Parade No, Valley Yes

So I was four days late for the real drama – still that was for the true Bantams fan and not the odd 92er. So a cold January in Bradford, would it play host to more drama? Well, yes just not of sort the locals were after.

For me this was also a family visit day. We started at the National Media Museum with some elevenses (actually lunch for the others) in their café having parked in a public car park behind it. They went off to see 'The Hobbit in IMAX 3D loveliness while I went around the photography galleries. I've been before but nevertheless it was an entertaining couple of hours.

I walked up to the ground in twenty minutes. Nestled on the valley side the ground looks an impressive stadium. Ticket bought from the office for the main stand I entered down into a cavernous hall of food stands, TVs and fans standing around talking in the warmth. Tea and giant sausage roll later I took my seat,again going down the hillside to row 'O'.

Inside the ground you see how unbalanced it really is. Two sides have stands worthy of any Premier League club. A third side boasts a stand typical of league one while the fourth has a two tiered stand maybe of a modest championship club. Between the three structures are gaps. Opposite me I could see out to the other side of the valley and over into the city centre. While around to my right I saw the nearby streets and into what looked the media centre with many lit up TV screens.

The football was pretty good though the Bradford goal was born of comical error by their defence. The United equaliser was a pearler of a shot and from on they looked the more likely to win. The Bradford keeper made several excellent saves. He was however unable to stop the penalty that ultimately won the match for the visitors.

The fans around me were disgruntled with their team's display and keen on the club getting a few more points on the board. The crowd itself was very large for this league and I imagine may surprise if not intimidate some visiting teams. But equally if may motivate others. It certainly did nothing to dampen Oxford's endeavours and they were worthy winners.

Bradford and its football club are both worth a visit.