Author: johndewhirst

You can buy copies of the four books in the series direct from BANTAMSPAST, PO Box 307 SHIPLEY BD18 9BT – cheques payable to BANTAMSPAST.

ONLINE PURCHASE FROM THIS LINK

Stockists in Bradford: Waterstones, Wool Exchange, Salts Mill bookshop and the Bradford PA club shop at Horsfall (BCAFC books apart!). You can purchase online through Amazon (distributed by Bradford based Precious Books) and ebay.

Tweet updates (and ebay searches): #bcafcobjects #reinventingbcafc #roomatthetop #lifeatthetop

Vol. 1  A History of Bradford City AFC in Objects by John Dewhirst, pub Oct-14 (limited copies only, now £20)

Vol2 Reinventing Bradford City by Jason McKeown, pub Mar-16 £20 – including p&p (a small number of hardback copies available, £30)

Vol3 Room at the Top by John Dewhirst, pub Jul-16 £20 (softback) / £30 (hardback) – including p&p

Vol4 Life at the Top by John Dewhirst, pub Jul-16 £20 (softback) / £30 (hardback) – including p&p

If you have any problems getting hold of copies contact us direct. Likewise, to join our mailing list to get news of the next two books in the series – vols 5 & 6 for release in the next 24 months – please email. Subscribers get books at a discount and the opportunity for their name to be printed in the book.

The fifth volume in the BANTAMSPAST ‘HISTORY REVISITED’ series covers the twentieth century rivalry of Bradford City and Bradford Park Avenue, continuing the story of their rivalry as rugby clubs narrated in ROOM AT THE TOP and LIFE AT THE TOP published last year.

The intention is that WOOL CITY RIVALS – which could as easily be described as FALL FROM THE TOP – will provide a definitive record of the City / Avenue rivalry and contain a considerable collection of memorabilia and relics of the two clubs. Whilst most of the research has been completed, considerable work is needed to finalise the design and artwork. If anyone has interesting examples of memorabilia that could be featured I am very keen to hear from you.

Refer tweets: @jpdewhirst or em glorious1911 at paraders dot co dot uk

*** Anyone interested in Bradford sports history is encouraged to visit VINCIT: http://www.bradfordsporthistory.wordpress.com/ which has new articles published monthly. The most recent is the story of the Bradford Charity Cup and a prestigious trophy that was competed for by rugby union, northern union and association football clubs.

Next month marks the 150th anniversary of the first competitive football fixture in Bradford which is featured on VINCIT:    https://bradfordsporthistory.wordpress.com/2016/12/30/455/

The insolvency and liquidation of Bradford Bulls is yet another story of financial failure in the district with history repeating itself. Again, a topical article on VINCIT:  https://bradfordsporthistory.wordpress.com/2016/08/05/taking-the-long-view/

Room at the Top and Life at the Top selected in The Guardian review of the Best Sports Books of 2016: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/dec/02/the-best-books-on-sport-of-2016-huw-richards

From the RUGBY LEAGUE JOURNAL #57    http://www.rugbyleaguejournal.com

Plans for the next volume in the BANTAMSPAST HISTORY REVISITED series, FALL FROM THE TOP, THE WOOL CITY RIVALS are advanced and help is requested to bring the project to fruition.

The book features the twentieth century soccer rivalry of Bradford City and Bradford Park Avenue, continuing the story from LIFE AT THE TOP. There will be a much higher image content with examples of City and Avenue memorabilia, but in particular a large number of team and action photographs – a significant proportion of which will be in colour. Mindful of the fact that before too long the Wool City soccer rivalry will be forgotten and no longer part of living memory, this is the opportunity to record the past for posterity. Hence the appeal to anyone who has old City or Avenue relics and/or photographs that could be featured.

Help is also sought from people willing to assist with investigating local newspaper archives in Bradford Central Library. I was assisted by A-Level and undergraduate students in the production of ROOM AT THE TOP and LIFE AT THE TOP and the research work is arguably good experience for history students. Payment will be arranged.

Please contact the author, John Dewhirst by em: glorious1911 at paraders dot co dot uk  or tweet @woolcityrivals

A good selection of items has already been accumulated and much of the narrative history is written but the objective is to be exhaustive in the search for old memorabilia and archive content. The book will also require considerable artwork and design which will ultimately determine the publication date. Check this site for details!

Copies of the first volumes in the series – A HISTORY OF BCAFC IN OBJECTS, REINVENTING BRADFORD CITY, ROOM AT THE TOP and LIFE AT THE TOP are available on ebay, from Bantams Banter, Waterstones Wool Exchange, Salts Mill, Amazon and direct from the publisher. Details elsewhere on this site. Buy now for Christmas!

Bradford’s contribution to rugby history on the World Rugby Museum website: https://worldrugbymuseumblog.wordpress.com/2016/10/31/how-the-city-of-bradford-helped-shape-the-early-history-of-rugby-football/

From the Playing Pasts online journal… The origins of professional football in Bradford: http://www.playingpasts.co.uk/articles/football/the-origins-of-professional-football-in-bradford/

…and Reconsidering 1895 – a Bradford perspective: http://www.playingpasts.co.uk/articles/team-sports/rethinking-1895-a-bradford-perspective/

From VINCIT: https://bradfordsporthistory.wordpress.com/2016/09/21/recognition-of-bradfords-rugby-heritage/

Room at the Top and Life at the Top selected in The Guardian review of the Best Sports Books of 2016: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/dec/02/the-best-books-on-sport-of-2016-huw-richards

A few scarves are still available, either from Waterstones, Wool Exchange or direct from BANTAMSPAST PO Box 307 Shipley BD18 9BT £10 each incl p&p.

A half / half scarf has not been produced!!! Given the blood feud between supporters of the two clubs it would never have happened… Besides, half / half scarves are as moronic as metallic fixture badges.

Those with an interest in Bradford ‘football’ history – both rugby and soccer – are encouraged to visit and contribute to VINCIT, an online occasional journal featuring topics of Bradford sporting history: https://bradfordsporthistory.wordpress.com/

Come to Waterstones on 16th October, 2016 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the opening of Britain’s most spectacular bookshop at the Wool Exchange, Bradford.

Author, John Dewhirst will be signing copies of ROOM AT THE TOP and LIFE AT THE TOP

Check the T&A for details and tweets from @waterstonesBD1 as well as @jpdewhirst @bantamspast or @woolcityrivals (hashtags #roomatthetop and #lifeatthetop)

The header photograph shows the Manningham FC squad, Yorkshire Senior Competition champions in 1894. Two years later they were winners of the inaugural 1895/96 Northern Union championship. It was a time when Manningham FC enjoyed life at the top.

There are few surviving images of the era but this one is my favourite for the characters and personalities that it reveals. The photograph captures the pride of the triumphant players and club officials. These men were the prime athletes of their time, individals who could later – from 1895 – overtly claim reimbursement for lost (broken) wages from playing rugby. But look closely at their build and stature – by today’s standards a number of them appear puny, even sickly and few exceed 12 stone in weight. It seems highly unlikely that they had the stamina or the power of their modern counterparts. Yet for all the differences they were no less competitive and this photograph records Manningham’s ascendancy over its bitter rivals, Bradford FC who had consistently sought to deny the Valley Paraders room at the top.

Discover the origins of football in Bradford and of how the rivalry of the two senior rugby sides determined the fate of twentieth century soccer in the city. The latest Bantamspast books in the History Revisited series – Room at the Top and Life at the Top – are now available.