Tag Archives: Wembley

The best is yet to come?

11 Jun

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By Andrew Baxter

I kid you not; someone called me a “glory hunter” a couple of weeks ago, for following my beloved Bradford City to Wembley. How times have changed!

Being 17-years-old, I only vaguely remember the “glory years” of Molineux 1999 and the Premiership era. My first ever City game was Aston Villa at home, on 3 February, 2001. I was just five years old, so my recollections are sparse at best. Although I can’t remember much about the game, I have been reliably informed that season that City lost 3-0. Typical, you might say! 11 years on, I was sat in nearly the exact same seat to see the Bradford City crop of 2013 take on Aston Villa in the League Cup semi final.

It was during that Villa game that I realised how much the club had changed in the 11 years I have been going to see them. I’ve seen three relegations, two administrations, nine managers and numerous defeats, in exotic locations such as Macclesfield and Accrington. My generation is one which has mainly associated City with decline (we almost went out of the Football League altogether last season!) with defeats, and general negativity.

I’ve had several taunts of “why support Bradford? They never win!”, but in my view, that’s not the point of supporting a team. I could never gain as much satisfaction from watching Manchester United pick up another trophy than I did when Garry Thompson scored “that” goal against Arsenal.

But this season has showed a complete reversal of the fortunes of the club. Gone are the dull, dreary home defeats against footballing giants such as Stockport and Barnet, these have been replaced by demolitions of teams, even some at the very top, to the stage where James Hanson (who used to work in the Co-op, as the song goes) outplayed Per Mertesacker (two World Cup semi-finals, and a Euro 2008 runner’s up medal). Gary Jones (a 36-year-old from Birkenhead) outclassing Santi Cazorla (World Cup and European Championship winner). It is the stuff that dreams are made of!

My Dad used to (and still does) tell me of cup runs of the past – Southampton at home, Everton away – but these are merely a selection of YouTube clips to a youngster like me. This season will live long in the memory, and could have long-term benefits for the club in general.

Apart from the obvious financial rewards for the club, the cup run has inspired the next generation of youngsters to support Bradford, rather than one of the “big” teams, like Chelsea. This is evident from the 31,000 we took to Wembley for the League Cup final (and the 25,000 we took again for the play off final). This can only be good for the club, as perhaps these youngsters could persuade their friends and families to come watch The Bantams in action.

Another possible positive is the amount of under-16s playing football in the region, as a result of City’s rise and success this season. More children supporting the club and playing regularly surely will result in a greater chance of a hidden gem being unearthed. The Bradford Schools’ under-15 side won the National Schools Cup the other week. And, with five of the team in the Bradford City youth system, this can only be beneficial for the club.

With more children playing regularly, comes more talent, and a possible chance of a future first-team player that supports the club through and through.

It has been proven before that success for Bradford can provide future positives for the club. For example, after the Premiership years, youngsters like Clayton Donaldson (who we released, incidentally, but has still forged a successful career) and Luke O’Brien have come through the youth system.

Hopefully in five years’ time there will be another crop of promising youngsters proudly wearing the claret and amber of Bradford City. And if this is the case, then (as Frank Sinatra sang), the best is yet to come!

Andrew Baxter’s own blog, The Field of Play, can be found here.

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Maintain Radio Silence

10 Jun

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By Philip Jackson

I began this season in a familiar and comfortable football rut.  I refer to the general world of football consumption, the things I listened to, the things I watched and the people and outlets I got it all from.

Flicking on BB 5Live, Sky Sports News, Talksport, football podcasts on the iPod, whichever.  The recognisable voices always there: different pundits depending on what match it was, but all the same none the less.

Now without realising the fact, I wasn’t really listening, and to be honest I didn’t actually care, I had been coming to this conclusion for some time. You are boring me, and by listening to it all the time it was probably annoying the hell out of people around me.

I had finally woken up to the reality that the ‘hot soccer chat’ delivered with the inspiration and verve of a long punt up-field was as dull as six years in League Two.

The conversations and analysis were all the same. Try and spice it up all you want, but when the topics of conversation always centre around 4, 5, 6, maybe 7 Premier League teams, you’ll just fill endless hours of airtime with more or less the same material:

  • Arsenal: Not winning a trophy in ages, Wenger not developing players to replace ‘The Invincibles’.
  • Manchester United: Fergie, Rooney
  • Manchester City: What has gone wrong all that money, Mancini.
  • Liverpool: Not won a title since 1990, Suarez, is Rodgers any good?
  • Everton: Beating Liverpool.
  • Chelsea: Benitez, Is Mourinho coming back? Terry and Lampard.
  • Spurs: Gareth Bale.

Now, call me weird but I’ve heard enough about this lot, you are boring me.  Dull programmes listened to by dull people, I guess I’m dull then.  I don’t want to be dull.

Then there are the commentaries; no matter which way you spin it, there is nothing special or unique about a match between any combination of the teams above when they play each other over and over again. No match is ever the final match; there will be more games, more competitions and more seasons.

But they cannot help but overuse the superlative: this is the greatest team ever, this is the biggest game ever, this the worst thing ever to happen. You know it probably isn’t, it is just the easy way to try and generate interest.

Some of the worst culprits are the ‘general conversation’ programmes. There isn’t any action on, so we have the same pundits or journalists and we go over and over games just gone or games coming up, and invariably end up with the same problems or subjects every time. You cannot say anything new or insightful about the subject, move on to something else.

Then of course we have the ‘phone-ins’.  Who’s idea was that? I suppose it is public-service broadcasting. I did listen to ‘606’ on the way up to Leeds after the play off final. We got about two City calls in, but still Jason Roberts was more keen on saying how badly we’d been beaten by Swansea and that Phil Parkinson was probably going to leave, he clearly hadn’t watched the play off final and had done little research on Parkinson’s contract situation. I am not wasting my time listening to that stuff any more.

Change the channel, turn off the radio, go and have a chat with someone.

Being a Bradford City supporter, what does get to me is the constant attention on the Premier  League, the Champions League (it never used to be that big a deal, there is now far more attention given over to teams abroad than those in this country), a bit on the Championship and that is about your lot. They never go beyond these borders really and it hadn’t really struck me as to why, until this season.

This season was our season, we got coverage and this was where it showed – glaringly how bland the media coverage is. The experts knew very little about us, and as such their lack of research and concern for life in the lower leagues shone through. The people who are paid very well to inform and educate about football have little depth to their knowledge. Most stories told about City during the cup round featured the same few facts or assumptions about the club, with little attempt to scratch below the surface.

I lost count of how many times I was told that the squad was assembled for only £7,500 or that James Hanson used to work in a shop (big deal, young man works in shop, most of us at some time or other have worked stacking shelves, or in a bar or waiting tables). I wanted these people to tell the nation interesting things about our club (we have got a few stories to tell) but they never really came.

More often than not the focus of the cup match reports was on the defeated ‘big’ team. How bad they were, and then some more about how bad they were. Bradford City were forgotten. We get non-stop talk throughout the season about these Premier League teams anyway; instead of focusing on us, the attention is still kept on the fallen Premier League side.

I found this true in the newspapers I bought after our cup exploits, articles were focussed on the losers and how badly they played, without much detailed breakdown of what we did and how we played.

Radio commentators expressed great surprise at how we played; revealing how little they know about lower league football. The Guardian’s football weekly podcast’s general analysis of our performances were basically that Bradford were surprisingly good but will get thrashed in the next round, (a 10 year old could tell me that). Now let’s talk about the other team, before we can move on to talk at length about Chelsea.

I don’t think our cause was helped by Bradford being in the North, most of the media outlets and journalists are London based and therefore London centric. We are in the unenviable position of being in a lower division and residing nowhere near London – so almost invisible in media terms.

I turned off 5Live around the turn of the years and unsubscribed from the podcasts; with the opinion that they know less than me about much of football, so I am not going to waste my time listening to you anymore.

I haven’t actually paid attention to the Premier League. Who’s doing what, it doesn’t interest me anymore. What has gone on within my club is far more real and means far more.  I’ve listened back to cup commentaries and watched highlights on the iPlayer,(I even complained to the BBC about putting the highlights of our victory against Wigan on last on the cup highlights show, and received the expected bland response) and consumed what I want rather than just accepting everything they offer.

After our terrific season, and all that the team has done, they have done well in fielding the same questions over and over again with a smile right up to the end. On the pitch after the play off final the first words to James Hanson from ‘voice of the Football League’ Mark Clemmitt were that it’s a long way from working at the Co-op. Really Mark, I never knew that he used to work there!

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2012/13 season review: Life on the road

29 May

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By Gareth Walker

I was recently reminded that, back in June, I made the bold statement I would only be attending two away games during the 2012/13 campaign. Including the two trips to Wembley, I ended up attending 18 – including Plymouth away on a Tuesday night.

In total, I attended 45 of our 64 games this season. I missed one home match, which was the FA Cup Replay victory over Northampton. So what happened? What made me go so against my well-meant intentions?

Well, first of all, I have to say that the me who was speaking last summer was the Sensible Me. The Sane Me. The one who at the time wasn’t suffering from the Football Bug. I was thinking clearly. I knew that, with only the wife working in our house – whilst I took on the role of ‘Stay at Home Dad’ – money was very tight and luxuries were unaffordable. I had even pinpointed which two away games I was going to attend: Accrington, because I could walk to that game from our house, and Fleetwood because a lads’ weekend was being organised for it.

But therein that statement lies the issue that changed everything. At some point, the luxury of going to the matches became a necessity. It all started to go wrong last June when the fixture list came out and pressure intensified further towards the end of July as the first game of the season approached.

Inevitably, the text message came through. “Anyone fancy Gillingham away?” I was on holiday and I’d had a beer or two at the time. I could excuse this one surely? It was the first game of the season after all; and if I offered to drive then it would bring down the cost. “I’m in” was my reply. I’d straighten it out with the Mrs later.

Looking back, that was my biggest mistake. And I’d made it almost without a second thought. I’ve often spoken to people about why away games are so addictive. Almost like a drug, in the buzz they provide when your team scores in front of the packed away terrace you are stood on. Once I’d committed to that first hit, there was no going back.

I dread to think how many miles I have travelled this season – by train, minibus and car – and, more worryingly, how much money I have spent. Both must have reached the thousands.

I got my hit many times of course. Raucous celebrations with friends as Alan Connell scored at Accrington, Garry Thompson netted at York and Ravenhill bagged one at Chesterfield, to name just three.

As this season developed into a successful one, the whole club seemed to become more united. People were starting to utter the words ‘Bantams Family’ again; as finally supporters and the club began to feel closer, after years of feeling poles apart. That is something that we all enjoy being part of, and matchdays beaome much more than just going to games.

I have made some really good mates during my time following City; but those that I have made during City’s seasons in the doldrums, over the last few years, have become especially close because of what we have shared together. We have travelled the length and breadth of the country to watch some horror shows and, finally, this season we have been rewarded. No real fan will ever change their football club, and, as such, these friends will be of the life long variety. You just can’t put a price on that.

Hanson’s header at Villa and his goal at Burton. Victories over Wigan, Arsenal and Villa. Wembley TWICE, and, of course, promotion – the third that I have seen whilst supporting the club. Nobody can take these memories away from me and they will live with me forever.

As a City fan, I will be thanking this season’s team and its management for years to come. Their names are now edged in Bradford City Folklore, and I was fortunate enough to be there to see most of the key moments.

On a personal level however, I have to thank my wife and son; because no matter what the cost to our finances, they have understood that this season has been a once in a lifetime experience. If you gave me the opportunity, then I’d do it all over again without question.

For that reason alone, and even with our second child due in November, I have avoided making the same mistake of predicting how many games I will attend next season.

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2012/13 season review: The best trip, I’ve ever been on

28 May

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By Jason McKeown

It was the year of walking onto the field to the supporter-created song ‘claret and amber’. Of hooped home shirts. Of Flexi-cards. A year where Valley Parade was filled to capacity for the first time in over a decade. Where we were looking up the league rather than down. Of over-achieving in the cups. Of selling out numerous away games. Of Gary Jones.

Right from the start, you suspected this could be a special one. League One Notts County away in the League Cup kicked off the season. We travelled to Nottingham on a baking hot day merely in the hope of a good performance, accomplishing not only that but a credible 1-0 win. The BBC called it a “giant killing”. This was just the warm up.

The league began with a bang too. After an opening day loss, back-to-back home wins over Fleetwood and Wimbledon set the tone for a sustainable promotion push. The Dons were swept aside in stunning first-half fashion – 5-1 at the interval – and it was hard to avoid feeling wildly optimistic. “Champions by Christmas” one of group of friends quipped. “No”, responded someone else. “Champions by August Bank Holiday”.

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Rotherham was a reality check. The first of many City away sell outs, we rocked up to the wonderful New York Stadium in expectation, but went 1-0 down within 75 seconds and would go on to lose 4-0. Accrington a week after not much better, despite a 1-1 draw. Perhaps it won’t be so easy: Champions by Easter?

But we soon got into our stride. Barnet were woeful, Morecambe swept aside in thrilling fashion – Jones’ first City goal met with a pump-fist celebration in front of the Kop. He and Nathan Doyle were forming a great partnership, James Hanson and Nahki Wells could not stop scoring. The summer warmth lingered long enough for a t-shirt day at Oxford in late September, with a 2-0 win taking us joint second.

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A fourth win on the trot was achieved in the cup against Burton. What a night that was. Even at 2-0 down at half time, confidence was high that we could win it. Kyel Reid came off the bench and destroyed the Brewers, and fellow sub Wells netted two late goals. The celebrations for his last minute equaliser up there with any moment we’ve experienced this season. Stephen Darby’s extra time winner was academic.

Bumps on the road to promotion followed. Port Vale ending City’s 100% home record – undeservedly so – 10-men Rochdale could not be beaten on their own patch, and then at Dagenham the Bantams managed to go 4-1 down with a late two-goal fightback in vein. A trip up the A1 to Hartlepool in the JPT was memorable only for another City penalty shootout victory and a nightmare drive home due to roadworks.

We needed a big win, and defeating a fellow promotion rival – Cheltenham – provided that. 3-1 having fallen behind. Mark Yates correctly moaning about being denied a penalty when his side was 1-0 up. Wells was the hero. Not a great performance, but a great win. Wells netted again three days later at Northampton. Now we’re cooking.

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The League Cup run was getting really exciting. We went to Premier League Wigan in Round Four – initially a disappointing prospect, but following news of a 5,000 City away end sell-out, excitement for a good night. Losing at Burton three days earlier – with the added nightmare of injuries robbing us of Luke Oliver for the rest of the season and Andrew Davies until February – meant we went to the DW Stadium with little hope. A stunning performance ensued, capped off by a penalty shootout win. Duuukkkkkeeeee!

That set up a quarter final home tie with Arsenal. How to concentrate for the six weeks in-between? Progress in the FA Cup occurred with a memorable 3-3 replay – and yes, another shootout success – over Northampton. City’s lowest home crowd of the season, but one of the best games.  In the league, form was mixed, but a trip to Bristol Rovers stands out as one of the season’s highlights. It was wet – very wet – and the away terrace offered no protection. But we skidded in the rain in celebration of City coming from behind three times to earn a point. Fantastic character.

But it was all about waiting for Arsenal. Tick the games off. Port Vale in the JPT, good fun. Brentford on a Friday night in the FA Cup, notable for how drunk one of our group was (“It is pay day drinks!”) and City temporarily getting kicked out the competition for fielding loanee Curtis Good. Three days before the Gunners came to town, an important 1-0 home win over Torquay was sealed by a superb Alan Connell strike. He was fast cementing his status as super sub. Will Atkinson, James Meredith and Rory McArdle were also in excellent form.

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So now we can enjoy the Arsenal game. It was bitterly cold, and Manningham Lane an hour before kick off was packed out in a way I’ve not seen for years. Long queues to get inside the Kop; and just as we made our way to our seats, the Arsenal team was announced. Blimey, they are taking it seriously.

Garry Thompson’s opening goal is one that we will treasure for years to come. We’re beating Arsenal! Just 70 minutes to go! Incredibly, we almost held out. A late Gunners equaliser would surely cost us, but we held on through extra time with the noise levels from a packed out Valley Parade never relenting. Penalties. Say no more.

The next night, a group of us got together to watch the semi final draw. Please be Villa, at home first, was my wish. That is what we got. Another scramble for tickets, but both legs sorted out with only a couple of sleepness nights. Now back to the League…oh dear. After scrambling to victory over Accrington on Boxing Day (Connell again!), form fell off a cliff. Rochdale embarrassed us; at Morecambe we rued that miss by Hanson; Barnet thumped us 2-0 three days before Villa. At least the likes of Stephen Darby and Zavon Hines were impressing.

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Oh what a night we had, in the home leg against Villa. I’ll always remember a friend in the pub beforehand predicting “3-1…and I begrudge Villa that 1!” and thinking he was mad. But he could not have been more right. Rory McArdle’s header that made it 2-0 saw Valley Parade rock like it hasn’t since Gordon Watson netted a brace in front of the same Kop end in September 1998. I lost the plot celebrating. The wonderfully promising Carl McHugh’s goal for 3-1 was special too. If you could dismiss the Wigan and Arsenal wins as being on penalties, there was no talking down of this one. League Two Bradford City had beaten Premier League Aston Villa over 90 minutes.

Other games happened in-between the two legs, but attention was only on Villa Park. A 4-1 thumping to Crewe in the JPT was painless in the circumstances, save for how ridiculously cold it was. No one minded that Saturday’s trip to Vale was called off, let’s just hope this heavy snow doesn’t make it impossible to travel to Birmingham.

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I took a car-load to this game. As a group some of us barely knew each other, but by the time we met up on the street outside Villa Park at full time, we were on hugging terms. The first half was horrible as Villa came flying out the blocks; but then Gary Jones swung a corner onto Hanson’s head, 10 minutes into the second half, and we were gleefully celebrating an improbable equaliser. I will always remember my good friend and fellow Width of a Post writer Gareth Walker needing a sit down next to me, as he was so overcome with emotion. A late Villa winner added anxiety, but we did it. What a night. Perhaps the best moment of my time supporting Bradford City.

We were in the League Cup Final at Wembley. Even writing this article months after, I can’t help but smile at the absurdity of that statement. I never thought it would happen in my lifetime.

Reality bit back at Fleetwood a week later, with a 2-2 draw on the North-West coast not what we needed to close the gap to the play offs. A 1-0 defeat at home to leaders Gillingham – our only home game in-between Villa and Wembley – was played out with an air of obvious distraction on and off the field. At least we beat Wycombe away in midweek, but a 2-1 loss to bottom of the table Wimbledon eight days before Wembley was not ideal.

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What more can you say about Wembley One? The build up was phenomenal.  The world’s media camped out at Bradford, covering every angle possible. Revel in all the TV and newspaper coverage, enjoy the players being treated like rock stars. “Now live to the Cedar Hotel in Bradford, where the players are about to board the coach to Wembley” Sky Sports News told us. The challenges of producing this website were increased by numerous media requests. I loved it.

As I loved Wembley. It was a special feeling alighting from the train nearby and walking down the streets with hundreds of City fans. The pubs were packed out, the nerves were growing. A walk up and down Wembley Way was more wonderful than I could ever imagine. The first look inside Wembley was an awesome moment. 33,000 Bradford City fans making an almighty racket. I shed a tear before a kick off. An incredible day out.

Shame about the football.

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The hangover from Wembley was not insignificant. With so much ground to make up on the play offs, every game felt win or bust. A good 2-0 victory at York aside, it was a tale of dropped points and anger. “Does Phil Parkinson deserve his new contract?” some asked. A couple of miserable buggers even plummeted to the depths of writing off the cup run as “lucky”.

The nadir moment, for me, was a 0-0 draw at Plymouth on a Tuesday night in March. I travelled down with two friends, booked into a Travelodge, and the tame performance convinced me that faint play off hopes were over. That we couldn’t get on a run of wins. That it was time to start planning for next season. A 4-1 loss at Exeter the following Saturday only added to that conviction.

But how wrong I was. The surge began with a low key 1-0 win over Wycombe. A 2-2 draw with Southend felt like two dropped points, but then three wins in a row over Torquay, Northampton and Bristol Rovers improbably put us in the top seven. Even automatic hopes weren’t over! Thompson was in great form, Davies a rock in the centre of defence and Reid had rediscovered his swagger. The decision to pick Ricky Ravenhill over a fading Doyle had also helped. RR’s sitting in front of the back four bringing the best out of Gary Jones.

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The stall came with a 2-2 draw at Chesterfield in what was a superb atmosphere, followed by a 2-0 loss to Rotherham in front of a packed out Valley Parade. Still, seventh spot was sealed with a 1-0 win over Burton. A trip to Cheltenham on the last day meaningless, but we had a good time nonetheless.

Bring on the play offs! Burton had the best home record in the Football League, so taking a lead to the Perelli Stadium for the second leg seemed vital. Alas, we endured a dreadful first 45 at Valley Parade to go in at half time 3-1 down – and they might have had more. We’ve frozen, blown it, folded. Burton could have finished us, but a save from Jon McLaughlin, at 2-0 Burton, was vital. Thompson’s stunner gave us hope for the second leg. Burton had let us off the hook.

At Burton, the players more than made amends. Determined, bullish, confident. Wells made it 1-0 to level the tie, and we never looked back. Hanson’s stunner early in the second half sparked delirium. Wells made it 3-1 and we were in dreamland. Blow your whistle ref…six minutes injury time, eh?…blow your whistle ref!

The final whistle brought relief and ecstatic celebrations on and off the pitch. What a wonderful sight to see the players going crazy in front of us. What an uplifting moment to see Parkinson punching the air.

Back to Wembley!

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More serious this time, the consequences of losing would be. We’re not massive underdogs on this occasion, the expectation level was much higher. Less time spent taking photos down Wembley Way, leave that to the Northampton fans. We’ve got work to do.

What a time to produce your best performance of the season! We never gave the Cobblers a sniff. Three goals in 13 minutes. All pile on top of each other. Disbelief at how easy it was. No relaxing until the closing stages. See out the job. The atmosphere was so special.

When Gary Jones and Ricky Ravenhill lifted the trophy, the outpouring of joy topped anything we’d seen all season. And there had been plenty of other outpourings of joy. Promotion a fitting reward for an incredible campaign. 64 games. I personally saw 52 of them. I don’t want to think about how much that cost me, but it was worth every single penny.

The 2012/13 season – one of the greatest in the club’s history. And undoubtedly the most fun I’ve ever had.

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Back to Wembley: A night at the movies with a Bradford Blockbuster

16 May
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Photo courtesy of Wendy Michallat

By Katie Whyatt

The 2012/13 season has brought us more thrills, spills and twists than anything that has been churned out of Tinseltown recently – and there’s still another chapter left to go.

The Bantams’ incredible year would form an ideal script for Hollywood executives to sink their teeth into, especially if the journey ends with victory in the play off final.

Bradford City sailed the crest of the League Cup wave, knocking out Wigan, Arsenal and Aston Villa en route to football’s home. Couple sheer determination, a pinch of Lady Luck and an underdog status with high-octane defensive battles and nail-biting penalty shootouts, and the club rapidly became the centre of attention, causing ripples in countries as far-flung as Japan and America.

However, City crashed on the big stage as they were torn apart at the hands of the merciless Swansea City. It was the first time in the competition that Bradford had looked like a League Two side, and, gosh, it was crushing. It wasn’t how the narrative was supposed to end. It was anything but the perfect finish to the otherwise textbook fairytale.

After finding a bit of form in the League, City’s promotion chase was back on track, helped by a bit of good fortune with regards to Exeter and Fleetwood’s results.

It wasn’t exactly a coast to the capital, though. There were the horrendous officiating mishaps as Rotherham rocked up at Valley Parade, and, after the lacklustre first-half performance in the Burton home leg, there was a fear that Bradford had blown their chances of a League One place. But the team struck back in clinical fashion, roared on by an army of 1,500 travelling fans, to book a return trip to the place that is rapidly becoming a second home for City.

If Parkinson’s men win the play off final and snatch the promotion that has so far eluded them during the League Two stint… what a perfect end to the story that would be.

You can picture the movie’s tagline now: Bradford City’s story, a pulsating tale of grit and determination. Shatter the odds. Surprise a nation. Valiantly clamber to your feet after upset on one of the world’s biggest stages, and go on to achieve what you’ve spent years striving for.

All of that, against the backdrop of ten tempestuous years of constant decline and several successive relegation battles, and Hollywood bosses will be thinking that all of their Christmases have come at once.

Characterisation isn’t too difficult, either. City’s team is brimming with down-to-earth and gutsy heroes who will be the perfect protagonists for this exciting adventure: James Hanson, the former supermarket shelf-stacker whose blistering header stunned Aston Villa; Gary Jones, the midfield engine; Carl McHugh, the Donegal teenager; Matt Duke, Phil Parkinson, Rory McArdle. Include every single one of the Bradford City players, because they are all our heroes.

The squad is a motley composition of champions: our champions. Parkinson’s diverse mix of men, who have inspired an entire nation with their giant-killing odyssey. Even the Harry Potter series would struggle to provide you with more endearing stars.

Villains come in the form of the cynics, the Premier League big boys and the referees. And – shudder – Steve Evans.

Parkinson would be played by Hugh Grant, and Timothy Spall would star as Mark Lawn. Garry Thompson’s on-screen counterpart just about goes without saying (It’s Daniel Craig, by the way.), and Bantams Banter could make a cameo appearance. I could go on.

Whether any of these are actually apt choices remains to be seen, but it’s certainly a start.

If The Damned United can be turned into a book and a film, why not City’s story? It’s certainly just as enthralling a tale as that of Brian Clough’s ill-fated tenure at Leeds United.

Intertwine the main story – of City’s compelling exploits this year – with the players’ lives and the fans’ views, and boom: you’ve got compulsive viewing.

I’ll take my Oscar now, I think.

Who knows? If City win on Saturday, the idea of a movie won’t seem so far fetched at all.

Play off final: Width of a Post build-up

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Back to Wembley: Divided family loyalties

14 May

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By Jeremy Casey

Northampton Town versus Bradford City isn’t normally the kind of fixture you would associate with creating a bit of a family split.

Everton versus Liverpool, yes.

Manchester United versus Manchester City, possibly.

Sheffield United versus Sheffield Wednesday, probably.

Celtic versus Rangers, less likely.

But Northampton v Bradford? The Cobblers v The Bantams?

Surely that won’t be the subject of inter-family rivalry and banter?

Well, however unlikely it may seem, it is a reality.

I am a Northampton Town fan.

I was born in Northampton, and have been watching the team since my dad Jerry took me to the ramshackle (but sorely missed) old County Ground for the first time in the mid-1970s.

At that time, and for many years later, Bradford City weren’t a club on my radar, and indeed, on any member of my family’s radar.

But that was soon to change, when my uncle Ken Wilson and Auntie Joan moved to West Yorkshire, settling in Cullingworth, where they raised my three cousins Greg, Graeme and Iain.

Now, there was a Yorkshire connection, a Yorkshire branch to the family clan – and they all ended up supporting Bradford City.

I even went to watch games when I was staying with the Wilsons.

I was lucky enough to witness an epic FA Cup win at Preston North End, and also a 2-1 league win at Huddersfield Town.

Bradford had become a bit of a second team for me.

And the ties didn’t stop there.

My sister Catherine, a fellow child of Northamptonshire (although she was born in Corby) and Cobblers fan, went to university in Leeds in her teens.

Following graduation, she ended up working for my uncle’s company in Keighley, and also settling in Yorkshire in the village of Addingham.

Now, as a football fan, Catherine also decided to go and watch Bradford with the Wilsons, all at the time when it was really exciting to be a Bantams fan.

The club was a progressive one and was on the up, and was promoted to the Premier League under the management of Paul Jewell.

The Bradford bug had well and truly bitten my auntie, uncle and cousins, as well as my sister.

They became season-ticket holders, and it was all about City for the Wilsons, while what could really go wrong for my sister?

She was and always will always be a Cobblers fan, but where was the harm in watching and following Bradford?

How could there ever be a clash?

At the time, Bradford and the Cobblers were poles apart.

City were hosting Manchester United and Liverpool (I twice saw Bradford take on the Reds, including that famous last-day triumph), while the Cobblers were battling away, as they have done for most of their existence, in the lower divisions.

Nobody could have predicted Bradford’s slide down the divisions following their relegation from the top flight, and in recent years, the Cobblers against the Bantams has become a regular fixture.

My annual visit to Valley Parade – where I have now made friends – now sees me watch Bradford take on Northampton, with the home side, annoyingly, having the upper hand in the past few years.

It’s a reverse story at Sixfields, where the Cobblers have claimed a couple of wins and rarely lost to Bradford in recent times.

But this season has seen the teams meet on four occasions, and the Cobblers have yet to win one!

Both league games were lost 1-0, while two FA Cup ties ended in draws, with Bradford progressing after winning a penalty shoot-out.

I am obviously hoping it will be fifth time lucky for the Cobblers at Wembley next weekend!

And that brings us on to the national stadium, and next week’s play off final.

I am really looking forward to it, but it is also going to be an emotional day for me, and my family.

I had always said I wouldn’t go to the new Wembley Stadium until the Cobblers played there.

But then fate played a hand.

My uncle Ken sadly and suddenly passed away in January of this year.

When Bradford reached the final of the Capital One Cup in February, I was asked by my sister and auntie Joan if I would go to the game.

It was the sort of occasion Ken would have revelled in, and it was an honour to be asked to be part of the day.

Now I am heading to Wembley again, and this time to watch my beloved Cobblers.

But again, fate has played its part, with Bradford City the opposition.

I’ll be backing the claret and whites, as will my sister – surely the only Bradford City season ticket holder to be sitting in the Cobblers section! – while my auntie and cousins will all once again be among the travelling army from Bradford.

So it is going to be a strange day for me in some ways.

I would never say my loyalties are split, because they aren’t.

I am a Cobblers man, and I want the Cobblers to win.

No question.

But if they don’t, and it’s Bradford who triumph, I will at least be happy for my cousins, and I’ll be happy for my auntie Joan.

And win or lose, I will definitely be raising a glass in memory of my uncle Ken, who I know will be looking down from above, and dishing out stick to the Cobblers players, as he always did when I went to Valley Parade!

I just wish he was still here to enjoy the day with the rest of us.

Anyway, with both clubs set to take plenty of supporters, it is going to be a fantastic occasion, and may the best team win.

As long as it’s the Cobblers!

Jeremy Casey is the sports editor of the Northampton Chronicle & Echo

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Play off final: Width of a Post build-up

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Back to Wembley: Play off final song one – Wembley Twice, it’s Alright

12 May

By Jason McKeown

City’s return to Wembley has inspired a number of supporters to once again get musical. Just like last time, Width of a Post is looking to plug the best ones in the run up to Saturday. If you have produced a song, please email widthofapost@gmail,com with the story behind it.

Kicking us off is Martin Keighley, who follows up his Swansea record with a Bob Dylan reworking – Wembley Twice, it’s Alright.

Martin told Width of a Post the story behind his creation:

“My wife and I had planned a weekend away next week. It was to be either Wembley with City or the seaside. At half time last Thursday evening (3-1 down to Burton) she texted me with ideas for Northumberland hotels. My reply assured her that City must never be written off this season.

“As I set off at 8am for the second leg on the Sunday, she was still looking forward to walks on the beach. By 6pm, still in a state of the now all familiar euphoria, the London hotel and train were booked for the both of us. By 11.30am the next morning so were the Wembley tickets. Here we go again!

“My inner psyche demanded another song. Perhaps it’s my way to let off steam. It’s my contribution to the Wembley build up. I wanted to reflect on the fact that we were at Wembley twice in one season, a very rare feat. How many Premiership and Championship teams wish they had played a full strength team in the early rounds of the cup?

“I ended up deciding to rework an existing song, and finally chose the Bob Dylan classic “Don’t think twice, it’s alright”. It was learnt, re-written, arranged, recorded, and mastered in about 8 hours over two days. The chorus is:

When the Bantam’s roar for game 64.

This time it’s gonna be for real.

You’re the reason I’m travelling down again.

Wembley twice, it’s alright.

“I don’t have thousands of Twitter followers and I’m not looking for fame and fortune. In fact I’m happy with my lot in life. I’ve promised my wife a seaside break later in the year, but we can’t leave it too long as the new season starts in early August!”

Play off final: Width of a Post build-up

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The play offs: The rallying cry

1 May

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By James Storrie

So this is it. It all boils down to this. Six years of nothingness later, this is what we have been waiting for. 180+ minutes of frantic effort, blood, sweat - maybe ever tears – are required from this team once more. The prize on the line is a second Wembley trip of the season; this time to contest for promotion to League One.

An unlikely feat has been achieved here in many aspects, after the Bantams were swatted aside by a rampant Swansea side in February. I tried to stay optimistic about the rest of the season after the cup final defeat, but it was difficult: the team were out of form and struggling to score goals. However, I held on to the belief that, if this group of players couldn’t break the curse of midtable mediocrity with all the talent that it undoubtedly has, then who could?

Just a glance at the final League Two table reinforces this. Can anyone truly say that many of the teams that finished above us are better sides than City? I’ve not seen anything in our games between such sides to suggest this is the case. Yes, obviously the league table doesn’t lie and they have accumulated more points – significantly more in the case of Thursday’s visitors – but that fails to incorporate the effects that the cup run undoubtedly had on City.

Burton are a very good side at this level, there is no questioning that. Strong and pacy upfront and out wide, they possess a real threat on the counter attack, should City go too gung-ho and leave spaces to exploit.

The loss of Andrew Davies to a ridiculously unnecessary suspension is a blow to City’s chances. Despite Michael Nelson adequately snuffing out Burton’s chief weapon in Calvin Zola in the recent league meeting, it is hard to see that Zola will be so quiet again on a hunting ground that he always seems to flourish at. The concentration levels will need to be spot on again, as will the midfield in offering protection to both our full backs against Maghoma – who is one of the best wingers in the division, in my estimation.

But as Stuart McCall continuously used to say when he was in charge “It’s not about them, it’s about what we do”. This is quite correct, and it will be what the Bantams do as to how the game will pan out. We are at home, and it’s up to us to impress our style of play onto the opposition. Burton’s manager, amongst others in recent weeks, whilst not directly criticising the often direct nature of City’s play, seems to have had a thinly veiled jibe against it. While I personally see City as having more to our game than being a generic ‘hoof-ball’ side, I can sort of see what Gary Rowett is getting at.

On the other hand who can blame Parkinson and his predecessors for having a player as good in the air as James Hanson as the focal point in their team, and therefore playing to his strengths? What Parkinson and the cup run have also done is really highlight just how much Hanson’s all round game has improved in the last 12 months. He is still dominant in the air, but now has the confidence and self-belief to not just flick it on but to bring it down and lay it off to an onrushing team mate. While still getting raw deals from the majority of League Two officials, Hanson is starting to cleverly draw fouls in dangerous areas for the team to try and exploit.

The players should take confidence from the cup run into this tie. We have proved we can do it over two legs against a higher ranked team, in a high pressure situation. And that experience is invaluable. However, it is also down to the fans to realise that, although the cup run was fantastic, we can’t afford to be arrogant about our chances. What has gone on before these two games means nothing once they kick off.

Our support is needed more than ever to cheer the lads on to victory and to make it a horrible night for the Burton players. The atmosphere in the last few games of the season at Valley Parade was probably the best in a long, long time – and hopefully the stadium will be rocking once more tomorrow night.

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The play offs: Parkinson’s revolution reaches next stage

30 Apr

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By Jason McKeown

It was all over. But, this time, there was seemingly a good excuse for failure. Already cut well adrift of the play off spots, in mid-March Bradford City faced two Devon games in a week in what felt like a last chance to put a run together. The return of one point from a possible six was not enough to suggest the 10-point gap to the top seven could be made up. The door was locked on promotion hopes. The fat lady was singing. Over. Done.

And that good excuse – the incredible League Cup run had proven too much of a distraction – was there to be taken by the management and players.  The stats backed up what our eyes told us when watching players holding back or showing hesitancy in the League Two run-up to Wembley. We’d become distracted. Found another priority. And after the last claret and amber flag had been cleared from Wembley stadium, we’d been slow getting minds back onto the bread and butter.

So it was all over after the St. James Park debacle. Begin the inquest. Talk about who needs to stay and who needs to go. Debate the manager’s contract. Plan for next season. That was how it seemed to us supporters at least, but not within the dressing room. You often see managers talk up a team’s chances of promotion/avoiding relegation long after all realistic hope has gone, but Parkinson’s similar rhetoric proved to have substance – and City have indeed made the play offs.

It wasn’t all over. There was no need to hide behind any excuses.

We have waited over a decade to have a team like this. We have waited over a decade for a club like this. There are many contributory reasons behind this shift in culture and pride, but one man links them all – Phil Parkinson.

The transformation of a football club

There’s a certain narrative you see time and time again when a successful manager is praised. It’s all about focusing on the state of the club when they started, talking up how grim things were and how the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse were on their way – in order to provide perspective to the progress that the manager has made.

In truth, the narrative of Phil Parkinson’s rebuilding of Bradford City has been over-egged. Were we really under such dire straits under Peter Jackson, before Parkinson took over in September 2011? Was Joint-Chairman Mark Lawn’s assertion that Parkinson inherited “the worst squad in League Two” a fair one? It is true to say that things were not great back then, and that a difficult season looked in prospect; but Parkinson was the beneficiary of being the right man at the right time. The club was ripe for his makeover.

The summer of 2011 was the club’s low ebb. We’d underachieved so dismally under the handsomely paid Peter Taylor, the season before. We’d talked openly about departing Valley Parade because we couldn’t afford the rent. The term ‘administration’ had reared its ugly head again. Jackson marked his promotion from interim boss to permanent manager by releasing every out of contract player. Clear the decks. Start all over again. Mould the club.

That process was still in its beginnings, when a false start saw Jackson depart quickly. Parkinson did not so much enter the Valley Parade doors to find a blank canvas, he found early imprints that could be easily rubbed out and then reshaped his own way. The problems back then were deeper than the club struggling to retain its Football League status, we had ambitions of being at least two divisions higher. It was not about finding the best 11 footballers money could buy and hoping for the best, it required something more concrete to reverse the rot.

So Parkinson’s objectives last season were two-fold: keep City in League Two, whilst also constructing the foundations of a sustainable climb out of the division and beyond. As such, he viewed the short-term pain of ripping everything up that he inherited as a worthwhile trade for the long-term gain of implementing his master plan.

There were bumps along the way, last season, for sure. Relegation could have been avoided more comfortably, and the football wasn’t great. But progress was made and a degree of momentum created. Momentum that has been carried into this season.

The mirror image

Mid-way through Bradford City’s first home league match of the 2012/13 season, and the visitors are shading it. Newly promoted Fleetwood look confident and – with the sizeable Jon Parkin leading the line – physically stronger. City are yet to demonstrate to a quiet home crowd that they can better their opponents.

Then James Meredith produced a crunching tackle, just inside City’s half. It is clean, it is legal, but it is tough. And it leads to a loud roar of approval from the City fans housed in all four sides of the ground. And it stated a lot about this club’s identity.

Most football supporters talk about their basic ambition of having a team that gives its all, but at City we’ve long since responded to blood and guts. Think of our heroes: Stuart McCall, Bobby Campbell, David Wetherall. Both Gary Jones and Kyel Reid have different weaknesses on a football pitch, but there’s little doubt which of the pair’s failings we are more willing to overlook and which we struggle to forgive.

Meredith’s tackle set the tone for this season. It was an early marker of intent, one that suggested this year’s side was going to be loved. A side full of quality, but more importantly a side brimming with commitment. This lot could be out-thought but not out-fought. They won the game that night. They won the following Saturday too. They’ve won on a regular basis for most of the season.

Whatever qualities this group of players might lack, honesty, dedication and endeavour are not amongst them. You think back to Jackson being stuck managing a group of players he disliked, going down to a shambolic 4-0 defeat to Southend in April 2011 and supporters chanting “Love the club, hate the team”. Just two of the 18 players involved that night remain at City (Jon McLaughlin and Luke Oliver). They are part of a squad whose names we will be able to recall 20 years from now.

Parkinson is either a perfect match for this club, or has taken the time to understand its values and mirrored them on the pitch. He realised that if he builds a group of players with the mental toughness to play in front of a demanding crowd, he will be rewarded by that demanding crowd roaring to their feet with approval over every goal, every victory and every tackle.

Gary Jones, the side’s talisman, best exemplifies this. The central midfield engine room position has not been an easy one to fill – witness the failures of Paul Evans, Paul McLaren and Tommy Doherty. Jones has taken the poisoned chalice of trying to win over a crowd that has been spoiled by two spells of Stuart McCall. On and off the field, the closest we have come to another Stuart.

Parkinson has built a team that possesses the qualities that we fans value the most. Love the club, love the team.

The Wembley nightmare

When Phil Parkinson led Bradford City out at Wembley stadium for the League Cup Final against Swansea City, it was the peak moment of his time at City. It was also the peak moment of his managerial career. Surely whatever happened on the field could not diminish that.

Yet a thumping 5-0 defeat was anything but a glorious loss. It was humiliation on the biggest of stages. There was not much that Parkinson or his players could have done to avoid it, Swansea were simply sensational. But after all the incredible feats getting to Wembley and the unforgettable build up, what a shame that it ended so badly.

Back in the team hotel that evening still licking the wounds, Parkinson’s speech to his players and their families was videoed by someone and posted on YouTube. It wasn’t meant to be seen by such a wide audience, but the sharing of a relatively private moment has done Parkinson plenty of favours, revealing just how determined he was to keep driving for promotion.

Here’s what he said:

“We have got 15 games left … We have got a squad capable of going on a good run. And we are going to have a real go at it. Every single game we are going to play it like it’s our last game. We’re going to run harder; we’re going to tackle harder than the opposition; we’re going to play in a positive frame of mind. Every single game. And if, at the end of those 15 games, we haven’t got where we want to be, we’ll hold out hands up.”

Talk is cheap, but those words have come to fruition. Of those 15 games, City have won six, drawn seven and lost two. 25 points from a possible 45. 36% of the team’s 69-point haul this season have come since Wembley.

You can bet that, privately within the dressing room, the cup final defeat has been used to spur the players on. Use that disappointment as a positive by getting back to Wembley and – this time – go up to collect a winner’s medal.

The rot has been stopped

The decline of Bradford City is best illustrated by looking at its season-upon-season standing within the 92. From being ranked the country’s 17th-best team in 2000, the fall is spectacular. 20th, 35th, 39th, 43rd, 55th, 55th, 67th, 78th, 77th,, 82nd, 86th and 86th. This season we are up to 75th. Not exactly earth-shattering, but the 11-place rise is huge for a club that has gone backwards and backwards.

There is an argument to be made that Parkinson was given the resources to produce such a performance – if not better – and so this is the least we can expect. But the delving into the past shows how simplistic the outlook that investment = success can be.  As much as I love Stuart McCall, he could not get us over the dotted line of a play off finish. Taylor and his wonderful CV could not do it either.

If there’s anything that the last 13 years of decline should have taught us, it is that success is difficult to achieve. We’ve tried everything and anything to bring back happier times, but until now no one has been able to achieve progress. It goes without saying that Parkinson merits a new contract. The club would be foolish to be doing anything short of everything to keep him.

Reaching base camp

“Well you have to have bite-sized chunks don’t you? And my first bite-sized chunk is that we’ve got to start finishing in the play offs. That’s got to be the minimum bite-sized chunk. Every season we don’t get into the play offs is, in my view, failure.” Mark Lawn, speaking to Boyfrombrazil.co.uk, January 2011

Clearly the pressure is very much on. Parkinson and City have not put in so much effort over the last few weeks retrieving a lost cause to go down weakly to Burton in the play off semi finals. But it won’t be an easy task, and promotion is still someway off.

But you wouldn’t bet against City doing it. The experience of the League Cup run will help, particularly the fact a two-legged semi final victory was achieved with City home in the first leg. Before that first leg with Aston Villa, Parkinson admitted that he would take a draw if it was on offer (“keep it alive for the second leg”). If City do not win on Thursday, the last person to panic will be Parkinson.

This team has twice this season overcome considerable odds – the League Cup Final and a play off finish – and so whatever happens on Thursday and Sunday, you can be confident of one thing: Parkinson’s Wembley speech remains applicable. They won’t give in until the last kick.

Until the last tackle.

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Five cup finals to go, City welcome Bristol Rovers

9 Apr

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Bradford City vs Bristol Rovers preview

@Valley Parade on Tuesday 9 April, 2013

By Mahesh Johal

Well, well…the ‘dare to dream’ mantra is again ringing around Valley Parade. Saturday’s triumph over Northampton Town has invigorated the City faithful and, once again, we are talking of Wembley. The noise generated in the last 10 minutes indicated to me, at least, that we are a part of something special. As news filtered through of our rivals’ slip ups, there was a feeling of belief that swept around the stands.

I admit that I was starting to lose hope of promotion after back to back draws to Aldershot and Plymouth. From ‘that day‘ in February City had 15 games remaining – or 15 finals as they were described – to rescue the play off dream. As with any final, the only result you want is a win. I think it’s here where I failed. Every game we drew felt like a lost opportunity, and I perhaps under-appreciated the value of a draw. With each point gained, City have somehow been able overhaul six of the eight point gap, to claw themselves back into the play off picture. With five finals remaining, and games in hand on all but one of our play off rivals, the destiny of our season is truly back in our own hands.

Credit must be given to the manager. After his stirring post Wembley speech, I really believed (and still do) that we have the players, staff and the manager to get out of this league this season. Phil Parkinson’s positivity and never die attitude has been immense. Even when results have not gone as planned, Parkinson has at no time stated that this season was over. I guess he’s always believed.

This belief is evident amongst his players and their confident performance on Saturday leaves me in great hope. Nahki Wells looked back to his buzzing best. The end of his goal drought will further improve his confidence, but it was his all round contribution that really pleased me. He again should partner James Hanson up front whilst Kyel Reid continues on the left wing.

Reid was a massive threat in the second half, but his performances still flicker between the sublime to the ridiculous. His potential and presence scares defences and, for that reason alone, I think he needs to play. However we need Reid to give 90 minutes at the same level of Saturday’s second half showing.

It will be a toss up between Zavon Hines and Garry Thompson on the right hand side. Some believe Thompson was quiet on Saturday; however, I feel his heavy knock in the first half contributed to his performance. Still, it was his ball that set Wells off for the first goal, and his form as of late has been sublime. Ricky Ravenhill should continue in the centre midfield with skipper Gary Jones. A rumour has reached Width of a Post’s ears that Rochdale are eyeing up a summer move to take Jones back to Spotland. Now a cliché, his performance on Saturday was awesome and the roar from the Kop towards him after he celebrated the final whistle demonstrates the admiration the fans have for the man they call magic.

Stephen Darby and James Meredith should continue at full backs whilst one hopes Rory McArdle again partners Andrew Davies. Struggling with fitness on Saturday, Davies, and his centre back partner, were colossal against the physical presence of Northampton’s strikers, which included the vast Adebayo Akinfenwa. If unfit, either Michael Nelson or Carl McHugh will play. Jon McLaughlin should continue in net.

Bristol Rovers will be no walkover. Sitting at the bottom of the league before Christmas, Rovers have soared up the league and a win on Tuesday will see them on equal points with the Bantams. With both teams in form this game is delicately poised. These games are all cup finals and this five game run-in are the truest definition of six pointers

Our aim, of course, is Wembley again. But in the short term of tonight, a positive result, be win or draw, is needed against Rovers to keep this dream alive.

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