Railway historian Mark Neale has unearthed this rare postcard of Bradford City’s 1911 FA Cup final party leaving for London.

It shows the group about to leave Forster Square station on the Friday before the game against Newcastle United, which ended in a goalless draw. City won the trophy after a replay.

Mr Neale, a veteran Bantams’ fan, discovered the postcard at a railway memorabilia collectors’ fair.

He said: “There are pictures of City playing at the Crystal Palace in the 1911 final, but I always wondered if any photos had been taken of the team leaving Brad-ford. This is a rare survivor.

“City left Bradford in two special trains, and The Midland Railway Company, great supporters of the club, provided their best coaches, including a sumptuous dining car.

“They also provided a good luck token, manufactured in the wagon repair shops at the Valley Goods Depot, and allocated a driver called Luck to the train.”

The account of City’s journey is in Mr Neale’s history of Bradford railways, Along Familiar Lines.

He has also produced a Yorkshire Steam desk calendar, showing local railway scenes from 1948 onwards.

Part of the proceeds will be donated to the Burns Unit Appeal to raise £100,000 for the city’s burns research unit, which was set up at Bradford University 25 years ago following the 1985 fire disaster at Valley Parade which killed 56 people and injured more than 190.

Tomorrow, Mr Neale will be presenting an evening of stories, pictures and poetry about local railways at Saltaire Bookshop, Bingley Road, starting at 6.30pm.

On Saturday, December 12, he will be signing copies of the calendar, priced £3.50, at Waterstones in Bradford, from 10am to 1pm.

e-mail: jim.greenhalf@telegraphandargus.co.uk