Sporting Lunchtime Lecture Programme 2022/23 Season
Record Cafe, North Parade, Bradford
They’re back, although since the appointment of Mark Hughes the talks are now not the best thing about a Bradford City match day, they’re still dates worthy of pencilling into the diary.
The sporting lunchtime lectures have become a match day staple for discerning City fans. The monthly talks commence at noon at the Record Cafe on. They are entirely free, just buy a pint, or a cuppa, and be transported to all corners of the sporting globe.
Saturday 29 October
Paul Norcross
All I Want For Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit
It’ll be a mere fifty-seven days to Christmas when Paul Norcross, who is neither half-man or half-biscuit, talks about the history and culture of football in the Czech Republic. Paul spent the entire corona virus lockdown in Prague, he even loitered outside Bohemians Praha’s padlocked ground as matches took place inside. The big question is did he buy a Dukla Prague away kit?
Saturday 19 November
Dr Chris Stride
‘Shirt Tales’, From Children’s Sportswear to Adult Leisurewear, how replica football shirts conquered the world
When and why did a football shirt become the matchday outfit for many adults? Why are they an addiction for some, but despised by others? Sheffield University’s Dr Chris Stride looks at the surprisingly long history of replica shirts; a Derby County shirt was available in 1885! It’s quite a ride, from the terraces of England to the sweatshops of Asia.
Saturday 17 December
Dr Peter Watson
No Place for a Left-Winger? The Terrace Culture of Colombian Football
In the popular imagination Colombian football is tied up with military dictatorships, FARC Guerrillas and the tragic execution of Escobar; yet it is also the joyful footballing land of Carlos Valderrama’s extravagant hairstyle and the ‘Scorpion Kick’ keeper Rene Higuita. Dr Pete Watson of the University of Leeds guides us through the contradictions of the terrace culture of Colombia.
Saturday 21 January
Dr David Pendleton,
‘Birds, Booze and Bucks’, the North American Soccer League, 1968-1984
For some it was ‘rock and roll football’, for others a last chance to cash in on a fading career. The North American Soccer League might have been a brash mix of excess, hype and stardust, but it was also an innovator. Remember the 35-yard offside line? Five-second shoot outs to decide drawn games? Whatever the NASL was, it was impossible to ignore.
Saturday 18 February
Prof. Chris Gaffney
Archeology and Football
Now that Valley Parade is officially the University of Bradford Stadium, the university’s archeology department has unfettered access to the hallowed turf. Have they found the legendary Holy Well beneath the pitch? Or the footprints of Jimmy Speirs? Chris Gaffney has undertaken geophysical surveys of the pitches at Park Avenue, Bootham Crescent and now Valley Parade. Chris used to appear on Channel 4’s Time Team, nowadays he appears on lower division football grounds.
Saturday 4 March
Ryan Bell
Football Italia
Come and be immersed in the terrace culture of Italy, aided by Ryan, whose passion for Football Italia has made him a regular at many Italian grounds. Ryan will be ‘interviewed’ by Paul Norcross, whose incessant travels have taken him to Italy on numerous occasions. Both have deep love for Italy and its footballing culture, we will hear tales from Verona to Ancona, judging by last season’s talk, it is one not to be missed.
