest-surviving attendance record at any league ground in England.<ref name="facts">{{cite web |url=http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/news/article/bradford-city-facts-251546.aspx |title =Club Facts |access-date =4 February 2013 |publisher =Bradford City official website |url-status = dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130302060524/http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/news/article/bradford-city-facts-251546.aspx |archive-date =2 March 2013}}</ref>

[[File:Valley Parade Midland Road.PNG|right|thumb|The Midland Road stand]]

On 17 March 1932, Bradford City paid [[Midland Railway Company]] £3,750 for the remaining two-thirds of the site to become outright owners of the ground, which was now 45&nbsp;years old.<ref name="f56">{{cite book |last=Frost |title=Bradford City A Complete Record 1903–1988 |page=56}}</ref> The stadium had remained almost unchanged since 1908, and did so until 1952,<ref name="d1"/><ref name="f55"/> when its capacity was reduced after examinations of the foundations were ordered following the 1946 [[Burnden Park disaster]]. The investigation resulted in the closure of half of the Midland Road stand, whose steel frame was sold to [[Berwick Rangers F.C.|Berwick Rangers]] for £450, and a smaller replacement stand was built at Valley Parade in 1954.<ref name="f56"/> Six years later, the stand was again demolished because of continuing foundation problems.<ref name="f57">{{cite book |last=Frost |title=Bradford City A Complete Record 1903–1988 |page=57}}</ref> Six years later, all four stands at Valley Parade were able to be opened for the first time. To enable construction of a new stand on the Midland Road side of the ground, the club directors had the pitch moved {{convert|3|yd|m}} closer to the main stand. The new stand was then the narrowest in the league.<ref name="f57"/> Further improvements to the stand were made in 1969, ready for the club's FA Cup tie with [[Football League First Division|Division One]] side [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]] on 3 January 1970,<ref name="f57"/> which ended in a 2–2 draw in front of 23,000 fans.<ref>{{cite book |last=Frost |title=Bradford City A Complete Record 1903–1988 |page=280}}</ref> The cost of the work forced the club to sell Valley Parade to [[Bradford Corporation]] for £35,000, but it was bought back in 1979 for the same price.<ref>{{cite book |last=Frost |title=Bradford City A Complete Record 1903–1988 |pages=57–58}}</ref>

From 1908 to 1985, the club carried out other work on the rest of the ground.<ref>{{cite book
|last=Frost |title=Bradford City A Complete Record 1903–1988 |pages=55–58}}</ref> These works included the introduction of [[Floodlights (sport)|floodlights]] in English football. Valley Parade's first floodlights cost £3,000 and were mounted on telegraph poles running along each side of the ground, and were first used for a match against [[Hull City A.F.C.|Hull City]] on 20 December 1954.<ref name="f56"/> The floodlights were replaced in 1960 and again used for the first time against Hull City; in 1962, one floodlight collapsed and an FA Cup match against [[Gateshead F.C.|Gateshead]] went ahead with only three pylons, prompting an FA inquiry.<ref name="f57"/> In 1985, the football-ground writer [[Simon Inglis]] described the view from the main stand, which was still the same as when it was in 1908, as "like watching football from the cockpit of a Sopwith Camel" because of its antiquated supports and struts.<ref>{{cite book |last=Inglis |title=The football grounds of Great Britain |page=118}}</ref>

[[File:Valley Parade 1990s.jpg|thumb|left|Valley Parade during the early 1990s, after it had been redeveloped following the [[Bradford City stadium fire|fire]], but before further work at the end of that decade]]

On 11 May 1985, 56 people died and at least 265 were injured in the [[Bradford City stadium fire]] at Valley Parade's main stand; it was one of the [[List of accidents and disasters by death toll#Sporting events|UK's worst sporting disasters]]. The fire started 40&nbsp;minutes into the club's final game of the [[1984–85 in English football|1984–85]] season against [[Lincoln City F.C.|Lincoln City]]. The main stand was destroyed in nine minutes.<ref name="f53"/><ref name="bbc fire">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/11/newsid_2523000/2523561.stm |title=BBC On this day – 1985: Fans killed in Bradford stadium fire |access-date=16 March 2008 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=11 May 1985 |archive-date=25 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120525070438/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/11/newsid_2523000/2523561.stm |url-status=live}}</ref> For the next season and the first five months of the [[1986–87 in English football|1986–87]] season, Bradford City played home games at [[Leeds United A.F.C.|Leeds United]]'s stadium at [[Elland Road]], [[Huddersfield Town F.C.|Huddersfield Town]]'s ground at [[Leeds Road, Huddersfield|Leeds Road]] and [[Bradford Bulls|Bradford Northern]]'s [[Odsal Stadium]], while Valley Parade was rebuilt.<ref name="f60-61">{{cite book |last=Frost |title=Bradford City A Complete Record 1903–1988 |pages=60–61}}</ref> The Huddersfield-based firm J Wimpenny carried out the £2.6&nbsp;million work, which included funding from insurance pay-outs, [[The Football League]] stadium grants, club funds, and a £1.46&nbsp;million Government loan obtained by the Bradford MPs [[Geoffrey Lawler]] and [[Max Madden]]. A new, 5,000 all-seater main stand that was longer than the previous structure, was built. The Kop was covered for the first time and increased to a 7,000 capacity. Other minor work was carried out to the ground's other two stands.<ref name="f59-60">{{cite book |last=Frost |title=Bradford City A Complete Record 1903–1988 |pages=59–60}}</ref> On 14 December 1986, 582&nbsp;days after the fire, The Hon Sir [[Oliver Popplewell]], who had conducted the inquiry into the fire, opened the new stadium before an exhibition match against an England international XI.<ref name="f59-60"/><ref name="inglis121">{{cite book |last=Inglis |title=The football grounds of Great Britain |page=121}}</ref> The new stand was first used for a league game on 26 December when City lost 1–0 to [[Derby County F.C.|Derby County]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Frost|title=Bradford City A Complete Record 1903–1988 |page=314}}</ref>

[[File:Valley Parade, Bradford.jpg|thumb|right|A view of the main stand from the Bradford end of the ground]]

The two stands that were not altered after the fire were improved during the 1990s. In 1991, the Bradford end of the ground was made a double-decker, all-seater stand, with a new scoreboard. FollowingCity's promotion to [[Football League Division One|Division One]] in 1996, the club's chairman [[Geoffrey Richmond]] announced the construction of a 4,500-seat stand on the Midland Road side.<ref name="official history"/> The new stand was first used for a Yorkshire [[local derby|derby]] against [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]] on 26 December 1996 and was officially opened by [[Queen Elizabeth II]] on 27 March 1997.<ref name="official history"/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bradford/sense_of_place/queen_maundy_thursday_bradford.shtml |title=The Royal Maundy Service |date=24 March 2005 |access-date=16 March 2008 |publisher=BBC Bradford and West Yorkshire |archive-date=11 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111153501/http://www.bbc.co.uk/bradford/sense_of_place/queen_maundy_thursday_bradford.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> Richmond continued his plans to redevelop the ground asthe club continued to rise through the league. The roof of the Kop, which was the largest safe-standing terrace in England at the time,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/8078381.City_get_apology_over__sick__chants/ |title=City get apology over 'sick' chants |date=2 April 1998 |access-date=4 December 2016 |work=Telegraph & Argus |archive-date=21 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221002447/http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/8078381.City_get_apology_over__sick__chants/ |url-status=live}}</ref> was removed and the capacity reduced during City's [[1998–99 in English football|1998–99]] promotion season to prepare for a summer £6.5&nbsp;million rebuilding programme. The Kop was converted into a two-tier, 7,500-seat stand.<ref name="official history"/> An additional 2,300-seat capacity corner section was built, filling the corner between the main stand and the Kop. The new section was opened in December 2000, taking the capacity of Valley Parade to more than 20,000 for the first time since 1970.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archive.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/2000/12/16/146052.html |title=City to break crowd record |date=16 December 2000 |access-date=16 March 2008 |work=Telegraph & Argus |url-status=dead |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20090111225505/http://archive.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/2000/12/16/146052.html |archive-date=11 January 2009}}</ref> A suite of offices and a shop were added at the same time.<ref name="official history"/> Once the work was completed, a second tier was added to the main stand at the cost of £6.5&nbsp;million. It was opened in 2001, increasing the main stand's capacity to 11,000, and the ground's capacity to 25,000.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/8060392.Common_sense_urged_in_row_over_Kop_stand/ |title=Common sense urged in row over Kop stand |date=18 December 1999 |access-date=4 December 2016 |work=Telegraph & Argus |archive-date=21 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221003117/http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/8060392.Common_sense_urged_in_row_over_Kop_stand/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="valley 27000">{{cite news |url=http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/8058187.Valley_set_for_27_000/ |title=Valley set for 27,000 |date=22 February 2000 |access-date=4 December 2016 |work=Telegraph & Argus|archive-date=21 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221003801/http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/8058187.Valley_set_for_27_000/ |url-status=live
}}</ref>

Richmond also planned to increase the main stand's capacity by a further 1,800&nbsp;seats by building new changing rooms and office blocks, and adding a second tier to the Midland Road stand to increase the ground's capacity to more than 35,000.<ref name="valley 27000"/> In May 2002, the club went into [[administration (insolvency)|administration]] and Richmond was replaced by new co-owners [[Julian Rhodes]] and [[Gordon Gibb]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bradford_city/1991829.stm |title=The price of ambition |date=17 May 2002 |access-date=16 March 2008 |publisher=BBC Sport |first=John |last=May |archive-date=5 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070905185903/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bradford_city/1991829.stm |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bradford_city/2176235.stm |title=Bradford to play on |date=6 August 2002 |access-date=16 March 2008 |publisher=BBC Sport |archive-date=9 May 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040509074937/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bradford_city/2176235.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> The following year, Valley Parade was sold to Gibb's pension fund for £5&nbsp;million, and the club's offices, shop and car park were sold to the London-based company [[Development Securities]] for £2.5&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bradford_city/3135993.stm |title=Valley Parade sold for £5m |date=8 August 2003 |access-date=16 March 2008 |publisher=BBC Sport |archive-date=13 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113004554/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bradford_city/3135993.stm |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2011, Bradford City's annual rent bill to Gibb's pension fund was £370,000. The total budget for the year, including other rent payments, [[rates (tax)|rates]], maintenance and utility bills was £1.25&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/bradford-city/exclusive_bradford_city_could_quit_valley_parade_over_rent_costs_1_3285007 |title=Exclusive: Bradford City could quit Valley Parade over rent costs |date=14 April 2011 |access-date=24 April 2011 |newspaper=Yorkshire Post |first=Richard |last=Sutcliffe}}</ref>

Valley Parade has been renamed several times for sponsorship reasons. Sponsors have included the radio station [[The Pulse of West Yorkshire]],<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/8062132.Bantams__big_leap/ |title=Bantams' big leap |date=29 October 1999 |access-date=4 December 2016 |work=Telegraph & Argus |archive-date=21 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221003627/http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/8062132.Bantams__big_leap/ |url-status=live }}</ref> the bank [[Bradford & Bingley]], the electronics firm [[Intersonic]]<ref name="another name">{{cite news |url=http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/search/display.var.1576730.0.another_name_for_valley_parade.php |title=Another name for Valley Parade! |date=26 July 2007 |access-date=24 March 2008 |work=Telegraph & Argus |first=Simon |last=Parker}}</ref> and the double-glazing firm Coral Windows.<ref name=":0" /> The ground was renamed Northern Commercials Stadium in July 2016 but was still commonly known as Valley Parade.<ref name="official website"/><ref name="another name"/><ref name=":0">{{cite news |url=https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/1580765.the_coral_windows_stadium/ |title=The Coral Windows Stadium |date=29 July 2007 |access-date=24 March 2008 |work=Telegraph & Argus |first=Simon |last=Parker |archive-date=15 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080115111500/https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/1580765.the_coral_windows_stadium/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wigan_athletic/7963855.stm |title=Wigan's JJB Stadium to be renamed |date=25 March 2009 |access-date=25 March 2009 |publisher=BBC Sport |archive-date=21 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131221053155/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/w/wigan_athletic/7963855.stm |url-status=live}}</ref> In July 2019 it was re-sponsored and renamed the Utilita Energy Stadium.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/17764481.bradford-city-39-s-valley-parade-becomes-utilita-energy-stadium/|title=Valley Parade becomes Utilita Energy Stadium with new power partnership|website=Bradford Telegraph and Argus|date=11 July 2019 }}</ref> This deal concluded in July 2022 and the stadium was subsequently renamed University of Bradford Stadium.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 27, 2022 |title=Partnership signing unveils University of Bradford Stadium - 2022 - News |url=https://www.bradford.ac.uk/news/archive/2022/partnership-signing-unveils-university-of-bradford-stadium-1.php |access-date=2025-02-13 |website=[[University of Bradford]] |language=en}}</ref>