Palimpsest

Although I’ve lived in Bradford for almost fourteen years there are still plenty of parts of the city that I’ve never visited and streets that I’ve haven't traveled through. Which means there are still great things to discover for the first time, like this phenomenal palimpsest ghost sign on Clayton Road.

I was on my way to Field AFC, whose ground is tucked away behind some warehouses in the west of the city. Field are another West Yorkshire Amateur Football League team and are probably seen as Bradford’s biggest club below the semi-pro leagues. They were hosting Headingley AFC, who needed a point from the last two games of the season to avoid relegation. So far, so typical. A first half of robust challenges and direct football and a goal apiece. Then the referee decided he’d had enough of robust challenges and sent a Field player off. A spectator with glass in hand got aggressive and took out his ire on an FA observer and another visiting referee before verbally abusing the nearest line official. The half-time whistle went shortly after and ten minutes later we learned that the referee had abandoned the fixture, presumably because the safety of officials could not be guaranteed. At this level there are no stewards, no security; just the people present. On this occasion this wasn’t enough. The consequences for Field are likely to be significant.

That had meant to be the start of a double header for me, facilitated by the 5.30 kick off of the last League One fixtures of the season. And indeed I did head back into town and then out to Valley Parade where Bradford City were hosting AFC Wimbledon. City’s relegation after a miserable season had been confirmed a few weeks ago. Wimbledon, who’d been bottom for most of the season, had achieved what had proved beyond City, a late season revival, but were still in search of at least a point to avoid the drop.

It being the last game of the season there was a short ceremony and minute’s silence before the match to mark the anniversary of the Bradford Fire which took 56 lives at the final game of the season in 1985. All of which makes the rest of the events of the day seem insignificant, but for the record the two teams played out a 0-0 draw and Wimbledon stayed up. City will regroup in League Two next season.