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The Beginning of the End for the Class of 2012/13?

noreply@blogger.com (Bantams Blog) — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 21:40:00 GMT

Much has been made this season of Phil Parkinson keeping faith in what is near as make no difference the same team that won promotion last season, after finishing seventh in League Two. Bar the recent injury, Parkinson has kept faith with the team that so easily put Northampton to the sword on that delightful May afternoon. Perhaps Parkinson's faith has been fully justified, considering City’s ascent to the play off positions in League One in comparison to Northampton's tumble towards the foot of League Two.

However, in recent weeks, coinciding with City's first real testing set of fixtures, these players have faced their first real criticism.

Garry Thompson, the provider of two assists at Wembley and so influential post-Arsenal last season, has seen his contribution scrutinised in recent times. 0 assists and 1 goal in a comfortable 4 goal win over Brentford has done little to keep the masses happy. It is, however, difficult to argue with those statistics – a winger is, after all, meant to be both the creator and scorer of goals. A third of the way through the season, a single goal reflects a pretty paltry return for the former Morecambe man.

Likewise, James Meredith who personified so much of what was great about last season has also seen his performances called into question. Compared with his ever reliable partner on the right, Stephen Darby, there have been whispers in the crowd that Meredith has reached his ceiling. Before the season started, fans were stringing the words Meredith, Brazil and World Cup together as calls for him to make the Aussie World Cup squad grew stronger and stronger. However, you would be hard-pushed to find many fans expecting to see Meredith strutting his stuff on the biggest stage of all come next summer. Perhaps Meredith is a victim of his own success. Meredith was a revelation last season for City - starved so long of a decent left back, possibly since the days of Wayne Jacobs and Andy Myers - bombing forward and forging a formidable left side partnership with Kyel Reid. His performances were only exacerbated when he had glandular fever, the team feeling his absence as McHugh, Good, Darby and McArdle all filled in with varying degrees of success.

And perhaps most surprisingly, Gary Jones (he’s magic, you know), has been labelled as past it, as is seemingly obligatory for any player the wrong side of 30. Jones, the most influential player City have had since Stuart McCall, swept up at the end of season awards last year. It is Jones who Parkinson has built the revival of City around, the central midfielder representing everything a fan wants in a player. He may be limited technically, and maybe this is the reason he’s rarely ventured further than League Two and Rochdale in his near-20 year career. For someone taken so emphatically and so quickly to the heart of each and every City fan, for him to be written off so quickly shows how quickly and how far expectations have risen.

A League Cup final appearance and play off victory after two consecutive 18th placed League Two finishes has seen the club revitalised and many believe the momentum now apparent can turn the decade of decline around and see the club reach and sustain Championship football. But is Parkinson right to stick with the players that begun the upward curve the club is now upon, or does he need to be more ruthless in his retention and recruitment of players?

A third of the way through the season, I don’t believe I have seen City emphatically outplayed by anyone, certainly not in league encounters anyway. So far, so good. City have shown that they can compete a level up, and should be relatively comfortable in their new, loftier surroundings. However, I do believe there is one area in which City lag behind their League One counterparts and that is how comfortable on the ball. For all his drive, motivation and leadership, Gary Jones is not the most technically able player in League One. For all his pace, trickery and match-winning ability, Kyel Reid doesn’t have the requisite ball control to be a constant menace.

The most technically able player City have on their books appears to be Mark Yeates. Yeates has shown in glimpses an ability to manipulate the ball, put defenders on the back foot and pick out a pass not seen at City in many a year, and yet Parkinson cannot seem to find a place for him in the team, nor can he find his best form. So where does Parkinson go from here?

He has clearly begun the process of clearing out the excess from the squad. Alan Connell, Andy Gray, Ricky Ravenhill all being told they can leave. Connell and Ravenhill having clearly reached their ceiling and Gray, having seen a second spell at the club not go as planned. With few of the current squad signed up beyond the end of the season (Wells, Davies, Kennedy, Yeates off the top of my head), a big rebuild is clearly going to happen sooner rather than later. Parkinson already has this in mind, signing players up with supposed higher pedigrees in Matthew Bates and Caleb Folan. But does Parkinson continue to do this throughout the season, or does he stick with the players that have coped with the step up admirably so far.

Far from throwing the current players on the metaphorical scrap heap, there is a solid base to the squad already within the building to build upon. Andrew Davies, Nahki Wells, James Hanson, Stephen Darby, Nathan Doyle and Mark Yeates represent gifted players all capable of playing at this level and beyond – contracts permitting. Parkinson's challenge resides in finding the correct players to complement this group and further aid the clubs development.

For what it’s worth, I believe the current crop is more than capable of securing a comfortable mid-table finish, which would represent a fine season a year after gaining promotion back to this level. It seems League One is a different beast to the one which City departed from just over 6 years ago, with teams displaying more footballing ability than in years gone by and back-to-back promotions may be a step too far.

City’s upward curve may slow down a little this season, and a real tilt at promotion may be more realistic next year, but for the time being I am going to enjoy watching the team that has revitalised the club, even if they may not be quite able to achieve that much desired double promotion.

In Defence of Phil Parkinson

noreply@blogger.com (Bantams Blog) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:23:00 GMT

Some of the comments about Phil Parkinson letting Jack Compton leave the club in recent weeks have bordered on the insane. Practically every thread on the clubs Official Message Board has somehow wound back up on the subject of Compton. And it’s boring. Yes, this article brings the subject back to the surface but it is only fair to defend Parkinson.

I’ll start off by saying I liked Compton on the wing. Had I been in charge I would have kept him myself. But we don’t get to see what Phil Parkinson sees day in, day out at training. And if anyone was in a position to judge on Compton, it was Parkinson.

Some of the opinions spouted on the internet about Compton have bordered on the ludicrous. Listening to some people would make you believe that we have let Lionel Messi slip through our grasp. And while I cannot say my opinion is any more right than anyone else’s, a bit of objectivity from people would have been nice.

Jack, while technically gifted, is a limited player. His engine runs out after 60 minutes, he lacks real pace for a winger and often shirked defensive responsibilities. Don’t get me wrong, he was a creative force and he had an uncanny ability to be able to squeeze past two defenders at once, but in my opinion it wasn’t enough. And what’s more, Kyel Reid has more goals and assists to his name. And he came in late without a pre-season.

What’s more, it is alleged that Compton has a poor attitude. He was allegedly bombed out of Falkirk for having a less than desirable attitude and the issue reared its head at City when he wasn’t picked for Gillingham away. Compton was given a legitimate reason by the manager, yet he still felt the need to let his feelings be known by the medium of Twitter. While frustrating, not something you would want from a potential signing.

And when push came to shove, Compton showed a lack of fight when the opportunity came up to sign on for the season. A player who was apparently desperate to sign for Bradford City, but turned down the chance to when offered the chance. It was always unlikely that the club would offer Compton a permanent deal this January, with him not being a Parkinson signing and with Reid to come back. And with Compton supposedly using interest from other ‘English clubs’ to try and get a better deal from City, Parkinson has done the right thing in calling his bluff. Expecting a permanent contract was always going to be wishful thinking in January when Parkinson will be doing much of his rebuilding in the summer.

Phil Parkinson’s signings so far have generally being excellent and if he believes we can better than Compton then I am willing to believe him.

But I still wish Compton well. He gave us some good memories; putting City 1-0 up at Elland Road and his cross for Mitchell at home against Rotherham was exquisite. It’s just a shame he was too stubborn to stay for another 4 months and try to cement a permanent place at Valley Parade. And hopefully this will be the last we hear of the Compton saga!

A Reality Check

noreply@blogger.com (Bantams Blog) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 21:30:00 GMT

For the first time in what seems like an eternity, I went to today’s game with Rotherham actually expecting a win. I cannot remember the last time I expected victory going into a game and that is testament to the way Phil Parkinson and his players have begun to slowly turn things around in the past month or so. But it is these heightened expectations that make defeat that much more difficult to swallow.

Today’s defeat was thoroughly disappointing. Having seen the way the team performed in the previous two games against Crewe and Shrewsbury, the difference could not have been any more obvious. The spark was lacking today – the tempo and pace which were so decisive in the last two victories were completely missing. Despite the lack of a performance of any note from City, they were unlucky to be on the end of a 3-0 score line.

The first half was a turgid affair. Scrappy play often interrupted by even scrappier play led to a dull showcase with a lack of substance. Two chances of note came in the first half; one for City and one for Rotherham. On the counter James Hanson beat the Rotherham centre half to the ball, but struck his venomous shot from 15 yards straight at the keeper. Rotherham’s single first half chance came after good work got them in behind the City defence only for the shot across goal to drift wide of McLaughlin’s post.

It seemed as if City were playing to contain Rotherham in the first half and it was working well, but at the expense of any real attacking threat. The first half was an even affair, lacking any quality, but that was unfortunately as good as it got for the Bantams this afternoon.

The second half saw City struggle to make any impact on the game.

But it could have been a lot different.

The ball fell to man-of-the-moment Nahki Wells on the edge of the box, through one on one, but unfortunately his touch let him down and the frustration was clear to see on the young Bermudans face. Wells had a slow start to his City career, struggling to get in the match day squad and jetting off with Bermuda, but his recent performances have been extremely encouraging. Today, however, Wells and his strike partner James Hanson – whose own performances have been improving dramatically lately – were left both isolated and frustrated in a game where they barely had any scraps to feed off, let alone decent service.

City didn’t once threaten the score sheet after this and 3 goals in eleven minutes wrapped up the game for Rotherham.

Jon McLaughlin has been superb recently and a big factor in City’s defence turning into one of the meanest in League Two, but he had a hand in all 3 goals conceded today. He wasn’t alone, though, as the referee had a contributing hand in 2 goals too.

The first goal, which came from a soft, soft free kick, was smashed home by Lewis Grabaan after McLaughlin dropped the ball. Having been floated in from the free kick, McLaughlin came, dropped and Grabaan wasted no time in hitting the ball into the back of the net. 9 times out of 10 nowadays McLaughlin would have won a free kick (I think, it’s difficult to tell when you’re watching the game sat in Barnsley) but he should have been stronger when coming to deal with the ball.

Within 5 minutes Rotherham had doubled their lead as Grabaan also doubled his tally for the afternoon. A long punt forward sent Sam Wood free as he and McLaughlin raced to the ball inside the box. McLaughlin appeared to win the ball in the tackle as it ricocheted off Wood and out for a goal kick. But the referee saw differently and opted to award a penalty. Grabaan sent McLaughlin the wrong way from the resulting spot kick and it was effectively game over.

And by the 75^th minute Rotherham had a gloss on the score line they did not deserve. McLaughlin was spotted off his line, and Brett Williams shot more in hope than expectation from 30 yards, managing to beat McLaughlin as he fumbled into the net.

A poor day for the young goalkeeper, but it would be silly to lambast him too much, as he has been part of the mini revival and the defence look a lot more assured with him behind them than they did Duke earlier in the season.

And it was a poor day at the office for City, too. Parkinson, forced into changes today, with the fresh injury to Simon Ramsden, expiration of Jack Compton’s loan and knock to Ritchie Jones exposed a weakness to the City squad.

Charlie Taylor was given his debut on the left, but he looked woefully short of having the required ability to perform in League Two. It may be too early to judge him, and today was a difficult game to be thrown in to, but I fail to see what he brings as cover that Luke O’Brien couldn’t do for a month as Parkinson searches for another winger.

The recent unbeaten run came to an end today, perhaps reigning in recently increased expectations. It may also reinforce the manager’s hand when it comes to releasing funds for squad strengthening this month. City clearly have the makings of a decent team together now and on another day there is no reason why City couldn’t have won today.

The main thing to take from today’s game for City is that they cannot rest on their laurels. Hard work and graft have given them the chance to pull away from danger and they need to continue with this to ensure the rest of the season is played out with little drama.

The Importance of Andrew Davies

noreply@blogger.com (Bantams Blog) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 17:53:00 GMT

Phil Parkinson is currently managing Bradford City in a very similar fashion to Peter Taylor. He clearly believes that good teams are built on solid defences and that is what he appears to have built now. And key to that is Andrew Davies. Let’s be fair, he is far too good to be plying his trade in League Two and if any managers in higher leagues have any sense they will attempt to sign him up come January.

From a City point of view, however, it is imperative that his loan is extended until the end of the season. When he is not busy being sent off, Andrew Davies’ inclusion in the City team has seen a marked improvement in fortunes.

Since signing for City at the end of September, Davies has played in 7 league games and missed 5 league games through suspension. Davies was thrust into the team immediately after signing so it would have been difficult for him to influence his first game against AFC Wimbledon, but that is the only league game he has played in and lost for City.

In his 6 other games, City have won two and drawn four. A return of 10 points from 7 games is 1.428 points per game; which if extrapolated over a season would see a points total of 65. This clearly shows his importance to the team, considering that in the games where he hasn’t played, City have amassed a points total of 9 from 14 games, which would mean a points total of 30 over the season. A huge, and worrying, difference.

His first game after Wimbledon was the credible draw at Burton and results were beginning to improve the week after City beat Torquay. Unfortunately, Davies as we all know was sent off in that game ensuring he missed the next three games. Two were lost and one won.

Davies then returned and City once more kept a clean sheet at free scoring Swindon. Again, as we all know he was sent off and missed the next four games. Only two of those were league games, though, but both were defeats against Rotherham and Cheltenham.

Davies’ latest return coincided with yet another upturn in fortunes, with a credible draw at Gillingham, a further draw against Plymouth and an excellent win at Southend. With Davies’ return to the team, City have now gone over 270 minutes without conceding a goal on the road – an excellent record.

With the return of Simon Ramsden at right back, the excellent form of Luke Oliver and a relatively solid, yet out of position Marcel Seip at left back, City now have a back four which looks impressively solid. With the returning Jon McLaughlin in net looking a lot more confident than he did last season, City finally have a back five which can be depended on.

Andrew Davies is clearly an important cog in the Bradford City defence and Phil Parkinson must do his utmost to ensure his stay at Valley Parade is extended beyond January 7th. Despite him not being in a position on the pitch to influence goals scored, his inclusion is obviously vital for City to continue improving and push up the league table.

Minds Turn Back to the League After a Week of Welcome Cup Distractions

noreply@blogger.com (Bantams Blog) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 11:40:00 GMT

Being knocked out of the JPT this week felt almost unjust having knocked out three of League One’s top five teams, but attention now turns back to the league for the big game with Plymouth after a week or so of welcome cup distractions.

Tuesday’s trip to Oldham highlighted what is great about this club, and in a season (Or more like decade) where everything has been doom and gloom, the Johnstones Paint Trophy has been a real shot in the arm for the club. 2,500 fans making the trip over the Pennines to the coldest ground in the world on a wet December night is nothing short of fantastic. Parkinson, Andrew Davies and Oldham Athletic have all commented on the impressive nature of the Bantams fans. Unfortunately we were left empty handed coming away from Oldham and the 2,500 City fans minds turned to this Saturday.

City were not great on Tuesday night, not a patch on their Saturday performance against Wimbledon, but that was to be expected considering the number of changes. I’d expect that had we put out the same team against Oldham as we did against Wimbledon we would have fared much better. Last Saturday showed what City can do against an opponent who claimed a comfortable 3 points at Valley Parade only 6 weeks ago. This City team now look solid, but are struggling for goals up at the other end of the pitch. Hopefully Phil Parkinson now knows what is his best eleven and he can begin to tinker with the team less. Last Saturday against Wimbledon the team looked to have far more balance and benefitted from two strikers, two wingers and two central midfielders. Parkinson has to stick to this formula as much as possible.

Plymouth have recently changed managers and it paid dividends as they won their last league game 4-1 against, an admittedly poor, Northampton team. Player boss Carl Fletcher will bring his team up to West Yorkshire hoping to eliminate the points gap with ourselves which earlier in the season looked an impossible task. With the history between Marcel Seip and Plymouth, Fletcher will no doubt have his team fired up for the game, something City need to match if they are to win.

With an illness sweeping through the City squad, it is difficult to see what sort of a team Phil Parkinson will be able to put out for Saturdays match. Ricky Ravenhill, extremely impressive against Wimbledon, is the latest to be struck down and he will be a big miss in the middle if unavailable.

Having seemingly regained his confidence, Jonny Mac will continue in goal, continuing to hold the number 1 shirt currently above Matt Duke.

After Liam Moore’s disappointing performance it is almost certain that Simon Ramsden will be recalled for the right back spot. Andrew Davies and this seasons Player-of-the-Year-So-Far Luke Oliver will continue to forge their partnership in the centre of defence and former Plymouth man Marcel Seip will slot in at left back to complete the defence.

Craig Fagan and Kyel Reid will be recalled to perform on the flanks against Plymouth, and after sitting out his one game ban on Tuesday, Michael Flynn will be back. Ricky Ravenhill will partner him depending on fitness, with Ritchie Jones on stand by having returned to action on Tuesday night.

Up front James Hanson will continue to lead the line, with a likely recall for Ross Hannah, with Nahki Wells seemingly more effective in the ‘super sub’ role against tired defenders in the latter stages of the match.

As strong a team as City can put out, it is time they transferred some of the form from the cup competitions into the league. How many times have we heard that before?

Goals Win Games

noreply@blogger.com (Bantams Blog) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:45:00 GMT

Howard Wilkinson once said ‘I am a firm believer that if you score one goal the other team have to score two to win’ and as obvious as that seems, it seems particularly fitting for Bradford City at the moment.

On Saturday City were much the better team. They controlled the game, the tempo and at times played football to a level which we haven’t seen at Valley Parade for some years now. It felt great to watch a team go out and attack, play positively and actively look to win the game. Yet City still didn’t win. In 7 games so far this season, City have scored 9 goals; 6 of which came in two games. Reducing the rest to 3 goals in 5 games; a paltry amount.

While this season is still new, and the play has been very encouraging, it seems City are still struggling for goals as they did last year. The play, despite being much improved has failed to yield more goals. Whether this is down to the service or the strikers is debatable. So far this season, numerous front lines have been seen; Stewart-Hanson-Compton, Hanson-Stewart, Hanson-Hannah, Hanson-Stewart-Hannah, Hanson-Devitt, Hanson-Rodney, Rodney-Hannah, Hanson-Wells etc... What we can see from this though, is that no partnership has been given any time to blossom.

Without a period of stability up front, it is unlikely that any striker - no matter how good or poor they may be – is going to be able to feel settled and perform to their maximum. It is no secret that Phil Parkinson wanted to add another striker to his ranks in the shape of Paul Benson before the window closed and if rumours are to be believed a signing this afternoon is in the pipelines.

Despite the apparent disruption up front with the numerous different line ups, the signing, if right, is key as the current forward crop is very inexperienced. Hanson, Hannah, Stewart, Rodney and Wells have something around 35 Football League goals between them – around 25 of them being Hanson’s – so it is blatantly obvious that an experienced head is needed up front. Oddly, Peter Jackson highlighted this in the summer, but either didn’t try, or failed to bring in an older head up front.

The addition of a wise old head up front would be immeasurable at this moment in time. It would take a lot of pressure off the front line. Ross Hannah still looks very raw, Mark Stewart while looking a good player is taking time to adapt from the Scottish game, Rodney and Wells have had limited game time and Hanson is coming in for criticism.

Hanson suffers from being the focal point of the strike force. While it is right to expect him to have improved and be more of a threat in what is now his third season as a professional, he never had an ‘easy’ bedding in period and was first choice almost from the word go. Bringing in an experienced striker would allow Hanson to perhaps take a back seat, reassess his game and come back a better player.

With the likes of Rory Fallon and Craig Fagan being linked to the club, Hanson may soon find his role slightly decreased, allowing him the period of reflection he badly needs. It could well be make or break for him as he becomes a more seasoned campaigner and imperative in his, hopefully, improvement.

I will admit I am not Hanson’s biggest fan, but if he can get a break from first team action, a refreshed and rejuvenated Hanson can be a big asset to Bradford City. If he plays as we know he can do, he brings others into the action, setting up and scoring goals. Something which he did very well in his first season at the club – and something I’m sure someone like Ross Hannah would thrive off.

Howard Wilkinson once said ‘I am a firm believer that if you score one goal the other team have to score two to win’ and he difference between this City team finish lower mid table or challenging for the play offs is goals. And the key to that is James Hanson and his fellow strikers. Hopefully Phil Parkinson can pull off his signing – it could be a key moment in the season.

A Work in Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Bantams Blog) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 11:27:00 GMT

As Liam Moore clenched his fists with delight at the hard earned last gasp draw at Morecambe on Saturday, there was an odd feeling of joy tempered with despondency, having seen that City have dropped into the bottom four of the football league. A position, which compared to this time last season, is not too dissimilar.

Saturday couldn’t have started any worse for the team; having to stop off for food as the on coach cooker broke, and then getting caught up in traffic, delaying arrival until 2.30. These sorts of mishaps can often have a noticeable effect on the opening stages of the game, but perhaps aided by the atrocious conditions, City coped admirably as they shaded a weak first half with minimal chances.

City started the second half in a good manner, pinning back Morecambe for periods, but fell behind to a well struck shot from Izak Reid after a goalmouth scramble. A long range shot deceived everyone including keeper Matt Duke as it dipped to hit the bar. Two 6 yard blocks from Luke Oliver prevented a goal but the ball fell to Reid who smashed it home.

The goal came somewhat out of the blue and knocked City totally out of their stride. Having tried to play some football in the diabolical conditions, all City’s progressive work went out of the window as panic ensued and the long ball was resurrected. Allowing Morecambe to gain a strong grip on the game, it looked as it City would yet again come away from Morecambe pointless. But once again, as at Oxford, Ross Hannah came off the bench to secure a vital away point for the travelling masses. Now I love Hannah, his attitude is spot on but I don’t think he is ready to start games yet – he looks slow, weak and a little lost; all things which can be worked on - but one thing you cannot fault him for is his ability to be in the right place at the right time. Hannah seems to posses the lauded after ability of being the ‘fox in the box’ which means he will score goals given the service.

The table may make for similar reading when compared to this time last year, but the difference in attitude from the players, and fans, could not be more evident. This team encapsulates the determination of captain Guy Branston. It doesn’t know when it is beaten and won’t give up until the final whistle is blown. All very positive to see. And this was reflected in the celebrations; exuberance which hasn’t been seen in a long time – even including Robbie Threlfall accidentally taking out a fan who had encroached onto the pitch!

There were positives all over the pitch, particularly Kyel Reid and Jamie Devitt. Reid, despite clearly not being match fit, showed touches of class and when fully fit should be a menace to League Two right backs. And Devitt, who came on with 30 minutes to go, nearly scored twice and showed enough enthusiasm to pop up all over the pitch, often running off the front two as a support striker.

James Hanson remains an enigma, though. He comes in for a lot of undue criticism but equally receives vastly over the top praise and if we look at it objectively, he is an average League Two forward. However, following two impressive performances against Barnet and Sheffield Wednesday, including two goals, Hanson struggled to make any impact on Saturday. Admittedly, long balls pumped up to him while he is 35 yards from goal are far from perfect, but he rarely won a header, looked lost on the pitch and when he had a golden opportunity from 6 yards out, his header lacked conviction. Frustrating is not the word as we know what Hanson can be capable of, but into his third season as a pro now, he should be aiming for greater levels of consistency.

Follow this up next week with a win though and I think we can firmly believe City are heading in the right direction, two homes wins sandwiched either side of a point away from home is the hallmark of a good team. The slow start would be slowly forgotten about and considering the amount of upheaval in the last two weeks, this would represent excellent progress for the team.

Continuing the Continuity

noreply@blogger.com (Bantams Blog) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 10:48:00 GMT

Colin Cooper clearly wants to be a manager. He has admitted as much, and admitted that he wanted to be considered for the City position when it became available. Earlier this week, all the noises pointed towards Cooper also departing the club though, with Parkinson bringing in his own man. However, Cooper is staying and it is a good thing for all at Valley Parade.

Cooper is an incredibly well qualified coach – he has all the qualifications up to his UEFA Pro License – required to manage at the very top level, and City couldn’t ask for a better coach. Cooper stepped into the breach when Peter Jackson departed last week to maintain a level of continuity and stability for the players and things couldn’t have gone better for the caretaker boss. He led City to their first win this season – an emphatic 4-2 victory and managed to see City through to the second round of the JPT, knocking out higher level opponents.

Since stepping up to the role of boss, the players seem to have begun playing as we were promised in pre season – getting the ball down more regularly, playing it around on the floor. The return to fitness of Ritchie Jones has had a big part in this, as in the games he has played since being fit, he has looked a class act. He never panics on the ball and always looks to do something productive with it.

Back to Colin Cooper though, paired now with Phil Parkinson, gives City a management team that fills me with confidence. It would have been easy for Parkinson to let Cooper go – seeing him as a threat to his position in the long run – but keeping him now means the club have a young, well respected, progressive management team; a pair who could really lay the foundations for the clubs improvement and perhaps dare I say it, long awaited climb back up the league.

Cooper will be able to pass on a greater knowledge of the squad to Parkinson, and together they will hopefully be able to mould a team capable of competing in this league.

I am delighted he is staying and I hope it proves to be a long, fruitful stay at the club.

Proud to be City

noreply@blogger.com (Bantams Blog) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 12:06:00 GMT

Following the performance against Aldershot, anything could have happened at Elland Road last night. Had the team performed to a similar level, the score could have been embarrassing. But the team did us proud last night. It is an awfully long time since I have witnessed a performance like that from a City team. A performance with passion, commitment and drive. Which as fans is all we can ask for. It was a complete contrast from the Aldershot game.

Walking out of Valley Parade on Saturday and walking out of Elland Road last night, the emotions felt could not be any more different. Following Aldershot a sense of despondency filled the air and the pre season optimism had seemingly vanished. But last night every fan coming out of Elland Road was pleased and the optimism seemed to have returned. There seemed to be a feeling that if the team can carry on playing in that manner then we’ll do OK.

Peter Jackson changed the shape of the side from Saturday; changing from a 4-4-2 formation to a 4-5-1/4-3-3 with Jack Compton and Mark Stewart playing the winger/support striker roles. And it worked well. Mark Stewart in particularly enjoyed space and ran well at the defenders – none of which were comfortable in dealing with him. If he can learn to compose himself when he reaches the area he could be a dangerous player this year.

David Syers was back to his best, too. In the second half of last season he struggled with his form a bit but last night he bossed the midfield until he went off injured. In fact, his injury was a game changing moment; when he went off the City midfield lacked his energy and it allowed the Leeds midfield to begin to move the ball around much more easily. If Syers can maintain that form once again, he will be a top, top player this year.

The squad showed last night that when they want to, they can play very well. However, two of the Leeds goals were very avoidable. For their second Steve Williams lost his man allowing him a free header at the back post and the third goal was through a lack of communication. Clearly there is still work to do but if City can begin to cut out these errors, a decent season can be had.

Despite defeat, walking out of Elland Road we could all hold our heads high, knowing we went to a top half Championship team and gave them a scare. It's just a shame we couldn't hold on but we didn’t look out of place and the team can be very pleased with their efforts. Well done City.

Let’s hope the performance can replicated at Oxford this Saturday and we get our first three points of the season.

Here are those goals again.....

A Look at the Opposition: Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (Bantams Blog) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 13:52:00 GMT

Here is the final part of our League Two preview.

Plymouth Argyle
MANAGER	Peter Reid
PLAYERS IN	Robbie Williams, Durrell Berry, Jake Cole, Luke Daley
PLAYERS OUT	Joe Mason
Where to start? Relegated last year in administration, almost closing this summer and sacking a player who refused to defer his wages. Signed Liam Dickinson only for him to leave within a month, Argyle are in a bad position at the moment. Probably more likely to be nearer the bottom than the top, a second successive relegation could be on the cards for the team from Devon.
Port Vale
MANAGER	Micky Adams
PLAYERS IN	Ryan Burge, Ben Williamson, Kingsley James, Phil Roe, Clayton McDonald, Mike Green
PLAYERS OUT	Matt Bell, Kris Taylor, Justin Richards
Having returned to Vale less than a year after leaving them for Sheffield United, Micky Adams has a point to prove. However, having to put himself on the board to enable him to sign players was not the best preparation for the season, but the squad remains largely the same as it was when he left. Securing Gareth Owen again will be a major boost for Adams and Vale and if he can get them playing to the same standard he did before he departed, Vale will be contenders again.
Rotherham United
MANAGER	Andy Scott
PLAYERS IN	Ben Pringle, Gareth Evans, Luke Foster, Chris Holroyd, Troy Brown, Lewis Grabban, Danny Schofield
PLAYERS OUT	Nick Fenton, Stephen Brogan, Jamie Green, Grant Darley, Luke Ashworth, Mark Bradley, Tom Pope (Transfer Listed), Kevin Elison, Ryan Taylor, Ian Thomas-Moore, Nicky Law
Defeat at Valley Parade saw manager Ronnie Moore sacked and a subsequent disastrous run of form which saw the Millers go from automatic contenders to middle of the table has beens. Rotherham capitulated similarly to how City did in 2008/09 and new manager Scott will be hoping to improve on that this season. In theory their last season at the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield, promotion would be an excellent way to reintroduce Rotherham to their home town. The first team remains largely similar, but losing Nicky Law is a blow and with a month of the transfer window to go, Le Fondre could still go. Probable play off contenders.
Shrewsbury Town
MANAGER	Graham Turner
PLAYERS IN	Marvin Morgan , Joe Jacobson, Reuben Hazell, Terry Gornell
PLAYERS OUT	Dave Raven , Kevin McIntyre, Craig Disley, Danny Taylor, Harry Hooman, Jake Robinson, Matt Harrold
Sooner or later Shrewsbury must reach League One. They have been threatening for the last 5 years but have so far failed to make the next step. Losing out in the play offs last year was a bitter pill to swallow following the return of club legend Graham Turner and they will be hoping to go one better this year. Have strengthened their squad well and will be up there.
Southend United
MANAGER	Paul Sturrock
PLAYERS IN	Neil Harris, Jemal Johnson, Alassane N'Diaye, Liam Dickinson, JP Kalala, Ryan Leonard
PLAYERS OUT	Rhys Evans, Miguel Comminges, Johnny Herd, Adam Bouzid , Louie Soares, Craig Easton
Had an excellent season last year considering the position they were in. Sturrock came in with no squad to speak of and managed to put together a team which performed well in the league. Adding Neil Harris to his squad is a shrewd move and with service will surely guarantee Southend 15 goals this year. Harris is also an excellent provider of chances and any improvement in their final position will rest on his form. They should be challenging for the play offs.
Swindon Town
MANAGER	Paulo Di Canio
PLAYERS IN	Joe Devera, Jonathan Smith, Raffaele De Vita, Alberto Comazzi, Oliver Risser, Ibrahim Atiku, Medhi Kerrouche, Alessandro Cibocchi, Alan Connell.
PLAYERS OUT	Alan Sheehan, Michael Rose, David Prutton, Scott Cuthbert, Alan O'Brien, Thomas Dossevi, Vincent Pericard, Jean Francois Lescinal, Jon-Paul McGovern, Elliot Benyon
Paulo Di Canio has decided to make his managerial debut in League Two with Swindon this year following their relegation last season. Surprisingly relegated last year after play off final defeat the year before, Swindon will be looking for an immediate return to League One. A large overhaul of the squad has seen many of last season’s underperformers gone to be replaced by younger, hungrier players. Many foreign imports, Di Canio’s plan is one which looks as if it could go two ways; excellently and an instant return to League One or disastrously. Swindon should be up there though, and even if they aren’t with Di Canio around it certainly isn’t going to be boring!
Torquay United
MANAGER	Martin Ling
PLAYERS IN	Chris McPhee, Daniel Leadbitter, Jon Oastler, Robert Olejnik, Brian Saah, Rene Howe, Ian Morris, Taiwo Atieno
PLAYERS OUT	Danny Potter, Scott Bevan, Guy Branston, Chris Zebroski
Last years play off final losers, Torquay surprised everyone by getting that far last season. Having played some excellent football under Paul Buckle and going over 8 games without conceding, Torquay have a lot to live up to after last year. Buckle has now departed though, to be replaced by Martin Ling, and they have lost defensive organiser Guy Branston. Robert Olejnik is an impressive keeper signed from Falkirk , but Torquay will do well to match last seasons performance. Mid table to play off challengers.

A Look at the Opposition: Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Bantams Blog) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 12:50:00 GMT

Here is part two of our 3 part series preview of City's League Two opponents this season.

Crewe Alexandra
MANAGER	Dario Gradi
PLAYERS IN	Alan Martin
PLAYERS OUT	Calvin Zola, Patrick Ada, Matt Mitchel-King, Joel Grant, Danny Blanchett, Lewis Short, Ashley Westwood, Bartlek Fogler, Pat Ada, Clayton Donaldson
Crewe came up short when it mattered last year in terms of the play offs. Sitting 3^rd in early 2011, it looked as if the club could sustain a promotion challenge but a run of 11 games without an away point put paid to that – until their 5-1 win at Valley Parade! Having lost Clayton Donaldson they have some goals to replace but the likes of Shaun Miller are more than capable of meeting the challenge. Gradi is well known for using his youngsters well and expect them to be mid table/challenging for the plly offs.
Dagenham and Redbridge
MANAGER	John Still
PLAYERS IN	Medy Elito, Rob Edmans, Jake Reed, Brian Woodall, James Shea, Sam Williams, Luke Howell, Richard Rose, Sam Williams
PLAYERS OUT	Phil Ifill, Bas Savage, Graeme Montgomery, Tommy Tejan-Sie, Danny Green, Darren Currie, Will Antwi, Romain Vincelot, Tony Roberts
The minnows from Essex performed admirably in League One last year where they were comfortably the smallest club in the league. Notable results against Charlton and Sheffield Wednesday were great for the club, who weren’t far off surviving last year. However, they have lost some influential players including Danny Green, Tony Roberts and Romain Vincelot who was the subject of a bid from Bradford City. John Still, who was linked with the City job, knows the non league scene like the back of his hand and expect him to find a few diamonds. They will hope to be challenging towards the top again.
Gillingham
MANAGER	Andy Hessenthaler
PLAYERS IN	Matt Fish, Chris Whelpdale, Ross Flitney, Andy Frampton, Lewis Montrose, Danny Kedwell, Charlie Lee, Adam Birchall, Paulo Gazzaniga
PLAYERS OUT	Alan Julian, John Nutter, Mark Bentley, Josh Gowling, Tony Sinclair, Lance Cronin, Mark McCammon, Andy White, Andy Barcham, Adebayo Akinfenwa, Chris Palmer
Having missed out on promotion last season, Hessenthaler has had his playing budget cut drastically which has seen him lose some key players, such as Andy Barcham and Adebayo Akinfenwa. However, the signings of Chris Whelpdale and Andy Frampton are both impressive and signing Danny Kedwell from AFC Wimbledon could be a masterstroke if he can carry on his goal scoring exploits from last season.
Hereford United
MANAGER	Jamie Pitman
PLAYERS IN	Delroy Facey, Stefan Stam, Harry Pell, Yoann Arquin
PLAYERS OUT	Janos Kovacs (Transfer Listed), Sean Canham (Transfer Listed), Richard Rose, Sam Gwyne, Ryan Valentine, Daniel Stratford, Sam Malsom, Adrian Patulea, Aidan Thomas
The man who started last season as physio but ended it as manager did a stellar job as he managed to stave off relegation for The Bulls. In fact since Pitman took over, the form they showed if replicated over the season would have seen them finish high mid-table. Stefan Stam is a solid addition at the back but they still lack goals in the team. Stuart Fleetwood will always get goals but he lacks any real support up front, although Delroy Facey will get his obligatory 8-12 goals. No doubt with a couple chucked in against City. Don’t expect a lot from Hereford but unlikely that they will be scrapping at the very bottom.
Macclesfield Town
MANAGER	Gary Simpson
PLAYERS IN	Jon Bateson, Scott Kay, Tom Fisher, Ben Tomlinson, Waide Fairhurst.
PLAYERS OUT	Matt Lowe, Rickly Sappleton, Jason Beardsley, Paul Bolland, Hamza Bencherif, Izak Reid, Tyrone Barnett
Macclesfield are always tipped for relegation at this time of year, yet for the last couple of seasons they haven’t really been troubled by relegation fears. Gary Simpson has managed to keep the Silkmen in the league with relative ease, despite working on a tiny budget. However, losing both Tyrone Bennet and Hamza Bencherif is a big blow to his plans. Bringing in Ben Tomlinson, who scored 29 goals in the same league as Ross Hannah last season, is a gamble that could pay off as easily as it could fail. Waide Fairhurst has scored goals at this level before, which should be enough to see Macc safe for another year, but they could well be closer to the bottom this year.
Morecambe
MANAGER	Jim Bentley
PLAYERS IN	Kevin Elison, Izak Reid, Lewis Alessandra, Gary McDonald, Nicky Fenton
PLAYERS OUT	Scott Brown, Gavin Clarke, Stuart Hendrie, Andy Holdsworth, Chris Shuker, Laurie Walker, Neil Wainwright, Chris Wraighte, Tony Capaldi, Paul Mullin, Craig Stanley, Adam Rundle
Sammy McIlroy left Morecambe this summer having struggled to repeat the successes of the 2009/2010 season. Morecambe were in much trouble at points this season but managed to maintain their league status with a late run of form. Many players have been moved out of Morecambe with fewer coming in, new manager Bentley preferring to have a smaller, tight knit squad. A big test for Bentley, with this being his first foray into management, he will be given ample time and support at Morecambe where he is a club legend.
Northampton Town
MANAGER	Gary Johnson
PLAYERS IN	Byron Webster, Adebayo Akinfenwa, Seth Nana Ofori-Twumasi, Jake Robinson, Ben Tozer, Paul Turnbull, Arron Davies, Nick McKoy, Lewis Young, Freddy Hall, Sam Walker, Ashley Corker, Lumbardh Salihu, Marin Pozgain
PLAYERS OUT	Guillem Bauza, Liam Davis, Dean Beckwith, Courtney Herbert, Paul Rodgers, Marcus Hall, Francis Laurent, Abdul Osman, Ryan Gilligan, Alex Konstantinou, Seb Harris, Leon McKenzie, Chris Dunn, Billy McKay
Gary Johnson was brought in last year with Northampton struggling horrendously. And although he struggled to get points at first, he did enough to keep Northampton up. He has overseen a lot of changes this summer and Northampton seem to be confident in their attack, but worried about their defensive capabilities. Northampton should be improved this year, but probably only to play off contenders.
Oxford United
MANAGER	Chris Wilder
PLAYERS IN	Tony Capaldi, Ryan James, Andy Whing, Jon-Paul Pittman, Deane Smalley, Michael Duberry, Peter Leven, Wayne Brown, Liam Davis
PLAYERS OUT	Jack Midson, Djoumin Sangare, Mitchell Hanson, Simon Eastwood, Sam Deering
Chris Wilder oversaw a successful return to league football for Oxford last season as the team fell just short of the play offs. Having spent numerous years in the non league, Oxford have now built on a solid first season with some impressive signings. Deane Smalley performed well for championship winning Chesterfield last year and Peter Leven has been an excellent performer in League One for the last few years. With Craddock and Constable up front still, expect Oxford to be up there this year.

A Look at the Opposition: Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Bantams Blog) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 10:28:00 GMT

Here is the first of our 3 part look at City's League Two opponents this coming season.

AFC Wimbledon
MANAGER	Terry Brown
PLAYERS IN	Max Porter, Matt Mitchel-King, Chris Bush, Charles Ademeno, Jack Midson.
PLAYERS OUT	Ismail Yakubu, Jon Main, Ed Harris, Mark Nwokeji, Delano Sam-Yorke, Danny Kedwell, Steven Gregory
Following promotion via the play offs last year, Wimbledon fans are ecstatic about reclaiming ‘their place’ in the league. However, following the loss of influential midfielder Steve Gregory to Bournemouth and leading scorer Danny Kedwell to Gillingham, Wombles fans have readjusted their expectations – happy to be here and happy for a mid table finish.
Accrington Stanley
MANAGER	John Coleman
PLAYERS IN	Danny Coid, Kevin Mcintyre, Kurtis Guthrie
PLAYERS OUT	Jonny Bateson , Andy Parkinson, Chris Turner, Rory Boulding, Zak Riley, Andy Owens, Tom Smyth, Phil Edwards, Joe Jacobson, Jimmy Ryan, Terry Gornell, Alex Cisak, Sean McConville
Perennial underdogs, Coleman’s Accrington side shocked everyone last year by making the play offs. Unfortunately Stanley lost out to Stevenage and have lost key players such as Jimmy Ryan, Terry Gornell and keeper Alex Cisak. Throughout his time at Stanley, Coleman has seen his side finish higher in the league each year, so he has a tough task this year to carry on that tradition – but if he does it almost guarantees promotion for the Lancashire side.
Aldershot Town
MANAGER	Dean Holdsworth
PLAYERS IN	Michael Rankine, Aaron Brown, Ross Worner, James Collins, Bradley Bubb
PLAYERS OUT	Marvin Morgan, Tim Sills, Wade Small, Jack Randall, Clayton Fortune, Ben Harding, Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz, John Halls, Damian Spencer, Anthony Charles
Having come in half way through last season, Holdsworth steadied the ship which saw Aldershot go on an excellent run seeing them finish solidly in mid table. Have lost some big players from the last two seasons such as Anthony Charles and Marvin Morgan – although the latter didn’t play last year – and have replaced them with young players. This year will be a big test for Holdsworth and the Shots are unlikely to trouble anything higher than mid table.
Barnet
MANAGER	Lawrie Sanchez
PLAYERS IN	Sam Deering, Mark Byrne, Danny Senda
PLAYERS OUT	Glen Southam, Charlie Stimson, Danny Kelly, Reece Yorke, Jake Cole, Joe Devera
Having completed another great escape last season, Barnet haven’t seen much activity over summer. Grazioli, who kept them up, has gone into the background again and former Northern Ireland boss Sanchez has taken the reigns. With Izale McLeod and Steve Kabba up front they certainly have the firepower, but they both need to stay fit and receive the service. Otherwise it could be another season of struggle for the Bees.
Bristol Rovers
MANAGER	Paul Buckle
PLAYERS IN	Scott Bevan, Matt Gill, Craig Stanley, Adam Virgo, Mustapha Carayol, Lee Browns, Matt Harrold, Michael Smith, Scotty McGleish, Chris Zebroski, Joe Anyinsah, Lance Cronin, CIan Bolger, Kayne Mclaggon, Michael Boateng
PLAYERS OUT	Will Hoskins, Jeff Hughes, Carl Regan, Danny Senda, Gavin Williams, JP Kalala, Mike Green, Darryl Duffy, Jerel Ifil, Ashley Bowle, Sam Butler, Jack Camm, Alex Hoyle, Robbi Maggs, Lewis Parker, Tyrone Rhoden, Tom Seery, Jordan Tilson, Jeff Hughes
Paul Buckle has overseen a lot of ins and outs over the summer at Rovers this year as they look to bounce back to League One at the first time of asking. Despite losing influential striker Will Hoskins to Championship newcomers Brighton, Buckle has made some impressive signings; including veteran lower league goal scorer Scott McGleish and League Two target man Matt Harrold. With the signings of Matt Gill and Joe Anyinsah in midfield, expect The Gas to be challenging this season.
Burton Albion
MANAGER	Paul Peschisolido
PLAYERS IN	Cleveland Taylor, Chris Palmer, Justin Richards
PLAYERS OUT	Richard Walker, Richard Jackson, Keith Gilroy, Lewis Young, Garyn Preen, Russell Penn
Burton struggled in their second year of league football last term and it doesn’t look as if they have strengthened particularly well. A lot of people are tipping Burton to be down there again, but if they can get Cleveland Taylor firing and Justin Richards scoring, who has Shaun Harrods sizable boots to fill, they should be OK.
Cheltenham
MANAGER	Mark Yates
PLAYERS IN	Russell Penn, Marlon Pack, Alan Bennett, Sido Jombati, Kaid Mohammed, Bagasan Graham, Harry Hooman, Daryl Duffy, Ethan Moore, James Spencer
PLAYERS OUT	JJ Melligan, Frankie Artus, Mark Riley, Daniel Lloyd-Weston, Jake Lee, Michael Pook, Wesley Thomas
Cheltenham started last season excellently but a poor run saw them dragged down towards the bottom and had the season been a month longer, they could have been in real trouble. Having lost top scorer Wes Thomas to Crawley, Cheltenham look weak up top and it could be a big ask for them to repeat the form of early last season. A season of struggle could be on the cards for the team from Gloucestershire.
Crawley Town
MANAGER	Steve Evans
PLAYERS IN	John Akinde, Wesley Thomas, Scott Davies, Jamie Day, Hope Akpan, Tyrone Barnett
PLAYERS OUT	Nick Jordan, Danny Hall, Sam Rents, Jamie Cook, Steve Masterton, Tommy Brewer, Craig McAllister, Richard Brodie, Ben Wright
Conference winners Crawley are to embark on their first taste of league football this season. Having won the Conference at a canter and dumping three league sides out of the FA Cup last term, many expect Crawley to waltz through League Two this year. Having spent money last year, they have continued this trend, picking up Tyrone Barnett from Macclesfield. Having cherry picked Wes Thomas from Cheltenham, alongside the already prolific Matt Tubbs, Crawley look to have a formidable strike force. Scott Davies is also an excellent free signing from Reading. Just don’t congratulate the manager.

Mark Stewart and The Mysterious £100,000

noreply@blogger.com (Bantams Blog) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 11:32:00 GMT

Three weeks ago City ‘made’ a £100,000 bid for Romain Vincelot then of Dagenham and there have been questions asked as to where this has gone now it seems we need to shift players out before bringing any more in. However, as Falkirk and the SFA call in FIFA to try and sort out whether City owe them money as part of the Mark Stewart transfer, it seems that money may have been put aside in case City are found to owe The Bairns over Stewart . Falkirk and the SFA believe that City owe the Scottish club as Stewart was under the age of 23, while City – with the backing of the English FA - believe that no fee is required for Stewart.

Falkirk, who Stewart played for between the ages of 18 and 22, believe they have a case for compensation as City signed him before he turned 23. City, on the other hand, will argue that because they waited until the 1^st of July to officially sign Stewart, that no compensation is owed.

This all hinges on when the ‘seasons end’ is. FIFA rules state that;

Training compensation is due when:

i) a player is registered for the ﬁrst time as a professional;

ii) a professional is transferred between clubs of two different

associations (whether during or at the end of his contract)

before the end of the season of his 23rd

birthday

Stewart turned 23 on June 22^nd and it is this that is causing the dispute. If, as Falkirk suspect, the season ends after the final game, then Stewart turned 23 during the 2011/12 season and compensation would be due for any transfer until the end of the coming season. However, it is likely that City take the view that the season ends officially on June 30^th, which would mean Stewart turned 23 in the 2010/11 season and explain why City waited until July 1^st – the first day of the 2011/12 season – to sign him, thus eradicating the need for any compensation.

Falkirk’s local paper reports that the club are asking for £290,000 in compensation, at face value a wildly optimistic figure considering FIFA’s rules on transfers;

For players moving from one association to another inside the territory

of the EU/EEA, the amount of training compensation payable shall be

established based on the following:

a) If the player moves from a lower to a higher category club, the

calculation shall be based on the average training costs of the

two clubs;

b) If the player moves from a higher to a lower category, the

calculation shall be based on the training costs of the lower category club.

Considering it is likely City will be classed as a lower ranked club than Falkirk, the compensation – if due – will be based on average costs of training at City, which will be considerably lower than Falkirk who put a fair bit into youth development. If we compare Stewart to an established youth player of our own, such as Luke O’Brien, it is unlikely that any tribunal would award us much more than £50,000 based on previous rulings.

However, if FIFA side with Falkirk, City could be liable for fees of up to £300,000 - depending on club classification - according to their own rules. It is certainly a murky area and one which is not easy to second guess.

From where I’m standing - and I'm no legal expert - it is likely that FIFA will enforce some sort of compensation, but a small token gesture, hopefully which City will have budgeted for once the story came about. These transfers are a grey area which need clearing up, but let’s hope City aren’t the club to get caught out big style by it.

A New Look Bradford City

noreply@blogger.com (Bantams Blog) — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 18:43:00 GMT

The game against Bolton today was the first chance I have had to see the new-look Bradford City and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Following last year and despite the numerous tub-thumping articles in the T&A, I was expecting a dour, downbeat experience at Valley Parade today. How I was wrong. I forgot how much good a close season can do and the atmosphere around Valley Parade today was much different to that experienced towards the back end of last season. It was wonderful to see the team warm up with a vigour rarely seen in matches last season. Peter Jackson’s infectious attitude has clearly rubbed off throughout the club and the players seem to be lapping it up.

On the players, though, it is refreshing to see a group of individuals who are clearly as up for it as them. For a long time we City fans have been used to seeing players going through the motions and clearly not putting a shift in. And while not wanting to put too much emphasis on what was just a friendly game, it was great to see players tracking back, putting in tackles and willing to get forward. The wingers were particularly pleasing and while neither Dominic Rowe nor Jack Compton are the finished articles, there are definitely two good players to be had there with the right coaching.

Guy Branston performed how we all knew he would as well. He was a tower of strength at the back and had Croat international Ivan Klasnic in his pocket for the majority of the game. Branston, a no nonsense defender won 99.9% of all headers today and his presence seemed to bring out the best in his partner at the back Steve Williams. Williams performed today as we all know he can – and without the lapses in concentration – showing just what a good player he can be. On his day Williams is easily better than League Two and Branston looks to be the perfect foil for him. While the partnership is obviously in its infancy, it looks as if it will be a good partnership for City, and with Luke O’Brien playing as solidly as ever and a returning Simon Ramsden, City look solid in the defensive department.

Of the new signings, the Scottish duo of Chris Mitchell and Mark Stewart both looked impressive. Mitchell consistently delivered excellent corners and if he can keep this up over the season, City must be a threat from set pieces. Stewart looked like a work horse up front with his never ending running and while he didn’t get any chances to show his finishing ability, he looks a clever player who should cause problems in League Two. Nialle Rodney came on and scored a goal that would be worthy of Match of the Day status as he breezed past three Bolton defenders and coolly finished showing he could be a very important player for the club this season.

Without wanting to place too much emphasis on a friendly performance, I saw enough today to suggest that this coming season is going to be much more fruitful than the last few years. The players today looked like a team and with a vocal captain at the back, things can only get better. The new look Bradford City may not sweep everything in front of it aside this season, but it is going to be much more exciting to watch.

Back to the Future

noreply@blogger.com (Bantams Blog) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:40:00 GMT

Gary Walsh. Matt Clarke. Mark Schwarzer. Paul Henderson. We’ve had some good goalkeepers recently. Simon Eastwood. Lenny Pidgeley. Boaz Myhill. We’ve also had some dodgy keepers recently. The number one jersey at Valley Parade has become somewhat of a problem position in recent years. Rhys Evans did a fine job for a year, as did Paul Henderson and Donovan Ricketts until his head went AWOL. But otherwise the other custodians of recent years have been a bit less successful. Simon Eastwood, Matt Glennon and Lenny Pidgeley have all had their faults. Even the great, bright hope for the future Jon McLaughlin struggled at times last year and failed to live up to his promise from the previous season.

Not only have City struggled to fill the position in recent years, it has often been neglected by managers, most notably in the cost cutting season of 09/10 when Stuart McCall saved a paltry £300 a week for a number one keeper. A peculiar decision, considering the goalkeepers position is arguably the most important within the team.

Having just McLaughlin on the books currently, City are obviously in need of another shot stopper, with 4 trialists currently down at Apperley Bridge most notably, Rhys Evans.

Evans splits fans opinions, he returns hopeful of a third spell at Valley Parade. I’d welcome him back once again. I don’t think we have replaced him adequately since he left two years ago, and his record of 17 clean sheets that season shows he clearly knows how to be a good goalkeeper. He has his limitations, but I think at this level Evans is an excellent choice of keeper. He is apparently a ‘disruptive’ influence in the dressing room and a bit of ‘a loner’ but if as reported he has been badgering Jacko into signing him, this seems highly unlikely. I remember his biggest weakness being the laughable ‘he can’t dive to his left’ comment from one of the message boards. City could do far worse that bringing Evans back in.

More curiously though, is Iain Turner appearing on trial. Everton’s equivalent of Steve Harper, the perennial backup, has turned up on trial, despite rumoured interest from Leeds, Sheffield United and Hull. The former Evertonian has represented Scotland at U21 and ‘B’ levels, and has been involved with the senior squads before. Having played the vast majority of his short career in the Championship, he should have the required pedigree to make the number one shirt his. Having played a handful of games in the Premier League too, it seems odd that he should be trialling at a League Two club. Having only played 50-odd games in his career to date though, it is time the 27-year old started paying regular first team football and he would represent an excellent capture if Peter Jackson decides to make him an offer.

Both Evans and Turner would represent improvements in the goalkeeping department on recent years, but it would perhaps be wiser to not return to Evans for a third time and go for a fresh keeper in Iain Turner. The Scot would form the foundation of arguably one of, if not the, best defences in the division, with a fully fit Simon Ramsden, Guy Branston, Steve Williams and Luke O’Brien. Not only that, he would help further our transition into McBradford City FC!

Impatience or A Genuine Concern?

noreply@blogger.com (Bantams Blog) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:10:00 GMT

The last couple of weeks have been very reminiscent of the first few weeks of Stuart McCalls reign at City. When McCall joined the club, it was relatively late into the summer and we were left to pick up the freebies no one else really wanted; we welcomed the likes of Paul Evans and Paul Heckingbottom back to the club and also managed to secure the signings of players such as Scott Phelan.

With just two signings to date, a lot has been made of the lack of transfer activity by Peter Jackson so far this summer. One of his signings is very good in Guy Branston and Ross Hannah is also an exciting prospect, although unproven in the football league currently. McCall’s rushed together side struggled badly at first and a dreadful October saw the club slide to 8 games without a win and 21^st in League Two. After the debacle of last season, Jacko cannot afford for this to happen again. The team needs time to gel and he needs to be signing players capable of improving the weak squad currently at the club.

Whilst it wouldn’t be sensible to jump straight into bed with the first player City talk to, time is of the essence if Jackson wants to put together a team capable of competing towards the top end of the division. Rushing into signings can often lead to being lumped with players who are either not good enough or only here for money. However, waiting too long can also prove problematic and lead to panic signings, as seen last season when Peter Taylor brought in Jake Speight, at a cost of £25,000, who proved to be nowhere near good enough.

It does, however, seem as if the club have been chasing unrealistic targets so far this summer. While ambitious targets are great, and the players targeted so far would have improved City immeasurably, it is unlikely they would have ever joined the club. Clayton Donaldson is only a target as he is Bradford born-and-bred and while the emotional pull of playing at Valley Parade is clearly strong for him, if he has any professional pride he won’t be found anywhere near Valley Parade come 6^th August. Likewise, Ashley Grimes, having signed for Rochdale clearly stated while still at Lincoln that next season he would be playing higher than League Two, and finally Gary Jones – a Rochdale legend – was highly unlikely to ever leave the club.

While the ambition involved in targeting these players is commendable, if Jackson doesn’t have plans B and C, we could find ourselves at the bottom of the pile scrapping around for the leftovers.

I trust Peter Jackson has other targets in mind, but we are at risk of not having a proper team gelled together by the beginning of the season, meaning we are back to where we started 4 years ago in the league, using the rest of the season to catch up. Perhaps tomorrow being July 1^st will see our fears allayed somewhat with numerous signings – where is the Scottish duo from Falkirk? –but being almost a week into pre-season, it is time the squad started taking shape more. Maybe it’s just impatience with a lack of news emanating from Valley Parade, but a couple of signings to get excited over would be nice!

A Number of Changes

noreply@blogger.com (Bantams Blog) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 18:10:00 GMT

Because of circumstances TBB has been quiet for the past week and a half and consequently a lot of this will have already been covered. In that time though, there has been quite a few things, however small, happen to City. Two of them point to a new way of thinking at Valley Parade with the hiring of Archie Christie as new Chief Scout and Nick Allamby as Fitness coach. These appointments show a clear shift in thinking at City in areas that were desperately in need of improvement. Further to this, a takeover/investment has been close to happening – which I will discuss at another time - and club legend David Wetherall has left the club after 12-years service.

Archie Christie is an excellent appointment for the club - a proven scout, with previous successes at Dagenham, concentrating on plucking the best of released youngsters for the club. For too long City have been relying on signing released players who have failed elsewhere instead of bringing in youngsters to improve and propel into the first team. Christie, should he prove successful, will bring about a change in transfer policy at City and should result in the club producing teams with a more youthful look to them. Not only would this lead to a younger, fresher team, but it should result in City being able to produce more of their own players, and get transfer fees which actually represent their value to the club. A win win situation for everyone. Already having secured the signatures of three youth internationals, one of which turned Newcastle down for Valley Parade, City should profit handsomely from this venture.

Further to this, Peter Jackson appointing a specialist fitness coach is a massive step in the right direction. While I have no doubt that Jacko and his assistant Colin Cooper have an idea of how to keep the players fit, their knowledge of the area will pale into insignificance compared to Allamby’s. For as long as I can remember, City have genuinely looked sluggish compared to other teams. While knocking the team’s fitness levels is an easy way to knock the previous management regime, it has been a genuine concern at City for a good period. When compared to Crewe on the final day of last season, City looked slow, unfit, sluggish and overweight. Fitness is a key aspect of the game at League Two level. Where the players are all of a similar ability, it is the attributes such as fitness and stamina which can make the difference between a mid-table finish and the play-offs. Hopefully an intense pre season with Allamby and his services throughout the season will see the City players have that extra 5% which will put them in front of the rest.

But the biggest news is that City legend David Wetherall has left the club after 12 years. Wethers was Paul Jewells marquee signing in the clubs first Premier League season and his ever present presence that year was one of the key factors in survival. Of course, he will always be remembered for that goal versus Liverpool. Unfortunately for Wethers, he was the one constant in City’s fall from the top flight to English football’s lowest level; but that is no reflection on the man himself. His deferring of wages over a longer contract period sum the man up as he was always one to do his best for the club, which even saw him attempt, but ultimately fail, at keeping the club in League One following Colin Todd’s sacking. Wetherall even translated his committed on pitch performance to his eventual coaching role with the youth side, which saw his team go on an impressive cup run, taking some notable academy scalps such as Southampton. Wetherall will move into his job at the Football League with the well wishes of every City fan and he will always be welcomed back at Valley Parade.

Why Everyone Should Be Excited By Leeds United v Bradford City

noreply@blogger.com (Bantams Blog) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:30:00 GMT

I looked at the cup draw this morning and cheered wildly. Leeds. Away. It doesn’t get much better than this I thought. Another game with 4,500+ travelling Bradfordians in full voice backing the lads out on the pitch – exciting! But I came online and I found more posts around the message boards bemoaning the draw than excited at it.

City aren’t going to win the cup. And apart from last season we’ve hardly had a win in the damn thing. In recent years we’ve not trouble the 2^nd round, bar last year, exiting in mundane games against the likes of Carlisle, Forest and Wolves. Hardly pulsating games to excite the masses. But the Leeds draw is different. Despite residing only ten miles down the road from Bradford, the paths of the two teams rarely meet. We rarely get the opportunity to get one over them from down t’road and we should take the chance with both hands.

A lot of fans seem to have a defeatist attitude – we’re not going to win so what’s the point? Well if that’s the case, why bother at all – City rarely go into games, if ever, guaranteed of a win. We probably wouldn’t have won had we drawn Scunthorpe, Rochdale or Carlisle – but we’d still give it a go.

Then people were moaning about whether it’ll be on TV or not – will we get our share of £30,000 TV money? Who cares? It’s Leeds, get down to the game. I realise that’s not an option for some, but the vast majority it’s the closest game we’ve had since we last played Leeds 3 years ago. For once money can be forgotten about – and at Elland Road with most likely a crowd of around 20,000 similar to last time, the share of the gate receipts will be more than plentiful.

Since dropping into League Two, we’ve had a severe lack of local derbies. I remember 6 or 7 years ago in League One where it seemed every other game was a derby of sorts – Huddersfield, Hull, Doncaster, Rotherham, and Sheffield Wednesday all in the same division. And we came out on top of the ‘Yorkshire League’ that year! Since then we’ve had nothing of the sorts - Leeds gives us a game to get excited about again. Our biggest rivalry in League Two is probably Rotherham – and that’s lost any sort of kick it had about it since they left Millmoor. The trip to Elland Road gives us a chance to have a highly charged, intense game for once, with what will promise to be an electric atmosphere.

And for Leeds fans too, I’m sure they will be much more looking forward to a game against City, than some of the possibilities they could have drawn – mouth-watering ties with Accrington, Burton or Hartlepool. A midweek game against City will, with the greatest of respect, be a much bigger prospect for them than welcoming any of those teams and I’m sure they will be looking forward to telling us how much they don’t care about us, how it’s not a proper rivalry and how they will remind us that we are the ‘poor relations’. Despite all this, the Leeds fans that I’m mates with have for the last few years proclaimed how they wish that ourselves and Huddersfield had swapped positions and they could have had matches with us rather than those from the Galpharm. They want a ‘proper’ Yorkshire derby it seems, and we’re the ones to give it to them.

Maybe I’m biased, being Leeds born and bred and having lived here for my 21 years all my mates are Leeds fans and love winding me up – but I think if you can’t get excited by the thought of this cup draw, then nothing much will excite you as a Bradford City fan.

It might only be the Carling Cup. They might not really care about us. But who cares?

It’s Leeds, away. Bring it on.

In the Clubs Best Interests?

noreply@blogger.com (Bantams Blog) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:28:00 GMT

Quite a stir has been caused today with the news that local businessman and current Guiseley FC director, Steve Parkin, has submitted and had a takeover bid for Bradford City rejected by Mark Lawn and Julian Rhodes. The Yorkshire Post article, in which it indicates Parkin would bring City and the Bradford Bulls together under one company, states that discussions are ongoing with the club and that both Lawn and Rhodes want to see Parkin’s business plan. In the four years that the club has had joint ownership, both parties have stated they would move over if they received an offer which was in the best interests of the club – so we must assume so far that the current offer was not satisfactory.

The proposal from Parkin, for what is essentially just a name at the moment considering Bradford City have few tangible assets, seems to be relatively impressive at face-value. Lawn would receive his £1 million loan back, and Parkin would offer £750,000 for their shares with a further £750,000 based on performance. As part of the deal, the two owners would also maintain 25% of the clubs shares, but without any voting power. However, when broken down, the offer would see Lawn and Rhodes pocket just £375,000 each, with a 12.5% share of any future profits. When you consider what almost £3 million could buy in terms of other clubs, it is a relatively high offer, but it is an offer which I would presume they are unlikely to accept, considering their financial input into the club - said to be around the £5.5 million mark. Selfish of them you may say, but considering that neither of them are multi multi millionaires, it would be an enormous loss for both of them.

Looking at Parkin’s physical proposals makes for an interesting read. He would plan to buy both clubs and place them in the ownership of ‘Bradford Sporting Company’, whilst maintaining autonomy. The long run would see the clubs sharing, in theory, a new purpose built stadium, fit for the 21^st century. This could be called wasteful, considering City’s current residency of Valley Parade is more than fit for purpose, and with a few tweaks would be more than adequate for the Bulls as well. However, Parkin’s ideas would more than likely consist of providing the stadium, alongside new training facilities and rentable retail units. A stadium which would be used 24/7, 365 days a year. The stadium would likely be a catalyst for the revival of both clubs, who have both been struggling for a number of years now. Looking at the wider picture as well, it could also be the catalyst to provide Bradford with a more prosperous future itself, providing optimism, jobs and economic activity.

With news of this coming out now, it heightens pressure on the club to succeed this year. If City struggle again badly this year, many fans will begin to turn on the owners –a s happened in recent months with the Valley Parade saga - as questions over the bid rejection will begin to surface. Considering the success of similar schemes in Wigan and Hull particularly, the current owners will have to show some significant progress in the near future.

However, the news coming out today leaves this reader feeling somewhat uneasy. The idea that both clubs will play at the same ground for the next decade before moving into a purpose built stadium is unnerving. If Parkin wishes to move City into Odsal for the next decade, we will see the issue of the Valley Parade lease rear its head again, but it would be equally difficult to move the Bulls into Valley Parade long term as the pitch does not meet rugby league regulations. A move away from Valley Parade would also be heart-wrenching for any City fan. Obviously the place is steeped in history, much more history than most grounds, and while a move away in the long run may enable the club to have a more secure and prosperous future, it would never be an easy decision. And the thought of leaving it for Odsal, is horrible.

I would expect a press release from the club’s point of view very soon, from which we may be able to establish more. All we can know for certain is that the next few weeks and months will prove to be very interesting.

Branston Joins City

noreply@blogger.com (Bantams Blog) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 13:06:00 GMT

For the last few seasons, City have been far too soft in the heart of the defence. Opposing strikers have often found it far too easy to walk through the defence, and could leave the pitch being forgiven for thinking there was no defender marking them. City boss Peter Jackson has finally looked to have resolved this problem with today’s signing of Guy Branston from Torquay. Branston joins from Torquay who only conceded a mere 53 goals last season.

Branston has had a somewhat nomadic career so far, taking in almost 20 clubs since beginning his professional career over ten years ago. The two year contract he has signed with the club will see him stay at Valley Parade until he is 34. A worry, you may think, but it sees him tied to City for the next two years – just as he is coming into the best patch of his career.

His recent record is excellent; he played last season in one of the meanest defences in League Two – one which went ten games without conceding. He also found himself in the PFA League Two Team of the Year and managed to scoop himself the Torquay Player of the Season award, as well. City seem to have captured Branston when he is coming into the best form of his career.

Branston also has big game experience and experience of winning. Throughout his career, Branston has won the play offs twice, with Sheffield Wednesday and Colchester, was part of the back-to-back promotions under Ro**ie Mo*re at Rotherham and won the league in his brief spell at Kettering Town. His experience will be vital in what could be a youthful squad next season.

He could also prove to be perfect foil for bringing out the undoubted potential that Steve Williams has. His first season was excellent but last year Williams suffered a lot and made far too many soft mistakes. Playing alongside Branston, and training with such a vastly experienced centre half can only help Williams, and may finally produce the player we know he can be.

In the interest of balance though, it is worth noting that he was mysteriously pushed out of Burton, allegedly for having a poor attitude. Obviously there could be many reasons for this, but as long as we get the correct level of professionalism from Branston, Peter Jackson has managed to secure exactly the type of player Bradford City need.

And as a final positive, it should allow Luke Oliver to move back to his preferred position of centre forward!

How Far Away Are We?

noreply@blogger.com (Bantams Blog) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 14:33:00 GMT

With little news coming out of Valley Parade recently, topics for discussion have been sparse. So with that in mind I thought I’d have a non-statistically relevant look at how far away City are from being able to challenge – and whether all the doom mongering is really necessary.

Obviously this season was a massive disappointment, but looking at the figures shows some surprising things. Firstly, this season saw City collect more points at home than last season. 10 wins, 3 draws and 10 defeats saw a haul of 33 points compared to last season’s 31 points from 8 wins, 8 draws and 7 defeats. Despite the alarming number of home defeats, an improvement, albeit small, was seen in a purely points basis. When compared to the two ‘worst’ teams in the play offs, Torquay and Stevenage who finished 7^th and 6^th respectively, both those teams only managed to gain 38 points at home – a mere 5 more than City. In fact, City won more home games than Stevenage, and the same amount as Torquay. Clearly this shows that a ‘fortress’ is not needed to gain promotion. Even Wycombe who finished in the final automatic position only bettered our 2008/09 home record, which saw City finish 9^th, by one point. Indeed it is clear that away form is where the difference is made.

City picked up a paltry 19 points on the road this past season – a big factor in the teams low finish. In comparative terms, Torquay picked up 31 points on their travels this season while Stevenage also picked up 31 points away from home. An extra 12 points would have seen City finish on 64 points, still two wins short of a play off place, but it is clear that the team couldn’t do the required business on the road this season. Had they maintained last season’s modest haul away from home would have seen City finish in the top half.

Obviously this is a lot of coulda-shoulda-wouldas, but considering City only won 2 less games than Torquay, and 3 less than eventual play off winners Stevenage, there is not much to pick between the teams in this league. Having looked at this, it is therefore ludicrous to predict another season of battling away at the bottom. Accrington who finished below City last year finished just 7 points from automatic promotion, a scenario all City fans would be pleased with considering the last 4 seasons.

If City can sort out a strong spine to the team with 4 new signings; a goalkeeper, centre half, central midfielder and striker, then there is no reason why the club cannot push for at least the top 7 with the remaining players here. Players like Luke O’Brien, Steve Williams, Dave Syers and James Hanson have all been championed as being good enough for this league so with the right additions, the top 7 should certainly be attainable.

Bradford City clearly have no right to be in the promotion places, but without ambition to be there, the club would be on a slippery slope to oblivion.

Cheap as Chips

noreply@blogger.com (Bantams Blog) — Tue, 31 May 2011 13:01:00 GMT

Following the suspension of season tickets sales due to the financial worries surrounding the club, season ticket prices have only just been announced, and I think it is time to commend the club for yet again providing the people of Bradford with affordable prices for football league matches. For the fifth year in a row season tickets have been provided for less than £200 - season tickets being priced at £195 for adults - once again making season tickets incredibly good value.

The pricing strategy, despite having seen a year on year decrease in crowds as the club has lingered in League Two, has ensured the club has received support it wouldn’t have got had it kept prices at the same level they were before relegation to the bottom tier. The first year of cheap tickets saw an incredible amount sold; only surpassed by figures in the Premier League seasons. The club have also done their best to ensure the scheme remains fresh by developing it each year. Had the club sold another 600 season tickets three years ago, 20,000 tickets would have been dished out as part of the deal.

The flexibility and continuation of the policy from City clearly shows that they value the city’s support as it would be just as easy to charge £250/300 and have a crowd half as low. And despite having franchised the shop and catering facilities, extra bodies = extra cash for the club as City take a certain % of profits made by the franchises on top of the franchise fees. A win-win situation considering the franchise fees are claimed to be more than the club would make from these operations themselves.

However, some people have begun to argue that the cost of providing cheap tickets is too prohibitive now and are calling for the prices to revert back to ‘normal’ higher prices. But this will just ensure that the club will lose floating supporters, whose cash is particularly important at the level City currently operate at. If the club continue with this policy, and the excellent marketing is finally matched by on pitch performances, the club could be looking at crowds of up to 15,000 in League One, almost double what the club averaged when they were last in that division. Should the club stick with the cheap ticket policy, it would eventually manifest itself in the club getting sustainably bigger crowds than it has experienced before at the respective level it is playing at.

Whatever people think of the current board, and they do come in for a lot of stick at times, this policy of cheap tickets has to be commended. Having been correctly recognised by the footballing authorities, it is something we as a club should be proud of, and thank the Chairmen and Board for.

Ten Years in Coming

noreply@blogger.com (Bantams Blog) — Wed, 25 May 2011 14:15:00 GMT

We finally found out this morning that Peter Jackson is to lose his ‘interim’ title to be replaced by ‘full time’ as he is appointed Bradford City manager on a full time basis. Colin Cooper has also extended his association with the club by a year too. Excellent news considering his coaching qualities and reputation. Now, I was never one of his biggest fans and I’m still not sure whether he did enough to earn the job in light of some other candidates who to me appear better. But nonetheless Jacko will get my 100% support.

Having turned the job down ten years ago, Jackson finally accepts the job he always wanted and will no doubt give it his all. Jacko perhaps gets the job in the best position any of the managers the club has had in its time in League Two. While that may sound strange, considering last season and the rag bag of players that are left at the club, Jackson comes in at a time - following financial worry and last year’s poor showing – when expectations are at an all time low. This should allow him the freedom to build his own team and squad under considerably less pressure, which in turn should increase the chances of him getting it right.

Since the first day Jackson arrived at the club, he has said all the right things and has personified enthusiasm. He is clearly enthusiastic, passionate and completely happy to be at the club. Hopefully some of this can rub off on his players and we may finally see a team which is ready to compete at this level. The past year saw one of the most disinterested teams to take to the field at Valley Parade, and Jackson’s enthusiasm and motivational prowess is undoubtedly one of the qualities that got him the full time gig.

He’s done it before, albeit eight years ago, with Huddersfield, he can do it again. And I sincerely hope he does do it this time. All of what he is saying is right, his targets are supposedly exciting players, and we’ve already been promised (Where have I heard that one before?!) attacking, entertaining football. With the issue of the ground sorted for now, next season is beginning to look brighter. We just need our nice, new Nike kits now!

Without wanting to tempt fate; What could possibly go wrong......?

Never in Doubt

noreply@blogger.com (Bantams Blog) — Tue, 24 May 2011 13:26:00 GMT

Today saw news that we all wanted to hear emerge, that Bradford City are to remain at Valley Parade for the foreseeable future. This has come about due to the directors finding enough money to buy the offices and shop back which will ease cash flow. Obviously, this is wonderful news meaning the club remains at its spiritual home and doesn’t have to go play matches up at Odsal.

The biggest positive from remaining at VP is naturally the tribute to the 56 fans who died in the 1985 disaster. Leaving Valley Parade would have been heartbreaking such is the level of history that the ground is steeped in. I’m sure the fans we lost that day would rather have seen the club continue to survive that fold under financial pressures at VP, but there is no better memorial to them than Valley Parade.

The purchasing of the offices/shop will also give Bradford City something which it has not had in almost a decade – an asset. OK, it may be in the hands of BC Bantams Ltd, but it is by all intents and purposes in the clubs hands. And with the way rent appears to be structured, the club pays what it can, when it can – meaning that cash flow will be much less strained and can be directed to where it is needed most.

This will also mean that the club can finally plan full steam ahead for next season with the immediate future sorted. Having seen umpteen players released and a solitary signing in Ross Hannah, much work is needed on the squad. With the news that the search for a permanent manager is over, the new man having been told, things seem to be much more positive at Valley Parade. And perhaps Clayton Donaldson will finally sign on the dotted line........?!

Unfortunately the club still lacks what it really needs – ownership of the ground – but hopefully today is the beginning of the process to get it back in the clubs hands, ensuring a long, sustainable future at Valley Parade.

Football Blog Directory

noreply@blogger.com (Bantams Blog) — Tue, 24 May 2011 13:23:00 GMT

The Bantams Blog has been added to The Football Blog Directory.

The Football Blog Directory is a base for all football blogs; ranging from Premier League to Non-League enabling football fans to read up on the best sport in the world.

The site can be found here Football Blog Directory.