After stopping the bleeding in 2024-25 at Wagon Lane, when they finished ninth in Counties Two Yorkshire, Bradford & Bingley are currently one of three teams with a perfect record of played five, won five.

They made it a nap hand of victories in 2025-26 with a 29-13 home win over Halifax Vandals, but it was not without its worries as the hosts had Rob Woodhead sent off in the 39th minute for punching and only had a full complement of 15 on the field for 25 minutes, finishing the game with 13 men after Adam Gaunt had been sin-binned for a deliberate knock on.

Bees skipper Luke Spauls said: “Dropping into Counties Two Yorkshire last year was a big blow - not just to us but to the club - but we have had a core group of players here since 2020 who have kept everything going.

“Last season we found our feet a little bit and this year we have made some fantastic signings from Keighley Albion, such as Jack Kennedy, Kris Gott, Sammy Wild, Adam Gaunt and Josh Tenniswood, who have all lifted us.

“We had the pack last season, but we were a bit light in the backs and now we are firing.
“As for whether all the Albion lads will be available all season we are a bit unsure.”
Improvements are not just happening on the field, however, with Spauls saying: “We have new floodlights being put on the second-team pitch.Work started on them last Monday and it should be about a 10-day process, and we will then be able to train on there under what will be better lighting, but thanks to Bradford Salem beforehand for allowing us to train at Shay Lane and for their hospitality.”

Musing on the game itself, Spauls said: “We made too many mistakes in the first half and gave away far too many penalties.
“The referee made it clear and we didn’t listen to him, but to win in the second half when we were down to 14 men and then 13 men, shows just how hard we have worked in pre-season.
“The lads are digging in and are really sticking together and I am really proud of them - five from five with maximum points and we just build from there.”

As for their attacking prowess, Spauls said: “Every time that we got into their 22 in the first half we came away with points and our backs are on fire at the moment.
“It was a big blow losing Rob, but we only conceded five points in the second half, which again shows our defensive grit when we were short-handed.

“It also affected the line-outs and the scrums, but we came together pretty quickly.
“In the first half we were under the pump in the scrums, but in the second half when Austin (Flaherty) came on he absolutely nailed it.”

Bingley kicked off towards Dowley Gap and immediately knocked on, but they showed good continuity in the second minute, hooker Spauls putting lock Woodhead over and full back Dom Walker adding the conversion..

With winger Ryan Wilson consistently gaining good metres, the Bees were too often knocked back by penalties, meaning that they rarely ventured into the Vandals half.

Centre Gareth Bottomley side-stepped his way over for the visitors in the 13th minute, but fly half Tom Fowler missed a kickable conversion, and Walker extended the home lead with a penalty four minutes later from near halfway.

Kennedy was sin-binned for a no-arms tackle in the 25th minute, but two penalties took the hosts to within five metres of the Vandals line six minutes after that, and they cashed in in in the 33rd minute.
No 8 Innocent Mazhambe made the initial drive, Ben Hemsley had a dart and then Gott’s inside pass to flanker Adam Mapals gave Walker the chance to fling a pass to Spauls, who scored.
Walker’s conversion made it 17-5, and a minute later prop Lewis Brook memorably charged down centrefield before passing when he maybe should have held on to the ball.

Referee Scott Houghton-Richards may not have been flavour of the month with some Bees spectators, but he got the major decision right in the 39th minute when Adam Horner was sin-binned for a high tackle on Gott and Woodhead was sent off for a retaliatory punch.

Fowler then landed a penalty in stoppage time to make the half-time score 17-8 and throw the result into further doubt.

However, the Bees scored the first points of the second half when a good break down the left by Wilson gave him the chance to put Gaunt over in the corner, Walker missing the conversion as he slipped just before striking the ball.
Not for the first time in the match, Vandals then caught their own kick-off - this time Scott Sutcliffe leaping to take - and former Bees player Manny Riaz continued the attack before the Bees won a relieving penalty.
Great defence by Kennedy then denied the visitors, but Riaz did get over in the 56th minute, Fowler again missing the conversion.

Leading 22-13, the Bees then lost Mazhambe to a ‘stinger’ and Hemsley to a head knock, but Mapals got their bonus-point try in the 67th minute to the right of the posts.
Walker’s conversion made it 29-13 and the resilient Bees ended the game with 13 men when Gaunt was sin-binned for a deliberate knock on two minutes before the close.

The Bees, who are level on maximum points with Bridlington and Old Otliensians, do not have a game now until Saturday, November 8, when they are at Baildon.
Spauls said: “We are glad of a fortnight off so we can rebuild and set our eyes on Baildon in what should be a good test.
“Hopefully we will have Jim Nicholas and Alex Leadbeater back after work commitments, but Rob won’t be available of course.”