By Jason McKeown

In many ways they are ageless. Close your eyes, press play, and re-live those unforgettable memories ingrained into your brain. That night at Aston Villa. Arsenal. Burton in the cup. Burton in the play offs. Wembley twice. Leeds. Chelsea. Sunderland. Reading. History making. Logic defying. The best of best times.

James Hanson was 25-years old when he scored that goal at Villa Park. Stephen Darby was 24. Two prominent members of the 2012-2017 era that catapulted Bradford City out of the doldrums and back into the light. Key figures, amongst a dressing room of forever revered heroes.

The things we saw. The emotions we experienced. We’ll be talking about them for decades to come.

Timeless. Immortal. Ageless memories. And yet, here – 11 years to the day of Bradford City’s 3-1 League Cup semi final first leg victory over Aston Villa at Valley Parade – we get two notable, and two very different, incomparable pieces of news about two of the most popular players in the club’s history.

Hanson, now 36-years-old, has just announced his retirement. An 18-year playing career of nearly 600 appearances ended where it began in non-league circles. But the heights he experienced over his eight years at Bradford City are firmly inscribed into the history of the club. Meanwhile Darby, now 35, has today appeared on BBC Breakfast News, talking about a very different battle – his health.

Darby had to sadly call time on his career in 2018, after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease. It is a still-rare condition – with no cure – that affects your brain and nerves. Causing weaknesses that get worse over time. It has a severe impact on a person’s life, effecting them physically and in their ability to speak. It a ruthless disease that reduces life expectancy – and it’s badly underfunded.

Appearing on the BBC with a fellow ex-professional footballer and MND sufferer, Marcus Stewart, Darby spoke with incredible bravery about his health situation. But he still retains some of that classic Scouse humour. Stewart asks him about being looked after by his family, “Do you feel like you’re a hindrance?” To which Darby jokes “Yeah, but they’ll say I’ve been that for 35 years!”

Poignantly he talks about how he recently fell over at home and was found by his wife, England women’s international Steph Houghton. “I’m lying there blood everywhere, no clothes on, and then Steph ran in and helped me sit up. For me, I’m going through it emotionally, but physically for the family it’s harder emotionally for them to see the fall, not nice.”

It’s amazing bravery from Darby. With everything he is going through, no one could begrudge him and his family if had closed the door and kept their challenges private. But here he is talking openly and honestly, showing his vulnerability, and getting himself out there to raise funds for such an important cause.

It is not easy to watch Stephen looking so frail and having such difficulty talking. In our mind, Darby is still that incredible right back who habitually threw his body on the line for the club. He gave absolutely everything for the cause, helping Bradford City back off the canvas. In a team of outstanding performers, it said everything that in the history making 2012/13 season Darby was voted the players’ player of the year. He was terrific in leading and inspiring those he played with.

That included Hanson of course. The 2012/13 campaign was Big Jim’s fourth at Valley Parade. He’d done incredibly well up to then, after only turning professional in 2009. He had to accept a pay cut to join the Bantams, with the wages offered by the club lower than the combined salaries he was earning playing for Guiseley and working part-time in Idle Co-op. And he had a slightly bumpy ride those first few years, with supporter criticism fierce and the team generally struggling and changing managers regularly.

Phil Parkinson built a strong team of characters in the summer of 2012 that included the arrival of Darby, and Hanson – boosted also by some off the field mind coaching support – had the season of his life. A Football League career-best total of 15 goals, as one half of a dynamic partnership with Nahki Wells.

It took City to Wembley twice, and a first Bantams promotion in 14 years. It made Hanson a national star, after his treasured goal at Villa Park sent fourth-tier Bradford City to a major cup final and led to his picture being plastered all over the national newspapers the following day. In the years that followed, Hanson remained a key figure with further memorable goals – not least the night he scored the winner against Leeds. He eventually exited Valley Parade as the third highest scorer in Bradford City history.

In 2017, Hanson and Darby left the club within a few months of each other – and the final breaking up of the remaining 2012/13 history makers soon heralded a nosedive in City’s fortunes. You can make a fair argument that – post Darby and Hanson – the Bantams have recruited better footballers to play at right back and up front. But for determination, courage and character, few have come anywhere close to what Darby and Hanson gave to Bradford City.

They are forever heroes to those of us lucky enough to support Bradford City through that memorable ride. And that’s why we’ll be forever closing our eyes to replay the abundance of wonderful moments they gave us. With each subsequent passing season of Bantams struggle, the exploits of Darby, Hanson and co seem even more remarkable.

We will always be indebted to Stephen Darby and James Hanson for what they gave to Bradford City. Their contributions for the club will never be forgotten or tarnished. As Stephen and his family continue on through the most awful of challenges, every single person with claret and amber in their blood is rooting for them.

Compared to more illustrious football clubs, we don’t have too many heroes in these parts. Stephen and James will always be amongst the ones that we do.  

Click here to donate to the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation

You can watch Stephen on BBC breakfast news here (skip to 2 hours 14 mins and 50 seconds in)

Categories: Opinion

Tags: BCAFC, James Hanson, Stephen Darby