By James Chamley

The question is asked: when is enough, enough? Supporter unrest grew heavier than ever before in March last season, with protests and fan meetings held. The club got whiff. David Sharpe was brought in and Stefan Rupp made some promises. Supporters backed off and allowed time. A final chance was given. Yet in reality, nothing has changed.

Aside from an occasional impersonal club statement signed off by Stefan Rupp promising more false dawns, with a footnote about a new roof been fitted that I guess we are supposed to be grateful for, everything feels exactly the same as last season. And the one before that. So how long do we give? When is enough, enough? 

When Stefan Rupp spoke on December 4, 2018, after the club was languishing at the bottom of League One, he vowed to deliver change, promising a new chapter for Bradford City. At the time, the club was in crisis, and Rupp’s words were a much-needed reassurance. He stated, “The people of Bradford deserve much, much better,” adding that he would do everything in his power to wash away the dreadful memories of that season. With his investment and a renewed focus on progress, fans were cautiously optimistic that better days were ahead.

It’s now six years later. We are still waiting for that promised transformation. Instead of progress, the club has stagnated in League Two, and Rupp’s tenure has been marked by a consistent failure to meet even the most basic expectations on and off the pitch. Bradford City finds itself in its sixth consecutive season in the fourth tier of English football, with little indication of any imminent return to League One.

As of now, we sit 10th in League Two, having recorded just one top-seven finish since our relegation and no imminent sign of that changing. Six years since Edin Rahic left. The period of time where it was acceptable for both Rupp and Sparks to blame him for everything wrong at the club, is over and in truth, has been for a while. 

Rupp’s promises from 2018 have not materialised. He said that he would “wash away the dreadful memories,” yet those memories are becoming entrenched in the fabric of the club. In fact, since then, we’ve been burdened by the weight of further disappointments  and are left languishing in League Two with little hope for the future. 

Our recent 2nd-round FA Cup exit to Morecambe, a team sitting at the foot of the Football League, is a glaring example of just how far we’ve fallen. Morecambe, of course, went on to secure a third-round tie against Chelsea—the irony couldn’t be more obvious to see. While clubs like Morecambe, Accrington, Bromley, Salford and Harrogate look forward to new year cup ties that give their fanbases something to dream of, Bradford City fans will be sat at home with a blank weekend – nothing to look forward to other then a rearranged league game away to Bromley on a Tuesday night as a consequence of them progressing further than us. 

Leading up to the Morecambe game, I was personally disappointed by Alexander’s downplaying of the game’s significance. As manager of a club with a deep connection to the competition, and with 1,500 supporters making the journey to Morecambe, I believe he had a responsibility to emphasise the importance of the fixture when asked.

A win would have secured a third-round tie for the first time in seven years, offering fans a welcome break from the routine of mid-table obscurity we have endured for a long time. A chance to feel like we’re back among the bigger clubs we long to compete against week in week out. Moreover, the potential revenue from progressing further could have contributed to the club’s much-needed transfer kitty. This was a further example of disconnect between the club’s leadership and its supporters, with a lack of appreciation for how important the prospect of a third-round tie was for us.

Rupp’s latest statement, once again hinting at a transfer window that will solve all our problems, seem like little more than a smokescreen to calm disgruntled fans. We’ve heard it all before. Promises of investment, plans for the future – yet the only consistent trend has been failure. We are now expected to believe that this time will be different, that a transfer window in January will somehow lead to the long-awaited success. But after six years of broken promises, why should we trust anything that comes from the club’s hierarchy? Why should we believe that we won’t have the same message as we approach the summer transfer window? And next January’s window? 

Rupp himself has repeatedly failed to deliver on his previous claims. And what of the role of Ryan Sparks, who seems almost entirely absent from any meaningful communication with supporters? It is telling that we probably hear more from Rupp these days than from Sparks, who was supposed to be the face of the club’s communication when first appointed. Where is he? What is his current purpose? It’s certainly not to add football expertise. And it can’t be to communicate with supporters or enhance supporter relationships? 

And who was behind the controversial announcement regarding the decision to charge fans £1.50 for phone calls? It wasn’t only the decision itself which seemed bizarre, but the way the statement was worded. Treating fans like idiots portraying the decision as one that was in fans’ best interests, instead of being honest about the genuine reasons. Again, a sign of further disconnect. 

Alexander is undoubtedly under significant pressure at present. His predecessor, Mark Hughes, was dismissed following two consecutive defeats, the first time that had happened in around ten months during his tenure. Since Alexander’s appointment, however, the team has endured a number of winless runs, including a damaging stretch of four consecutive defeats last March, during which the team was outscored 13-1. This highlights a worrying pattern: Alexander has struggled to arrest downturns in form, raising concerns about his ability to halt a slump, something which is crucial if going for promotion. 

While some might argue that Hughes was ultimately let go due to issues with the team’s style of play, it is fair to ask whether the current football on display is any more exciting? Hughes was also criticised for his infamously poor substitution in the Carlisle play-off game. However Alexander himself has made countless questionable substitutions since his appointment albeit not on such a big stage: I vividly remember Matt Derbyshire coming on to play in the number 10 role last season whilst Bobby Pointon and Harry Chapman remained on the bench. 

If Alexander does not address these issues in the very near future, he risks meeting the same fate as many of his predecessors under this ownership. Unfortunately, this would only preserve the cycle of managerial instability we’ve had for the entirety of Stefan Rupp’s reign. We seem to be in a cycle which we can’t get out of and there’s been a common denominator throughout that period. 

The most painful aspect of the current situation is not merely the disappointing results or unfulfilled promises, but the profound sense of disconnection that has emerged between the club and its supporters. Once, Bradford City to me was a club with genuine heart. Never in my lifetime have we ever been a thriving footballing team, that’s not what any of us are in it for, but it gave us a sense of pride and belonging, representing both the city and its people.

Under the stewardship of Rupp, however, it feels as though we are in a state of limbo, following a club that no longer feels like our own. Our fanbase is not driven by greed; we do not demand success at any cost. Instead, we seek a sense of purpose, a feeling of progress – something we have not experienced in a significant amount of time. Given the current ownership, it seems increasingly unlikely that we will ever regain that connection until the structure at the top changes. 

I recently saw an ironic tweet deliberating the idea of starting over again in non-league. I initially laughed this off as a dramatic humorous tweet. Then I thought, the alternative? Endless years in League Two, drifting further away from the club we once loved. Sign me up for the former, if it means we get that strong feeling of affinity back. I’ve never felt so detached from the club as I do currently, and I know many others share this sentiment despite having watched worse teams in the past. The club currently feels like a shadow of its former self. 

It’s clear that change is needed. Personally, I believe we need new leadership, new ambition, and a new sense of direction. We cannot afford to wait any longer. Rupp has had six years to turn things around, and the results speak for themselves. The trust between the owners and the fans has been irreparably damaged in my opinion. It’s time for a change, for a new chapter, for new excitement, for new hope.

When is enough is enough? Right now.

Categories: Opinion

Tags: BCAFC