What do you call our club?

In much the same way I'm really not sure why on earth it would bother anybody. It's not like we don't have much bigger issues constantly surrounding the football club.

 

Yes many of my mates and fellow workers were "Stans" but we usually refereed to them as the Avenue, I have never referred to us as Bradford always City, or going down ta Valley, I do think its partly an age thing because were grew up with another professional football club in our City.
Unfortunately until their late demise they were usually the better of the two Bradford teams, but I never gloated when they lost their league status as the derby games were always something special, win or lose.

 

Where and why did the 'Stans' name come about?

 

Something to do with a cartoon strip or something. "Boring Stan, the avenue fan".

 

Here's an article about it but I thought they were known as the "Stans" years before the 80s.

The club has always been referred to as 'Avenue'. In 1966 Bradford introduced its own cartoon mascot in response to the 'City Gent' of Bradford City at Valley Parade. 'Avenue 'Arry' is a cartoon of a supporter with hat and scarf waving a rattle. Avenue did not use the character to the same extent as Bradford City exploited the 'City Gent' but it has been revived by the reformed club.

In the late 1980s a Bradford City supporters' publication 'Bernard of the Bantams' introduced a cartoon figure 'Boring Stan the Avenue Fan' featuring an old Bradford supporter suffering a mid-life crisis. Bradford City supporters have contemptuously referred to followers of the reformed Bradford Park Avenue club as 'Stans' but the nickname has not been adopted by the club itself.

 

And then the disclaimer after the disclaimer "We've been in the Premiership" (followed by a mumbled "20 years ago").

 

I tell people I support Bradford City. If I am talking to friends I simply say City.

I've only ever supported City, but my friends who were (are) Man U or Liverpool fans when they were kids and now (claim to) support us seem to use "Bradford" in conversation, I wonder if that's a dividing line. As Reds they would likely have been used to referring to Man City as City.

 

If that's how it works what happens if (when) we end up in non-league?

Park Avenue is bracketed and was introduced and used to avoid confusion with City. They are Bradford A.F.C. and league position or status does not change that.

 

Another club's name - don't be daft Idle . I'm 57 and whenever asked who I support I generally say Bradford. Not once has anyone assumed I mean Bradford Park Avenue and and everyone knows I mean Bradford City

 

The City Gent and Viz - both officially "not funny anymore"

 

I think its something to do with a cartoon in The City Gent................ boring stan, the park avenue fan. A bit of a piss take based on Viz.

 

Twice I’ve replied Bradford and have been asked Park Avenue or City? Once by an old boy and once by a Tamworth fan

 

You can add Dylan Mottley Henry to that illustrious list if you go to Horsfall this season. You lucky sod.

 

Never happened to me...although I suppose a non-league Tamworth fan might ask the question seeing as BPA are also non-league. But he still asked and didn't assume "Bradford" meant Park Avenue

 

Because Avenue existed 40 years ago and now have no relevance. I was in London for the Orient game and a bloke in the pub asked me I was a Bradford fan, I replied yeah, not no I'm a Bradford City fan. I get the meaning for the older generation but for anyone from a younger generation being called Bradford will do. The very few Avenue fans I know didn't even refer to themselves as Bradford, merely an Avenue fan.

 

Never been asked to distinguish in over 40 years of following us.

 

Maybe USG? It certainly wasn’t around in my “formative” years

 

One of those things you know it’s technically correct for Avenue to be Bradford and the VP team is Bradford City, but anybody who corrects you is the sort of person who would say well actually it’s not a Hoover because that’s a brand name, it’s a vacuum cleaner made by Dyson.

 

Yes agreed, their demise wasn’t pleasant for the City of Bradford, but in this day and age with all the other available distractions, hardly sustainable?

 

Oddy, “Bantams” was something I never personally used. The T&A from memory always used to refer to City as the “ Paraders” . Certainly in the 60’s 70s I’m pretty sure.

It was just City for me , my mates , family.