190-684: The Old Xaverians Soccer Club is an Australian semi-professional soccer club based in the Melbourne suburb of Kew East . The club was founded in February 2002 by alumni & parents of Jesuit school Xavier College with backing from the Old Xaverian Association, the Associated Old Boys Soccer Association, the school's administration, and members of Melbourne's Italian community . Under license from Football Victoria ,
380-596: A rugby league side. The Football League saw the invitation as a chance to promote association football in the rugby league-dominated county of the West Riding of Yorkshire . It duly elected the new club into the Second Division , in place of Doncaster Rovers . Four days later, at the 23rd annual meeting of Manningham FC, the committee decided to change codes from rugby league to association football. Bradford City Association Football Club were formed without having played
570-601: A stele of c. 375–400 BCE in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens appears on the UEFA European Championship trophy. Athenaeus , writing in 228 CE, mentions the Roman ball game harpastum . Phaininda, episkyros and harpastum were played involving hands and violence. They all appear to have resembled rugby football , wrestling , and volleyball more than what
760-401: A 4–1 victory. OXSC, already in the relegation zone of the ladder were to play the third-placed Lyndale United away who needed to win to be promoted. An against all odds 5–2 victory saw the club avoid relegation, and stop Lyndale from being promoted. However, celebrations that day were kept minimal as two serious injuries had occurred in the reserves game prior. 2006 would be another tough year for
950-488: A French XI team in 1920, and also made up most of the England team against a Scottish Ladies XI in the same year, winning 22–0. Despite being more popular than some men's football events, with one match seeing a 53,000 strong crowd in 1920, women's football in England suffered a blow in 1921 when The Football Association outlawed the playing of the game on association members' pitches, stating that "the game of football
1140-442: A caution ( yellow card ) or dismissal ( red card ). A second yellow card in the same game leads to a red card, which results in a dismissal. A player given a yellow card is said to have been "booked", the referee writing the player's name in their official notebook. If a player has been dismissed, no substitute can be brought on in their place and the player may not participate in further play. Misconduct may occur at any time, and while
1330-564: A competitive game, and involved the kicking of a mari , a ball made of animal skin. In North America, pasuckuakohowog was a ball game played by the Algonquians ; it was described as "almost identical to the kind of folk football being played in Europe at the same time, in which the ball was kicked through goals". Phaininda and episkyros were Greek ball games. An image of an episkyros player depicted in low relief on
1520-497: A deadlock; some competitions may invoke replays . A game tied at the end of regulation time may go into extra time, which consists of two further 15-minute periods. If the score is still tied after extra time, some competitions allow the use of penalty shoot-outs (known officially in the Laws of the Game as "kicks from the penalty mark") to determine which team will progress to the next stage of
1710-585: A game, taking over Manningham's colours of claret and amber, and their Valley Parade ground. Robert Campbell was appointed the club's first manager and with the help of the new committee, he assembled a playing squad at the cost of £ 917 10 s 0 d . City's first game was a 2–0 defeat at Grimsby Town on 1 September 1903, six days before their first home game attracted 11,000 fans. The club finished 10th in their first season. Peter O'Rourke took over as manager in November 1905, and he led City to
1900-400: A goal has been scored or not; this was brought in to prevent controversy. Video assistant referees (VAR) have also been increasingly introduced in high-level matches to assist officials through video replays to correct clear and obvious mistakes. There are four types of calls that can be reviewed: mistaken identity in awarding a red or yellow card, goals and whether there was a violation during
2090-410: A ground with a capacity of 20,000, club facilities and levelling the land. When Bradford City were formed in 1903, they took over the ground at Valley Parade, which was also at this time the headquarters of The 2nd West Riding Brigade Royal Field Artillery (Territorial Force) , playing their first home game on 5 September 1903 against Gainsborough Trinity , drawing a crowd of 11,000. Five years later,
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#17328761534102280-618: A heart attack in training, City returned to the Third Division after getting promoted in 1968–69 . City's stay in the Third Division lasted just three years, when they finished bottom in 1971–72 . Promotion via fourth spot was won again in 1976–77 but it was instantly followed by a relegation season. City failed to win promotion for three successive seasons, until the board appointed former England centre back Roy McFarland as manager in May 1981. McFarland won promotion in his first season, but
2470-628: A latex bladder for pressurisation, but modern balls at all levels of the game are now synthetic. As the Laws were formulated in England, and were initially administered solely by the four British football associations within IFAB , the standard dimensions of a football pitch were originally expressed in imperial units . The Laws now express dimensions with approximate metric equivalents (followed by traditional units in brackets), though use of imperial units remains popular in English-speaking countries with
2660-519: A meeting attended by representatives from Eton , Harrow , Rugby , Winchester and Shrewsbury schools. They were not universally adopted. During the 1850s, many clubs unconnected to schools or universities were formed throughout the English-speaking world to play various forms of football. Some came up with their own distinct codes of rules, most notably the Sheffield Football Club , formed by former public school pupils in 1857, which led to
2850-426: A penalty kick. Other markings define the position of the ball or players at kick-offs , goal kicks, penalty kicks and corner kicks. A standard adult football match consists of two halves of 45 minutes each. Each half runs continuously, meaning that the clock is not stopped when the ball is out of play. There is usually a 15-minute half-time break between halves. The end of the match is known as full-time. The referee
3040-549: A possible buyout. The offer was rejected. On 24 February 2022, Mark Hughes was appointed manager of the club on a contract until the summer of 2024. He was sacked on 4 October 2023, with player Kevin McDonald becoming player-caretaker manager. Later that month, assistant manager Mark Trueman replaced McDonald as caretaker manager. Bradford City is the only professional football club in England to wear claret and amber. The club colours were inherited from Manningham FC , when
3230-460: A promotion challenge the following season. City went top of the table in September 1987, but fell away during Christmas and missed out on promotion on the final day of the season. Instead, they entered the play-offs but were defeated in the semi-finals by Middlesbrough . Two years later City were relegated back to the Third Division. For three seasons, City finished mid-table in the third tier, which
3420-416: A relatively recent history of metrication (or only partial metrication), such as Britain. The length of the pitch, or field, for international adult matches is in the range of 100–110 m (110–120 yd) and the width is in the range of 64–75 m (70–80 yd). Fields for non-international matches may be 90–120 m (100–130 yd) in length and 45–90 m (50–100 yd) in width, provided
3610-534: A result of Manningham's claret and amber hoops. Other nicknames have been the Citizens or Paraders, but the club is better known as the Bantams. Valley Parade was the site of a quarry on the hillside below Manningham, Bradford , owned by Midland Railway Company, in 1886, when Manningham RFC bought one-third of the land and leased the remainder, because they had been forced to find a new home. They spent £ 1,400 erecting
3800-708: A return to Odsal. The club and Bradford Bulls would share the new £50m complex, which would also feature cricket , cycling and athletics facilities. Valley Parade has had several other names under sponsorship naming deals. In July 2016 it became the Northern Commercials Stadium, and in July 2019 it became the Utilita Energy Stadium. This partnership came to an end in July 2022. The University of Bradford subsequently became title sponsor of Valley Parade. The club spearheaded an initiative in 2007 to slash
3990-436: A row for the 2013 and 2014 seasons in the state league five reserve's division, but would finally win its first state league championship in 2015 by finishing first in the state league four reserve's division by one point ahead of University of Melbourne SC . In 2016 a handful of player departures would negatively affect the squad which would also affect the thirds. Some unlucky results on the day despite valiant efforts would see
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#17328761534104180-531: A second relegation to the Third Division (North) in 1926–27 . Two seasons later, O'Rourke, who had initially retired in 1921 following the death of his son, returned and guided City to promotion with a record haul of 128 goals. O'Rourke left for a second time after one more season, and although City spent a total of eight seasons back in the Second Division, they rarely looked like earning promotion back to
4370-567: A similar ancient game ( cuju , or tsu chu ) was played by women during the Han dynasty (25–220 CE), as female figures are depicted in frescoes of the period playing tsu chu . There are also reports of annual football matches played by women in Midlothian , Scotland, during the 1790s. Association football, the modern game, has documented early involvement of women. In 1863, football governing bodies introduced standardised rules to prohibit violence on
4560-523: A total match time of 90 minutes. With an estimated 250 million players active in over 200 countries and territories, it is the world's most popular sport. The game of association football is played in accordance with the Laws of the Game , a set of rules that has been in effect since 1863 and maintained by the IFAB since 1886. The game is played with a football that is 68–70 cm (27–28 in) in circumference . The two teams compete to score goals by getting
4750-554: A truce to the nation's civil war in 2006 and it helped further reduce tensions between government and rebel forces in 2007 by playing a match in the rebel capital of Bouaké , an occasion that brought both armies together peacefully for the first time. By contrast, football is widely considered to have been the final proximate cause for the Football War in June 1969 between El Salvador and Honduras . The sport also exacerbated tensions at
4940-527: A two-tier 7,500-seat capacity stand. A corner stand between the Kop and main stand was opened in December 2000, taking the capacity to 20,000 for the first time since 1970. The following summer, the main stand was also converted into a two-tier stand, taking the capacity to 24,840. Further projects were planned until the club went into administration in May 2002 so none have taken place. The following year, Valley Parade
5130-432: A variety of positions in which the outfield (non-goalkeeper) players are strategically placed by a coach, these positions are not defined or required by the Laws. The basic equipment or kit players are required to wear includes a shirt, shorts, socks, footwear and adequate shin guards . An athletic supporter and protective cup is highly recommended for male players by medical experts and professionals. Headgear
5320-469: A year of sporadic results but did have its positives. The club again would embark on a new endeavor by establishing its first-ever juniors academy for boys and girls, backed by Football Federation Australia's junior football incentive, the 'Miniroos'. The club was able to establish two mixed-gender junior teams and be based at Hays Paddock with backing from the City of Boroondara council. In senior football, both
5510-473: A year to join Luton Town but his successor, Chris Kamara , took City to the play-offs and their first game at Wembley Stadium . They defeated Notts County 2–0 in the final to earn promotion to Division One. City avoided relegation the following season by winning their last two league games, 1–0 against Charlton Athletic and then beating Queens Park Rangers 3–0 on the final day of the season, but Kamara
5700-415: Is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players each, who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a ball around a rectangular field called a pitch . The objective of the game is to score more goals than the opposing team by moving the ball beyond the goal line into a rectangular-framed goal defended by the opposing team. Traditionally, the game has been played over two 45-minute halves, for
5890-408: Is erroneously believed that Motherwell chose the claret and amber colours because they were the racing colours of Lord Hamilton; it is more likely that Motherwell were influenced by Bradford City's English FA cup win in 1911. The club's crest combines a series of logos from over the years. In 1974, City adopted a contemporary style crest incorporating the club's initials, with a B-C logo. At the time,
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6080-463: Is governed by FIFA . Under FIFA, there are six continental confederations: AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA . Of these confederations, CONMEBOL is the oldest one, being founded in 1916. National associations (e.g. The FA in England) are responsible for managing the game in their own countries both professionally and at an amateur level, and coordinating competitions in accordance with
6270-410: Is marked by the goal line, two lines starting on the goal line 16.5 m (18 yd) from the goalposts and extending 16.5 m (18 yd) into the pitch perpendicular to the goal line, and a line joining them. This area has a number of functions, the most prominent being to mark where the goalkeeper may handle the ball and where a penalty foul by a member of the defending team becomes punishable by
6460-438: Is not a required piece of basic equipment, but players today may choose to wear it to protect themselves from head injury. Players are forbidden to wear or use anything that is dangerous to themselves or another player, such as jewellery or watches. The goalkeeper must wear clothing that is easily distinguishable from that worn by the other players and the match officials. A number of players may be replaced by substitutes during
6650-406: Is not documented but the colours were the same as those of The Prince of Wales's Own West Yorkshire Regiment , which was based at Belle Vue Barracks on nearby Manningham Lane. Both Manningham, from 1886, and Bradford City, from 1903 to 1908, used the barracks as changing and club rooms. Bradford City has worn claret and amber, with either white or black, since it was founded. Since the fire in 1985,
6840-405: Is positioned on each goal line, midway between the two touchlines. The inner edges of the vertical goal posts must be 7.32 m (24 ft) apart, and the lower edge of the horizontal crossbar supported by the goal posts must be 2.44 m (8 ft) above the ground. Nets are usually placed behind the goal, but are not required by the Laws. In front of the goal is the penalty area. This area
7030-800: Is quite unsuitable for females and should not be encouraged." Players and football writers have argued that this ban was, in fact, due to envy of the large crowds that women's matches attracted, and because the FA had no control over the money made from the women's game. The FA ban led to the formation of the short-lived English Ladies Football Association and play moved to rugby grounds. Women's football also faced bans in several other countries , notably in Brazil from 1941 to 1979, in France from 1941 to 1970, and in Germany from 1955 to 1970. Restrictions began to be reduced in
7220-506: Is recognisable as modern football. As with pre-codified mob football , the antecedent of all modern football codes , these three games involved more handling the ball than kicking it. Association football in itself does not have a classical history. Notwithstanding any similarities to other ball games played around the world, FIFA has described that no historical connection exists with any game played in antiquity outside Europe. The history of football in England dates back to at least
7410-453: Is still effective as of September 2019. The conclusion of the season also saw the introduction of the ' Paul Trimboli ' medal to be awarded to the highest goal scorer of the club across all teams, named after the former Xaverian and multiple National Soccer League championship winner, as well as a winner of multiple awards for the Socceroos . Although setting newer and stronger foundations for
7600-470: Is the 24,840-capacity Valley Parade , which was the site of the Bradford City stadium fire on 11 May 1985, which took the lives of 56 supporters. They are the only professional football club in England to wear claret and amber , and have worn these colours throughout their history. They have though been known by various nicknames, with the " Bantams " being the most commonly used nickname as it appears on
7790-579: Is the dominant region in women's football, with the United States winning the most FIFA Women's World Cups and Olympic tournaments. Europe and Asia come second and third in terms of international success, and the women's game has been improving in South America. Association football is played in accordance with a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game . The game is played using a spherical ball of 68–70 cm (27–28 in) circumference, known as
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7980-451: Is the official timekeeper for the match, and may make an allowance for time lost through substitutions, injured players requiring attention, or other stoppages. This added time is called "additional time" in FIFA documents, but is most commonly referred to as stoppage time or injury time , while lost time can also be used as a synonym. The duration of stoppage time is at the sole discretion of
8170-435: Is thought to have been borrowed from the slang of Rugby School . Initially spelt assoccer (a shortening of "association"), it was later reduced to the modern spelling. This form of slang also gave rise to rugger for rugby football, fiver and tenner for five pound and ten pound notes , and the now-archaic footer that was also a name for association football. The word soccer arrived at its current form in 1895 and
8360-404: Is to score goals; defenders , who specialise in preventing their opponents from scoring; and midfielders , who dispossess the opposition and keep possession of the ball to pass it to the forwards on their team. Players in these positions are referred to as outfield players, to distinguish them from the goalkeeper. These positions are further subdivided according to the area of the field in which
8550-421: The football (or soccer ball ). Two teams of eleven players each compete to get the ball into the other team's goal (between the posts and under the bar), thereby scoring a goal. The team that has scored more goals at the end of the game is the winner; if both teams have scored an equal number of goals then the game is a draw. Each team is led by a captain who has only one official responsibility as mandated by
8740-545: The 2000 UEFA Intertoto Cup . Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. The following is a list of the officially appointed captains of the Bradford City first-team. In 2007 former Telegraph & Argus sports journalist David Markham released
8930-600: The Bradford derby with city rivals Bradford Park Avenue . The West Yorkshire derby is held between City and local rivals Leeds United and Huddersfield Town . A "friendly" rivalry also existed with now-defunct club Halifax Town . According to a survey conducted in August 2019, Bradford City fans also see Burnley , Barnsley and Oldham Athletic as rivals. Bradford City's only participation in European football to date came in
9120-515: The Caribbean and Oceania regions (except Australia ) have yet to make a mark in international football. When it comes to men's national teams, Europeans and South Americans continue to dominate the FIFA World Cup, as no team from any other region has managed to even reach the final. These regional trends do not hold true for the women's game, as the United States women's national team has won
9310-530: The Third Division title in 1984–85, though they were relegated out of the Second Division in 1990. Bradford were promoted back into the second tier via the play-offs in 1996 , before securing another promotion in 1998–99 to reach the Premier League , marking a return to the top-flight after a 77-year absence. They entered Europe and reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2000–01 but ended
9500-643: The Third Division North title in 1928–29. Another relegation in 1937 did allow the club to go on to win the Third Division North Cup in 1939, however a further relegation followed in 1962 to leave the club in the newly created Fourth Division . They secured promotions back into the third tier in 1969 and 1977, but were relegated in 1972 and 1978. They found success in the 1980s under the stewardship of first Roy McFarland and then Trevor Cherry , winning promotion in 1981–82 and following this up with
9690-408: The official receivers . The club was saved by former chairman Stafford Heginbotham and former board member Jack Tordoff, but to ensure the club could start the new season, prize asset, striker Bobby Campbell was sold to Derby. City struggled but so did Campbell, and when he returned, the club went on a record run of ten successive victories. Although they missed out on promotion, City won the league
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#17328761534109880-620: The 1960s and 1970s. The Italian women's football league was established in 1968. In December 1969, the Women's Football Association was formed in England, with the sport eventually becoming the most prominent team sport for women in the United Kingdom. Two unofficial women's World Cups were organised by the FIEFF in 1970 and in 1971 . Also in 1971, UEFA members voted to officially recognise women's football, while The Football Association rescinded
10070-422: The 2013–2016 era with difficulty but did win its first championship and achieve promotion in this time. After being promoted three tiers by default following the runners-up achievement for tier thirteen in 2012, the team would finish tier ten in second last of the south-eastern conference for 2013, then known as the 'Metropolitan League Four'. With a major reshuffling of the metro system occurring again in early 2014,
10260-523: The Bradford End for the 2009–10 season would be available for just £99 and £138 for the rest of the ground if bought in December 2008. For the 2015–16 season, the club announced its latest season ticket scheme aimed at continuing to make football affordable for fans. Season ticket prices were set at £149 for adults, senior citizens and students, while admission for under-11s was free when purchased with an adult ticket. An initial campaign target of 15,000
10450-559: The Bradford end of the ground was the next to be redeveloped and was converted into a two-tier stand with a scoreboard. In 1996, following City's promotion to Division One , club chairman Geoffrey Richmond announced the construction of a 4,500 seater stand on the Midland Road side. Ahead of promotion to the Premiership in 1999, Richmond spent another £6.5 million to convert the Kop into
10640-570: The FIFA Women's World Cup four times, more than any other women's team. Football is played at a professional level all over the world. Millions of people regularly go to football stadiums to follow their favourite teams, while billions more watch the game on television or on the internet. A very large number of people also play football at an amateur level. According to a survey conducted by FIFA published in 2001, over 240 million people from more than 200 countries regularly play football. Football has
10830-861: The Football Association, the Scottish Football Association , the Football Association of Wales , and the Irish Football Association . FIFA , the international football body, was formed in Paris in 1904 and declared that they would adhere to the Laws of the Game of the Football Association. The growing popularity of the international game led to the admittance of FIFA representatives to the IFAB in 1913. The board consists of four representatives from FIFA and one representative from each of
11020-464: The Game while the ball is in play. The offences that constitute a foul are listed in Law 12. Handling the ball deliberately, tripping an opponent, or pushing an opponent, are examples of "penal fouls", punishable by a direct free kick or penalty kick depending on where the offence occurred. Other fouls are punishable by an indirect free kick . The referee may punish a player's or substitute's misconduct by
11210-470: The IFAB Laws. Each team consists of a maximum of eleven players (excluding substitutes ), one of whom must be the goalkeeper . Competition rules may state a minimum number of players required to constitute a team, which is usually seven. Goalkeepers are the only players allowed to play the ball with their hands or arms, provided they do so within the penalty area in front of their own goal. Though there are
11400-430: The Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed" (Law 5), and whose decisions are final. The referee is assisted by two assistant referees . In many high-level games there is also a fourth official who assists the referee and may replace another official should the need arise. Goal line technology is used to measure if the whole ball has crossed the goal-line thereby determining whether
11590-713: The Laws of the Game. The most prestigious senior international competitions are the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Women's World Cup . The men's World Cup is the most-viewed sporting event in the world, surpassing the Olympic Games . The two most prestigious competitions in club football are the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Women's Champions League , which attract an extensive television audience worldwide. The final of
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#173287615341011780-475: The Laws of the Game: to represent their team in the coin toss before kick-off or penalty kicks . The primary law is that players other than goalkeepers may not deliberately handle the ball with their hands or arms during play, though they must use both their hands during a throw-in restart. Although players usually use their feet to move the ball around, they may use any part of their body (notably, "heading" with
11970-623: The Perform Best Fan Marketing campaign category in The Football League Awards for the scheme and earned them an invitation to the Houses of Parliament . The club aimed to attract 20,000 fans for the 2008–09 by offering a free season ticket to anyone buying a season ticket as long as 9,000 adults sign up, but they fell 704 short of the target. Joint-chairman Mark Lawn announced in November 2008 that season tickets in
12160-611: The Second Division title in 1907–08 and with it promotion to the First Division . Having narrowly avoided relegation in their first season in the top flight, City recorded their highest finish of 5th in 1910–11 . The same season they won the FA Cup , when a goal from captain Jimmy Speirs won the final replay against Newcastle United . City's defence of the cup, which included the first Bradford derby against Bradford Park Avenue ,
12350-530: The United States. A notable exception is New Zealand, where in the first two decades of the 21st century, under the influence of international television, "football" has been gaining prevalence, despite the dominance of other codes of football, namely rugby union and rugby league . The term soccer comes from Oxford "-er" slang, which was prevalent at the University of Oxford in England from about 1875, and
12540-471: The away kit primarily being a fluorescent yellow short, often with black shorts & socks. The club has previously sourced its kits from Covo, Legea, Nike and presently sources from Adidas . Home Away Alternative Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Association football Association football , more commonly known as football or soccer ,
12730-452: The ball into the other team's goal (between the posts, under the bar, and fully across the goal line). When the ball is in play, the players mainly use their feet, but may also use any other part of their body, such as their head, chest and thighs, except for their hands or arms, to control, strike, or pass the ball. Only the goalkeepers may use their hands and arms, and that only within the penalty area . The team that has scored more goals at
12920-456: The ban that prohibited women from playing on association members' pitches in England. Women's football still faces many struggles, but its worldwide growth has seen major competitions being launched at both the national and international levels, mirroring the men's competitions. The FIFA Women's World Cup was inaugurated in 1991: the first tournament was held in China, featuring 12 teams from
13110-410: The beginning of each playing period with a kick-off until the end of the playing period, the ball is in play at all times, except when either the ball leaves the field of play, or play is stopped by the referee. When the ball becomes out of play, play is restarted by one of eight restart methods depending on how it went out of play: A foul occurs when a player commits an offence listed in the Laws of
13300-479: The beginning of the Croatian War of Independence of the 1990s, when a match between Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade degenerated into rioting in May 1990. Women's association football has historically seen opposition, with national associations severely curbing its development and several outlawing it completely. Women may have been playing football for as long as the game has existed. Evidence shows that
13490-501: The bottom half of the Third Division (North) table until 1955–56 . After three successive top half finishes, City were placed in the new national Third Division in 1958–59 . Bradford spent just three seasons in the Third Division, but during their relegation season in 1960–61 , they upset First Division side Manchester United in the inaugural season of the League Cup . With 34 goals from David Layne , City nearly earned promotion
13680-404: The buildup, direct red card decisions, and penalty decisions. The ball is spherical with a circumference of between 68 and 70 cm (27 and 28 in), a weight in the range of 410 to 450 g (14 to 16 oz), and a pressure between 0.6 and 1.1 standard atmospheres (8.5 and 15.6 pounds per square inch ) at sea level. In the past the ball was made up of leather panels sewn together, with
13870-537: The campaign with relegation from the Premier League. A succession of financial crises followed as the club entered administration twice in two years and further relegations followed in 2004 and 2007 to leave the club back in the fourth tier. They found success under the management of Phil Parkinson by reaching the 2013 League Cup final and then going on to win that year's League Two play-off final but were relegated from League One in 2019. The club's home ground
14060-419: The centre-left. City scarves have also sold in large numbers in recent years to fans of Harry Potter , because the colours are the same as Harry's house scarf at Hogwarts School . A number of other clubs across the world wear claret and amber. They include Scottish club Motherwell , who originally wore blue and white until they wore claret and amber for the first time on 23 August 1913, against Celtic. It
14250-732: The champions of these two club competitions would contest the Intercontinental Cup to prove which team was the best in the world. In the 21st century, South America has continued to produce some of the best footballers in the world, but its clubs have fallen behind the still dominant European clubs, which often sign the best players from Latin America and elsewhere. Meanwhile, football has improved in Africa , Asia and North America , and nowadays, these regions are at least on equal grounds with South America in club football, although countries in
14440-519: The change from east to north would bring two unexpected cultural changes, consisting of fiercer opponents and smaller grounds to play on compared to the eastern conference home grounds and player attitudes. The senior men's team would finish eighth out of twelve, which could've so easily been fifth place with unlucky second half losses to Brunswick Zebras , Heidelberg Eagles, Plenty Valley Lions, and Northern Falcons . The men's reserve squad would do it tougher with both injuries and second-half losses pulling
14630-438: The club by moving to Hays Paddock, 2005 saw a tougher year for the club but ended in relief when senior team narrowly avoided relegation in the last of the season. The first match at 'Hays' ended in a 2–2 draw with the future league winner Brandon Park on 9 April in round two. The second game would be the week after in round three on 16 April would be the first day of victory against fellow old boys club Old Melburnians, finishing in
14820-591: The club celebrated its ten-year anniversary at the prestigious Crown Palladium Ballroom . By this time, the club had achieved two titles and four runners-up achievements across its five teams with the men's seniors and thirds teams to achieve their awards that year. The club announced its team of the decade featuring Ennis La Torre, Paul Marazita, Nicholas Butler, Matthew Clyne, Michael Sette, Liam Flynn, Michael Fragale, Andrew Vittadello, Gianni Bramante, Adrian Ubaldi, Anthony De Luca, D Clyne, Daniel Prossimo, Joseph Robilotta, Marco Stella, and Thomas Voss. A second team due to
15010-492: The club change its logo for the second time in history, with its vision of aligning itself with the logos of the athletics club, cricket club, hockey club, and the football club . The club also discontinued its usage of Nike kits, and reverted to Adidas for the 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons. The men's squad commenced their 2020 campaign with the senior team losing 1–2 in the first round of the 2020 FFA Cup against La Trobe University at David Barro Stadium . The first round of
15200-459: The club converted to football upon Bradford City's foundation in 1903. However, whereas Manningham played in hoops, the new football club adopted claret and amber stripes. Manningham RFC adopted the colours in 1884 before the move to Valley Parade in 1886. Having originally worn black shirts with white shorts, the club's first game in claret and amber was against Hull on 20 September 1884, at Carlisle Road. The reason Manningham chose claret and amber
15390-643: The club fields a Senior Men's squad that competes in the Victorian Men's state league system , and operates a mixed gender youth academy. From 2012 to 2021, the club also fielded a Senior Women's squad that competed in the Victorian Women's state league system . The Old Xaverians Soccer Club was established in early 2002 following a meeting of Xavier College alumni in November 2001. The Steering Committee consisted of Peter De Luca, Jamie McCormack, James Nicholls, John Ubaldi, Peter Clyne and Phil Barcellona. The club
15580-404: The club has used black on the kit as a memorial to the 56 supporters who died. The club's away shirt has traditionally been white and to a lesser extent also blue, but there has been a profusion of other colours and designs particularly in more recent years. The away kit for the 2008–09 season was all white. For the 2009–10 season, the away kit was all black with a thin claret and amber stripe down
15770-459: The club has won nine championships and achieved multiple promotions across all six football teams. Season 2020 will mark the club's fifteen-year anniversary of being at the Kew East site, where the last nine championships have been achieved at. The colours of the club consist of black, red and white, resembling the logo of Xavier College . The home kit is primarily unique to that of the school's, with
15960-587: The club returned to Wembley where they defeated Northampton Town 3–0 in the League Two play-off final to secure a place in League One for 2013–14. On 24 January 2015, Bradford City caused an upset by beating Premiership leaders Chelsea 4–2 away in the FA Cup. The victory sent Bradford through to the fifth round for the first time in eighteen years. They beat Sunderland , another Premier League club, 2–0 at home in
16150-401: The club with decision to withdraw veterans team and have the thirds compete in the state league as well. The senior battled hard during the season but managed to avoid relegation again after a 7–0 victory over last place and to be relegated, Noble Park. At the annual general meeting, despite being competitive enough as a club to remain in sixth tier knowing that there were multiple tiers below, it
16340-614: The club won promotion to the First Division , and so commissioned football architect Archibald Leitch to redevelop the ground. The capacity was increased to 40,000 by December 1908 with a 5,300-seater main stand, a terraced paddock in front, a Spion Kop , and an 8,000-capacity Midland Road stand. Its first game against Bristol City on Christmas Day attracted a crowd of 36,000. On 11 March 1911, Valley Parade attracted its highest attendance 39,146, for an FA Cup game between Bradford City and Burnley during Bradford's FA Cup winning run . Until 1952, by which time Bradford City had bought
16530-480: The club's first permanent home ground. Upon leaving the Balwyn North park at the conclusion of the 2004 Provisional League Three season, the site had seen Old Xaverians celebrate two championships and two promotions. The start of the 2005 season would see new beginnings for the club in moving to Hays Paddock , with newer facilities and being the only state league club to be based at the ground. Since moving to Hays,
16720-494: The club. It surpassed the previous fourth-tier season-ticket sales record of 13,614 in 2019–20. On 4 March 2023, Bradford City set a new attendance record for Football League Two at a 2–0 victory against Colchester United , with an attendance of 20,383, including 345 away fans. The Bantams then broke this record again in a home fixture on 8 May 2023 against Leyton Orient , with 22,576 supporters in attendance, including 1,902 Leyton Orient fans. Bradford City have participated in
16910-425: The course of the game. The maximum number of substitutions permitted in most competitive international and domestic league games is five in 90 minutes, with each team being allowed one more if the game should go into extra-time; the permitted number may vary in other competitions or in friendly matches . Common reasons for a substitution include injury, tiredness, ineffectiveness, a tactical switch, or timewasting at
17100-494: The current club crest. Supporters hold West Yorkshire derby rivalries with Huddersfield Town and Leeds United , as well as a historic Bradford derby rivalry with the now non-league side Bradford (Park Avenue) . Bradford City were formed in 1903 as a result of a series of meetings called by James Whyte, a sub-editor of the Bradford Observer , with Football Association representatives and officials at Manningham F.C. ,
17290-571: The decision to establish a females' football department, with both senior & reserves teams having immediate entry into the state league system. 2012 saw success and positive signs for the respective five sides within the club. The senior men's squad celebrated its third championship, being its first in-state league premiership in the Men's Thirds 1 league, following a close third-placed finished in 2011. The reserve men's and senior women's squads would both finish mid table within their respective leagues, while
17480-453: The eighth century. The modern rules of association football are based on the mid-19th century efforts to standardise the widely varying forms of football played in the public schools of England. The Cambridge rules , first drawn up at the University of Cambridge in 1848, were particularly influential in the development of subsequent codes, including association football. The Cambridge rules were written at Trinity College, Cambridge , at
17670-420: The end of a finely poised game. In standard adult matches, a player who has been substituted may not take further part in a match. IFAB recommends "that a match should not continue if there are fewer than seven players in either team". Any decision regarding points awarded for abandoned games is left to the individual football associations. A game is officiated by a referee , who has "full authority to enforce
17860-502: The end of the first season back in Division One, City were placed in administration with debts of nearly £13 million. Two years later, the club suffered a second spell in administration and a second relegation. Two top-half finishes followed, but the club were relegated for a third time in seven seasons in 2006–07 meaning the following season would be their first in the bottom tier for 26 seasons. Former player Stuart McCall
18050-405: The end of the game is the winner. There are situations where a goal can be disallowed, such as an offside call or a foul in the build-up to the goal. Depending on the format of the competition, an equal number of goals scored may result in a draw being declared with 1 point awarded to each team, or the game goes into extra time or a penalty shoot-out . Internationally, association football
18240-464: The extensive global network created by the school, thus being named as the 'International team of the decade' for players living overseas or were born overseas. This list consisted of Brown, Hainsworth, Michael Esnault, Ashe, Antoni, Andrew Kavanagh, Callahan, Peter Kozle, Juan De La Pava, Giorgio Perelli, Liam Flynn, Balaton, Ficici, Longo, Melvin, Tamanas, and Toomey. Current (as of 2019) vice-president Damian Cilmi and Luciano Fioravanti were also named as
18430-506: The final game of the season against Endeavour Hills. The match finished in a 5–1 emphatic victory with future team of the decade forward Anthony De Luca scoring four to secure promotion. It would be the first and last achievement at Myrtle Park in Balwyn before the club would move its home matches and administration to Hays Paddock in Kew East , and training at Willsmere Park also in Kew East, which
18620-522: The following season 1961–62 , but did also suffer a record 9–1 defeat to Colchester United . Layne left for Sheffield Wednesday , and without him City finished second from bottom of the league and had to apply for re-election. Bradford City just failed to win promotion in 1963–64 , winning more games than any other team in the division that season, twenty five, with Rodney Green top scoring with 29 league goals. There followed three difficult seasons during which time manager Grenville Hair died following
18810-535: The following season 1984–85 , to return to the second tier of the Football League. However, City's triumph was overshadowed when the main stand at Valley Parade caught fire during the final game of the season, killing 56 people. City played games away from Valley Parade for 19 months. But just ten days after the new £2.6 million ground was opened, Cherry was sacked. His replacement, Terry Dolan , steered City away from possible relegation, before he mounted
19000-420: The forehead) other than their hands or arms. Within normal play, all players are free to play the ball in any direction and move throughout the pitch, though players may not pass to teammates who are in an offside position. During gameplay, players attempt to create goal-scoring opportunities through individual control of the ball, such as by dribbling , passing the ball to a teammate, and by taking shots at
19190-514: The formation of a Sheffield FA in 1867. In 1862, John Charles Thring of Uppingham School also devised an influential set of rules. These ongoing efforts contributed to the formation of The Football Association (The FA) in 1863, which first met on the morning of 26 October 1863 at the Freemasons' Tavern in Great Queen Street , London. The only school to be represented on this occasion
19380-650: The founding of the club, the school offered the football club temporary use of its sporting facilities until the club could gain tenancy of a ground of its own. After winning their inaugural game at the school grounds, the club temporarily moved to H A Smith Reserve in Hawthorn , sharing with Old Scotch. After a handful of games at the Glenferrie Road site, the club would finish the 2002 ASFV 2 season at Mrtyle Park in Balwyn North , where it would stay for another two years as
19570-517: The four British associations. For most of the 20th century, Europe and South America were the dominant regions in association football. The FIFA World Cup , inaugurated in 1930 , became the main stage for players of both continents to show their worth and the strength of their national teams. In the second half of the century, the European Cup and the Copa Libertadores were created, and
19760-399: The fourth tier of English football since Rochdale in 1962 to reach the League Cup final, and the first fourth tier club ever to reach a major Wembley Cup final. They defeated three Premier League sides en route to the final – Wigan Athletic 4–2 on penalties in the fourth round, Arsenal 3–2 on penalties in the quarter-finals and Aston Villa 4–3 on aggregate over the two legs of
19950-556: The fourth tier of the English football league system , and is managed by Graham Alexander . The club was founded in 1903 and immediately elected into the Football League Second Division . Promotion to the top tier followed as they won the 1907–08 Second Division title and then they went on to win the 1911 FA Cup final , which remains the club's only major honour. They were relegated in 1922 and again in 1927, before winning
20140-695: The game in a specific position, there are few restrictions on player movement, and players can switch positions at any time. The layout of a team's players is known as a formation . Defining the team's formation and tactics is usually the prerogative of the team's manager . There are 17 laws in the official Laws of the Game, each containing a collection of stipulations and guidelines. The same laws are designed to apply to all levels of football for both sexes, although certain modifications for groups such as juniors, seniors and people with physical disabilities are permitted. The laws are often framed in broad terms, which allow flexibility in their application depending on
20330-425: The goal, which is guarded by the opposing goalkeeper. Opposing players may try to regain control of the ball by intercepting a pass or through tackling the opponent in possession of the ball; however, physical contact between opponents is restricted. Football is generally a free-flowing game, with play stopping only when the ball has left the field of play or when play is stopped by the referee for an infringement of
20520-457: The hardships and disappointments of 2013, the team would finish second in 2014, resulting in promotion from division five (tier seven) to division four in the eastern conference. 2015 and 2016 would see mid table finishes for both seasons but would set up the team for a strong year in 2017. The men's reserve squad would enjoy a successful era in this time, finishing in the top three in all four relevant seasons. The squad finished second twice in
20710-404: The highest global television audience in sport. In many parts of the world, football evokes great passions and plays an important role in the life of individual fans , local communities, and even nations. Ryszard Kapuściński says that Europeans who are polite, modest, or humble fall easily into rage when playing or watching football games. The Ivory Coast national football team helped secure
20900-654: The instigation of Alcock. England is also home to the world's first football league , which was founded in Birmingham in 1888 by Aston Villa director William McGregor . The original format contained 12 clubs from the Midlands and Northern England . Laws of the Game are determined by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). The board was formed in 1886 after a meeting in Manchester of
21090-697: The lack of a crossbar, rules which made it remarkably similar to Victorian rules football being developed at that time in Australia. The Sheffield FA played by its own rules until the 1870s, with the FA absorbing some of its rules until there was little difference between the games. The world's oldest football competition is the FA Cup , which was founded by the footballer and cricketer Charles W. Alcock , and has been contested by English teams since 1872. The first official international football match also took place in 1872, between Scotland and England in Glasgow , again at
21280-405: The last day with a 1–0 victory over Liverpool , with a goal from David Wetherall . However, Jewell left shortly afterwards. His assistant Chris Hutchings was promoted to the manager's position, and despite a series of new expensive signings, he was sacked by November 2000, with City second from bottom of the league. Jim Jefferies took over but could not save the club from relegation. At
21470-433: The last minute to end the game 6–4 bringing his career total to 101 goals on what would also be his last game for the club. Another reserve player and two more senior players would declare the round as their last games for the club until further notice. The seniors would also take part in a heavily attacking end-to-end contest and would win 2–1 to end the weekend with maximum points for the men's department. The new decade saw
21660-534: The last round. The team would beat second place Heidelberg Stars 3–0 at Hays Paddock ending the season six points above the stars, in what would be their first of three championships to date. 2014 would see the team physically promoted but technically remaining in the same tier following the introduction of the National Premier Leagues system. The higher level didn't stop the veterans from being competitive, with heart breaking but valiant efforts resulted in
21850-440: The league one reserves, and would make an immediate impact. A strong campaign would see the reserves be serious championship and promotion contenders, but it would be bad luck loss in round seventeen that would make the team finish second, two points behind Old Trinity Grammarians. The transition from league two to league one would be smoother to that of the 2016 promotion with team finishing in fifth for 2018. The year of 2019 would
22040-468: The league season for both the senior and reserve squads was to be against Northern Falcons on 21 March 2020, however Football Victoria suspended and then eventually cancelled all soccer competitions and related events due to the COVID-19 pandemic . During the second Metropolitan Melbourne lockdown , inaugural Senior Men's head coach Luciano Fioravanti passed away on 4 September 2020 aged eighty-three. Upon
22230-425: The men and women's results varied mainly due to unlucky match day outcomes. At the conclusion of the 2018 season, the club was informed that the men's senior and reserve teams may be rezoned to the northern conference of Victorian State League four due to the locations of promoted and related clubs from divisions three and five, respectively, and this became a reality in 2019. With an unfortunately difficult preseason,
22420-408: The men's third squad finished second in the Men's Thirds Division 5 North-Western conference. The veterans finished near the bottom but would create strong chemistry between the playing group as a result that would see tremendous success in the years to follow. Both the men's thirds and veterans would be promoted by three tiers following a reshuffle of teams in the state league competition. Mid season,
22610-607: The men's tournament is the most-watched annual sporting event in the world. Association football is one of a family of football codes that emerged from various ball games played worldwide since antiquity. Within the English-speaking world, the sport is now usually called "football" in Great Britain and most of Ulster in the north of Ireland, whereas people usually call it "soccer" in regions and countries where other codes of football are prevalent, such as Australia, Canada, South Africa, most of Ireland (excluding Ulster), and
22800-525: The nature of the game. The Laws of the Game are published by FIFA, but are maintained by the IFAB. In addition to the seventeen laws, numerous IFAB decisions and other directives contribute to the regulation of association football. Within the United States, Major League Soccer used a distinct ruleset during the 1990s and the National Federation of State High School Associations and NCAA still use rulesets that are comparable to, but different from,
22990-530: The new logo maintained the previous nickname of the Paraders. By December 1981, the club relaunched the Bantams as the official identity with a bantam on the new crest. The crest maintains the club colours and also includes the words The Bantams. Bradford City have had a number of nicknames during their history. In their early years, they were referred to as the Robins or Wasps, taking over the nickname of Manningham FC, as
23180-444: The new stand was itself demolished, and Valley Parade remained a three-sided ground until 1966, when the pitch was moved, and a new stand built. 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 was the final match of the 1984–85 season, before which City were presented with the Third Division championship trophy. The fire destroyed
23370-487: The next round on 15 February 2015. In the quarter-finals, the Bantams faced Reading at home, in a game that ended in a goalless draw. The replay was played on 16 March 2015 at the Madejski Stadium, where Reading won 3–0. The club was relegated to League Two at the end of the 2018–19 season. In December 2021, the club was approached by American investors known as WAGMI United (who use cryptocurrency and NFTs) about
23560-488: The next stoppage of play. The referee's decision in all on-pitch matters is considered final. The score of a match cannot be altered after the game, even if later evidence shows that decisions (including awards/non-awards of goals) were incorrect. Bradford City F.C. Bradford City Association Football Club is an English professional football club in Bradford , West Yorkshire . The team competes in League Two ,
23750-441: The north-western conference in what would be a close season in which every point would could count. Old Xaverians finished first with forty-six points followed by RMIT FC on forty-four then Moreland United on forty-two. The veterans would beat RMIT early in the season at Hays Paddock 2–0 in round three, but heavily underestimated Moreland in losing 3–0 in round eleven at home with the early loss to Moreland away had clearly not sent
23940-426: The offences that constitute misconduct are listed, the definitions are broad. In particular, the offence of "unsporting behaviour" may be used to deal with most events that violate the spirit of the game, even if they are not listed as specific offences. A referee can show a yellow or red card to a player, substitute, substituted player, and to non-players such as managers and support staff. Rather than stopping play,
24130-461: The original thirteen laws of the game. The sticking point was hacking, which a twelfth club at the meeting, Blackheath FC , had wanted to keep, resulting in them withdrawing from the FA. Other English rugby clubs followed this lead and did not join the FA, and instead in 1871, along with Blackheath, formed the Rugby Football Union . The FA rules included handling of the ball by "marks" and
24320-432: The pitch does not become square. In 2008, the IFAB initially approved a fixed size of 105 m (115 yd) long and 68 m (74 yd) wide as a standard pitch dimension for international matches; however, this decision was later put on hold and was never actually implemented. The longer boundary lines are touchlines , while the shorter boundaries (on which the goals are placed) are goal lines . A rectangular goal
24510-437: The pitch, making it more socially acceptable for women to play. The first match recorded by the Scottish Football Association took place in 1892 in Glasgow . In England, the first recorded game of football between women took place in 1895. Women's football has traditionally been associated with charity games and physical exercise, particularly in the United Kingdom. Association football continued to be played by women since
24700-437: The player spends the most time. For example, there are central defenders and left and right midfielders. The ten outfield players may be arranged in any combination. The number of players in each position determines the style of the team's play; more forwards and fewer defenders creates a more aggressive and offensive-minded game, while the reverse creates a slower, more defensive style of play. While players typically spend most of
24890-400: The players and spectators by holding up a board showing this number. The signalled stoppage time may be further extended by the referee. Added time was introduced because of an incident which happened in 1891 during a match between Stoke and Aston Villa . Trailing 1–0 with two minutes remaining, Stoke were awarded a penalty kick. Villa's goalkeeper deliberately kicked the ball out of play; by
25080-474: The price of watching professional football for the 2007–08 season. As a result, season tickets to watch Bradford City were the cheapest in England at £138, the equivalent of £6 per match. When the offer finished, the club confirmed the amount of season tickets sold was 12,019. The scheme enabled the club to top the average league attendances for Football League Two during the 2007–08 season, attracting more than three times more than any other club. The club won
25270-416: The referee may allow play to continue if doing so will benefit the team against which an offence has been committed. This is known as "playing an advantage". The referee may "call back" play and penalise the original offence if the anticipated advantage does not ensue within "a few seconds". Even if an offence is not penalised due to advantage being played, the offender may still be sanctioned for misconduct at
25460-419: The referee. Stoppage time does not fully compensate for the time in which the ball is out of play , and a 90-minute game typically involves about an hour of "effective playing time". The referee alone signals the end of the match. In matches where a fourth official is appointed, towards the end of the half, the referee signals how many minutes of stoppage time they intend to add. The fourth official then informs
25650-405: The regular season but with luck on the veteran's side, it was the match drawn thanks to University that made the difference, resulting in promotion for the second time in three years. The 2017–2019 era saw success with another championship, three runners-up awards resulting in two promotions throughout the football club. The era would also saw the establishment of the women's reserve squad, but also
25840-461: The remaining two-thirds of the ground to own it outright, the ground remained virtually unchanged. However, twice during the next decade, the club's Midland Road stand had to be demolished. Club officials first closed part of the stand in 1952, as a result of the Burnden Park disaster six years earlier. Its frame was sold to Berwick Rangers and a replacement stand built in 1954. Six years later,
26030-474: The reserve division for both relevant seasons. The two teams of the club were both invited to participate in the trial of the new Video assistant referee for the A-League at Docklands Stadium midway through the season. It was the success of thirds, veterans, senior & reserve women squads that would make the era rather positively memorable. The thirds for 2017 were rezoned to the north-western conference from
26220-474: The reserves, the two teams would end their tough seasons with smiles in the last round against La Trobe University at Hays Paddock . The reserves match saw the Climate of Melbourne at its finest with the culturally popular term "four seasons in one day" physically becoming reality before and during the game. Whilst both teams were warming up the sun was shining, but eventuated to heavy rain by kick off. By half time
26410-534: The respective coaches of the two teams. The four seasons of 2013 through to 2016 would see five championships and four promotions across all five teams respectively. Across the men's reserves, thirds and veterans teams, the club saw championship achievement across all four years. The men's senior squad would start the era slowly by finishing mid table of the Victorian State League Division 5 (tier seven) eastern conference for 2013. After learning from
26600-484: The respective goal keepers making tremendous saves, including a top right hand corner save from a La Trobe free kick on the edge of the Old Xaverians eighteen yard box. Following two substitutions from Old Xaverians and one from La Trobe towards the last ten minutes, the home side scored the mathematically winning goal that would also be the striker's one hundredth goal in his time with club. The same striker would score in
26790-454: The respective reserve league, and the thirds, then known as 'the Socials' finished fourth in the higher division of ASFV Division 1. The club's first-ever match was played at Xavier College against Arlaadi United in what would be a dominant 9–0 victory with a squad average age of 20. At the season's conclusion, the senior team had finished first on the ladder, with the reserves finishing third, and
26980-440: The respective six confederations. The World Cup has been held every four years since; by 2019 , it had expanded to 24 national teams, and 1.12 billion viewers watched the competition. Four years later , FIFA targeted the 32-team 2023 Women's World Cup at an audience of 2 billion, while about 1.4 million tickets were sold, setting a Women's World Cup record. Women's football has been an Olympic event since 1996 . North America
27170-421: The right message. The second loss considerably threatened first place chances as at that point of the season it had become clear that the top three would be battled between Old Xaverians, RMIT and Moreland. Despite both losses of the season being against Moreland, Old Xaverians would recommence their undefeated streak of the season with the three season-defining factors being the round twelve 3–3 draw to RMIT away in
27360-534: The rules. After a stoppage, play recommences with a specified restart. At a professional level, most matches produce only a few goals. For example, the 2022–23 season of the English Premier League produced an average of 2.85 goals per match. The Laws of the Game do not specify any player positions other than goalkeeper, but a number of specialised roles have evolved. Broadly, these include three main categories: strikers , or forwards, whose main task
27550-435: The season, Croydon City Arrows proved too consistent with the round sixteen 1–2 defeat at home ultimately defining the season. However, the valiant efforts were enough for the seniors to be promoted to State League one, the highest level of state league football below the National Premier Leagues female system . The women's reserve squad would commence their inaugural campaign in the eastern conference of State League four, not
27740-457: The season. 2010 saw the reserves team for the first time in the club's history win back-to-back championships, with the seniors and thirds both finishing mid table respectively. It was decided at the 2010 annual general meeting that the club would reapply for an FFV state league license, and was granted. Upon successful application for a state football license, the club fielded three teams in various state league divisions. The club also reincarnated
27930-421: The second half saw the same attacking tempo from both teams, with the home team breaking the deadlock first ten minutes after the restart making the scores 4–3. Like in the first half, it would be La Trobe who would equalize almost immediately with an unmarked long shot from outside the eighteen yard box leveling the scores at 4–4. For the next twenty-five minutes, there were extremely close chances at both ends with
28120-399: The semi-final. They met Premier League side Swansea City in the final at Wembley but lost 5–0. The run to the final is thought to have been worth at least £1.3 million to the club, with joint chairman Mark Lawn stating that the final itself could be worth an additional £1 million, taking the club's total earnings to £2.3 million during their cup campaign . On 18 May 2013,
28310-441: The seniors and reserves come close to first place with Middle Park being consistent in their dominant season, with thirds finishing mid table in their respective division. Success was finally brought to Hays Paddock in 2009 with both the seniors and reserves finish strongly in both divisions with new nemesis Middle Park coming close in both leagues. Coming off a broken leg in 2008, former Bradford City and Guiseley player Liam Flynn
28500-543: The sexes are so widely divided are all on the side of emancipation , and I look forward to the time when ladies may sit in Parliament and have a voice in the direction of affairs, especially those which concern them most." Honeyball and those like her paved the way for women's football. However, the women's game was frowned upon by the British football associations and continued without their support. It has been suggested that this
28690-469: The south-east of the Metropolitan League five following due to location clashes of other promoted and relegated teams. This would prove to a breath of fresh air for the team two mid table finishes in 2015 and 2016 that would result in a close second-place finish behind Hume United. Despite some unlucky results on multiples match days, the thirds made a strong resurgence towards the end of the season but
28880-413: The south-eastern conference, and the veterans, then nicknamed 'the ducks' finished fifth in the amateur division one afternoon reserves competition. It would be the last time as of 2019 that the club has fielded a team in the amateur divisions, as the club successfully entered the veterans team into the state league system for 2012. The new year would also be of a major step forward for the football club with
29070-472: The sun was shining again but became overcast and windy by full-time. Whilst the weather was constantly changing, the end-to-end attacking game saw the score be level 3–3 at half time. La Trobe had taken the lead within ninety seconds after kick off but within another six minutes, Old Xaverians would draw level from a corner. La Trobe would take the lead another two times in the first half, only for Old Xaverians to equalize both times almost immediately. The start of
29260-432: The team be promoted to the twelfth tier, 'Metropolitan League Five' and would finish mid table in both the 2015 and 2016 seasons of the south-eastern conference. 2013 would be the beginning of a successful time for the veterans team, seeing promotions & championships twice times after finishing in the top three in all seasons of the 2013–2016 era. Following the first of multiple metro reshuffles, early 2013 would see both
29450-419: The team down to tenth out of twelve. The women's senior team would again, comfortably, finish mid-table in fifth position after making a strong start to the season, while the reserves fought bravely but were affected by unlucky results on the day and finished last. Following a double brutal encounter with unruly players from Brunswick Zebras away in the second last round for both the seniors and more particularly
29640-428: The team fall to third for 2016. Despite being on equal points with Ringwood City, the victories of the reserve games would often be won more than two three goals which saw the team have goal difference as an asset as team finished ahead by fifteen goals. Following the first of multiple team and league reshuffles of the metropolitan league system by Football Federation Victoria , the men's thirds squad would start and end
29830-465: The team finishing second for 2014 by one goal on goal difference ahead of Preston Lions , and third for 2015. It was these results that drove the veterans team to win the eleventh tier championship, known as the Metropolitan League four in the north-western conference after three close attempts. First place was battled until the last round with Old Xaverians finishing on top by one point ahead of Hoppers Crossing. With both teams winning their last two games,
30020-425: The temporary closing of both the men's thirds and veterans squads due to player shortages despite award-winning results between the two. The seniors and reserve teams would competitive in this era but came with no reward. The best result achieved was the seniors finishing third in 2017 of the Victorian State League Division 4 eastern conference but would then finish sixth in 2018, whilst the reserves finished fourth in
30210-411: The thirds & veterans be promoted three tiers by default. The veterans rose from tier fourteen, then known as 'Men's Thirds 6' of the north-western conference, to tier eleven now known as 'Metropolitan League Five', also in the north-western conference. Unlike the thirds that struggled with the promotion by default, the veterans would lead the league for most of the season and winning the championship in
30400-460: The thirds finishing fourth, creating a culture of both enjoyment but with success to follow. Bundesliga and Swiss Super League veteran Peter Közle assisted in steering the club and its players in development, later earning him a spot in the club's team of the decade in 2012. At the annual general meeting, it was voted on and decided by the members that the club would pursue a license to compete in state league competitive football for 2003, and this
30590-425: The thirds were demoted back to tier thirteen, then renamed to its current name of 'Metropolitan League Six' but this time in the south-eastern conference. With roughly the same team from 2012 enduring hardships of 2013 in a higher division, the team would bond together and win its first and only championship, which is also the club's only championship in thirteenth tier to date. The resulting first-place finish would see
30780-459: The tier twelve license belonging to the thirds as the veterans team license was to be promoted from tier ten to tier nine for 2018. The men's veterans squad would continue its successful period following on from 2013 by winning back-to-back championships and promotions for the first time ever in the club's history. Following the 2016 championship of Metropolitan League four north-west, the veterans would finish first again in league three, still within
30970-447: The time it was recovered, the clock had run out and the game was over, leaving Stoke unable to attempt the penalty. The same law also states that the duration of either half is extended until a penalty kick to be taken or retaken is completed; thus, no game can end with an uncompleted penalty. In league competitions, games may end in a draw. In knockout competitions where a winner is required, various methods may be employed to break such
31160-531: The time of the first recorded women's games in the late 19th century. The best-documented early European team was founded by activist Nettie Honeyball in England in 1894. It was named the British Ladies' Football Club . Honeyball is quoted as, "I founded the association late last year [1894], with the fixed resolve of proving to the world that women are not the 'ornamental and useless' creatures men have pictured. I must confess, my convictions on all matters where
31350-564: The top flight. Instead in 1936–37 , the club were relegated back to the Third Division (North). City won their third piece of silverware two seasons later, when they lifted the Third Division North Challenge Cup , but they were unable to defend the trophy because competitive football was suspended for the Second World War. After the war, City went through two managers in the first two seasons, and were consistently in
31540-422: The tournament or be the champion. Goals scored during extra time periods count towards the final score of the game, but kicks from the penalty mark are only used to decide the team that progresses to the next part of the tournament, with goals scored in a penalty shoot-out not making up part of the final score. In competitions using two-legged matches , each team competes at home once, with an aggregate score from
31730-597: The transmission of cuju outside of China, especially the form of the game popular in the Tang dynasty , the period when the inflatable ball was invented and replaced the stuffed ball. Other East Asian games include kemari in Japan and chuk-guk in Korea, both influenced by cuju . Kemari originated after the year 600 during the Asuka period . It was a ceremonial rather than
31920-439: The two matches deciding which team progresses. Where aggregates are equal, the away goals rule may be used to determine the winners, in which case the winner is the team that scored the most goals in the leg they played away from home. If the result is still equal, extra time and potentially a penalty shoot-out are required. Under the Laws, the two basic states of play during a game are ball in play and ball out of play . From
32110-441: The ultimate factors would consist losing to Hume away 5–2 on round fifteen, and a close but unlucky 3–3 draw earlier to Gisborne in round ten. At the season's conclusion, it would be decided to discontinue the thirds team until further notice due to an insufficient number of players throughout the club to field four men's teams, being that there would only be enough players to sufficiently field three. The club logically voted to return
32300-610: The veterans team until further notice, following more player departures throughout all three men's teams with the remaining players being promoted to reserve and senior teams respectively. The 2017 era started with a sense of optimism for the women's department following the establishment of the reserve team in meeting the demands of multiple player signups. The senior team showed valiance in 2016 after narrowly avoiding relegation in their first season in State League Two following their promotion in 2015. Despite strong victories throughout
32490-401: The veterans' four-point lead was dealt a blow in round sixteen against University of Melbourne SC after a 0–1 loss at Princes Park . The ultimate final difference that won the title for the veterans came the week before in round fifteen being out of their control, with University drawing 2–2 with Hoppers Crossing at Hoppers' home ground. One on one, Old Xaverians drew and lost to Hoppers during
32680-440: The veterans' team due to an abundance of players but was kept in the amateur league. Positive signs were present at the season's conclusions with the seniors and reserves both finishing third in their respective divisions of 'Men's Thirds 1' (then tier nine) and 'Men's Thirds 3' (then tier eleven) in the south-eastern conference. The thirds finished fourth for the state's fourteenth tier, then known as 'Men's Thirds 6' participating in
32870-399: The week after, Moreland losing 1–2 to Coonan Hills at home in round sixteen, and RMIT drawing with fourth-placed Glenroy Lions at home in round fourteen. The top three finishing era would come to an end in 2018 with the veterans being competitive but narrowly finishing fourth after being promoted to League two north-west. At the conclusion of the season, it was decided to temporarily discontinue
33060-470: The wooden main stand in just nine minutes. The club played its home games at Odsal Stadium , a rugby league ground in Bradford, Elland Road , Leeds, and Leeds Road , the former home of Huddersfield Town, until December 1986, while Valley Parade was redeveloped. The club spent £2.6 million building a new main stand and improving the Kop and reopened the new ground on 14 December 1986 for an exhibition match against an England international XI. In 1991,
33250-510: Was Charterhouse . The Freemasons' Tavern was the setting for five more meetings of The FA between October and December 1863; the English FA eventually issued the first comprehensive set of rules named Laws of the Game , forming modern football. The laws included bans on running with the ball in hand and hacking (kicking an opponent in the shins), tripping and holding. Eleven clubs, under the charge of FA secretary Ebenezer Cobb Morley , ratified
33440-408: Was appointed the new manager, and although he said anything less than promotion would be a failure, he finally led the team to a 10th-place finish. McCall eventually left Bradford City on 8 February 2010 following a board meeting after a run of poor results. In September 2011, the club became linked with American amateur side SC United Bantams . In January 2013, City became the first club from
33630-505: Was crucial to the success of the season in scoring fifteen goals and providing thirteen assists in his sixteen appearances for the club, earning him both the Paul Trimboli medal and club best and fairest. The reserves were undefeated for the season with seventeen wins and five draws, with victory of round eighteen proving to be the sealing match of the season, again over nemesis Middle Park. The thirds continued to battle on finishing ninth for
33820-425: Was decided that the club would make a full return to the amateur leagues with the intentions to return to state football at an unstated later date. This would not occur until late 2010. The 2007 and 2008 seasons would prove to be years of resetting foundations of the club to ensure future success. 2007 saw all three teams, seniors, reserves and thirds all finishing mid table in their respective divisions. 2008 saw both
34010-527: Was first recorded as in exercise in the Zhan Guo Ce , a military history from the Han dynasty . Cuju players would pass the ball around, having to avoid it touching the ground at any point. It was then passed to a designated player, who attempted to kick it through the fengliu yan , a circular goal atop 10–11 meter poles. During the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), cuju games were standardised and rules were established. The Silk Road facilitated
34200-419: Was first recorded in 1889 in the earlier form of socca . Kicking ball games arose independently multiple times across multiple cultures. The Chinese competitive game cuju ( 蹴鞠 , literally "kickball"; also known as tsu chu ) resembles modern association football as well as a mix of basketball, and volleyball. This is the earliest form of a kicking game for which there is historical evidence. The game
34390-405: Was founded in tradition of other prominent Old Xaverians sporting clubs, and is a member of the Old Xaverian Association and the Associated Old Boys Soccer Association, along with support of the school's administration and Melbourne's Italian community . Former Victorian Premier League and Brunswick Juventus midfielder Luciano Fioravanti was signed as inaugural Senior Men's head coach, and the club
34580-431: Was granted by Football Victoria . The club's first season of state league would be the eastern conference of the tier seven league, then known as the ' Provisional League 3 '. Both the senior and reserves teams were to compete in this league whilst thirds and veterans' teams were kept in the amateur leagues. With a mid table finish for 2003, the seniors finished second on the ladder for 2004, an outcome that had depended on
34770-497: Was motivated by a perceived threat to the "masculinity" of the game. Women's football became popular on a large scale at the time of the First World War , when female employment in heavy industry spurred the growth of the game, much as it had done for men 50 years earlier. The most successful team of the era was Dick, Kerr Ladies F.C. of Preston, England . The team played in one of the first women's international matches against
34960-427: Was poached by his former club Derby County just six months later. City won compensation from Derby and installed another England international Trevor Cherry as McFarland's replacement. Cherry, with former teammate Terry Yorath as his assistant manager, failed to win for two months, but eventually the pair guided City to safety from relegation. During the summer, however, the club chairman Bob Martin had to call in
35150-400: Was renamed Division Two following the formation of the Premier League in 1992. In January 1994, Geoffrey Richmond came from Scarborough to take over as chairman, and promised to guide City to the Premier League within five years. He cleared the debts and after four months sacked manager Frank Stapleton to appoint his own manager, Lennie Lawrence . Lawrence left after little more than
35340-496: Was sacked in January 1998. Paul Jewell took over, initially on a temporary basis, before he was given a permanent contract. He bought the club's first £1 million signings and guided the club to the Premier League — the first time they had been in the top flight for 77 years — with a second-place finish. The following season, Jewell continued to defy the critics, who labelled his team Dad's Army , by avoiding relegation again on
35530-420: Was set. On 6 July, the club announced a record-breaking 18,000 tickets had been sold following a successful campaign. The campaign was repeated for the 2016–17 season , where the club sold in excess of 17,000 tickets. Bradford City have one official mascot , Billy Bantam. Bradford City announced 'Own The Moment' 2022–23 season ticket sales of 14,190 in September 2022. The figure was a League Two record for
35720-411: Was sold to Gibb's pension fund for £5 million, with the club's offices, the shop and car park sold to London-based Development Securities for £2.5 million, but these (club offices, shop and car park) were bought back by the club's joint chairmen in the summer of 2011. The club's annual rent and maintenance costs to Gibb's pension fund is £1.2m, and so as of February 2009, the club is considering
35910-465: Was stopped by Barnsley after a run of 12 consecutive clean sheets. City remained in the top flight in the period up to the First World War and for three seasons afterwards, but were relegated in 1921–22 along with Manchester United . Back in the Second Division, attendances dropped and City struggled for form, with five consecutive finishes in the bottom half of the table. They suffered
36100-400: Was successfully granted entry into the independent Amateur Soccer Federation Victoria (ASFV) for the 2002 season. The club's inaugural season was a success having fielded three teams, in which all were competitive that saw the senior squad earn their first premiership and cup tournament victory. The senior squad finished first on the ladder of ASFV division 2, the reserve squad finished second in
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