By Jason McKeown

The game kicked off and the first flashpoints immediately followed. As a pair of drummers provided the loud beat to a range of supporter chants, those who led the singing remained standing instead of sitting in their seats. In doing so, they blocked the view of those sat behind them. Polite requests to sit down fell on deaf ears, and quickly became more forceful. Heated arguments began, with a relatively large group of nearby stewards finding they were helpless in resolving the situation. Futile attempts to ask individuals to take their seats were undermined by a chant of “Stand up if you love City”. The stewards quickly gave up.

If you’re a well versed away game attendee, this scene probably sounds familiar. But we’re not talking about an encounter on the road, where the random bringing together of supporters into one visitors section so often brings up issues of fans who want to stand and loudly back their team, clashing with others who want to sit and peacefully watch the game. This is a home match. Valley Parade. Bradford City. In Block B of the Kop – an all seater stand, built exactly 25 years ago. These events are taking place during the Bantams’ first home game of the season. And the people upset they can’t see the football match are long standing season ticket holders, who have sat in this part of the ground for many years.

As well as arguments about standing there are stories of fist fights. Of vaping and drinking alcohol in seats. Of people being sworn at. Of homophobic chanting. Of one woman enduring harassment. It is a bleak tale.

It was clearly a difficult situation. At WOAP I’ve asked fans closer to the situation than me to share their first-hand accounts. I’ve also approached the club for their view on what happened. This article is a long read, but the people who I spoke to deserve the space to share their experiences.

How we got here

Last March, when season tickets for the 2024/25 campaign went on sale, Bradford City announced that the club’s atmosphere section – a group of supporters, and drummers, who congregate together to vocally cheer on their team – was to be moved from the top tier of the North West corner to Block B of the Kop.

A Bradford City club spokesperson explained to WOAP, “The ‘atmosphere section’ was moved from the upper tier of the North West Corner following communication the club had from the Sports Ground Safety Authority (SGSA). We were informed last season that this ‘atmosphere section’ must be moved to an area in the lower tier of the stadium, as persistent standing in the upper tier of the stadium would not be permitted. We were advised that, should this not happen, capacity restrictions would be introduced at the University of Bradford Stadium. 

“The decision was made following clear consultation with supporters, through a survey which was publicised across the club’s official digital channels – including website and social media – directly with supporters over email, and through the local external media. From over 2,600 survey responses, 80% of supporters said they would welcome the ‘atmosphere’ section to be moved to the lower tier of The Kop. The survey was similar to the one sent out ahead of the proposed re-branding of the club in 2022. A 61% majority of supporters voted to keep the existing crest in place, which the club acted upon. Following the results of the ‘atmosphere section’ survey, free seat swaps were offered to any supporter currently holding a seat in the lower tier of The Kop, and are still available by emailing ticketingsupport@bradfordcityafc.com.” 

Full details of the survey can be found here.

At the time of the March announcement there was backlash from affected supporters. The lower tier section of the Kop behind the goal has been home to hundreds of committed season ticket holders for many years. Friends and family sitting in groups together, season after season. Experiencing the highs and lows of Bradford City’s modern times from their own part of the ground. In moving the noisy atmosphere section into this area, the club gave these long-standing supporters a stark choice – relocate to a seat elsewhere in the ground, or deal with the fact some of the club’s nosiest fans (and a pair of drums) would be sharing your spot next season.

I was one of the B Block season ticket holders given this difficult choice. For balance, I won’t pretend this was the emotional hardship for me that it was for others. I’d only moved here in 2019, and decided I was going to move before any announcements were made anyway.

Nevertheless, what I and other B Block season ticket holders experienced from the club over this situation wasn’t great. No direct communication – letter or email – to inform us of the relocating of the atmosphere section to our part of the ground. No support about our options, including helping to find a new spot if we wanted to move. We found out like every other supporter – from social media and the club’s website.

It became a talking point over the final few games of the season. The club are effectively forcing us to move – do we reluctantly accept that? Some vowed to stay and urged others to do the same. If every B Blocker refused to move, they argued, the club would have to come up with a new plan. The final game of the season – at home to Newport – was a slightly odd affair. I spoke to people who had sat in this section for two decades, who were saying goodbye to their spot. They weren’t able to find enough room elsewhere in the ground to sit with all their friends and family. They were sad. They’d miss the people they had sat nearby for years. A small community of fans were being displaced.

Me and my friend eventually settled for season ticket seats in Block F of the Main Stand. This gives me a very good view of the Kop’s B Block. And for the first 10 minutes on Saturday, I probably paid more attention to what was happening in this section than events on the pitch. The drums were positioned right by my old season ticket seat, with rows and rows of fans stood up around it. I could see one lovely old lady – who I’d sat nearby for the last five years – reluctantly stood up amongst them with their teenage kids. And a few rows back, where people were sitting down for the match, the first of a number of angry people could be seen screaming at the fans stood up in front of them. Stewards tried and failed to restore order.

The frustration on all sides was palpable.

“Saturday was the least I’ve ever enjoyed a City game”

The individual stories from supporters begin with James. He and his family have been season ticket holders in B Block for over 10 years, and have no intention of giving up their seats. “Saturday was the least I’ve ever enjoyed a City game, home or away. Given that I’ve had a season ticket almost every season for about 26 years, that’s some achievement. I felt like an outsider in my own seat and have never felt less like a City fan. I couldn’t tell you what happened in the game because there was always an argument of some sort going on around us.

“Children and older people were forced to move due to persistent standing. I’m 32 and 6ft 2 and I couldn’t see for large parts of the game. When asked to sit down we were told to ‘f**k off’ regularly by those that have moved to the block.

“My 70 year old Dad was constantly stared at and attempts were made to intimidate him, as well as being told to “f**k off” by one particular individual who has never sat in this area in the past.

“When approached, stewards told us it was not their remit to remove persistent standers. The solution was that at half time they politely asked everyone to sit when coming back into the block. Surprisingly this didn’t work.

“I don’t entirely blame the fans that have been asked to move to Block B. We accept there will be some give and take but there was none of this from them, only take. However, responsibility of this issue lies with the club. It was a badly thought out, badly executed move to put the drum where it is and everyone could see it would not work.”

“A lad in front of me was continually puffing on a vape, which was blowing into my son’s face”

Tim is another supporter who has had a season ticket in B Block for many years. He has slightly adjusted his seats for this season because of the atmosphere section, but remains in the same area. At least that was his intention before experiencing Saturday’s events.

“I have been going to Valley Parade since 1990, season ticket holder since 1995 in various parts of the ground, before moving to B Block at the beginning of the 2008/09 season,” he explains. “We were originally allocated seats in that block as it is easily accessible for my ambulant disabled friend, for whom I act as a match day helper.

“During our 15 seasons in those seats, we have got to know the people around us and also enjoyed a fantastic view of the action on the pitch. For the past 2 seasons, my 7 year old has held a season ticket in the same area and this season my other son, 5, has got his first one. After much deliberation as to where we would sit for this season, we chose to move one row forward and a few seats left as we felt this might allow the four of us to continue sitting in Block B, but maybe not be in ‘the thick of it’ in terms of flags/drummers/persistent standees.

“I was still uneasy about how the changes would pan out though, and my worries were realised on Saturday.

“I’d decided to take only my eldest son for this game, as he is an experienced match-goer, home and away, whereas my youngest has only attended a couple so far. We arrived in the stadium just as the players were finishing the warm ups and although it felt busy, we made our way to our seats without a problem and met our friend for whom I am matchday helper as usual.

“As kick off approached, the area suddenly became much busier and as the teams entered the pitch large groups began cramming their way into the area which led to multiple people standing in front of one seat. Obviously this made me feel uneasy and it became apparent that it was becoming a free for all. One young lad tried to climb onto our row, next to my son, and I told him our seats were reserved and he couldn’t stand there. All of a sudden, it felt like I needed to be on high alert and it didn’t feel comfortable at all. A lad in front of me was continually puffing on a vape, which was blowing into my son’s face, and heightened my frustrations even more.

“As the game kicked off, it quickly became apparent that nobody would be sitting down, which is when it became nasty. People who asked those in front to sit down were laughed at and told to ‘shut up’ in no uncertain terms. One of the lads from around the drum shouted across ‘If anyone asks you to sit down, tell them the club say we have to stand.’ I find this astonishing if true. It very quickly turned into an ‘us against them’ situation and it was very unpleasant.

“Some supporters quickly took the decision to move, whilst others tried to engage the stewards to help. My son had to stand on his seat to see, which he has had to do at certain away games, but isn’t something I’d want him to have to do every week. In addition, my disabled friend cannot stand for prolonged periods of time without having the option of being able to sit. I looked towards the pitch and noticed that 10 minutes of the game had elapsed – I hadn’t watched any of the action at all due to what was going on around me.

“At this point, we decided to leave the area and found a steward who was obviously having to bear the brunt of what was going on. We were taken into the concourse and we spoke to a club employee, who was very helpful and moved us to alternative seats at the front of Block B from where we could watch the match.

“All in all, it was very far removed from our usual match day experience and quite frankly, very unpleasant. During the second half, a couple of other incidents occurred at the top of Block B where stewards were involved. I heard one steward at the front of the Kop say ‘We’re as frustrated as you all are. We knew this was going to happen as soon as it was announced.’ I think many supporters feel exactly the same and serious questions need to be asked of the club as to why they felt this was a sensible way of ‘improving the atmosphere’ at Valley Parade.

“I am exploring options at moving our season ticket seats, however I feel incredibly aggrieved at how this whole situation has been handled and it saddens me at how badly Bradford City seems to be run at present. We can only hope for change soon.”

“It was glaringly obvious what was going to happen”

Another supporter, who also asked to stay anonymous, shared their experience, “I sit in the Bantams Bar and it was a huge distraction the whole game. Fans were arguing and squaring up to each other, fans were arguing with stewards who were powerless to do anything, elderly people were having to stand up because other fans refused to sit down.

“Everyone I spoke to at the end of last season, who sat in this area, said exactly what would happen and the chaos it would cause. And low and behold, the predictions were spot on.

“It was glaringly obvious what was going to happen, so how the club never saw this happening and just pushed on with their plans is laughable really.”

“You could see some parents trying to shield younger kids”

Even some of the supporters who chose to be part of the atmosphere section were left frustrated. Andy was one and told me, “I was looking forward to singing along, but after experiencing Saturday I won’t be back again. It was crazy on arrival at the turnstiles. I was given a yellow wristband with no instructions what it was for. I sat down and some people had red bands, some green and some none at all.

“Nearby fans were standing up – some even standing up on chairs. At no point did they sit down, despite requests by stewards telling them. It was met with chants of we are Bradford and we do what we want. People were disgruntled as the drum was directly behind them, and they said the club had not spoken to them directly about the move.”

The purpose of wristbands that were given out to fans in the B Block was unclear to all supporters. A club spokesperson explained to WOAP, “A number of safety measures were implemented ahead of the game, including wristbands to ensure those with tickets for Block B in The Kop remained in this area. Wristbands allowed for a quicker check from stewards, if a supporter needed to leave their seat for whatever reason. They also ensured that anyone without a wristband could not access B Block of The Kop.”

Andy continues, “At half time the first fight broke out between a teenage lad and a grown man who was being backed by the rest of the gang. It then started up again during the second half, with stewards attempting to stop it but again stopped by aggressive kids. You could see some parents trying to shield younger kids from it.”

“I was seriously concerned that had there been a goal somebody would have been hurt“

Jamie had a close up view of the events and has contacted the club to request a sit down meeting. He travelled to City’s pre-season game in Austria and spoke to club representatives at the time over his concerns, where he was given assurances. He plans to contact West Yorkshire police and fire brigade, and Bradford Council, to share what he saw on Saturday.

“We had disabled and elderly supporters being told by stewards to move if they want to sit and watch the game. People book the back of Block B for various reasons, including near to steps for mobility reasons, so to be told they need to move to watch a game they had paid to watch was absolutely ridiculous. A request was made by stewards for announcements [over the PA system] to be made for people to sit down, but this did not appear to happen.

“At least four fights were spotted within the stand, mainly between regular B Block supporters and those who moved from the North West corner. There was alcohol in the stands, with one girl sneaking a 1 litre bottle of vodka past security. When she was caught she handed over the vodka, but no further action was taken and the steward just laughed.

“One of the main concerns was over crowding in the middle of B Block. There were more people than seats. I was seriously concerned that had there been a goal somebody would have been hurt or even worse crushed.”

“I saw a few people cast their wristbands away in confusion.”

Other fans like Tom contacted the club back in April to register their concerns and frustrations over having to move, especially as the only way his larger group could find new season ticket seats together was by moving to the Bantams Bar, at an extra cost of £180. Tom did not receive a reply from the club.

George was in the nearby A Block and adds, “The whole situation seemed farcical in the extreme, from unexpected wristbands to confused stewards it seemed very mismanaged. They issued anyone with tickets in the B Block with wristbands, with little or no explanation. I saw a few people cast their wristbands away in confusion.

“Stewards seemed at a loss as to whether they should be telling people to sit down or not. There were fleeting attempts at the start of the match, but they quickly realised it was impossible. Some rows were overcrowded. To be fair to some of the fans at the front, who had wanted to stand and make an atmosphere, they sat down at the behest of other supporters.”

“Our vocal fans needed to be housed somewhere, and the B Block feels to be the right place”

George and some other fans who got in touch add that – as frustrating as the situation was for those wanting to watch the game sat down – some of the long-term B block season ticket holders, who declined to move, share some of the responsibility.

“As a bystander, it felt like most of the aggro came from a resolute few who were determined to make the atmosphere section sit down and stick to their allocated seats. Every other team in the 92 has a dedicated area for their vocal supporters. In years gone by, younger fans could cluster on the terraces of the Kop or the Bradford End – why should today’s generation not get the same opportunity? Our vocal fans needed to be housed somewhere, and the B Block feels to be the right place.

“A seat is only a seat. It is the people around you who make it home. If more than half of those people have already left, and you’re not taken by the new occupiers, just move. It’s just a seat, which could arguably be replaced by a better seat in the C and D blocks.”

It’s a theme that Steven agrees with. “Surely in a ground that holds 25,000 there’s enough empty seats to accommodate those who want to stand and sing and chant and those who don’t. If I was in the new singing section and didn’t want to stand, I would honestly just move – because anything that helps the atmosphere at Valley Parade and helps the team should be encouraged.”

“The worst match experience I have had in 65 years season ticket holder”

It is a fair argument of course, but another fan – who used to sit near B Block, and asked to remain anonymous – makes the point that the impact of the atmosphere section move wasn’t just consigned to those directly in this area. “A group of eight of us have had front row seats in the Bantams Bar, immediately behind Block B, for many years. When the club announced the decision to move the atmosphere block, we realised that unless we did something, we were going to spend the season with our view blocked every game, because of standing fans and by flags, not to mention the drum being right in front of us.

“We don’t have anything against the atmosphere section, but what the club failed to consider is that season ticket seats are very important to people. Getting eight together is no easy task, and there’s the pals you making sitting around you too. These things matter. Some consultation with those fans affected was essential and could’ve gone a long way to finding a good solution.” In Block A, Richard adds, “That was the worst match experience I have had in 65 years as a season ticket holder. They were stood up all game, blocking part of my view and I feared it would all kick off anytime.

“I am very loathe to move seats as I sit on an end seat because of my bad knee, and have made many football friends over the years in the same seat since the new ground was built. I don’t know what the answer is, but something has to change.”

Rachel was also near, rather than amongst, the new section, watching the game in Block C with her three-year-old son. “He has been before previously and loved it, but this time he hated it. The problems were when the stewards were involved, because a few were drinking and denying it, when it was clear they had pints under their seats. Arguments erupted between a couple of supporters and stewards. So many people vaped throughout the game. There was a lot of swearing and people stood up, refusing to sit down.

“I have sat in that seat for 20 years and I’m now looking to move, to make it more enjoyable for my little one.”

“I raised this concern to a steward, and my concern was ignored”

Derek was in B Block and has contacted the club with his frustrations. “During the game, particularly the first half, there were a lot of supporters who were persistently standing. I myself was on my feet for the first 40 minutes of the game in an effort to see. Those with small children, older and disabled supporters in the stand – who could not remain standing for this length of time and had to sit down – were unable to watch the game as a consequence. To compound it, there were a number of cases of multiple supporters to one seat. I had three supporters stood in front of me in the space of one seat. I raised this concern to a steward, and my concern was ignored.

“During the match, I heard at least three uses of homophobic language, saw multiple supporters vaping and on one occasion, supporters, who I may add looked under the age of 18, drinking alcohol in the stands. These supporters, though pointed out by another supporter, remained in the stand after the issue was reported to stewards. Added to this, supporters who were new to the stand were intentionally trying to instigate fights, one such example was a supporter harassing a woman – even after the woman had asked for him to leave her alone, he moved onto another row and wouldn’t leave her alone. Again, this was something that the stewards did nothing about.

“I am sure the club can appreciate the distress this will have caused a number of our supporters during the game and the disruption that it has caused to their ability to watch the match. Added to this is the safety concerns that this raises in relation to potential injury to supporters and the relevant laws and guidelines that the club is bound to follow in relation to match day safety, one that a club with our history should know more than most – and one that the club has failed on.”

Whatever your view on where to house the atmosphere section, it’s difficult to dispute the club has come out of this saga badly. It is not easy, in an established stadium with long-standing habits of where supporters sit, to set up an atmosphere section. That’s why the North West corner – largely unused since the Premier League days – made such sense. Here was a part of the ground that no season ticket holder had their flag especially planted into. They could set up a place for drums and flags without claiming space occupied by long-standing season ticket holders.

Having the atmosphere section in the North West corner was not perfect for sure. The sound made by supporters in this area did not travel well around the rest of the ground. Ultimately, the atmosphere in Valley Parade was better before a dedicated section was set up in 2021 – when the club’s most vocal fans were based at the back of the top tier of the Kop. Their movement having grown organically. Still, for those who wanted to lead the chanting and passionately back their team, the North West corner section was a place to go to be with like-minded individuals.

Given the SGSA’s threats of reducing the capacity of Valley Parade, the club clearly had to do something. But trying to move the atmosphere section into another, established part of the ground, one where there is a heritage of fans having their same seat year upon year, was always asking for trouble. Even then, the sensitivities could have been so much better managed if the club had engaged with affected fans, helped them to find an alternative place to move, and more than anything made them feel valued. It is a massive communication error from a club that has been so poor at communicating in recent times. The recent announcement City are deemed to be one of the top 10 clubs in the country for fan engagement feels mystifying.

The club view

In the aftermath of Saturday’s events, Bradford City have on Monday undertaken a review and begun implementing a new plan to fix them. The club spokesperson confirmed, “Every supporter in Blocks A and B of The Kop has been contacted directly via email this evening [Monday], with information on the measures that will be introduced ahead of Saturday’s game against Bromley, and the club’s stance.” 

I asked why fans were allowed to stand on Saturday. “Stewards at the University of Bradford Stadium were briefed to ask supporters to remain seated, though some supporters did not follow these instructions. New, additional measures will be put in place to help try and prevent this, ahead of Saturday’s game against Bromley, including persistent standing messaging to be displayed on the club’s electronic scoreboard.

As for what else the club will do, the spokeperson revealed, “A meeting has been planned to discuss the better internal policing of the measures we have introduced. An increased security presence will be implemented ahead of Saturday to ensure safety and compliance. Age restrictions will also be introduced, meaning that no supporter under the age of 16 will be allowed entry into The Kop without an Adult or Senior, for any new ticket sales as of Monday 19 August 2024. Existing Youth season ticket holders will not be prevented from entering the University of Bradford Stadium without an Adult or Senior.”

Finally, I asked the club for a comment on the supporter experiences I’ve reported on here regarding fans drinking in their seats, vaping, swearing, fighting, and using homophobic chants.

“The club strongly condemns any use of discriminatory and/or anti-social behaviour, and adopts a zero-tolerance policy towards such actions. Vaping and alcohol consumption in seats is illegal, and supporters were emailed on Friday ahead of the game with a reminder on the club’s expectations on and response to behaviour and conduct inside the University of Bradford Stadium. An increased security presence, as discussed earlier, will be implemented from the Bromley fixture onwards, with a focus on ensuring instances such as these are dealt with as strongly as possible. Full details on the club’s stance are also published in the matchday guide, ahead of each fixture.”

In summary

The fans who make up the atmosphere section are really important to the present and future of the club. Their noise absolutely matters, and makes the whole matchday experience better for the rest of us.

But like it or not, there are rules to follow. You don’t have to stand up in order to chant. You don’t need to block other people’s view to get behind the lads. You certainly don’t need to drink or vape in your seat. And you absolutely should not abuse or fight fellow supporters.

With another home game this Saturday, all eyes will be on whether the situation is improved and how it is managed. Hopefully, the visit of Bromley proves to be one that’s all about what happens on the pitch, with every Bradford City supporter present able to enjoy the matchday experience – and the game of football they have paid to see.

Categories: Opinion

Tags: BCAFC