Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C. - Colours

Colours

The traditional colours of Bradford (PA) were red, amber and black which were inherited from the original Bradford RFC and incidentally retained by Bradford & Bingley RFC and Bradford Bulls RLFC who all claim common genealogy. The fact that red, amber and black (with white) has been worn by three of the city's senior football clubs (Bradford (Park Avenue) AFC, Bradford RFC / Bradford & Bingley RFC and Bradford Northern RLFC / Bradford Bulls who were all descended from the original Bradford FC, based at Park Avenue) has made many people assume that these were the de facto sporting colours of Bradford.

These colours have also been used by other sports organisations in Bradford such as cycling, hockey and athletics principally in the style of a red, amber and black band on a white shirt (as typically worn by Bradford Northern and as an away kit by Bradford (PA)). Red, amber and black are also the historic colours of Bradford Cricket Club, formed in 1836. The cricket club played at Park Avenue, where Yorkshire C.C.C. traditionally played several matches a season.

Bradford FC had been formed in 1863 by former pupils of Bramham College and in 1880 joined Bradford CC at Park Avenue. However it is not known whether one club took the colours of the other at this time. Bradford did not achieve city status until 1897 and to that extent red, amber and black could well have been associated with Bradford prior to the granting of the arms and certainly well before Bradford's city status.

In 1911, Bradford changed its colours to green and white following the appointment of former Celtic player, Tom Maley, brother of Willie Maley, who also played at Celtic before becoming their first manager, and this may also have been a move to exploit the local catchment area which had many residents of Irish origin. In doing so, Avenue became the only club to have worn green and white in the English First Division, between 1914 and 1921. Avenue reverted to red, amber and black with white in 1924 but then revived green and white between 1958 and 1967. The reformed Bradford Park Avenue has adopted green and white since 1988. Avenue's club crest was the 1907 version of the Bradford coat of arms and this has been used by the reformed club also even though it was replaced by the municipal authority in 1974.

Bradford's traditional rivals Manningham RFC and their successors Bradford City have worn claret and amber in stripes, whereas Bradford has tended to wear hoops, with a number of notable exceptions. Bradford City had also adopted the 1907 Bradford coat of arms as its crest until 1966.

Red, amber and black has occasionally returned in away strips, notably in the club's 2007 centenary shirt, which featured the three colours as hoops. In the 2012/13 season, the club introduced a white home shirt with a red, amber and black sash, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the original club from which Park Avenue came into existence in 1907. The club retained a green and white striped away shirt.