By Tom Swithinbank

Dad would have loved that win.

An open game, a big crowd, tackles flying in, an Andy Cook bullet header in front of the Kop to secure a 2-1 win against Carlisle United.

He would have loved that so much.

We’d have enthused all the way home, only pausing to listen to the interviews with Alexander and Cook, we’d have skipped in through the door laying our scarves down to tell Mum, “we won”!

My Dad, Rob Swithinbank, passed away on 5 September 2023 after a short illness caused by his long standing Parkinson’s Disease.

Dad grew up in Bingley and grew up watching City with his brother Patrick, who sadly passed away in January 2015, enjoying Bobby Campell, Chris Waddle and Cess Podd and of course Stuart McCall. Between his childhood and May 2023, Dad watched hundreds of matches, holding a season ticket for over 40 years, including being in the stand on the day of the fire. Dad attended every one of City’s ‘big ones’ – famously travelling from a family holiday in Northumberland to Wembley in 1996, leaving my Mum with my brother and me. I’m sure he felt it was worth the hours of babysitting he then owed!

I wanted to write this not only to pay tribute to my Dad but to encourage anyone reading to relish every moment of attending Valley Parade (or any other live sport) with a loved one. Yes of course, the entertainment on offer isn’t always brilliant but the time spent is invaluable, the bonds developed experiencing the highs and lows together. It was also so nice to have regular time together, every other week, planned in, catching up.

A special thank you to the Bradford City community too; his fellow supporters (Main Stand, Block E) helping him to and from his seat when he couldn’t manage, to Mick Lamb for his help and support over the years, the reception team for smiling at him as they handed him a team sheet in later years – as an aside I did ask the club to change policy to list the team in position order; making it so much easier for someone who is struggling to understand but they told me it would give the opposition an advantage – nonsense! I hope this changes as his legacy!

Bradford City gave Dad so much, and he gave so much back too, attending through thick and thin, he was proud to be a City fan, telling anyone who showed any interest. Dad also joined the Supporters Board but I think by that point he was struggling to keep track of that sort of conversation, as well as the drive from Harrogate – he would have had so much to offer that group if Parkinson’s hadn’t taken that way from him.

I’ll leave you with some of my words from Dad’s funeral, I hope they resonate with you and help you to savour your next Bradford City match, win, lose or draw with your friends or family.

Dad was a really happy person!

I’d like to take you back to some of my memories of Dad focussing on four hobbies which made him happy; Bradford City, Holidays, Walking and Friends

I couldn’t do this without starting with Bradford City. Of course, I’ll always remember beating Chelsea and Arsenal in the cups and our trips to Wembley but my memory is not of a specific moment but just going to games with Dad.

We’d leave Harrogate at 1:30, park 15 minutes’ walk away from the ground and we’d chat all the way there, enjoy the game and chat all the way back. 

In younger years I’d probably chat about the mascot, things I’d seen while I was supposed to be watching the game but in later years we’d dissect the game, every pass, every shot, every tackle and look forward to returning in two weeks’ time to do it all again. 

In some of this period Bradford City were very good, but for a lot of it we were really pretty rubbish! And the fact I wanted to go at all is testament to Dad’s company!

Thanks Dad, I miss you.

Categories: Opinion

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