Date: Thursday, 25 December 2025Location: Valley Parade Function Hall
Snow dusted the parking lot outside Valley Parade like powdered sugar, soft and thin and clinging to the cracks in the asphalt. Under the orange glow of the streetlights, cars idled with clouds of exhaust curling upward into the night, parents bundling kids out of backseats, players arriving in smart coats and holiday ties instead of tracksuits.
Warm light spilled from the windows of the function hall, breathing life into the dark December evening. Inside, laughter buzzed between the decorated tables. Christmas trees stood tall in every corner, their branches heavy with claret and amber ribbons spiraling downward, ornaments shaped like tiny Bradford kits swinging lazily under the air vents.
