Valley Parade

Valley Parade

Full name	University of Bradford Stadium
Location	Valley Parade, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD8 7DY, England
Coordinates	53°48′15″N 001°45′32″W / 53.80417°N 1.75889°W / 53.80417; -1.75889
Owner	Gordon Gibb pension fund[3]
Capacity	24,840[2]
Record attendance	39,146 (Bradford City–Burnley, 11 March 1911)
Field size	113 yd × 70 yd (103 m × 64 m)[2]
Surface	Grass
Opened	1886[1]
Tenants
Football Bradford City (1903–1985, 1986-present)[4] Bradford (Park Avenue) (1973–1974)[5] Rugby League Manningham RFC (1886–1903) Bradford Bulls (2001–2002)[6]

Valley Parade, known as the University of Bradford Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is an all-seater football stadium in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. Built in 1886, it was the home of Manningham Rugby Football Club until 1903, when they changed code from rugby football to association football and became Bradford City. It has been Bradford City's home since, although it is now owned by former chairman Gordon Gibb's pension fund. It has also been home to Bradford (Park Avenue) for one season, and Bradford Bulls rugby league side for two seasons, as well as host to a number of England youth team fixtures.

Football architect Archibald Leitch was commissioned to redevelop the ground when Bradford City were promoted to the First Division in 1908. The stadium underwent few changes until the fatal fire on 11 May 1985, when 56 supporters were killed and at least 265 were injured. It underwent a £2.6 million redevelopment and was re-opened in December 1986. The ground underwent significant changes in the 1990s, and early 2000s, and now has a capacity of 25,136. The record attendance of 39,146 was set in 1911 for an FA Cup tie against Burnley, making it the oldest surviving attendance record at a Football League ground in the country. The highest attendance at Valley Parade, as it is now, is 24,343, set at a pre-season friendly against Liverpool in 2019.^[7]