Two dates in English footballing history denoting tragedy and triumph belong to the city of Bradford: May 11, 1985, and April 26, 1911.

Both occasions gave the nation a legacy.

As a result of the Bradford City Fire Disaster in 1985, in which 56 people died and many hundreds were injured, conditions for spectators at sports venues were greatly improved and pioneering skin graft techniques for the treatment of severe burns were devised.

The legacy of Bradford City’s triumph over Newcastle United in the 1911 FA Cup Final replay at Old Trafford was the trophy itself.

In the words of ‘Adjutant’, the match reporter whose double column story appeared on page 10 of the April 28 edition of the Bradford Weekly Telegraph:- “Beyond all question, in the opinion of the great mass of people, the Football Association Challenge Cup is the greatest sporting trophy in the world, and the Cup has been won, won fairly and squarely by the Bradford City team.”

It was designed in Bradford by William Norman who worked for the internationally-famous firm of gold and silversmiths, Fattorini & Sons.

Norman’s design was chosen from 250 entries in February, 1911. The Football Association wanted a new trophy for their knock-out competition which had gained tremendously in crowd appeal since its inception in 1872.

In the Newcastle United replay, for example, 30,000 people were reportedly locked out of a packed Old Trafford.

Willam Norman’s sterling silver trophy, the third FA Cup trophy in 39 years, cost 50 guineas (£52.50) to make at Fattorini’s Barr Street works in Birmingham, where Norman later went to work.

How appropriate, then, that the FA’s new trophy was won by the team from the city where it was conceived and designed.

Over the years Bradford has known many exciting and uplifting sporting moments.

In 1956, Jim Laker, the Bradford-born off-spin bowler who learned his craft playing for Saltaire in Roberts Park, took 19 Australian wickets for just 90 runs, playing for England at Old Trafford.

In 1986, cheerful Joe Johnson beat Steve Davis 18-12 to win the World Snooker championship, and reached the final again the following year.

At the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, Adrian Moorhouse swam his way to gold in the 100 metres breaststroke.

But of all the great achievements by Bradford-born sportsmen and women, Bradford City’s 1-0 FA Cup Final victory against Newcastle United 100 years ago today remains what goalscorer Jimmy Speirs said it was shortly after the trophy presentation at old Trafford.

“It is the first time this Cup has been won. Bradford City’s name is the first to be inscribed upon it. I congratulate the club most heartily.”

At a later event in Bradford, the Scottish inside-forward described City’s achievement as “football’s Victoria Cross”, a phrase which will be repeated tonight at a special commemorative dinner at Bradford’s Midland Hotel, the venue for City’s post-match celebration that Wednesday night on April 26, 1911.

In a note for tonight’s celebration, former City Gent fanzine editor Dave Pendleton observes: “It is worth remembering that Bradford City won the FA Cup just eight years after they had been formed.

“More sobering is the fact that six years after being cheered by 100,000 people on the streets of Bradford, Jimmy Speirs lay dying of wounds in a shell hole in Passchendaele.

“The following year Robert Torrance, the man-of-the-match in the FA Cup replay, was blasted into oblivion during an artillery barrage.”

Nine Bradford City players were killed on the Western Front during the 1914-18 War. They will be remembered this summer when Dave Pendleton takes a party of City fans across the Channel to visit their graves and memorials in France and Belgium.

That ‘bit of a do’ at the Midland Hotel 100 years ago wasn’t the only celebratory function attended by the staff and players of Bradford City. On Tuesday, May 2, the Victoria Hotel put on a feast of food, drink and music at which a message from King George V was read out to the assembled great and the good.

“The King thanks the members of Bradford City Football Club for their loyal message and good wishes and His Majesty further desires to convey to the Football team his hearty congratulations on their winning the English Cup.”

King George had ascended to the throne on May 6 the previous year, following the death of King Edward VII. His coronation was scheduled for June 22, 1911.

The anonymous reporter from the Bradford Weekly Telegraph who covered the dinner wrote:- “That was the message received by Mr W N Pollack (club president) and read out on Tuesday evening during the proceedings which followed the complimentary dinner to the Bradford City players held at the Victoria Hotel and it was received with the greatest enthusiasm, the big company rising in their places and singing the National Anthem. It was certainly the feature of a brilliantly successful evening.”

This particular occasion was put on at the request of City supporters to mark the club’s dual achievement of winning the FA Cup and the Yorkshire Combination trophy won by the reserves. Both trophies were on display that night.

Jimmy Speirs was asked to respond on behalf of the players to the speeches of congratulation. The Bradford Weekly Telegraph man reported:- “Mr Speirs had a great reception on rising to respond. After paying tribute to those who had stuck by the club all through, he said it had been very hard work to land that beautiful trophy, but they had all gone into it as if their lives depended upon it.”

l An exhibition of memorabilia associated with City’s FA Cup triumph can be seen at the Industrial Museum until June 12.