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Present perfect

18 May

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Bradford City 3

Hanson 15, McArdle 19, Wells 28

Northampton Town 0

(Bradford City promoted to League One)

Saturday 18 May, 2013

Written by Alex Scott

(Images by Jason McKeown)

They have done it. After six years of toiling away in the bottom tier, Bradford City have done it.

Saving their best performance for the most important moment, Phil Parkinson’s men were dominant upon the same Wembley turf which they were humbled not three months ago. I haven’t really bought into the redemption narrative (that never felt like the point of this journey), but for those that did, any demons haunting their dreams have been well and truly exorcised.

This season has played out like a novel. The story seemed predestined. The tracks were laid. It was meant to be this way. It wasn’t that “you couldn’t write it”, because you could. This is exactly how you’d write it. The weird thing is that it actually happened. To talk of fate diminishes the sensational reality these players have delivered, but how can you not think about it? Everything that happened today felt like a callback to a seed laid months before.

In their 64th and final game, City reached a level of performance they only ever hinted at amongst the first 63. I can’t remember a Bradford City team look that assured, that dominant. To a man, they were flawless.

Picking up where they left off against Burton, City rendered Northampton helpless. Bradford looked like a team that could have beaten Aidy Boothroyd’s men in any number of ways; Northampton’s cupboard was bare from the beginning.

It is difficult to separate the two moments which have defined this year, despite the fact they were almost polar opposites. Whereas the Swansea encounter felt like more of an ‘event’, today was a football game. This was a day for real football fans, the real reason we do all this, and it was a real football game. And what a game it was.

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From minute one City were on top, and by the time anyone had time to breathe, the game was over as a contest. The 90 minutes of football from half time at the Pirelli, to half time at Wembley may have been the best in 15 years. A combined 5-1 against two of the stingiest defences, and best teams, in the division. Especially in the manner it was done, with it always looking like there was more to come.

The opening quarter of an hour saw City begin to bang on the door; the second saw it irrecoverably blown off its hinges.

James Hanson opened the scoring with a wonderful looping header back across Lee Nicholls after the reputably dominant Northampton back line again failed to reorganise, leaving Garry Thompson uncovered at the back post before he picked out the big number nine with a delicate lob across the six yard box. The Cobblers demise felt inescapable already.

The big man was unstoppable today. From beginning to end he won everything in the air, and did so against the most aerially dominantly League Two side in years. Today James Hanson fulfilled his destiny, achieving the goal he could never reach, leading us out of League Two. We can no longer underestimate his value. He led. He dominated. He put in the best performance of his career.

City’s lead was quickly doubled as Nathan Doyle wonderfully picked out Rory McArdle who reprised, almost exactly, his goal against Aston Villa with a bullet header at the near post after losing his man. Boothroyd’s men were reeling, and City dropped the hammer not long later, with a typically predatory Nahki Wells finish. The game was over before the half hour mark. These players hit their ceiling, their apex. They could have won the game by as many as they wanted to. It will never get better than that.

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The defence were magnificent in the face of constant aerial pressure. The past two games have seen Andrew Davies highlight exactly why he is so important to this team, in both games laying the foundation for the attackers to flourish. McArdle alongside him was as good as he has ever been, and in Stephen Darby (baby) and James Meredith, City may have the best young full back pairing outside of the Championship.

Gary Jones was majestic, again. He and Nathan Doyle controlled the middle of the field from beginning to end. Jones is the heart of the team, and in only a season has ensured his bust in the Bradford City Hall of Fame. Parkinson spoke about his attempts to install a new culture at the club last summer, and no one has been more important in that than Gary Jones. He is irreplaceable. He is magic.

The thing about this team which makes all of this so perfect is that the entire squad, each one of them, are so likeable. They give everything they have in every moment, they never know when they are beaten, and the morale, the atmosphere is fantastic. To see a man like Alan Connell, who has every right to be frustrated, be this happy is just a delight, and sums everything great about this squad up, These men have rewritten the destiny of Bradford City Football Club.

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Not many have played a more important role than Wells, who in perhaps his final act in claret and amber demonstrated everything that makes him so special, a phenomenal display, sealing another man of the match award. He finishes this marathon season with eight goals in the final eight games, and it speaks volumes for the heights he may be able to grace that he has come through so wonderfully when it mattered most. A fact true for the whole team, actually.

If this side were going to make the leap from good to great, it was always going to be on the shoulders of the Bermudian, and again he didn’t disappoint. Clarke Carlisle and Nathan Cameron were left tangled in his wake.

The outmanned central defensive pairing for the Cobblers epitomised their team’s performance. Never at any point did they threaten. Save a handful of impressive punches and catches from Northampton long throws, Jon McLaughlin was untested.

Boothroyd’s men were abject from start to finish and as a group of fans who know all too well about being outclassed on the biggest stage, there is sympathy with the Northampton fans, who really can’t have enjoyed that. Their team were set up in a way that (in hindsight) appears naive, and their players froze.

I’m not sure how much difference it would have made had their players shown up, as rampant as their opponents were.

There isn’t anything I can say about Phil Parkinson’s job this year that would do him justice. He has been vindicated in every decision he has made. He has been the catalyst that brought this club from the bottom of the Football League, to these magical heights in a matter of 18 months. Today will go down on the short list of our club’s greatest days, a short list within which he is already a frequent character.

As time passes and we look back, these players will go down in history amongst our pantheon of our greatest. To a man, they’ve all made a critical contribution at one point or another. But that isn’t really relevant today. What is relevant is that the club is now in place to keep its core, its young core, together and this wonderful story, this wonderful ending, may only be a beginning. The present is perfect; the future could be anything.

They have done it. They have really done it. And they have really done it in the best possible manner. They have earned it; they have deserved it. The gulf in class between the two sides on display at The Home Of Football was inescapable.

And in the end, the truth came through to the fore: it was a League Two team playing a League One team.

City: McLaughlin, Darby, McArdle, Davies, Meredith, Thompson, Jones, Doyle (Ravenhill 87), Reid (Atkinson 78), Hanson, Wells (Connell 85)

Not use: Duke, McHugh, Nelson, Hines

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Bradford City bring back good times with Wembley return

5 May

2013-05-05 13.56.28

Burton Albion 1

Maghoma 55 (pen)

Bradford City 3

Wells 27+57, Hanson 50

(Bradford City win 5-4 on aggregate)

Sunday 2 May, 2013

By Jason McKeown

Supporting Bradford City has never been easy. You are mocked and pitied by others. You endure lots of terrible football. Disappointment becomes second nature, because it seems like, wherever you place the bar of expectation, the club will usually fall well below it. The glory days had become something from a different era. We’ve experienced some very difficult and dark times.

Which makes days like today so much more special. After enduring years of failure, testing your faith and testing your sanity, today City got their day of celebration. Today, years of frustration, heartbreak and so, so many home defeats has been rewarded. Today, every reason for supporting Bradford City was vindicated. Today.

The scenes at full time, after Bradford City had defied the odds, once again, to book a second trip of the season to Wembley, will live in the memory forever. They were every bit as electrifying as the best ever moments supporting the club. Some who were there for Blackpool 17 years ago stated this was on a par. Being at Villa Park in January may or may not have shaded this, but it’s all academic. For a club that has achieved no success since 2000, to have two occasions like this in one season is astonishing.

Astonishing because of how good it tastes. The memories of Wolves, Blackpool, Liverpool etc were beginning to fade. The mind plays tricks – were they really that good, or have we just built up a halcyon recollection of emotions that we could never possibly hope to relive again? The truth is we’d forgotten what this felt like. How amazing it is to feel this happy following your football club.

Supporting Bradford City has never been easy, but on days like this it is impossible to imagine ever wanting to do anything but.

All of which masks what was, in truth, a terrifying ordeal. Three days on from seemingly throwing promotion hopes away with that dismal first 45 minutes at Valley Parade, hope had been allowed to grow and theories of how we could turn it around given wings to fly. Beforehand I was hugely confident that we could do it, but as soon as the match kicked off I instantly questioned my stupidity in what I had been thinking. Have I just set myself up for another terrible let down? As Burton charged forwards in the opening minutes, the temptation to run out of the stadium and go home there and then was strong.

Even when City took the lead 27 minutes in, my nerves only increased when they should have eased. A horrendous misjudgement by Burton defender Marcus Holness – an attempted back header to keeper Stuart Tomlinson falling well short – allowed Nahki Wells to steal in and tap the ball home. Everyone went barmy. I could not jump up down myself, as I was hugged by people either side of me and from the row in front. Manic, but brilliant. From being 3-1 down at half time on Thursday, City had pulled the aggregate score back to 3-3. That’s why my anxiety grew. It was now in our hands. That was scary.

The goal had followed a half hour of nothingness. Andrew Davies, back from suspension, handled the still-strong Calvin Zola excellently, and Jacques Maghoma was kept quiet by a much improved Stephen Darby. Jon McLaughlin made one good save, but Phil Parkinson would later talk about the huge psychological advantage City gained from Burton resorting to 4-4-2 mid-way through the half, as the Brewer’s first leg tactics were nullified.

Indeed Burton were on the ropes. Wells’ goal unravelling their composure and revealing their insecurity. A few seconds later a scramble in the box resulted in the referee Graham Scott blowing for a City penalty and it seemed like we had one foot at Wembley. Alas, Wells was ruled to be offside in the build up and the linesman persuaded Scott to award a Burton goal kick instead. But it was still a blow of some sorts to Burton. They were hanging on, and we had nearly exposed the thinness of the margins.

Five minutes into the second half, and Gary Jones – back to his magnificent best after a no-show Thursday – sent Wells away down City’s right. He was challenged, but the ball ricocheted central towards the edge of the penalty area where James Hanson was charging forwards. A powerful low finish – Tomlinson could not get near it – and the back of the net ruffled. A huge roar. The celebrations were immense both on and off the pitch. In a season of incredible moments, this was right up there with the best.

A fitting goalscorer too. Hanson had played well Thursday but was widely criticised, as usual. Today he was unplayable. Sensational. For how much Zola has been praised over the last few days and Hanson compared unfavourably, today James’ critics must once again eat their words. He and Wells gave the performances of their lives, and Burton could not cope. Hope was turning into realism. Wembley on the horizon.

A scare came five minutes later when the home side finally came to life. Maghoma got away from Darby, and Garry Thompson’s desperate lunge to deny him a shot on goal resulted in a penalty. It is claimed that the challenge was outside the box. It is also claimed Thompson was the last man and should have gone. After the handball antics of the first leg, Burton were in no position to take the high ground on the latter point.

So just like on Thursday, the 2-0 down home side pulled one back from the penalty spot – Maghoma doing the business – but just like Thursday, the away side responded quickly. It took all of two minutes for Wells to restore City’s lead with a clever turn and shot that Tomlinson might have made a better fist of keeping out. The ball trickled slowly over the line and we were in dreamland.

Looking from the outside, the last half an hour must have seemed curiously routine for City. Burton were shot to pieces. Their attempts at coming back lacked confidence or conviction. A couple of half chances were dealt with by McLaughlin, but for the most part City reduced them to pot shots from distance that were so wayward they flew out of the ground. Meanwhile City continued to attack in a measured way, looking more likely to score.

Being on the inside, however, the last half an hour was utter torture. Burton only needed one goal to force extra time, and the minutes ticked by painfully slowly. My heart was beating so fast. My breathing got heavier and heavier. At times I had to turn the other way and stop watching the game. From being all over at half time on Thursday to the brink of Wembley, the prize was too important for anything but total devastation to occur if we let this slip from our grasp. City had two very, very strong penalty appeals turned away that might have made it safer. Where six minutes of injury time came from is a mystery.

But we were magnificent. Nathan Doyle’s return to the starting XI bringing calm and rational-thought to City’s play. Davies – complete with a head bandage in the second half – sensational at the back. Jones, Meredith, Darby, Reid, Thompson, Rory McArdle – pillars of strength. For how brilliant Burton were on Thursday, City were doubly impressive today. For how much we froze on Thursday, Burton were now the ones who had bottled it.

Finally, the final whistle. Cue the celebrations. Me and my wife hugged each other and I realised that she was in tears. The last time she had cried at City, we were 4-0 down to Swansea at Wembley. I started supporting City in 1997, so have seen some good times at least. She saw her first City match in 2002 and unfortunately could not join me at Villa Park. I’m so glad that she has at last experienced this kind of magical moment.

Some fans invaded the pitch, but the police’s heavy handiness discouraged others from joining. Instead the players were able to party in front of us. Dancing up and down to our chants, throwing their shirts into the crowd. The highlight for me – and it was possibly the highlight of the whole day – was Parkinson’s pumped up celebrations as he ran around the pitch. It’s no secret that I am a big, big Parkinson fan to the point I irritate others. I’m so pleased for him. He endured some strong criticism post Wembley that was undeserved. Please, dear reader, join me in rugby tackling Parkinson and not letting him back up until he signs that bloody contract.

The players went inside, but we were not going home until they came back out. In the meantime Mark Lawn leapt from the director’s box to pitchside and was hugged by fans at the front of the stand. Finally our heroes came back. It was still early afternoon, and the party was just getting started. Talk of Wembley is great, but let’s enjoy this achievement first.

“We’re proud of you” was the chant from the City fans and how well deserved it was. As fans we’ve spent years booing and jeering, singing “you’re not fit to wear the shirt” and, once, “love the club, hate the team”. “We’re proud of you” is praise indeed and the players and management deserve every bit of credit coming to them and more. Magnificent. Thank you.

But football supporting is, first and foremost, a selfish thing, and today belonged to us, the fans. It has been an incredibly difficult 13 years supporting Bradford City. The bad times have completely outweighed the little good. That we still have a club to support has been our biggest – neigh, our only – achievement. And it is for days like this that we put in all their effort, spend all that money, and sing all those songs following the club up and down the country.

Days like this, when, for once, the sun shines on our wonderful football club.

City: McLaughlin, Darby, Davies, McArdle, Meredith, Thompson, Doyle, Jones, Reid (Atkinson 73), Hanson, Wells

Not used: Duke, Nelson, McHugh, Ravenhill Hines, Connell

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City lose the plot before setting up a big finale

2 May

2013-05-02 21.07.37

Bradford City 2

Wells 38 (pen), Thompson 74

Burton Albion 3

Zola 22+28, Weir 44

Thursday 2 May, 2013

By Jason McKeown

After the pre-match tension: terror. This was frightening, harrowing, shocking. Every worst fear realised during 45 minutes of football as poor as anything Bradford City have produced all season. What a time to freeze. What a time to implode.

And yet, the tie is not over. Garry Thompson’s superb strike 16 minutes from time means that City can travel to Burton on Sunday still believing it can be done. Burton should have finished the job. Phil Parkinson will know it and, crucially, Gary Rowett will know it too. That the Brewers take a lead from Valley Parade might be beyond his expectations; but we were on the ropes and they let us off. For them, the psychological effects of being handed the red-hot favourites tag will also take some managing.

Quite where it went wrong for the Bantams tonight is a mystery. With Kyel Reid having not trained all week, meaning he stood no chance of starting, Parkinson’s decision to go without an out-and-out winger left City one-dimensional and painfully predictable. That Zavon Hines had endured a difficult afternoon playing out of position on the left in the league game against Burton must have come into Parkinson’s thinking. He didn’t want to dislodge right midfielder Thompson to accommodate Hines’ pace and rightly so, but Will Atkinson on the left caused a narrow midfield to look even more restricted.

And Burton – who made good on Rowett’s pre-match promise to go for it at Valley Parade – were simply magnificent. There were aspects of their play tonight that might leave much to be desired, but they combined the ugly grittiness with some devastating passing football that City simply could not live with. The previously excellent back four were a shadow of themselves. Michael Nelson – in for the suspended Andrew Davies – will no doubt bear the brunt of the criticism, but really there was no defender who could emerge with any credit.

Certainly not the previously unflappable Stephen Darby. Tasked with marking Jacques Maghoma, City’s right back was the unwitting victim of one of the most astonishing individual performances I have seen in our six years in League Two. Maghoma ran the show, tearing down the left wing at times but equally showing a willingness to cut inside and run past Ricky Ravenhill in the centre of the park. No one could get near Maghoma. On this form, Burton won’t be keeping him no matter which division they are playing in next season.

Maghoma set up Burton’s opener midway through the first half, after getting clear of Darby and delivering a superb cross. Calvin Zola – who yet again had saved his best form for the Bantams – ran from deep and headed the ball home, unchallenged, in between Atkinson and Meredith. Rory McArdle was seemingly tasked with marking Zola tonight, but the Brewers’ striker popped up all over the final third with some very intelligent off-the-ball runs and strong physical all round approach.

City were punished for failing to take the initiative. A packed out Valley Parade roared the players onto the pitch and through the opening stages; but after the players mustered little more productive than a couple of corners, frustration did not take long to be aired. It was a cracking atmosphere tonight, with the level of noise at times prompting hairs to stand on the back of your neck. And yet the mood was not one of unequivocal backing that the big crowds against Arsenal and Aston Villa had provided. Tonight the greater expectation led to greater grumbling.

Within six minutes of opening the scoring, Zola had a second. Zander Diamond’s long ball forwards in truth found Zola in an offside position, but there was no excuse for affording him the time and space to work an angle and fire a stunning drive into Jon McLaughlin’s far corner. McArdle was with his man this time, but allowed Zola the yard of space he needed to pick his spot. Ravenhill might also have done more to help him.

At this stage Burton truly threatened to run riot. They passed the ball with a swagger and style that was chalk to the cheese of City’s direct style. Without the outlet of Reid or Hines, only Thompson took his share of responsibility of getting on the ball to make things happen. What happened to Gary Jones tonight? Perhaps the rest on Saturday was a mistake, as he certainly looked rusty.

Burton might have made it three when some superb passing tore City open and left John McGarth one-on-one with McLaughlin, who made an excellent block. That felt like a pivotal moment in not only the game, but the tie – preventing the visitors’ climbing out of sight. It had been Burton’s fifth shot on target, while City were still to register their first.

When they did it came from the penalty spot, putting the home side back into it. A free kick by Gary Jones had led to James Hanson crossing for an unmarked McArdle, only for the defender to produce an air shot that fortunately saw the ball fall to Thompson. His shot was handled by Burton right back Damien McCory as though he was making a goalkeeping save. Appeals for a red card were ignored, but at least Nahki Wells coolly slotting the penalty home.

But there was another sting in the Burton tail. McCory’s long pass saw Alex MacDonald run clear of a dozing Meredith, and his cut back was met by Robbie Weir to finish with ease. The space he found in-between McArdle and Nelson was hugely troubling. It’s stating the obvious that Davies was missed tonight, but this was the same back four that had kept a clean sheet against Burton only the other week.

The second half saw improvement from City, as Burton eased off and attempted to hold onto their two-goal cushion. The introduction of Nathan Doyle made a big difference, as he provided the composure and tempo that had been lacking, with City finally starting to pass the ball. Fellow sub Reid, whilst clearly short of full fitness, offered much-needed width and did well. But Burton were defending admirably.

Thompson’s strike did put City back into it, and it could be looked back on as pivotal come the final whistle on Sunday. A deserved goal it was too, as he, Hanson and McLaughlin were the only City starters to emerge with any credit tonight. That Burton hit the bar through MacDonald soon after underlined their counter attacking threat, but we were firmly into time-wasting and gamesmanship country, as Burton ran down the clock.

City might have drawn on the night, with Wells and Hanson wasting glorious chances in almost identical fashion. Screwing shots wide on the turn when there was time to take a touch and show composure. That summed up the evening for City, one where the basic principles of what has got us to where we are were somehow forgotten. The fact the tie is not over is probably the best we could have hoped for.

With three days until the second leg, Parkinson will need to formulate a strategy for the Perelli Stadium very quickly. He was clearly caught out tonight by Burton’s adventurous approach and the free role afforded to Maghoma, but worrying about what the opposition might do to us cannot be the principal focus.

We didn’t do ourselves justice tonight. Now all we can do is ensure that’s not the case on Sunday, and to leave the pitch having given everything. It will be a tall order to overturn the deficit on the turt of the Football League’s best home form team, but it is not impossible.

As fantastic as Burton were tonight, I still don’t believe they are a better side than the Bantams. We now need to go and show that. Give them lots to worry about. Prey on their anxiety. This magnificent season does not deserve to end on a whimper, and everything we’ve seen over the last 10 months suggests this group of players won’t let that happen. I have every faith they can turn it around.

It’s only half time, and all season long we’ve proven to be a better second half team.

City: McLaughlin, Darby, Nelson, McArdle, Meredith, Thomspon, Ravenhill (Doyle 57), Jones, Atkinson (Reid 57), Hanson, Wells (Connell 89)

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Fancy dress, dead rubbers etc.

27 Apr

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Cheltenham Town 0

Bradford City 0

Saturday 27 April, 2013

By David Lawrence

The atmosphere in the Parklands social club near the ground was terrific. Well it had to be. It was full of ‘the Faithful’ who were relaxed in the knowledge that nothing much today could bother them. Not even some of the strange fancy dress.

Of course plenty had expected this game to be more serious and count for something when they raced to snap up the ticket allocation during City’s excellent end of season form. However, that run combined with Exeter’s fall from grace since The Bantams made them look good at St James Park meant the game was significant only in whom we would take on in the play offs, and who Phil Parkinson would select or rest for this dead rubber.

To his credit Parkinson erred away from selecting youngsters such as Scott Brown and went with many players that could be considered starters for next week’s adventures. That said, he did make eight changes from the last match, giving Kyel Reid the day off while resting to the bench the likes of James Meredith, Nahki Wells, James Hanson and Gary Jones. A very strong bench, but still the team on the field had a strong look to it, demonstrating the progress that City have made under the manager’s tutelage.

20130427_145745If being in the play offs is not enough to convince some, possibly including Mark Lawn, that Parkinson has more than ‘done alright’, comparing the team put out in the final game last year to this should convince: Jon McLaughlin, Simon Ramsden, Luke Oliver, James Hanson, Ricky Ravenhill, Nahki Wells, David Syers, Rob Kozluk, Will Atkinson, Kyel Reid, Andrew Davies. More to the point consider the bench that day against Swindon: Deane Smalley, Jamie Annerson, Adam Baker, Lee Bullock, Forrayah Bass. ‘Soft’. Back then we were just about relaxing from the mumbled worries of relegation. Now we are ready to cheer our team on and on in this history making season.

The merriment was none more so than in the young band of fancy-dressed fans accompanied by an excellent drummer. It has to be said that they were superb throughout the game, setting a great tone in the City end. They were an exemplar of good support; vocal, good natured and nigh on constant. No wonder they were dressed as super heroes.

The other heroes who were in the now familiar gold kit lined up 4-4-2 with a strong back line led by Andrew Davies, a midfield engine room of Nathan Doyle and the recently excellent Ricky Ravenhill, and an ‘interesting’ front two of Alan Connell and Andy Gray. The pace was supplied by Zavon Hines with Will Atkinson sitting deeper on his flank to support Carl McHugh in his efforts to thwart the usual threat of Jermaine McGlashan. Other Cheltenham threats came from the free kicks of Marlon Pack and the youngster Byron Harrison, who looks to have a good future in the game. Benching today, presumable not quite fit, was City target Paul Benson.20130427_165323cccc

And they could have done with him, because whilst you may not have guessed it from the way they started, Cheltenham had something to play for; an outside chance of automatic promotion. Perhaps it was nerves or more likely the fact they could not cope with the now familiar pressing game that City employ.

The first exchanges, particularly in midfield went to City. However, Cheltenham nearly scored when Hines gave away a free kick after tangling with the lively Sido Jombati on the edge of the box. From the resultant cross Davies was guilty of underestimating the flight of the ball and the long serving ‘Robin’ Steve Elliot headed just wide of the post.

Cheltenham began to get their act together. Even their fans sang one, or was it two?, songs. Jombati went close after cutting inside, and Pack forced a functional save out of Duke. Apart from Hines giving away free kicks in his desire to help out, the City defence did well. McHugh was nullifying the quieter than usual McGlashan; dependable Darby was, and Davies and Nelson dealt with the aerial threat well. Unfortunately, the latter’s distribution of the ball out of defence let him down, but all in all City were reasonable comfortable in defence.

The Bantams’ attacking play was less so, if not even a bit awkward. Connell tried his usual clever flicks to some or other effect and Gray ran around. To be fair both of these players were in effect ‘taking one for the team’ with neither playing the role or being supported the way they would prefer. If Gray or Connell had scored a hat-trick today it is questionable whether they would be in the starting eleven come Thursday.

The statement that Doyle was our most attacking player in the first half with a blocked free kick and one that flew over sums things up. Unfortunately, of note, Davies got booked for a strong tackle when he looked like he’d got the ball first. The linesman, who was some twenty-five yards away, didn’t think so was and was supported by ref Andy D’Urso who was only yards away. Yellow card. But the drummer was still beating away and the City fans were in good voice. The half time whistle almost went un-noticed.

Only the weather changed at half-time as the cold front arrived and heavy rain clouds threatened. City started the second half brightly, with Hines causing problems for Robin’s star keeper Scott Brown. After around 10 minutes Michael Hector went down after a strong but fair tackle. Again D’Urso gave a soft free kick – well he would wouldn’t he? City fans were enraged but reacted positively with a chorus of ‘Take me home, Midland road’ which lasted some fifteen minutes. Brilliant support.

The game was less than brilliant, especially the second half. City though were coasting. It seemed the news that Rotherham were winning the automatic promotion place had spread through the home support, killing any emotion from the Cheltenham fans and it was affecting their team. City being City, they gave them hope by having Davies sent off for a second bookable offence for bringing down McGlashan far from the goal. He didn’t need to do it and is now out for the first leg. The incident may add to the debate – eloquently argued by Alex Scott – about his value to Bradford City.

He wasn’t missed today, as Doyle moved into his position and the unlucky Connell trudged off. Cheltenham livened up through McGlashan, and brought on Benson, Sam Deering and Shaun Harrod for the last 20. Pack headed against the post, but City saw out the game and then came over to applaud the 1,495 City fans that had sung their hearts out and been magnificent.

10 times that many on Thursday against Burton Albion will make a heck of a noise. Enjoy.

City: Duke, Darby, Davies, Nelson, McHugh, Hines, Ravenhill, Doyle, Atkinson, Connell (McArdle 62), Gray (Thompson 78)

Not used: McLaughlin, Meredith, Jones. Hanson, Wells

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On-off play-offs well and truly back on

20 Apr

2013-04-20 16.42.12

Bradford City 1

Hanson 44

Burton Albion 0

Saturday 20 April, 2013

By Damien Wilkinson

In the final home match of the 2012/13 campaign, Bradford City managed to secure a play off place – a feat which has eluded them until now, in this,the sixth season of residence in League Two. Indeed, the only previous play-off activity goes back to 1988 and 1996, thus representing somewhat uncharted territory for many.

Yes, do not adjust your sets. Following today’s 1-0 win, City will take part in the first round of the League Two play offs, scheduled for Thursday 2 and Sunday 5 May.

When offering to write this match report, back at the end of March, WOAP editor Jason McKeown remarked that he hoped I wouldn’t be “writing about a Burton promotion party”. How things have changed! Whilst many euphoric fans celebrate tonight, there will no doubt be a few slices of humble pie accompanying some celebrations. Write this Bradford City side off at your peril. Burton themselves have wobbled greatly over the last few weeks, including a 7-1 mauling at Port Vale, and previous genuine hopes of an automatic promotion spot are now seemingly extinguished.

The Bantams two previous matches against Burton this season have had something of a pivotal or significant feel to them.

The League cup match last September, now almost mirrors City’s season – bright start, failure to capitalise on pressure, facing an upward struggle following conceding two goals against the run of play, but eventually turning things around to 3-2 after extra-time, and the subsequent march to Wembley.

The 1-0 reverse in the league fixture at Burton in October saw serious injuries to Andrew Davies and Luke Oliver, which threatened to derail the campaign, compounded by the harsh sending off of Ricky Ravenhill in the first half for violent conduct after a clash with Lee Bell, who had fallen to the ground. Bell’s subsequent Twitter comments, where he admitted he had somewhat milked the moment, didn’t endear him to may City fans, and were to come back to haunt him in a spectacular manner.

Pre-match activities, on what was a remarkably glorious sunny day, saw an excellent Bantamspast trip around historically significant spots in the city centre led by Glyn Watkins and David Pendleton, which included retracing the journey taken by the 1911 FA side from the station to the Midland hotel and culminated in Mark Lawn pulling a pint in the Sparrow Bier Café to launch the inaugural Bantams’ History Week.

At the ground the traditional anniversary minute’s silence for the fire victims was observed in the usual fitting manner by all fans and players alike within the crowd of 13,235.

City made one change from the previous match against Rotherham, with Michael Nelson drafted in to replace Andrew Davies, who is still nursing a calf/back injury. More welcome news was the return to the side of James Meredith, who had recovered from the hip injury that saw him substituted during the Rotherham match, adding much-needed balance to the left side.

Burton made a couple of changes to their line-up, restoring Calvin Zola to the side, following injury, and brought in Matt Paterson to partner him. Ex-Bantam Michael Symes and Billy Kee consequentially dropped to the bench.

City began the match positively, enjoying a good amount of the play without carving out any real opportunities. Disappointingly, Kyel Reid saw his afternoon cut short on 18 minutes, an injury, perhaps a recurrence of his recent problems, causing him to be replaced by Zavon Hines. Despite Burton not offering the muscle or directness seen in City’s recent match against Rotherham, the pattern continued and the Bantams failed to make any serious in-roads.

However, with half time approaching a ball knocked forward was latched onto by Nahki Wells, and whilst the initial effort was thwarted in a haphazard manner by goalkeeper Lyness and defender Holness, James Hanson was on hand to hook the ball into the net for his 13th goal of the season. An element of fortune to the goal perhaps, but it resulted in no small part to the persistence of both Hanson and Wells, and more importantly was a crucial first half goal.

Matters rapidly got worse for Burton. A challenge on Hines by the aforementioned Lee Bell saw the Burton captain dismissed with a straight red card for an apparent elbow on the City winger. The irony of the dismissal was not lost on many, but more critically represented a hammer blow to Burton’s hopes of a revival.

The second half largely saw much of the same, and for a period it looked like City’s inability to capitalise on their numerical advantage might come back to haunt them. Again, despite much possession City couldn’t create many gilt edged chances, and Phil Parkinson shuffled things, bringing on Alan Connell for Nahki Wells on 68 minutes, followed by the replacement of Garry Thompson by Will Atkinson 10 minutes later. But this didn’t result in any notable differences.

The best chance of the half, late on, saw Hines played in, but his disappointing shot went well wide and capped off a frustrating afternoon for him in which he never really seemed to ‘click’. Which also underlined the importance of a fully fit Kyel Reid.

Ultimately, the game itself was an curious one, nobody really had a particularly bad game and indeed many players had good games including Gary Jones, Michael Nelson, Stephen Darby, James Hanson and Jonny McLaughlin. But there was perhaps a nervousness across the whole side given the importance of the fixture, and certainly the fluency seen in the recent home game against Bristol Rovers didn’t emerge, nor did the extra man really seem to count.

Furthermore, as the half wore on, fears of a late Burton equaliser persisted. With the recent memories of the injury time Chesterfield equaliser fresh, the five minutes of injury time was not overly welcomed. City managed to see things out, however, and with news of Exeter’s defeat by Cheltenham, the traditional last home match of the season lap of honour finally had some significance. The players were jubilantly cheered off the field and a pitch invasion was, thankfully, absent.

It is worth highlighting that the atmosphere within the ground was again excellent, and in particular the chants in the last 10 minutes or so certainly seemed to help pull the City team over the line. It demonstrates the benefits that can be generated from a ‘positive’ 13k+ crowd.

So on to the final match of the season, in which the Bantams visit Cheltenham. Whilst the match certainly has more importance to the home side, who still harbour hopes of an automatic promotion place, the outcome will certainly have a bearing on City’s play off opponents, and there are various permutations from any of Rotherham, Burton, Northampton and Cheltenham themselves.

At the moment though, who cares? It is just fantastic to finally be involved in the end of the season play offs, in what now can finally be declared a truly amazing season. The fact that the play off place is now guaranteed will allow Parkinson some options regarding the side he puts out against Cheltenham, and perhaps buy some much needed time regarding nursing Andrew Davies and Kyel Reid back to full fitness.

In a season that continues to keep giving, and one in which pride in being a City supporter has been well and truly restored, let’s look forward to a final chapter in the hope it will deliver the holy grail of promotion.

City: McLaughlin, Darby, McArdle, Nelson, Meredith, Thompson (Atkinson 78), Ravenhill, Jones, Reid (Hines 19), Hanson, Wells (Connell 68)

Not used: Duke, McHugh, Doyle, Gray

2013-04-20 17.03.06

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Rotherham set back tests City’s powers of recovery

16 Apr

Bradford City 0

Rotherham United 2

Frecklington 80 (pen), Agard 90

Tuesday 16 April, 2013

By Jason McKeown

The margin of error is squeezed even tighter, the tension racked up another notch. If Bradford City are going to hold on to the top seven spot that they have occupied since last week, they need to recover from this set back very quickly.

Beaten by Rotherham, but not bettered. Pride dented, but not deflated. The sight of the Millers managing Steve Evans racing on to the pitch to celebrate his side’s game-sealing goal from Kieran Agard may have being the realisation of every City supporter’s worst fears, but there is no need to feel too despondent over this defeat.

It was unjust, it was unfortunate, it was unnerving. But come 3pm on Saturday, Bradford City will once again take to the Valley Parade field with their fate in their own hands. And if they play as well as they did for an hour this evening, they will surely take a giant step towards sealing an extended end to the season.

For this was a good display from the Bantams, against what must be acknowledged was a good Rotherham side. The visitors packed the midfield and defended with admirable heart; standing up to everything City could throw at them. In the early parts of 2013, an opposition side putting five in midfield was a sure-fire way to outgun City’s counterparts. But with Ricky Ravenhill once again producing a composed display in front of the back four, a simply outstanding Gary Jones stood head and shoulders above everyone else on the park.

It seemed as though City were set for a victory that would have all but secured seventh position, when after just four minutes James Hanson headed home a Jones corner. Celebrations were cut short by a linesman flagging for a push by Hanson on Claude Davis. False hope remerged 30 minutes later, when Garry Thompson finished off another Jones pass but was flagged offside.

Probably the right call that time at least, but a frustratingly inconsistent referee Mark Haywood got more wrong than he did right over the course of the evening. The only benefit for City was his leniency in letting Nahki Wells off with a warning after the Bermudian kicked the ball away when already on a booking. By that stage he had sent City’s assistant manager Steve Parkin to the stand for something said to the fourth official, after complaints were raised about Michael O’Connor’s reaction to a robust tackle.

Haywood’s over-officiating – rather than letting the game flow – played right into Rotherham’s hands, as Evans’ side chased and harassed for every decision whilst falling to the deck following the slightest of contacts. We have being here before, of course, with Evans’ Crawley side of a year ago behaving in the exact same manner. But what impressed me tonight was how little City’s players allowed themselves to be affected by Rotherham’s gamesmanship attempts and over-physicality. They stood up and simply got on with it.

When Rotherham bothered to engage themselves in a game of football, City for the most part looked comfortable dealing with their attacks. This was despite the obvious set back of losing Andrew Davies to injury after 24 minutes. It had been touch and go whether Davies was to be fit enough to play tonight and – in truth – starting him was a call City got wrong. Even during the game’s opening minutes, Davies’ struggle to run was evident. Michael Nelson came on and slotted in where he left off on Saturday, letting no one down.

However, another loss through injury – James Meredith on 50 minutes – tipped the balance back into Rotherham’s favour. Meredith’s replacement, Carl McHugh, has impressed previously in the less familiar left back role, but tonight was not such an occasion. The young defender’s hesitancy coming forward impacted on the previously impressive Kyel Reid, who suddenly found that being double marked was too much of a hindrance without Meredith to back him up. The balance of the team began to suffer.

Rotherham grew stronger, even if Jon McLaughlin’s goal was not tested anywhere near as threateningly than a Alex Revell header in the first half, but it began to look as though City were out of ideas. Wells has enjoyed much better nights than this – he got little change out of Davis – and though Hanson toiled hard, he was not able to dominate the Rotherham backline in the manner he has of other defences this season.

Then came the sting in the tail. Goalkeeper Scott Shearer pumped a long ball forward to Revell just inside City’s box, only for the Millers’ striker to push Nelson backwards, which resulted in the unsighted defender handling the ball. Haywood pointed to the spot, and Lee Frecklington expertly fired the penalty past McLaughlin. A dreadful, dreadful decision from Haywood, which had Phil Parkinson livid.

City pushed hard for an equaliser, with Alan Connell quickly summoned from the bench as part of a switch to 3-4-3. Wells might have done better with a header that he placed wide of the goal. Jones glanced another effort over the bar. Then Connell somehow shot wide with just Shearer to beat following Hanson’s flick on. It was a gilt-edged chance, and Connell was the one player on the pitch you’d have wanted that chance to fall to.

With the five minutes of injury time all but completed, one last City corner saw McLaughlin race forward. The ball was cleared to Agard, who was able to sprint clear of the back-tracking goalkeeper and tap the ball into the empty net. It was at this point a previously restrained Evans raced onto the pitch, with the highly disappointing sight of an object being thrown from the main stand towards him. It seemed some City fan had decided to join the Rotherham boss in the gutter.

For his own safety, Evans was quickly rushed to the dressing room by four stewards at the full time whistle. He paused only to clench his fist at the Rotherham fans who were celebrating wildly in the Bradford End. There is a good chance he will be back at Valley Parade in just over a fortnight, for a play off semi final first leg.

For that to happen, City probably need four points from their final two league matches to complete the job. That we have to play fourth-placed Burton and fifth-placed Cheltenham underlines just how there are no guarantees this will happen. Chesterfield, beaten also tonight, can still catch City, but Exeter remain the biggest threat to that last play off spot. One ear will be on events at St. James Park on Saturday.

City: McLaughlin, Darby (Connell 80), Davies (Nelson 24), McArdle, Meredith (McHugh 50), Thompson, Ravenhill, Jones, Reid, Hanson, Wells

Not used: Duke, Atkinson, Doyle, Hines

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The fleeting glimpse of the top three

13 Apr

image[1]

Picture by Luke Lockwood

Chesterfield 2

Darwikwa 70, Togwell 90

Bradford City 2

Wells 36, Ravenhill 79

Saturday 13 April, 2013

By Jason McKeown

The feeling of despondency, at full time, was overwhelming. Sam Togwell’s injury time equaliser for Chesterfield was utterly, utterly heart-breaking. The one and only other time we’ve previously played at Chesterfield’s new stadium, in 2010/11, the same thing happened. History repeating itself in the cruellest possible way.

And yes, I understand the bigger picture and the positive spin. A few weeks ago, we’d have given anything to be in this position. Last summer, had we been offered a cup final and the chance to be in the top seven with three games to go, we’d have snapped the metaphorical hand off. We’re lucky to be here, and it is churlish to bemoan small misfortunes. Blah, blah, blah.

I get it, and I agree with it. But still, this was horrible. The improbable late charge on the play offs has thrown up an improbable late possibility of automatics. And when at half time every result but Exeter’s was going for us, and the only score update you hear during the second half is the Grecians’ being pegged back, you start believing we can actually do it. However fleeting the hope of a top three finish looks set to prove, it still hurt to see it all but snatched away by the late concession of two points.

What’s more, you worry about the wider consequences of Chesterfield’s late equaliser. Not just in terms of offering Exeter and The Spireites hope of catching City, but to the morale of the players. A fourth straight win was seemingly sealed by a dominant second half performance, but the despondency in the stands at full time was just evident on the faces of the players on the pitch. It hurt them, too.

We should have won this. A slow first half performance saw the Bantams earn a 1-0 advantage they had, in truth, scarcely deserved up to that point. Nahki Wells fired home a superb volley into the corner of the net with 36 minutes on the clock, but Chesterfield enjoyed the territorial, shot and corner advantage during the opening 45. The hugely impressive Jay O’Shea excelled playing in a free role behind Armand Gnanduillet, and a City back four minus the injured Andrew Davies had to stand firm.

But the slice of fortune was more than earned by a superb second half display. For the most part, the home side could not recapture their first half fluency and Gary Jones and Ricky Ravenhill assumed full control of the middle of the park. With Will Atkinson replacing Kyel Reid at the interval – presumably Reid took a knock – the extra body in the centre further neutered O’Shea’s threat and enabled the Bantams to push on. Wells had a hat trick of chances to make it 2-0 – he and James Hanson were outstanding.

Chesterfield equalised with 20 minutes to go. Tendayi Darikwa finishing Marc Richards’ low cross after Wells was wrongly pulled up for handball by a wretched referee. But with Zavon Hines introduced to deliver extra pace on the right, the unflustered push for a second City goal was rewarded within nine minutes. A mis-hit corner from Gary Jones saw a Hines shot blatantly blocked by a Chesterfield hand. Disappointment at no penalty being awarded was forgotten within seconds, after the resultant corner was half-cleared and drilled home by Ricky Ravenhill.

The celebrations were incredible. Not far behind the cup heroics against Arsenal and Aston Villa. It was without doubt the best moment of the league season so far.

And here is when the hope really grew from being remote, and the dream of promotion appeared to be within our grasp. The atmosphere was largely positive, although seemed to be on the cusp of over-spilling into something darker. At 1-0, two City fans in different parts of the stand let off flares that instantly brought an upset reaction from many around me – smoke floating around the away end crossing the line of acceptability to a club who suffered tragedy from fire in 1985.

When Ravenhill scored, some fans raced onto the pitch and a teenager was ejected despite City subs Nathan Doyle and Alan Connell sprinting over to help the supporter. In the home stand, a group of men in shirts were moved away from home fans, who were said to be upset by their behaviour. It was suggested they were City directors, whoever they were they clearly held affection for claret and amber.

In some ways, the knife-edge atmosphere was a reflection of where our season has taken us. On the cusp of something truly remarkable, the non-stop chanting and bouncing up and down from everyone was exhilarating – like an explosion of celebration was about to break out. But the margins are so thin, and the late blow today could prove so vital to City’s season.

The game was all but won and Chesterfield hadn’t really had a sniff on goal since Ravenhill’s strike. But then the announcement of five minutes of injury time – just as City were about to take a corner – somehow quelled the atmosphere. From boisterous and triumphant, a nervous silence descended upon us. Perhaps it transferred to the players, because within two minutes Chesterfield had charged up to the other end and won their own corner. One that was fired home by Togwell following some slack marking.

Being pegged back again was too much for City’s powers of recovery; a late home winner was the more likely outcome. And though an away point would have seemed like a good outcome before kick off , it is impossible to view the losing of the lead twice as anything but the losing of two precious points.

It is as you were in terms of City’s hopes of finishing seventh, with Exeter’s draw leaving them a point behind the Bantams having played one more game. Third-placed Burton are still catchable by virtue of the fact we have a game in hand and the Brewers still to play. But even with two Valley Parade home wins this week, Cheltenham, Rotherham and Northampton are better placed to take the last automatic promotion spot.

The knife-edge atmosphere spilled over at the final whistle with heated battles between a group of City fans and Chesterfield stewards. The claim is that one steward sparked the trouble by celebrating Chesterfield’s equaliser provocatively, but the punches thrown from both sides didn’t reflect well upon anyone involved. It was a nasty end to a game that had turned sour for City. Seconds away from achieving the most important league victory of the season, the snatching away of two points triggered only miserable thoughts.

At least they did for the duration of the journey home after the game. But when the emotions died down and after the league table was studied in depth, the bigger picture returned into focus – looking rather attractive for City. Tuesday’s game against Rotherham has become that little bit more massive, and the incentive of knowing that a third straight home win should all but seal a play off spot means we have to quickly put to bed the despondency of today.

There is everything to play for, when just two weeks ago their appeared to be nothing. Back-to-back home games against Rotherham and Burton should prove to be an exciting week for the club. We remain on the brink of incredible success. So let’s ensure that the late Chesterfield heartbreak is this season’s only late heartbreak.

City: McLaughlin, Darby, McArdle, Nelson, Meredith, Thompson (Hines 74), Ravenhill, Jones, Reid (Atkinson 45), Hanson, Wells

Not used: Duke, McHugh, Doyle Connell, Gray

image

Picture by Luke Lockwood

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Let’s go round again

9 Apr

Bradford City 4

Wells 6, 22 (pen), Davies 45, Thompson 57

Bristol Rovers 1

Hitchcock 50

Tuesday 9 April, 2013

By Jason McKeown

Judged against a list featuring some highly impressive accomplishments, how does this stack up?

Bradford City’s season was supposed to over. Barely a month ago, we’d seemingly blown our promotion hopes. A heavy price paid for distracted minds over the League Cup miracle. Regroup and prepare for next season. See out this one with a whimper. It was, depressingly, so typically Bradford City.

And yet instead here we stand, in the top seven of League Two. In the play off positions. What’s more, automatic promotion cannot be ruled out. An incredible turnaround of fortunes, a testament to the virtues of never giving up. Only most of us had long since returned a verdict of no chance on promotion. For me personally, I walked out of Home Park, Plymouth four weeks ago fully convinced it was over.

But not the players. And not the management.

It all clicked back into gear, somewhere between the half time whistle on Good Friday – City 2-0 behind to Southend – and the second 45 minutes that saw the Bantams come back to draw 2-2. Three straight wins later, and the impossible has become the probable.

And tonight there was a strong case to make that the players delivered their finest 45-minute performance of the entire campaign – which is some compliment, given the cup highs of this season. Against an in-form Bristol Rovers who still managed to impress, City were in devastatingly rampant mood. Exhilarating to watch. Precise in almost everything attempted. Clinical. Rovers could not live with us. Few, if any, League Two sides could have done.

Nahki Wells rattled the bar in under 30 seconds, laying down a marker of intent. The Bermudian had only to wait until the sixth minute to get on the scoresheet. Garry Thompson got clear of his marker down the right flank, crossed the ball accurately towards Wells’ forehead and there was no danger of him missing. 20 goals for the season – the first Bantams player to achieve this feat since Dean Windass in 2006.

His second soon followed, after the excellent Ricky Ravenhill was fouled in the box and Wells struck a superb low spot kick into the right-hand side of the goal, despite Stephen Midenhall getting a strong hand on it. Valley Parade – buzzing from the start – could relax.

That the Bantams were quickly in such a strong position owed much to a pair of superb saves from Jon McLaughlin either side of Wells’ penalty. First, at 1-0, Oliver Clarke – who replaced the seriously injured Danny Woodards – charged down a Rory McArdle clearance but could not beat City’s stopper one-on-one.  Then at 2-0, Tom Hitchcock saw a header blocked by McLaughlin from point blank range.

There has been much debate about the abilities of both City’s goalkeepers this season, but both have played very well at different stages. I just hope that McLaughlin’s contribution tonight and on Saturday is remembered the next time he makes a mistake.

For as well as City performed in the first half, a Bristol Rovers goal at either of these points could easily have changed the pattern of the contest. Instead, McLaughlin’s heroics enabled his outfield team mates to continue dictating the tempo and playing with a relaxed freedom. Kyel Reid, like Wells, is back to his best form and patrolled the left flank with an authority missing when City were struggling last month. He tracked back almost as effectively as he charged forward.

With Gary Jones bossing the centre, Andrew Davies winning everything, Stephen Darby and James Meredith coming forward with purpose and James Hanson popping up all over the final third, the quality of City’s football was hugely commendable. The game all but wrapped up when in stoppage time Midenhall misjudged the flight of Jones’ free kick and Davies headed home.

To their credit, Bristol Rovers did not give up; Hitchcock running clear on goal and beating McLaughlin five minutes into the second half. It came from another McArdle mistake, and the only worry from tonight was the continued slight dip in form of one of the strongest contenders for player of the season. Do we simply put it down to fatigue – given how much football McArdle has played since August? Mr Consistency is starting to look anything but. Nothing to be alarmed about yet, but a breather might be required.

Any hopes Bristol Rovers harboured of an improbable comeback ended with Thompson racing onto Wells’ pass and firing low under Midenhall for 4-1. Only then was the contest truly settled, and the last 30 minutes became an unexpected breeze for the Bantams. Phil Parkinson could even afford the luxury of taking off Jones, Thompson and a clearly disappointed Wells in order to give them a breather for Saturday. Wells had played like a man desperate for a hat trick, ignoring passing options around him when in possession inside the area. Midenhall blocking his best attempt following a mazy dribble.

City could have had more goals; but at this stage of the season, to win 4-1 is a huge morale boost. And just like on Saturday, the loud chanting emanating from the Kop during the closing stages was a hair-raised-on-back-of-neck confirmation of what a special period this is for the club.

Because it was all over, this season, and yet now the possibilities seem endless. The credit for that belongs to the management and players. They were largely written off by all, including a good proportion of us supporters. Yet just like the League Cup heroics, they have defied the odds.

The warm sense of approval swirling around the stadium was notable only for how much it has become the norm this season. There was no player being singled out for abuse, no groans of frustration after a move broke down. When the subs warm up along the touchline, they were warmly applauded simply because we love them. Parkinson was being openly questioned a few weeks back, but now there surely can’t be anyone who disagrees he is the right man for the job.

Tonight, as on Saturday, a chant of “Stand up if you love City” echoed around. I think this is fantastic, not because I particularly needed to stand up to prove I love City, but because of what it means to sing about ourselves. How many times over the last decade or so would we chant “Stand up if you hate the Leeds”? Now weeks and months go by without a single anti-Leeds song being aired. Now games come and go without groans of anger or boos. Negativity, to ourselves and to others, out of vogue.

It’s easy to be this way when you’re winning, but not so easy to win games in the first place. The wonderful atmosphere around the club right now is therefore a huge testament to the players and manager. They built this. They have turned around a season that had slipped away. They have returned us our hope.

This remarkable, incredible season still has a chapter or two in store when it seemed to have been closed. I genuinely don’t know how this is going to pan out, but right now that can wait. Just for a few moments, I want to revel in the here and now of City being on the brink of promotion with four games to go. I want to revel in debating which is the greater achievement – reaching a major cup final or coming back from play off hopes over to sitting proudly in the top seven? And, most of all, I want to revel in how wonderfully proud I feel to be a Bradford City supporter.

A season of some of the biggest highs I have ever experienced following the club, and yet the best may still be to come.

City: McLaughlin, Darby, Davies, McArdle, Meredith, Thompson (Atkinson 76), Ravenhill, Jones (Doyle 72), Reid, Hanson, Wells (Connell 82)

Not used: Duke, McHugh, Nelson, Hines

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It feels good to be a Bantam again

6 Apr

Bradford City 1

Wells 23

Northampton Town 0

Saturday 6 April, 2013

By Joe Cockburn

It finally feels good to be a Bantam for the first time since mid-January, as City sit two points outside the play off spots with a game in hand.

It wasn’t just the result at Valley Parade that mattered, however, with the bonus of every single team in the play off spots losing. City find themselves in a favourable position, with plenty of points still to play for.

Not only is the position favourable, but the form. Exeter are losing games for fun at the moment, and Rotherham can’t win away from the New York Stadium. Not only these two sides directly above us, but above them Burton, Cheltenham and, of course, Northampton all lost, as well as Fleetwood who sat in eighth at 3 o’clock. That means that not only seventh, the final play off place, well within our reach, but automatic promotion isn’t too far away.

The game itself was somewhat of a thriller. Both sides with chances to win it, both keepers were kept busy and, as per usual, the referee was very much at the centre of the action.

City were on top for the majority of the game, creating the more clear cut chances, and should probably have won the game by a greater margin. Good moves created chances for Garry Thompson, Kyel Reid and Nahki Wells either side of the half time whistle, but they couldn’t convert and make the closing stages that little more comfortable.

Northampton had chances themselves, two goal line scrambles, a Clarke Carlisle header and a Dan Harding volley which produced an outstanding save from Bantams’ stopper Jon McLaughlin. Super Jon ringing round Valley Parade for several minutes after. Lee Nicholls in the Northampton goal himself made several fine saves, from Reid and Thompson, as well as a Rory McArdle effort which would have been chalked off by over-officious referee Trevor Kettle.

Kettle, and his linesmen it must be said, certainly made their presence known, making sure they got involved at the end of every move. The crowd certainly knew who he was, on his back in the first five minutes with fouls from both the Cobblers’ left wing duo. He gave some awful decisions, most notably giving a corner and a goal kick to Northampton (on separate instances it must be said) when no City player was anywhere near getting a touch on the ball.

But ultimately, City came out on top, and deserved the three points they earned, propelling them to eighth and one win away from a play off berth.

It was probably the defence that did the job. Everyone knows how Northampton like to play, and the defenders, most notably Andrew Davies, stood firm, despite a few expected shaky moments from Rory McArdle.

James Meredith impressed once again, getting forward well to support Reid throughout, but also doing a great job defensively, especially battling against winger and sun to head the ball in the first half.

Reid himself was in decent form, using his pace to good effect, but he didn’t cross as much as he usually does, and cut inside looking for a shot too much for my liking. Especially when he is blatantly left-footed. Only one of his efforts troubling Nicholls.

I thought Thompson looked slightly out of sorts, failing to establish himself in the game, and was rightly replaced by Hines around the 70-minute mark. Thompson looked a bit leggy, and perhaps a rest may do him good on Tuesday after a lot of football and a lot of running lately.

But it was Wells who grabbed all the attention in the attack, showing a sharpness and willingness that we haven’t seen from him in a while. His goal – the game’s only – was fortunate, but only scored due to his persistent pressure and running following a mix up between Nicholls and Carlilse. A carbon copy of the one he scored courtesy of Michael Duberry against Oxford earlier in the season.

All in all, a good performance for City, setting us up well for the run in. But we have to keep our attention on the teams around us, and not just the teams above us. Chesterfield are catching the eye, finding even better form than City and sitting just one point behind, despite having played a game more than the Bantams. Next weekend’s game in Derbyshire has suddenly become of great importance.

A win on Tuesday would see City definitely in the play offs, as Rotherham and Exeter are playing each other and goal difference is in the Bantams’ favour. However, not in the City’s favour is the next visitor’s form – Bristol Rovers losing only two of their last 10, and those coming against Northampton and Chesterfield. But everyone at Valley Parade will be confident of the home side getting the desired result.

One final thing of note was the support. The  backing from the crowd today was fantastic, especially in the last 10-15 minutes when the team was clearly tiring. All four sides of Valley Parade in strong voice to push the Claret and Amber army to victory.

A good day at the office, one may say.

City: McLaughlin, Darby, Davies, McArdle, Meredith, Thompson (Hines 72), Ravenhill, Jones, Reid, Hanson, Wells (Atkinson 90)

Not used: Duke, Nelson, McHugh, Doyle, Connell

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City swing back into play off contention with a swing back at Torquay

3 Apr

Torquay United 1

Labadie 3

Bradford City 3

McArdle 7, Thompson 18, Hanson 48

Monday 1 April, 2013

By Chris Wilkinson

It was an unbelievably early start leaving my house at 5.40am in the morning when most of Bradford was still in bed, so I could be in Leeds in time for the train which was leaving at 7.05am. There was plenty of time on the journey to Devon, a whole six hours in total to contemplate which City team would turn up. Would it be a superb battling display such as against Southend, or a damp squib as at Exeter? Would it be another good trip spoilt only by the football?

It certainly wasn’t!

Granted, it was a bad start. Torquay were in front after only three minutes. A cross from the left was flicked on then bobbled off Andrew Davies and then Kyel Reid, before presenting itself straight into the path of Joss Labadie. He hit the ball across Jon McLaughlin to score. Here we go again, I thought!

To City’s credit though, they came back virtually straight away. Reid was fouled between the halfway line and the edge of the Torquay penalty area and, from a superb Gary Jones free kick, Rory McArdle managed to get on the end of it and head the ball past Torquay’s keeper to make it 1-1, a full four minutes after going behind.

From there City took control. Both Nahki Wells and Garry Thompson went close to scoring. Then in the 19th minute, a flick on by James Hanson was met by Wells, who had his shot blocked by the Torquay keeper, only for Thompson to hit the ball into the net from the rebound. It sparked jubilant celebrations from the travelling army of 246 City fans in the away end. It was a superb comeback!

Following City’s second goal, Torquay had to substitute their keeper Michael Poke and the replacement Martin Rice was instantly tested by a superb Jones shot from 25 yards. City restricted Torquay to only one worthwhile chance before half time. A Torquay cross came through a body of players in the box, McLaughlin could not get to the ball and it fell to Gulls centre back Brain Saah, who blazed it over the bar. City were in front 2-1 at half time and halfway to three points.

The second half started with a bang! Four minutes in, a superb cross from Thompson from the right was met by a trademark far post header from Hanson and City were 3-1 up! That, as far as I was concerned, was the end of the contest.

City controlled large parts of the second half on a difficult pitch and against, it has to be said, a pretty average Torquay side. We had chances to make it four on a number of occasions. Wells was pulled back in the box as he chased a through ball; a clear penalty to everyone but Rob Lewis, the referee, who turned down our appeals. Reid had a decent cross shot effort which Wells just failed to follow up after a parry by Rice, and Thompson almost managed to put the ball in the net after it had ping ponged around the Torquay penalty area before finally getting cleared.

Wells was replaced by Will Atkinson towards the end of the second half to warm applause from the City following. In my opinion, he had a superb game, linking up well with Hanson and showing glimpses of his form earlier in the season. Let’s hope this continues in the last six games!

The final whistle was met with cheers from the travelling 246 celebrating a superb job done by the team. Everybody stuck to their jobs well and it was a performance worthy of the three points.

Following the game I ventured into the excellent, and friendly Torquay United club house called Boots and Laces, to sink a few pints of Doom bar. Begging your pardon for the pun, there was certainly no Doom in the bar from the few City fans that were in there after the game.

City: McLaughlin, Darby, McArdle, Davies, Meredith, Thompson, Ravenhill, Jones, Reid, Hanson, Wells (Atkinson 85)

Not used: Duke, McHugh, Nelson, Doyle, Connell, Hines

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