By Jake Verity
It would be wrong of me to pen this article without first giving credit to many of the voices, social media outlets and fans who are talking about Bradford City at the minute and asking the important questions that need to be raised. Our club will only be as strong as the strength of its parts – and in that I mean that fans – truly our greatest asset. Though this list is non-exhaustive – to all those on Twitter (e.g. the City Vent amongst others), to individual fans – thanks.
When you ask most Bradford City fans about our highlights in recent history, I’d imagine nearly all of us would go straight to our cup successes under Phil Parkinson.
There’s the League Cup final. A feat most likely never achieved again by a fourth-tier club in modern football, beating Arsenal and Aston Villa en-route to an unlikely Wembley appearance.
The Chelsea game, which we’ll never forget. Beating a team with Drogba, Fabregas and Hazard that was managed by Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge. Let alone coming back from 2-0 down to win 4-2. They won the Premier League that season.
If not the above, then another great memory was beating Leeds United at Valley Parade ten years ago, where we went from going 1-0 down in the 82nd minute, to being 2-1 up just four minutes later. We all remember that Billy Knott goal.
I know none of us are feeling particularly nostalgic at the minute. There’s a point here, though.
Those were one-offs. They were magical. But, they are no substitute for league football. That’s the bread and butter. It’s the thing fans pay week in, week out for. Unfortunately in too many of the last few seasons, it’s simply not been good enough.
That 2016/17 season
The best performance in the league I’ve seen from a Bradford City side was the 2016/17 season.
It’s hard to say that a 5th place finish in League One and losing in a play-off final was as good as it gets – but this is the reality for me, anyway.
We were inches away from the Championship – and victory against Millwall would have represented the first time I’ve seen us play second-tier football in the 18 years I’ve followed us. For context, I’m 25 and the highlight of the last 6,500 days of following Bradford City was being on the cusp of Championship football and losing out to Millwall.
Let’s look at this a different way. Of the 19 seasons I’ve watched us, 11 have been spent in League Two. We’re looking set for 12 out of 20 if we carry on. Nothing has really changed.
Why am I talking about one random campaign eight years ago? What happened to those other clubs in the 2016/17 season? How have they fared since we shared a league with them? You’ll see where I’m going now.
Sheffield United, who won the league that season, have been to the Premier League since. They’ve also been relegated from it; and were promoted back up to it the last season. They’ve enjoyed an FA Cup semi-final, signed multi-million pound players – and just like too highlights in our recent history also got to play Wrexham and beat Chelsea in the process (caveating I know we played Chelsea in 2015). The difference between their trajectory though is that Wrexham was a cup game for them and Chelsea was a league match – not the reverse. It probably won’t be long until Wrexham are playing Chelsea too.
We also fought against a Bolton Wanderers side managed by Phil Parkinson for promotion. They beat us to second spot and won the prize of Championship football before tumbling back down to join us in League Two a few years later. They’re now back in League One, and are once again challenging to go back into the second tier.
That’s the top-two, but what about those at the other end of the table?
Chesterfield went down to the League Two; and then to the National League. They suffered badly at first. But they rebuilt. They enjoyed a cup run that took them to Chelsea. On another cup run they took West Bromwich Albion to a replay; and they very nearly beat Watford this season. They were minutes from joining us back in League Two this season before Notts County spoiled their day at Wembley by taking them to penalties and winning. They now sit top of the National League and are bound to play us again next year barring a play-off miracle for Bradford City, or a huge slip-up from them.
Coventry City finished rock bottom that year. They went down to League Two. Troubles were well documented as they played their home football at Northampton and Birmingham, making their fans travel miles to watch them. But, things got better. They were promoted to League One and then the Championship; they found themselves penalties away from the Premier League last season – and sold their striker for millions of pounds to a top European side. They now sit in the Championship play-offs and have every chance of fighting to return to the top-flight come May; after an 23 year absence when they were relegated from the Premier League alongside Bradford City.
These are four clubs who have been on real journeys since that season we failed in reaching the Championship. All four have either been promoted, or are very likely to go up this season. The reason why they’ve been successful is they’ve had an honest look at themselves and they’ve decided to run properly. It’s fair to say all four have had challenges off the pitch. But they’ve worked through them, they’ve dealt with them, and all four have tasted relative success in one way or another.
Of course, there’s some clubs who have had catastrophe’s since that season.
Bury no longer exist as they once did – they had to start again as a club at the bottom of the pyramid and are now working their way up. Scunthorpe and Oldham both went to non-league and have faced serious off field woes; and several other teams have jumped between divisions who were in the league that season.
The point is that we don’t want to suffer the fates of Bury, Scunthorpe and Oldham, but for all the other clubs, this comes down to one central issue. What do we actually have to talk about since 2016/17 barring the play-off campaign last year?
Mark Hughes? Record League Two attendances? Beating Tonbridge Angels 7-0 in the FA Cup a few years ago?
Not for one second do I want to take stability or existence for granted, but that’s all we have done. Exist. Teams like Harrogate; Barrow; Forest Green have all come up from the National League and surpassed us at points. What is the point of merely existing for little to no purpose? No disrespect to those clubs either, they all run well and have performed admirably, but it’s painful.
We talked about the Trueman Show at Valley Parade a couple of years ago. Our progress however over the last few years has been like the film, the Truman Show. Mundane, repeated cyclicality.
The reality of where we’re now
I’m often guilty of being over optimistic when talking about Bradford City. But right now, there’s nothing to be excited about.
The few thousand poor souls who trudged to Valley Parade on Tuesday night must have felt exactly what many of us are going through now. An indifference to what’s happening on the pitch; anxiety about what’s happening off the pitch; and that heavy sinking feeling of knowing we’ve wasted another season in League Two.
The owner wasn’t present. The stands were empty. The pitch is a mess.
The performance was poor. The still fairly new manager looks defeated. We languish in mid-table.
A struggling team comes to Valley Parade and gets points. Players who have shown promise don’t feature. Hope and expectation is met by disappointment and reality.
The worst part about all this is these things are not unique to Tuesday night. They could have been copied and pasted to fit so many occasions over the past few years.
The club, of course, has had worse days. I don’t remember us verging on administration, but I do remember fighting to stay in the Football League not too long ago. But this somehow feels so protracted and painful.
Communication with the fans is so poor. We have no identity or recruitment style. It’s unclear what the end goal is.
Let’s look at a few other clubs to add to the list who have been on a journey while we’ve stagnated.
Luton Town got to the Premier League by having an identity and no matter who was in charge, they continued to progress. Bournemouth and Brentford rose from League Two to the Premier League and found their niche either in buying unproven talent and selling it on for a profit; or having a set brand of football they could stick to with stability at the club. The list goes on of those who have surpassed us and made something of themselves.
If you look at our first season back in League Two five years ago, four of the current top-seven in this year’s division were in the National League at that time (Stockport, Wrexham, Barrow and Notts County).
Somebody made a point on socials recently that you could start a phoenix club and it’ll quickly surpass Bradford City. It’s hard to argue with that.
So how do we move forwards?
Those with influence and power at the football club need to show some humility and take some responsibility for where we currently find ourselves. This is ultimately the next step; and should they not wish to do so – it’s incumbent on us all to hold them culpable.
There have been far too many amateur mistakes this season. The issues in recruiting Hughes’ replacement; some of the comments in media that have aged very badly – and what seems to be another poorly planned January transfer window.
Very few fans have confidence in the way the club is being run. There needs to be an honest conversation about the future direction of the club and I’m heartened to see that many City fans are now trying to work out how we can move forwards together.
For me, it is clear more experience is needed at the top of the club – and a change of ownership is essential if we are to move forward. It’s difficult to ascertain how it might be possible to achieve. I love the idea of a City fan investing in us, or the possibility of fan ownership – it just feels difficult to know how we might get there.
The big thing will be season ticket sales over the coming weeks. I worry we’ve become too focused on the campaign to sell them and their (fantastic) affordability; rather than making it a product people actually want to buy into and use.
It of course should be commended that the club continues to make football affordable – and long may it continue. I think this is especially important in a cost of living crisis and I’m not for one second advocating we change this. But it’s no good having a season ticket if fans don’t actually want to come and watch us.
Forget fancy PR campaigns, nostalgic signings or big name managers. Get a team that can play football, put a structure in place to run the club effectively, and people will turn up.
As I just said, I like to think I’m usually fairly balanced when talking about Bradford City.
Sometimes, I’m even a bit overly positive.
But now, the pleasantries and goodwill are dissipating. We need to have an honest conversation about Bradford City before the club we all know and love becomes ever more of a stranger to us all.
Categories: Opinion
widthofapost.com 
The dilemma for the club is can they put prices up from this low level, increase revenue, have better players, entertainment, success without it backfiring and losing fans and losing revenue etc.
The answer is probably no.
So if the fans are truly their greatest asset we really are in the 💩.
I do get a little cross when I hear people criticizing the supporters
The supporters do not hire managers, fire managers, scout, buy, train, release, loan or manage players. We do not pick teams or choose tactics.
We don’t own or run the club, don’t manage the off field operations and do not drive the strategic overview of where the club should be going.
Whilst the affordable season tickets undoubtedly swell the crowds at VP they don’t account for the large away followings we take. Many times the supporters have turned up when the team haven’t, especially away from home. We’re told (and therefore believe) we have a competitive playing budget – high enough to challenge.
Yet somehow its all our fault, too impatient, too critical, too demanding. I’d hate to think where we’d be if we weren’t critical, demanding and impatient!
And I get a little cross when I hear supporters moan about the owner and management while not acknowledging that they pay less for a ticket than Halifax town fans. The big change since I started going is the huge amount of kids in attendance. Family and single parents. Do fans recognise this and applaud it?
A large away follow is fine. And when you win, (Doncaster) nothing like it. It’s undoubtedly costly, none of which goes to BCFC.
Do you actually disagree with the dilemma I have described. Or is it just a moan?
Fans chant for the sacking of Adams. Within a day or so Adams is sacked.
Fans chant for the sacking of Hughes. Within days Hughes is sacked.
I think fans have a bigger role than you seem prepared to accept, in bringing to an abrupt end, any long-term(ish) “strategy” that a manager will be in the process of implementing.
Those 2 manager’s were well capable of getting us out of league 2 if they had been given time to ride out the inevitable slump.
I don’t go into any season with an “expectation ” of promotion so I don’t get too down if we aren’t in the play-off places. I do though get a lot of extra joy from watching City if they are up and around the play-offs. I find it unfair to judge a manager based on only part of a contract and an incomplete season in charge.
We fans need patience. Fans reactions towards a manager WILL, undoubtedly, impact on decisions about whether to sack a manager or not -I think the evidence is clear. When Adams was sacked I wasn’t interested in who the next manager was going to replace him. I thought it would probably be irrelevant because if Adams, with his record of promotions, could be sacked without being given enough time to work his magic then who the hell else would. Hughes did better than I expected, league position wise -but I am easy to please. So what happens the following season, the fans chant for his sacking 10 games into the season.
If we have a manager who has proven he can achieve promotions or can get a Team into play-off positions then, as a clearly influential fan base, we should allow them far more leeway than we do to when we aren’t exactly on track. You don’t get to the top of mountain faster by choosing the shortest route from the bottom to the top, you “zig-zag”. We have to resist trying to short cut our way to promotion by sacking managers every few months.
Andy, it wasn’t a criticism of the fans, they are what they are. But to say “Our club will only be as strong as the strength of its parts – and in that I mean that fans – truly our greatest asset” if true, in my opinion means we are in the 💩. Because 1000s would walk away from the club they profess to love.
It would be so hard to put the prices up now after so many years of failure, there’s absolutely no trust amongst the supporters in Rupp or Sparks so doubt the supporters would trust them to spend any extra revenue wisely, if we were better run it would be an easier sell.
Also a lot of fans are not enjoying their visits to valley parade, if their experiences at bowling or the cinema were as bad they would probably stop going all together. So probably not the best time to raise prices in my opinion.
Hi Pat.
I agree with the dilemma you describe. It’s the last sentence I disagree with.
It implies that the attitude of the supporters is responsible for where the club is.
Or maybe I misread it. Are you saying if the supporters are the club’s only asset then the club is in the sh1t.
I dunno.
another person claiming to speak for all ‘supporters’ , A lot of the comments made about both Rupp and Sparkes are disgrasefyl, Rupp is a the owner, he doesn’t interfere, he guarantees the overdraft that all businesses carry, saving a considerable amount of money as overdrafts interest rates at high risk businesses are very high, indeed there’s a good few clubs supporters would kill for an owner like that.
As for Ryan Sparkes? yes he has not had good luck with the managers, but, attracting Derek Adams , Stuart Macall, and, Mark Hughes , did anybody disagree with these at the time???. WOAP c also falls into the finger pointing without any knowledge of the issue regarding the pitch. I take exception to the ill informed nonsense spouted , as a retired head groundsman of 37 years experience, and having spent time in 1966 working at VP as a volunteer, we had a ‘perfect storm’ of conditions, five times the normal rainfall, mostly before the Saturday game, followed by another heavy downpour before tuesdays game with frost hitting the ground befote and during the game, no mention of the fact that the club have undertook a four year programme of upgrading the pitch, all new drainage installed and expensive surface replacement, the armchair ‘experts’ and your comments make no mention of this. And also not mentioned is prior to this season Sparkes and staff approached all the sponsors seeking support for a pretty massive refurbishment programme , all hospitality areas were refurbished, Bantam bar included, the start of replacing seating , something long overdue, and upgrading the emergency power systems, once again the critics choose to ignore all of these ‘improvements’ preferring to indulge in uninformed and biased criticism, It really is sad, and stupid talking about a fictional ‘sack the owner, sack the staff ‘ with absolutely no idea of what to replace them with ,,,what or who?????
We have a good budget for a L2 team as has been repeatedly stated from several sources. The fact it is wasted year on year through poor long term planning and a complete lack of vision beyond ‘get promoted’, has absolutely nothing to do with the fanbase. The fanbase are the reason that budget is competitive, sparks’ excellent commercial performance notwithstanding.
Rather than pay, for example £2.00 per game more.
Lonnie, who was it, Adams I think, who refused to play Evans because they had a fall out, at a previous club. Then got rid of Canavan for talking back. Personally I thought such poor management deserves the sack.
Adams played Evans!
“Such poor management” seemed to have worked well enough regarding achieving promotions.
I always like WOAP articles but this one is one of the best I’ve ever read.
A lot of people blame the financial mess we got ourselves in after the 2nd season in the premiership as part of the problem where we are now, but over clubs like Portsmouth, Bolton Luton, Wrexham, Stockport have been in similar if not worse messes and much more recently too but are now all thriving in their own ways. Like you say we are just existing 🤷🤷
Even with the cheap tickets if the clubs idea of success is just surviving in the fourth division then they don’t deserve the 16,000 plus crowds.
It was ITV digital going under that did for us, not relegation from the Prem.
Here we have further evidence of the hurt felt by City supporters. It is an emotional, impressionistic piece by a 25-year-old and encapsulates what many of all ages are feeling. A good deal of time and effort has gone into it. But it does, unintentionally, highlight the difficulties of making improvements to any institution that one patronises but does not own or work for. The lesser clubs whose success eclipsed our own did so, the writer says, by ‘having a good look at themselves’. We need ‘an honest conversation about the future’. Well, yes, and talking is easy and inexpensive. It would be a start.
Personally I’m a great believer in deeds not words and that when evolution has failed, the only recourse is revolution. It would help enormously if we could find a benefactor, a strong and charismatic figure, to come from nowhere and take over and impose his (or her) will. It’s probably our best hope.
I will never forget the night in St George’s Hall when Stafford Heginbotham, in his chunky, pre-toupe days, spoke mightily from the stage, as the buckets were being passed round and volunteers names taken. People could see the club was in trouble and were offering to help as best they could – not threatening to withdraw their support or petulantly wang tennis balls around. It was one of the most inspiring performances I’ve ever witnessed, and yet, remarkably, it was devoid of flamboyant gestures and ‘sound bites’ and delivered almost matter-of-factly in a homely Lancashire accent. The effect was electrifying. His message was simple: what can you do to help me to improve this club? Almost his only rhetorical effect was the repetition of this, at least thrice. Geoffrey Richmond had a similarly galvanic effect. I despair at the feeble, gimmicky latter-day attempts to stir the same emotions.
Until another strong-minded entrepreneurial type comes along I fear we will not wrest ourselves out of this particular slough of despond. I had hoped Herr Rupp was such an individual but clearly football is not his chosen field.
I cannot believe, however, that in the great wide world it would be impossible to find such a person – on the much-vaunted ‘information superhighway’. Other clubs seem to have found them. We might better spend time approaching potential takeovers than ringing around locally for sponsorship. But is the will there to do that? Are we making an intensive effort? I seriously doubt it. Any new broom would, of course, want to sweep clean away the detritus, before making a start.
There seems to be a recurring theme from older fans, that supporters used to be more actively involved in the running of the club than they are today. Or at least that there was a closer connection between club and fans. Is that right? And if so, why?
Any chance – Berlin – of getting on the old BAB 9 and nipping down to Munich to put this question to our German owner?
Well I guess you’ve answered it there Mitchell. Am genuinely interested how things changed over the ages and if the club became more remote, not just in the current Rupp era. And whether that has produced a disconnect between club and fans, and culture of mistrust. Is it just a recent thing, I guess is the question. People have spoken of the lack of a fans forum. Might be a better way forward than tennis ball protests and such like. Or hoping and wishing for a rich benefactor who may never come.
But yes, Stefan if you’re reading this, let’s go for a Helles Bier oder zwei and sort all this out. Call me at 1-800 WOAP
No one will invest in a club that doesn’t own the ground. Its in an unfashionable City in an area that is dilapidated and no immediate fan base. Rupp will ask £10 million for the club, and Gibb will want £10 million for the ground. Good luck with that. 16000 season ticket holders ain’t gonna fork out £600 + to bail out a club that’s run bu a bunch of amateurs.
Great article and hits the nail on the head.
Nothing is going to change under the current custodians of the club. Rupp isn’t interested so will leave a floundering Sparks to carry on running the club. Its the cheapest option. The problem is now that the good will of fans and others that helped keep the club moving is gone as they are sick if been taken for granted.
The biggest asset for BCAFC is the 17,000 than turn up week in week out. It gives us our ‘big club’ profile. However, its a little like that scene in the Wizard of Oz when the curtain is pulled back!
Hopefully people are now waking up and seeing that if we dont question and speak up, our club will go the same way as Oldham, Scunthorpe, Bury.
Lets be a Blackpool, Luton, Coventry instead!
Cheap tickets is an albatross round our neck
The best game and atmosphere this season was Derby away when only the comitted faithful came and we sang for 90 minutes
I would double the season ticket price and close the upper half of the kop
If we sell 9000 tickets that would be more income less hassle and less uncommitted fans
Where I sit on the kop all the seats are allocated but no one comes
Apart from Charlie and his mates we never see the same faces
We kid ourselves we are a big club
We are no bigger than Stockport
Raise the prices
They don’t turn up because it’s cheap enough not to and because the performances are poor! Raising the prices isn’t the answer because you’ll have the same level of income and when the performances are still poor, then they’ll still only be 5-7k in the ground like on Tuesday.
Now if they raise the prices and set a clear strategy – and a detailed strategy at that – then I think the majority would renew and you’ll always get people attending games if results improve!
Sparks needs help! If Rupp doesn’t sell up, he we need a sporting director! Someone who can support the manager and Sparks to spend our decent budget wisely! Imagine if we’d actually just added a few quality players last summer to the squad! Should think we would have walked the league. Instead we overhaul the formation twice and ended up with a load nobodies in a squad of 30+ players!
I can see some logic in increasing prices but certainly not doubling them.
Personally I could afford it but I don’t buy just mine. I also buy one for my daughter and for two of my grandchildren. They are the people this club needs to encourage to attend but if the prices are increased substantially theirs will be the tickets I will no longer be purchasing. I’m sure I’m not the only supporter in this position.
As they can’t afford to buy them unfortunately they will be a loss to the club forever. Maybe introducing a family ticket could be the way forward?
We have to remember that cheap season tickets are not solely an aultraistic gesture. There’s a number of sound commercial reasons in offering them alongside the noble aims of making football affordable.
For a start having a high season ticket to match day ticket ratio allows the club to have a reliable revenue stream which allows them to plan ahead.
We have a big stadium which allows the club to exploit other revenue streams, particularly advertising. The more people in the stadium the more lucrative the sponsorship deals the club can push.
Finally, bigger crowds also buy more pies, shirts, drinks etc which further increases income.
VP maybe a little run down these days but the size of the stadium provides us with the opportunity to offer cheaper tickets not open to those clubs with smaller grounds.
If we double ticket prices and halve the crowd then simplistically we maintain ST income but we may find that income in other areas reduces.
It’s a tough call. But if the club wants to raise prices on the promise of better football it has to explain why we have consistently under performed when operating eith competitive playing budgets in the past.
For me, it is clear more experience is needed at the top of the club – and a change of ownership is essential if we are to move forward. It’s difficult to ascertain how it might be possible to achieve. I love the idea of a City fan investing in us, or the possibility of fan ownership – it just feels difficult to know how we might get there.
This part of your article is critical and until (if ever) it changes we are stuck in a perpetual cycle of mediocrity. We had a City Fan as an owner and he declared he would only sell to someone who could take us forward. How has that worked out? If I was a prospective buyer and asked what I was purchasing then as you say it’s effectively nothing. No ground. No Training facility. No catering. This unfortunately goes back to Richmond and us going pop. I’d never have believed it but a phoenix club might actually be the way forward.
An ultimatum to Rupp and Gibb
Sort it or we leave?
Essentially that’s what Coventry did?
So thinking about this
Pick a game that few care about – home to Sutton?
Organise fans to not turn up and produce a list of demands
Gibb gifts ground to club in return for 50% share in club
Or offers sensible price for the new lease
Rupp puts his share up for sale at a sensible price
Can’t see it happening but I am in
The answer is ALWAYS in the hands of the public!!.Don,t go!!(Would you buy a stale loaf of bread?), If Rupp is losing monety hand over fist,he would surely sell at a “break even” figure,rather than lose the money he paid for the club-then you WILL get a buyer,or buyers.Allright,we may go out of the league-so what?-other clubs have come back,and so could we.imagine that! -a new identity for our club,developing young,hungry players of our own,and not having to sell them like we,ve been forced to! It proves we can do it when higher league clubs take them from us,doesn,t it? A journey starts with the first step!! And it might
I love reading this post, and most often agree with the comments made.
The last reply, let’s go down to non league and be reborn ??
Are you for real.
I love the fact that we have large crowds, and boast about it to a lot of my pals who go to watch Burnley premier league, Preston championship and Wigan league 1 who would struggle to get anywhere near our crowds outside of their current divisions.
I remember going in the 80’s when some games we would struggle to get 3.000 die hard fans into our crumbling ground with the old kop split in two divided by nets to stop the rocks being thrown over.
I travel 2 hours each way to come watch my club, and must admit even I have contemplated not getting in the car to do the travel to watch what is on offer.
Tuesday night was horrible, and the conditions did not help.
I go in the bantams bar along with another 1000 of us, and the atmosphere is terrible.
Whilst we have our fan base, and families are attending and bringing our future support with them, this club need to realise from the top it will not last forever.
Would we want to be a park avenue?
Ask their supporters that question and I’m sure they would swap places with us.
Deal with the hand that you have right now, and stop wishful thinking.
Ps if you was Graham Alexandra, and you had to pick your best 11 with all the players in our squad including injured players what team and formation would you pick?
A disheartened Bradford lad, but it’s my team and always will be
I’m asking a question here as I’ve only been a supporter since 2014. How long did it take before PP started to make a difference and get good results? And what were attendance figures like? I’m just wondering if we’re expecting too much too soon from GA?
Part of a season and two transfer windows. It was a remarkable turnaround.
And amazingly it was route one football. He had some very good players though, and they would run through walls for him. It was a perfect.
That worked because We had a centre forward JH who won Ariel duals 90% of the time. Currently we have one that wins 60% of the time (not necessarily Cooks fault it just fact)
This was a really good article and I thank the author for writing it.
We are stuck in first gear as a sporting entity. It’s clear that there is no ambition, that we are bumbling along and the Chief Exec’s highlight report is devoid of serious improvements in the club. To say we are at such a low position in the football pyramid, this should be easy to resolve? But we are a little club in mentality, no better than Barrow or Sutton.
I don’t know how this situation improves, other that changing the status quo (new leadership and investment model). Part of me wants this, but the fan of 30+ years and several ‘near misses’ also fears it. I will try to enjoy whatever happens to my beloved club.
I disagree that the club doesn’t have any ambition. I think it gambled on Hughes and he had a good budget. Unfortunately it didn’t work out and we are now going to have a lean period. That’s football.
Letas go back to when Parky first took over.
The club was in turbulent waters the fans were fed up of long term failure.
This was from the days of when Big Geoffery richmond had his period of total madness and put the club in financial ruin.
Then parky came we had chairmen in mark and julian who had some financial clout
Mark liked the football side and julian liked the commercial/buisness side.
But the early days ofparkys reign was not easy.
We had a fluctuated results perion under his early reign and fans were not all in the IPWT brigade.
I remember many letters on T and A pages not been complimentary. Then after a period of 12 months turbulence, slowly but surely after patience from Lawny and julian, the tide turned parky and lawny had regular team recruitin meetings and a genuine squad of dtnamic players who had bradford city on there sleeves were formed.
I dont.have name individuals, everyone played there parts and the team graduated year by year and us fans saw things happen we never thought possible,we were a proper footballing family.
Then through personall sad and financial reasons the 2 chairman had to leave to keep bradford city moving up the league, what happened next was of a horror movie on the scale of 11 out of 10.
The only people willing to buy the club was Rupp And the lunatic(im not lowering myself to use the lunatics name-sos)both were Germans.
Parky was no fool after only 1 meeting with the lunatic parky and the rest of the management team realised he had to sadly go to pastures new before he lost his patience with the lunatics ideals.
Let me explain to any one who dont know Bradford citys history–Rupp put all money in and stopped in Germany his mate the lunatic came to England to be BCFC CEO.
This was a fffing disaster,from virtually day 1 of when we lost unluckily to Millwall at wembley in the play off final, Rahich in close season got rid of a good established BCFC team and replaced them with a mish mash, then after we lost at Yeovil we lost and did not get the Man United tie in the next round the lunatic spat his dummy out and took over the playing side of the club compleatly he even took over the training sessions (i save autographs and saw this happen on Appley Bridge training pitch) most people then saw a freefall which was as bad as a burning aircraft falling from the sky. The only reason it did not it the ground was that John Dewhurst a top city fan saved us.
He went in person to Germany to see Rupp,he told him the stoty the lunatic was giving him was totall bullock’s and luckily Rupp ventured to the UK and found it all true.
The lunatic was given the boot,thank christ, and on the say so of Julian Rhodes the past chairms Ryan sparks was given the CEO post, ill fast forward now since Ryan has taken over what hes excellent at the marketing and sponsorship as gone from strenth to strength,we have had at least 650 k brought into the club thanks to his marketing and getting new sponers ideals.
But on the foot ball side hes lacking,he does not seen to understand managers and he is very impatient and sacks all and sundry who manage us and not give us a 12 months fix of the clubs affairs on the pitch/what would have happeng if lawny and Rhodes would have done that with Parky!!?
We are where we are now.
What i would personelly do is keep yes keep Ryan Sparks on as solely the top man in the commercial ,stadium and other money making things that keep this club running on a profit – hes red hot at that.and then get a person whos got a footballing mindset ro run the footballing side of things and have regular meetings with the manager he can ask the manager HIS TACTICAL IDEAS FOR CLUB WHO HE WOULD LIKE TO SIGN and then try to get these players in,like Lawny did with Parky,that worked well.
The fans have give managers time if booing got players play better the managers would do it in dressing rooms before the game.
We have to become the BCFC family we once were under the Parky days yes Rupp is no 100% hero, but he cant sell thanks to another old chairman wanting 275 k every year for his pension fund through the agreement with old Mr rhodes when we were in a financial pickle about 17 years ago.
So we have to get on with it as a club Rupp has to attend a make some massive changes to the top protocols running and we could just get through this shambolic mess .
If noughts done then it could be RIP BCFC as a league clubwithin 10 years.NO ONE WANTS THISunless youre Leeds Fan/scummer/
So from what you’re saying Darren it was turbulent when Parky came in and fans again weren’t happy and it took 12 months for things to turn round? So should GA be given that sort of time?
Any manager should
Please tell me honestly sandra where has a manager every year got this club since mr parkinsons left us
You think a better club use your own nounce on this and tell me should we sack managers and hope that eventually we will pick out ot the hat a genie who will save us?
Or would you give him time
I was asking the question to help me form an opinion and going on what you said about it taking time for things to get better with Parky, I think a manager should be given time.
So sandra ill ask you one why dont you think the managers are not currently given time to get there type of players in to get a team like parky got
Is it the managers fault by buying the wrong players or is it the above for not having patience to wait till sides the managers get in gel or is it something ive not mentioned 🤔 i look forward to your reply
Play players who can press (graft) properly at least. Do the basics EVERY week. The pressing style got us a run of wins then Walker injured and it’s gone. Why? It has to be the remaining players attitude to being bothered or not surely? GA sounded sick as a chip last 2 interviews post match. I can imagine a few players questioning him in meetings as they know they have a contract and a good record so what the heck just another gaffer there will be another one soon!
We have cheap season tickets, yet we have a playing budget that is top 7 year on year (so we are told).
We are not challenging for the top 7 year on year. We’ve had umpteen managers and back room staff since dropping back to League Two. What is the common dominator throughout…..the same owner, the same CEO.
The owners valuation of the club is too high and seemingly wont sell unless his valuation is met.
He doesnt pump any money into the club as such and wont take a gamble.
We are self sustaining (for now) but I believe we need a new owner who has interest in the club or at least football in general.
So how do you improve the current situation. I think this season is lost, the sooner we get to 52 pts the better.
So, the time for change below the owner (which is unlikely to change) is now.
Sparks and Gent need to go now with a new CEO/cheif scout appointed. Dave Baldwin would be top of the list but perhaps unlikely. James Mason perhaps or someone completely new with a new.dynamic but who is competent.
The playing squad needs to change wholesale in the summer. The Smallwoods, Ridehalghs, Taylors should not get a look in. We need to add some pace, directness and athletism to the squad. Our build up play is pedestrian and easy to play/defend against.
We have a top 7 budget year on year, the above shouldnt be difficult if properly run from upper management.
Everything is seemingly broken at the minute but can be remedied fairly easily it just requires some boldness and temporary input from the owner and some thought put into (another) rebuild.
My humble opinion of course.
Ht. 2.0 down. GA out.