The coach of the Bradford Schools Under 19 football team is appealing for someone to provide a venue for an annual match against Scottish rivals.

Paul Ryan, the team coach, says if a pitch is not found soon the long running fixture against Glasgow Schools Under 19 team will have to be played in a park or at a school.

Paul, a sports teacher at Oakbank school, says: "It just seems such a shame that we go up there and play at their national stadium and they come down here and we can't get them a ground. It's disgusting but that's the way it is."

The annual match has been played between the two organisations for around 100 years and started after links were formed between some of the groups' officials.

"There were some friends from Bradford Schools Association and some friends from the Glasgow Schools Association and they just decided to play this game and it's gone on since.

"Friendships have been struck and many of the representatives are quite pally. It's quite an occasion" says Paul.

Paul says appeals have been made to clubs around the region including Keighley Cougars and Bradford Bulls but all to no avail.

Paul says: "We used to play at Bradford City three or four years ago but since they have gone up they don't seem too happy to let us play there."

Paul is hoping a venue can be found for the match which is already scheduled for Saturday, May 6 at 11am.

"They are coming down on the Friday and we have to play in the morning so they can get back home on the Saturday."

John Pollard, secretary of Bradford City FC says: "We have an agreement where we have a certain amount of games played here every season.

"We just had the England schools international against Scotland recently. We have broken the agreement with Schools FA."

Cllr Barry Thorne, Bradford Council's executive member for culture, heritage and leisure, invited the Bradford School's team to contact him to see if he could help find a pitch.

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