Photo: Claire Epton © Bradford City
By Jason McKeown
After a dreadfully disappointing season, the 2018/19 Bradford City squad is amongst the most disliked in the club’s history. This summer is all about rebuilding the Bantams and moving forwards again, and to do that Gary Bowyer will need to recruit players who can win supporters’ affection.
But what type of players do we truly value? Who are the biggest heroes of the past? To encourage a positive debate, at WOAP we’d really like our readers and other City fans to vote for your top five favourite Bradford City players. And, later this summer, we’ll present the results of our survey. The most popular players in Bradford City history.
By favourite we don’t simply mean ability. It’s about the players who have meant the most to you, who you have enjoyed watching above all others, from your time following the club. The obvious, and perhaps the not so obvious. There’s no right or wrong answer to your top five, just tell us your personal favourites.
To vote, simply follow the link below and answer the five survey questions. It will only take a couple of minutes.
Thank you for your help.
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My five favourite players mmmmm. Having followed City for more than 60 years, there are plenty of names to consider, but here goes.
1. Stuart McCall: An obvious choiceI I know but really! He absolutely epitomises all you could want in a player – skill, passion, commitment, leadership, fair play. Say no more.
2. John Hendrie: From the same team as McCall and a vital part of the 1985 Champions and also a major influence on that team establishing itself in football’s second tier. A speedy and tricky player with the ability to conjure up important goals.
3. David ‘Bronco’ Layne: I only have fading memories of the player with the best goals per games ratio for the club. If only we could have kept him but being a ‘selling’ club, the money from Sheffield Wednesday was impossible to resist.
4. Gary Jones: What a leader! You would follow this man into the dessert. Not the most skilful player ever to grace the Claret & Amber but right up there with the best of captains. I think that he would have had some of last season’s woeful lot put to death.
5. Gary Walsh: I thought it only fair to include a goalkeeper and Walsh is the best ‘keeper I have seen playing between the sticks for City.
There are of course dozens of players worthy of a mention, especially from the teams that have won promotions from 1969 onwards. It will be interesting to read the contributions from other supporters.
Peter Jackson always says to me that he was my favourite City player. He also adds that he was my favourite City mamager! We have a laugh every time i see him, the last being last Saturday at the memorial service.
I have a particular affection for the group of players in 85. Its hard to think beyond them.because as a result the team.and the fans of that era have a bond that we will all take to our graves. Obviously in that team Stuart, John Peter and Abbo are held in an increased affection, as was big Bobby.
Over the years other players are still held in.my own opinion as being a bit special. The team.that got us in the PL and the 2013 team stand out and many of the players too. But Leigh Palin was a bit special, on his day, Claus Jorgensen and Edinhio had special moments with us. So its hard to select real favourites. But Peter Jaclson says that he is my favourite so we will go with that.
I picked mine, Stuart, Bobby C., John Hendrie and fast forward , Garry Jones. I also picked a player I thought was great when I started watching city in the 1970’s Gerry Ingram.
I also at the time had a soft spot for Ces Podd and Joe Cooke. The mention of Leigh Palin, on his day he was one of the most skillful players to wear a City shirt, liked him too.
It’s very hard to pick a favourite player,I’ve been watching Bradford City since 1953 and every year as kids do always look up to your hero.Then the team the team changes and another hero emerges.George Mulholland.Derek Stokes Derek Hawksworth.John McCole ,John Reed, Bronco Layne. Later we had Nigel Pepper Stuart MacCall.Unfortunatly I could go on and on and still couldn’t pick a favourite. I loved them all my Bradford City.
I’m just like you Colin. Ivor Powell was an early favourite and i thought John McCole and John Reid were amazing. Lots more I’ve loved inbetween but fast forward and the Gary Jones years brought me the greatest pleasure. Oh how I wish we could have had him at his best for longer. The sight of him giving his sweat soaked shirt to the kid in the wheelchair at Villa Park just sums the guy up for me. We’ve had internationals and premiership players but it’s Gary for me. D.
I go back to the same era and John (Johnny) Reid was my favourite as a small youngster. What a forward line then – Webb, Jackson, McCole, Reid, Stokes- at a time when the only formation was 2-3-5! Fast forward 60 years or so and choosing 5 from all those years is very difficult but the one name that immediately springs to mind as my number 1 is John Hendrie.
Bobby campbell
Peter beagrie
Magic gary jones
Stuart mcall
Benito carbone
As soon as i’d done mine I realised I missed beagrie!
Bobby Ham was mine
Stuart, Gary Jones,Lee Palin, Ces and Peter Downsborough. In that order and a cigarette paper between each!
A toss up between “Bronco Layne and John McCole. Different types of centre forward but would both score goals in any team.
It’s great to hear all these names.
I went for McCall, Waddle, Edinho, Pepper, Jacobs.
Stuart obviously. Waddle as a joy in the third division. Edinho was an exotic breath of fresh air at a similar time. I remember the sound of a Pepper tackle near our seats. And Wayne, the left back who survived three replacement signings.
But I liked Palin too, Big James Hanson, Beagrie’s back somersaults, Rory McRory’s all- in tackle, Bruno, even Will Atkinson and Andy Kiwomya. And noones mentioned Nahki.
Stuart, Bobby. Ronnie Brown, Billy Ingham and John Hendrie with another dozen a cock hair behind them..
“A cock hair”? What forum do you think this is?
I picked Nahki Wells in my top five. It was great to see a natural goalscorer, I cant think of many we have had over the last decade. Especially because he seemed to come from nowhere, he wasn’t a big signing, no huge potential to live up to, but he suddenly lit up a dull season and helped us to promotion. Raw talent that came good for us.
Bobby Campbell
Peter Beagrie
Stuart McCall
Jamie Lawrence
Gary jones
Tough to whittle it down to just five…so many have to be left out just from my time as a supporter, never mind earlier times. Stuart and Bobby were easy picks; to them I added Dave Evans, Gavin Oliver, and James Hanson — solid pros who served us well over many seasons each.
Difficult to choose between those players who you considered our best of all time, and those who were your own personal favourites.
Surprised Dean Richards hasn’t been mentioned, and in my eyes he would meet both the above criteria, but any defender who does a Cruyff turn outside their own box, and gets away with it, surely has to be at least considered for the former.
Then you have those who were your own personal favourites and two that spring to mind to me are Martin Singleton and Sean McCarthy.
Singleton was pretty much like Palin, a bit lightweight but a good footballer, and McCarthy could look like a bit of a donkey at times, but on his day was close to unplayable.
Can’t wait for the vote on our least favourite player, and I wonder who many of this season’s crop would make the list!