Avenue 'hat-trick hero' didn't even play

Rory Patterson, right, in action for Avenue against Blackburn in a friendly on Saturday Rory Patterson, right, in action for Avenue against Blackburn in a friendly on Saturday

A football club has been accused of leading its supporters “up the garden path” with misleading reports of its pre-season tour to Spain.

In reports on its official website, Bradford Park Avenue claimed its new striker had scored a hat-trick in one match, and that the tour had been played out against “tough opposition.”

But it has now emerged that Rory Patterson, a new signing from FC United of Manchester, did not even take part in the tour, let alone put in a heroic debut performance against FC Soto Grande.

Nor did the team participate in matches against tough opposition, instead contesting games against opposition more comparable to a Sunday morning team.

Park Avenue bosses have now admitted that accounts of the tour were not 100 per cent true and that reports of Patterson’s hat-trick had been “a bit of a wind up”.

The truth about the club’s tour to Spain came to light after questions were raised on a supporters’ club website.

Rory was actually in Majorca at the time. But one of the guys who played for us was also called Patterson, but was not Rory. We weren’t 100 per cent about it. It was a bit of a wind up on our part

Kevin Hainsworth

One post said there was no record of the teams that Park Avenue were supposed to have played against and claimed the whole tour had been a “joke”.

Kevin Hainsworth, director and spokesman for the club, said the tour had definitely taken place, but accepted that some of the details in the reports had been misleading.

He said: “We have to say that some of the quality of teams we played were not to the strength that we were initially led to believe.

“As it turned out, they were more like Sunday morning teams that we played against. Having said that, it was still okay.

“We are going to ignore the rumours and move on. It was more or less a full squad that went, plus a few trialists were involved.”

When asked about Rory Patterson’s apparent goal-scoring exploits during the tour of southern Spain, Mr Hainsworth said: “Rory was actually in Majorca at the time.

“But one of the guys who played for us was also called Patterson, but was not Rory. We weren’t 100 per cent about it. It was a bit of a wind up on our part to see how people would take it.

“We just want to put the whole thing to bed now. We are approaching the start of a new season with a strengthened side and we are looking forward to it.”

Dave Stordy, of Park Avenue Supporters’ Club, said: “The fans should be told the full story and not led up the garden path. I don’t know why they have done this.

“However, the club has put together what is considered a formidable squad and will be judged on what they achieve this season.”

Comments(16)

tyker says...
11:44am Mon 28 Jul 08

just about sums up BPA-- always was and always will be a joke outfit playing on what is no more than a large public park.

grandiose plans to move to a 20000 seater stadium when the current gate is measured in hundreds? get real?

the city of bradford cannot get 20000 people regularly to turn out for BCAFC and the Bulls so what makes one think they can get 20000 for BPA games!!

playing sunday league teams: inventing stories of the games and scorers reek of grandiosement beyond belief:

Winding up supporters with false reporting? maybe disillusioning those hardy soles who have stuck to a lost cause nay be a more accurate way of reporting it!!

the_scratch says...
12:49pm Mon 28 Jul 08

This is quite possibly one of the most pathetic things I have ever heard a club try to pull on its supporters. Whose idea was this to deliberately lie to the fans. Incredibly unprofessional.

The club haven't even reallt come clean - trying to imply it was a different Patterson. Did he score a hat trick too?

I bet the club "want to put the whole thing to bed now". Now they've been found out.

Incredible.

teddy says...
4:53pm Mon 28 Jul 08

What an absolute disgrace, for a Park Avenue Director to come on and say he wasn't 100% truthful about the Spanish tour, not only embarrassing loyal supporters of the club, but also relaying that false message to the local paper.
And if comments seen on the club's website are nearer to the truth, there were NO GAMES PLAYED AT ALL, so it sounds like a lie covered up with yet another one.
Is this what you can expect from a millionaire owner ? Is the new stadium simply a joke too ?
Wonder what the players feel about the entire affair.

Ronnie's Scarf says...
6:33pm Mon 28 Jul 08


An excellent exposé, well done to the T&A (with a little help from its friends)! Dig deeper though and you might find some dispute about whether a ball was kicked at all, or even if there were enough players there to form a 5 a side team? And what of Stefan Brookster? That's a story in itself!

trueBradfordian says...
8:48pm Mon 28 Jul 08

I have support The Avenue since the early 1960s, and this is easily the most embarassing incident in all those years. Even Herbert Metcalfe picking the team in 1970 comes a distant second. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.

We all know that the close season is all about hype and spin, so far as the papers are concerned, but that's no reason to feed them a completely false story. We supporters are not stupid (although City fans may disagree), and we don't take kindly to having the pi$$ taken by our own club.

Avenue need to put this behind them now. It won't be easy. The best way is to let the team do the talking on the pitch. That's the only talking that anyone is going to take seriously right now.

mike hunt says...
1:18am Tue 29 Jul 08

Joke club in a joke league owned by a joker

LOL

I feel sorry for the Avenue fans!

all 3 or 4 of them

Pablo says...
8:00am Tue 29 Jul 08

Nobody will believe another piece of news coming out of this club.

I thought they were going places but they appear to be run by jokers.

Resignations would appear appropriate.

Waynus71 says...
2:23pm Wed 11 Aug 10

You have to feel sorry for the BPA fans. I appreciate I'm a City fan and will always give some banter, but this story is unbelieveable.

How dare the directors of BPA do the job City fans are supposed to do..... even we can't compete with this p!ss take !!!

Good luck this season fellas, it sounds like you are going to need it.

Ps In relation to the new ground, don't worry too much about it. You could always share with the Bulls at the OSV (once it gets built in the year 2310)!!!

doctor feelgood says...
4:36pm Wed 11 Aug 10

Has anybody heard the rumour that Kevin Hector has been sold to Derby?
(why has a story which is over two years old reappeared just now....?)

gspot says...
4:58pm Wed 11 Aug 10

That has made me laugh. I seem to recall reading an article a few months ago from a BPA director saying how in a few years they will be a bigger club then us (city).....don't make me laugh!!!
Gotta love it.
I've heard that BPA played barcelona on this tour and won 11-0....right performance

gspot says...
4:59pm Wed 11 Aug 10

That has made me laugh. I seem to recall reading an article a few months ago from a BPA director saying how in a few years they will be a bigger club then us (city).....don't make me laugh!!!
Gotta love it.
I've heard that BPA played barcelona on this tour and won 11-0....right performance

Hockens Hey says...
7:17pm Wed 11 Aug 10

In other news:
.
Man lands on moon.
.
Princess Diana dies.
.
Wright brothers set to unveil 'flying machine'.

lonniejockstrap says...
9:14pm Wed 11 Aug 10

Hang on a minute, wasn't this story told a season or 2 ago? Talk about 'old news'. What's going on here T&A are you stuck in a 'time-warp?

lonniejockstrap says...
9:24pm Wed 11 Aug 10

Just noticed the date of the article! I think someone at the T&A has accidentally leant on the archives button, ooops.

thecitygent says...
11:08am Thu 12 Aug 10

I always said that BPA were deluded fantasists. Where is Bob Blackburn taking the club??? Let's hope the wages are being paid - and the taxman.

capitainvestor says...
4:19pm Thu 12 Aug 10

I think that they are trying to pad out the paper by rehashing yesterdays news (or two years ago's news) to avoid having to report the scandal engulfing a local lawyers firm and the disgrace of the partners being severely reprimanded seeing as they were trying to big up the firm not too long ago....

... not sports related but definitely newsworthy! One wonders why this local paper fails to report on this especially as the firm are only over the road from them!

http://www.thelawyer
.com/optima-repriman
ded-by-the-sra-over-
capita-investment/10
05255.article

http://www.sra.org.u
k/consumers/solicito
r-check/155841.artic
le

click2find

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