Bradford City football fans offered pre-match wrestling at market

Bradford City football fans are being offered the spectacle of a wrestling match as a warm-up ahead of the team’s EFL Cup game on Saturday.

It is part of the Bantams in the Courtyard FanZone run by the council which returns to the city’s Darley Street Market after a successful trial last season.

Shipley-based Kingdom Wrestling will stage a series of bouts in the market’s open- air courtyard space before and after the 15:00 BST match against Rochdale.

Other events will be held at the city centre venue before every Saturday home game with a 15:00 kick-off, the council said.

Councillor Ian Walker, executive member for neighbourhoods and communities, said: “The Bantams FanZones proved really popular last season with people coming together and enjoying the live music and entertainment.

“Come down, have fun and soak up the pre-match atmosphere and make Darley Street Market part of your home game Saturday ritual.”

In July, professional wrestlers from Kingdom Wrestling used a ring at Keighley Library for a Read-a-Slam event, part of the National Year of Reading programme at Bradford Libraries.

In February, the market, which also has a licensed bar, was judged the best food market in the UK – just over six months after opening.

It was awarded the title by The National Association of British Markets, which described it as a “bold, modern food destination”.

The market opened in July, 2025, after numerous delays and a spiralling budget, as a replacement for the long-standing Oastler and Kirkgate markets.