Bradford City

Ground 40

Match 41

Founded 1903

N Power 2

Ground Valley Parade

Ground Capacity 25,136

Admission £1

Programme £3

Claret/Amber

Nickname Bantams Paraders

Bradford City 1-1 Hereford Utd

Attendance 17,014

Distance Travelled 65 miles

Midland Road Stand

Arrival time 11.45am



Set off to Bradford , West Yorkshire in hope of securing a special promtion £1 ticket and arrived just in time .
Bradford rose to prominence during the 19th century as an international centre of textile manufacture, particularly wool. It was a boomtown of the Industrial Revolution, and amongst the earliest industrialised settlements, rapidly becoming the "wool capital of the world . Today , Bradford City are playing Hereford and both teams are desperate for the points , stuggling near the foot of N-Power League Two .

The teams start brightly , Hereford going close after a minute and Bradford also creating an early chance . Apart from a few Bradford penalty appeals both sides created little else until the last ten minutes . The final quality ball and finish was lacking in each camp and illustrated why they're both were they are in the league . In fact , with minutes remaining , we were all amazed when Hereford scored with a neatly guided looping header into the top corner sending their fifty or so followers into ecstacy . They never looked like scoring ; the Bantams responded almost immediately levelling proceedings with another headed goal following intense pressure down the left flank .

A draw was probably fair .

Match Officials 7/10

I'm convinced Bradford should have been given at least one penalty and several decisions appeared to go against the home team .

The reduced ticket promotion was a success as over 17,000 fans created a terrific atmosphere .

T L Dallas Stand Bradford End - Great View .





CO OP Stand joining The Kop









Side View of Midland Road & Co-Op stand



On 11 May 1985, Valley Parade was the scene of a fatal fire, during which 56 supporters were killed and at least 265 were injured. The game against Lincon City was the final match of the 1984–85 season, before which City were presented with the Division Three championship trophy. The fire destroyed the main stand in just nine minutes .

Club Store leading to The Co-Operative Stand and Bradford City Fire Memorials

Had to get the £1 offer Admission ticket before 12 noon . I was just in time , literally minutes to spare , aided by club stewards who were tremendously helpful . I parked up twenty odd yards from the ticket office in the Carlsberg stand car park and perused the stadium before enjoying a delightful pint of Guinness at the friendly Bradford Arms pub .



I hope City can avoid relegation as the ground is looking superb and improvements continue .
The fans are a credit and easy to get on with showing plenty of good humoured banter .

Bradford City photos February 25, 2012">

Formby FC

Ground 39

Match 40

Founded 1919 Formby United

North West Counties Div 1

Ground Altcar Lane

Capacity 2,000

Admission £5

Programme £1.50

Kit Gold/Blue

Nickname The Squirrels

Formby 1-2 Rochdale Town

Attendance 38

Distance Travelled 22 miles

Seated Stand Holds 220 behind the home goal Altcar Road End .



Formby F.C. are based in the borough of Sefton , Merseyside. They currently play in the North West Counties Football League Division One and are members of the Liverpool County Football Association. They were the first non league side to win the Liverpool senior Cup ( 1978 )
In 2002 Formby moved from Brows Lane to Altcar Lane but were demoted as the new ground did not meet required standards at the time .
The area is a popular tourist destination during the summer months, with day trippers attracted to its beaches, sand dunes, and wildlife - most particularly the red squirrels.
I approached via Southport along the A 565 and its a pleasant journey . It would have been easy to head the wrong way towards the village but i continued past Formby Golf Club and the RAF base which brought back fond memories of my Uncle who was in Nine Squadron , though not based here .
The ground is situated close to a large Tesco superstore and there's plenty of parking space . You enter via the main tea cabin and programme / entrance hut .
The 2011-12 season team is filled with young players with a couple of experienced heads . Formby are 14th in the league but have played the fewest games , Rochdale or ' The Angels ' are fifth and looking to consolidate and put pressure on the teams above .

Teams enter the pitch



View showing the open expanse far side of the ground where the dugouts are located.



A three feet high walled perimeter fence surrounds the pitch which is in decent condition considering the lousy weather we've had lately . The staff and locals are friendly enough and its a shame there's not a few more in .

Both teams settle quickly and there 's chances at both ends . The Town keeper Fleming makes an early save whilst at the other end ' The Angels ' fire wide with the goal gaping . ' The Squirrels get a grip of the game and Mark Kirby fires them into a deserved lead . Having seen Formby earlier in the season i know they're a good passing team but lack concentration at times .Right back McKane and winger Goulding combine well along the flank without much reward . The Squirrels allowed Town to equalise one minute before half-time after failing to clear the ball . They switched off for a split second and were punished by a clinical finish from Town .

The far goal side with covered terrace



Entrance to the Ground



We all converge on the main tea cabin and bar but swiftly move towards the main entrance cabin when told theres no hot water . Pies and Sausage Barns at £1.50 - £2 are excellent and the staff cope adequately with the influx of customers .
The match programme is a good read and there's an interesting article about an old programme from 1947 against Wigan Athletic which the editors believe could equal their record crowd and re-write the clubs history .

Town are more robust in the second period whilst Formby appear deflated after conceding that last minute equaliser in the first half . The Squirrels hit the upright and are once again denied by reflex saves from Fleming in the Town goal .
Town push forward and take the lead through Jason Hill after 63 minutes . They also miss a gilt edge opportunity after a header is put over the bar with the goal gaping .
Formby can't find the illusive equalising goal and finish with no points from a game they seemed capable of winning . It must drive their manager and supporters nuts !

Cabin/bar touchline view



Match Officials 9/10 Game flowed Can'tremember any serious foul play to deal with

Formby photos February 18, 2012">

Venice Beach Jim Morrison Hollywood Lemmy

Venice (often referred to as Venice Beach) is a beachfront district on the Westside of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is known for its canals, beaches and circus-like Ocean Front Walk, a two-and-a-half mile pedestrian-only promenade that features performers, fortune-tellers, artists, and vendors

Drove past an English pub in Santa Monica called Ye Old Kings Head - noticed it due to a friend ' Ronnie ' telling me he used to meet up here when working in LA . I believe it 's where Jim Morrison played his first ever gig - then , in 1965 , called Turkey Joint West but i didn't realise this at the time .

According to the locals, Jim Morrison lived on the boardwalk in a cottage that is now torn down, between Venice and Washington near 26th (look for a very modern house with an artificial waterfall.) Some claim he lived in The Morrison at Speedway and Westminster, but he only crashed here with his friend Dennis Jacobs. I've also heard he lived in the old Waldorf on the boardwalk at Westminster, and even left some graffiti on the roof.

Later visited Sunset and bumped into Lemmy from Motorhead at The Rainbow pub , also visited the Viper Room which is close by .






Lemmy was really laid back - just sat at the bar playing a card game on a machine . Probably thought - just having a quiet drink in LA and 2 Brits walk in and recognize me . Life's a Beech !!!!

Central Park Lennon Times Square

John Lennon Imagine Memorial and Dakota Building
Location of Lennons death .








Plaza Hotel

New York City Manhattan 2005

Thought it was impressive till we found out it was a gift from France ! lol !!

The Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World; French: La Liberté éclairant le monde) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbour, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886 .
The statue, a gift to the United States from the people of France, is of a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom, who bears a torch and a tabula ansata (a tablet evoking the law) upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. A broken chain lies at her feet. The statue has become an icon of freedom and of the United States.



Did the tourist trek and bought one of those Ticket attraction job lots plus a double decker bus hopper .



The Moss Meister aint to keen on heights - bit like the Braves ! LOL !

So we went up the Empire State Building ! Can see Macys !



The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet (381 meters), and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft (443.2 m) high.[7] Its name is derived from the nickname for New York, the Empire State. It stood as the world's tallest building for 40 years, from its completion in 1931 until construction of the World Trade Center's North Tower was completed in 1972. Following the destruction of the World Trade Center in 2001, the Empire State Building reclaimed the position of tallest building in New York (although it was no longer the tallest in the world). Once the new One World Trade Center is completed, it will once again be demoted to second tallest building in New York.







Thought we;d look for the Trade centre location to pay our respects and head for The Statue Of Liberty . Good to see plans for a New structure and work already under way .



Part of the surviving World Trade Centre is now displayed near the site .



Chelsea Hotel  Sid Vicious stayed here in the late 70's and killed his girlfriend in Room 100 in an apparent suicide pact . Maybe Vicious was superstitious as 100 is synomonous with The 100 Club on Oxford Street
London - scene of the 1976 Punk Festival - Vicious played drums for Siouxsie and the Banshees .

100 club London