By Jason McKeown

Can we just recap these crazy last two months?

Go back to early March, and Bradford City had just beaten Cheltenham to set a new club record 10 home wins in a row. They climbed to second in the league, and sat eight points ahead of fourth place. They were also just two points behind leaders Walsall, who at one stage were 17 points better off than City. And when on the lunchtime of Saturday 6 March Walsall lost 3-1 at home to Grimsby, the Bantams went into their 3pm kick off at Gillingham knowing victory would take them top.

But then they surprisingly lost to a Gillingham side who had won just one of their last 15 games. Then the week after, they had another chance to go top of the league, but their record-breaking home run ended with an even more surprising defeat to a struggling Tranmere side who hadn’t won away since October.

Then they played Colchester United home and seemed to get back on track. A modern day record league crowd for the Bantams, and a pulsating, thrilling 4-1 victory that ranks as one of the best Valley Parade league games this century. Once again, the opportunity to top the league was within their grasp.

So all good then? Actually no, as it happens. Then they went to Accrington, near the bottom of the table, and put in a tame performance that resulted in a very forgettable 0-0 draw. Then they went to the home of top three rivals Port Vale and faltered, falling 2-0 behind by half time. Hope was slightly restored when they won a late penalty in the second half, but in front of a packed out away end Richie Smallwood’s spot kick effort was saved and defeat was confirmed.

Then they played Crewe at home. Another huge crowd, another huge occasion. Bobby Pointon scored the fastest goal in Bradford City’s history, but from there it wasn’t a straightforward afternoon. Crewe won a penalty that Sam Walker magnificently saved. The visitors also had a goal disallowed. In the end, Calum Kavanagh settled the nerves by running through and finishing expertly to make it 2-0. And this time, City did climb to the top of the league.

It looked like lift off. Especially as then they went to Swindon, got themselves 2-0 up inside 10 minutes in a tricky away game, and promotion felt tantalisingly close. But then Smallwood made a challenge he didn’t need to make, earning a red card and three-game ban. Neill Byrne put through his own net to make it 2-1, before Kavanagh completed a hat trick for 3-1. Right on half time, Swindon pulled another goal back, and the implosion quickened in pace.

Graham Alexander made questionable half time subs that made City too defensive and invited heavy pressure. Swindon scored. 3-3. But then amazingly the 10-men City went up the other end and Brad Halliday made it 4-3. Wild scenes of celebration. Then in the last minute, Swindon made it 4-4. And then deep in injury time, Jack Shepherd put through his own net. Swindon 5 City 4. A killer afternoon.

Then they played promotion rivals Notts County at home and did well to get themselves 1-0 ahead. But then Alexander made some more questionable substitutions, and David McGoldrick scored an absolute worldly to earn County a point.

Then they went to a Chesterfield side battling for the play offs, and once again started wonderfully well. 2-0 up inside 20 minutes, and completely in control. Then Chesterfield scored just before half time, City scored again just after the break. But more tactical reshuffles backfired, and then Chesterfield came back in stoppage time to draw 3-3.

Then they went to Doncaster for a massive six pointer. They went 1-0 down, but time was on their side. Then Aden Baldwin got himself ridiculously sent off in the break, giving them a mountain to climb. Then they won a late penalty, only for Tyreik Wright to see his effort saved. Then Doncaster scored a second, before Romoney Crichlow gave them late hope. The final whistle soon blew, and City’s two months of madness had found new levels of pain.

I mean, what the hell?

This is an absolute bizarre, nonsensical, tortuous period to have been a Bradford City supporter. They were such a methodical, well-drilled, winning machine up until the final whistle of that game against Cheltenham. But all composure and self-assurance has flown out of the window. They’ve continually tied their own shoelaces together and fallen flat on their faces. And as fans watching on, it’s been hard to make sense of what we are seeing.

After that Cheltenham game, it looked like City needed to get 16 points from their last 11 games to seal a top three finish – basically five wins and a draw. Given they had just won 12 of their last 15 league matches, such a points tally seemed very manageable. On the trajectory of then, it felt more a question of when rather than if.

But we’ve seen just nine points gained from a possible 30, or two wins, three draws and five defeats from their last 10 games. The good news is that the projected points needed to finish in the top three has reduced along the way. Revisiting that March point, turns out 12 more points were needed, rather than the 16 predicted. It’s possibly even less.  

And that’s because the madness we’ve witnessed at City isn’t exclusive. The League Two promotion race has been full of teams blighted by their own failings and inconsistencies. And nowhere is that better illustrated than with the Bantams’ main rival for the final automatic promotion spot, Walsall.

Because if us City fans have been put through the emotional wringer – blimey – what it must be like to be a Walsall fan. In mid-January the Saddlers were 12 points clear at the top of the league table. They’d just won nine games in a row, and pundits were talking them up as potentially being the best League Two side of the last 20 years.

That all changed spectacularly after their January trip to Valley Parade.

City were absolutely at their best that day, blowing apart a team that had turned up oozing in confidence and swagger. 3-0 and could have even been more. It felt like a minor set back for Walsall at the time, but in time it’s clear that the harrowing experience has knocked the stuffing out of them.

Since they kicked off at Valley Parade that day, Walsall have won just two out of 20 games. Both of those victories came in February, first over a Chesterfield side who were out of sorts at the time and then a Morecambe outfit propping up the division and who are now relegated.

After the Morecambe win, former City boss Derek Adams had an almighty go at Walsall in his post match press conference. “I thought they were disrespectful to us, Walsall. I think (Albert) Adomah doing keepie ups on the far side was disrespectful. I thought (Josh) Gordon blowing kisses to the home support was disrespectful. Their manager then refused to shake hands with me because I said they were disrespectful. They were disrespectful. That’s not how you act as a team at the top of the league…If that is the way they want to do things then they won’t last long in the game.”

Interesting comments to reflect on now, given the Saddlers have gone 13 winless games since. Walsall’s collapse is astonishing, and has echoes of Stuart McCall’s 2008/09 Bradford City charges, when in the final two months of the season their form fell off a cliff, and they look paralysed with fear. Ultimately that year, City missed out on a play off spot that for two-thirds of the season seemed a certainty. Back in the present, Walsall similarly look mentally shot to pieces, and simply cannot buy a win right now. They’ve just played the teams languishing 19th, 20th and 21st in the league, and they’ve gained just two points. Eek.

With Notts County having only won four and losing six of their last 12 games, the three-way final day fight for the last automatic promotion place is certainly not between teams enjoying indomitable form. Everyone’s nervous. Everyone’s making mistakes. And it’s creating a level of drama that is difficult to believe. You really could not make this stuff up.

For City, you have to hope the madness stops here. What they need now is for the final day to be routine, straightforward and free from fuss. Win their game against Fleetwood, and complete the job. Be boring please – we really don’t mind!

Unfortunately, everything about the last few months suggests we should brace ourselves for another day of incomprehensible twists and turns. We all pray that City do it. But if there’s an easy way to get over the line on Saturday, you can be sure this team won’t take it.

Categories: Opinion

Tags: BCAFC, League Two