“I LOVED how there was a sense of community and shared joy and cheer.”

Writer Kamal Kaan describes the uplifting experience of being in the crowd at a Bradford City game.

The Bradford-based playwright and actor had gone along with fellow writer Mary Cooper to soak up the atmosphere and meet members of Bangla Bantams - the focus of a new Radio 4 drama written by the pair, which is broadcast this afternoon.

As part of the research we went to watch a match - it was only the second time I’d ever been despite living in Bradford most of my life. It was such an euphoric experience and I would certainly go again.

“For the women, it was great to hear how they go along with their grandchildren and daughters. Football is such a universal game and something that allows people from all backgrounds to experience it.”

Bangla Bantams is inspired by the fan group of primarily British Bangladeshi supporters from the Manningham Lane area of Bradford.

“Their story hit the BBC headlines back in 2019. I first pitched it to the BBC that year and was delighted when it got commissioned,” says Kamal, whose previous plays include Breaking Up With Bradford, Father’s Land in Mother Tongue and Aaliyah: After Antigone.

“Myself and Mary spent a number of weeks going to meet and speak to the ladies group at BEAP Community Partnership in BD8. It was so wonderful to meet the women and hear about how their attitudes and experiences have changed over time whilst living in the area.

“For most of them, it was the first time in their lives going to watch a match despite the close proximity of the stadium to their houses. It was great meeting the older women too and I was able to talk to them in Bengali and English. Despite never meeting the women before, some of them knew my mum who lives on the other side of Bradford - that was sweet, having a personal connection to them.”

Food plays a major role in the drama. “The Bangla Bantams take their own snacks of freshly made samosas and share it with the home crowds - food is wonderful in its ability to bring people together. Bengali cuisine is not widely available in Bradford, it’s quite different from what we consider ‘Indian food’. It’s nice that the drama illustrates some examples of Bengali cuisine.”

Kamal believes that more can be done at grass roots level to bring people in to sports.

“The drama seeks to shed a positive light on the phenomenal work done by Humayun Islam, the founder of Bangla Bantams, and the Fans for Diversity instigated by Anwar Uddin. They have been instrumental in liaising with the authorities to continue to support access to football matches to people from all backgrounds.

“Inclusivity isn’t just about a willingness to offer one-off gestures, it’s about working long term to create an ecology of support. Humayun has also raised funds and work has begun to build a new fan-zone for pre-match activities for all supporters.

“The Bangla Bantams also worked tirelessly in providing food parcels to vulnerable people and the drama highlights that also. It’s so heartwarming to see the work being done to make football more inclusive, especially for the locals who live on the doorstep of Valley Parade.

Being a member of the fan club made the women feel more a part of their home city.

“From what the women told us, it was important for them that an effort was made to reach out as the stadium felt like a fortress. With so many of them experiencing violence and racism in the 80s, it was a tarrying prospect having been marred by those experiences.

“It was heartening to hear that their football experience days were in contrast to what they had encountered on their doorsteps in the past. It allowed then to feel connected to something they once thought they couldn’t be a part of.”

Kamal is now an avid follower of the Bantams. “I used to be a keen football supporter, but growing up, your interests change. It was great to be able to go back to the joy of football again. I have a new-found love for Bradford City and have begun to follow their progress. The same can be said about many of the people we spoke to.”

Kamal has immense pride in his home town. “It was an absolute honor to be able to share this story. All my work is centered in Bradford. Being a Bradford-based writer and having been born here, I have so much love for the city - there are so many wonderful stories I am itching to write about the place I call home. Being a British born of Bangladeshi origin it was wonderful to write about a story that is close to my personal experiences and heart.”

Bangla Bantams stars Nina Wadia ( Eastenders, Goodness Gracious Me), Sudha Buchar ( Mary Poppins 2, Coronation Street), Bradford talent Natalie Davis ( Eaten By Lions, Hullraisers ) Darren Kuppan and Farzana Dua Elahe.

“I’d like to say thank you to Mary Cooper - the wonderful co-writer - and to Pauline Harris, the producer and director and of course to all the wonderful people we spoke to at BEAP for sharing their experiences and to Humayun Islam for all his support,” says Kamal.

He has also worked on a film called ‘Ali and Ava’ that had its world premiere at Cannes Film Festival in July 2021 and UK premiere in London in October 2021.

“I worked with the phenomenal and golden-hearted writer and director Clio Barnard on the feature as a script consultant. I helped Clio by giving notes on the treatment, the script, the production locations and edits of the film. I also had a cheeky scene in it myself as an actor.

“I first met Clio in the beautiful Waterstones bookshop back in 2018 and quite poetically, my scene in the film is in the Waterstones bookshop. The film in shot entirely in Bradford and is due for release nationwide in cinemas from March 4, 2022. I am also working on my own film idea with the BFI with help from Clio.”

Bangla Bantams will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 at 2.15pm today but you can also listen to it on catch up at bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0013rnr