By Jason McKeown

For Jamie Walker, the beginning of the end did not occur because of fading ability, a poor performance, a moment of ill-discipline or a bad mistake. In fact, he wasn’t even on the pitch when the beginning of the end happened.

It was the first Tuesday of December. A home game against Barrow. Andy Cook’s late challenge on Dean Campbell. A foul. A yellow card. And a one-match ban at the weekend.  

With City’s form faltering at the time and no other striker in decent form, the suspension of the top scorer was ill-timed. Manager Graham Alexander went back to the drawing board, and headed to the next game at Crewe with a new formation. 3-4-3 instead of 3-5-2. It lead to a much improved performance and a new way forwards.

But as the team dynamic shifted, Jamie Walker’s prospects dramatically faded.

Walker started at Crewe as a wide forward. But it was not his best position. Not a natural home for his strengths. So when Cook was back from suspension three days later for City’s EFL Trophy tie at Stockport, he took over the solo striker role and Calum Kavanagh switched to wide forward. Walker was on the bench. Unused, in a night where City thrived. He would only start four more games for the Bantams.

It all meant that as a restyled City soared over the second half of the season, Walker retreated into the shadows. Late sub in the Swindon, Notts County, Chesterfield and Barrow away games. Unused on Boxing Day. The January window opened. More attacking midfielders arrived, in the shape of George Lapslie and Brandon Khela. When City welcomed Grimsby a few days later, there wasn’t even room for Walker on the bench. The 3-4-3 just wasn’t built to his strengths.

You expected he would leave in January, especially after Tommy Leigh also rocked up. But despite rumours of interest, the window closed with the Scot still at the club. A bleak few months seemed to lie ahead, although to his immense credit he did fight back to become involved a bit more.

He was sub in the EFL Trophy trip at Rotherham. He came on at half time and changed the game, earning man of the match award as City won. It got him back on the bench for league matches, and he came on as sub in each of the next six games – that sixth match away at Bromley, where he was introduced with 12 minutes to go, and within four minutes set up Bobby Pointon’s winning goal with a lovely pass. Walker was firmly back, making a difference.

Which is how he got back into the starting line up, aided by injuries to Pointon and Sarcevic. Against Cheltenham he was magnificent, playing his part in a front three alongside George Lapslie and Michael Mellon that destroyed the Robins. Walker was taken off with 14 minutes to go and got an incredible ovation. It must have meant so much to him after such a dark period.

Alas, that was as good as it got. City began to falter and Walker was eventually back on the bench, involved on the fringes. Hoping to make an impact but with limited minutes to do so. And sometimes he made a difference, but it was never enough to get back into the starting line up. And in truth he let himself down a bit with a poor showing at Chesterfield on Easter Monday, when he came on with 58 minutes gone, City 3-1 up. It wasn’t his fault Chesterfield came roaring back, but he didn’t exactly do enough to help the Bantams get over the line. And from there he was back out of the matchday squad. Watching the final two games – and City clinching promotion – from the stands.

That is how football so often works out for players at this level. One minute you’re thriving. The next, a change of manager or a bad injury strikes, and your prospects completely change. The ground has shifted around Walker, and suddenly Bradford City have left him behind. He will start a fresh chapter elsewhere, still with plenty to offer.

The departure of Jamie Walker from Valley Parade comes three and a half years on from originally arriving on loan from Hearts under Derek Adams. The longest serving player after Cook. 125 appearances for the club. 19 goals. 13 assists. Ups. Downs. A big part of the plans of three different managers, until those plans changed to one where he didn’t fully fit.  

From day one Walker impressed. He was brought straight into the starting line up by Adams, helping City to a 2-1 victory over Salford that was their first home win in three months. He scored his first goal in City colours a few weeks later – a winner at Stevenage just as his manager was really feeling the pressure. It ultimately wasn’t enough to save Adams from the sack, and as Mark Hughes came in Walker quickly became a key part of the more pleasing on the eye style of football the Welshman attempted to instil.

Walker scored in all of City’s final three home games, and we assumed the loanee who looked too good for League Two would move onto bigger and better things. But to everyone’s pleasant surprise, Walker made clear he wanted to stay. A two-year deal was agreed to bring him permanently to Valley Parade. And confidence that City could progress back up the leagues grew.

In truth, 2022/23 wasn’t a brilliant season for Walker. He got injured in the second game of the season, at Barrow, and only returned in December. From that point on he stayed fit and played regularly, netting five goals along the way – including the winner in the play off semi final first leg tie with Carlisle. But as much as Walker was a regular, he wasn’t exactly pulling up any trees. Something about Hughes’ 4-2-3-1 formation that season just didn’t bring out the best in whoever took the number 10 role. Harry Chapman struggled, and Walker failed to hit his potential when he returned.

City were a worse football team in 2023/24 but Walker was a more effective player. In some tough times – with pressure on Hughes and later the club’s hierarchy – Walker stood out as someone with real bravery. Whereas others hid, Walker always demanded the ball. Always gave 100%. You get a real sense of any player’s character when the chips are down, and Walker more than passed the test.

It meant that when Graham Alexander eventually took over from the sacked Hughes, Walker remained a key component in the 3-5-2 that was adopted. He had a really good run of form in the build up to Christmas – as did the team. After a difficult start to the season, it was all beginning to look very good. City were 3-1 up at Doncaster the Friday before Christmas, and a packed out away end was bouncing.

Alas, a bump was coming.

Walker hobbled off in the 70th minute against Doncaster. It turned out to be a bad one, with rumours the club misdiagnosed the problem that made the situation worse. Walker did not play again until March, and the club struggled without him. No one else could step into the Number 10 role and perform as effectively. It was nearly two months before they won another league game.

Walker returned in March, just in time for the infamous 10-day collapse. In the home thrashing to Mansfield that Rupp was present for, Walker started in central midfield alongside Smallwood. 3-0 down after 20 minutes – safe to say it didn’t work. But as implosion got worse and civil war broke out, in the wreckage Alexander found a new plan. One where Walker absolutely thrived.

That was 3-5-2, but with Richie Smallwood a sole holding midfielder and two number 8s of Bobby Pointon and Walker. City ended the season brilliantly, almost making the play offs. Walker was in great form, scoring twice at Walsall (before getting sent off) and on the final day against Newport. The Bantams missed the play offs by one point, but at least had a tangible plan for the following season. A plan where Walker felt pivotal.

Yet here is where the cracks started to show. Walker was out of contract, but the club had an option to extend it. They initially offered Walker a lower wage than he was on. He wasn’t happy. Other clubs circled, including from League One. In the end City activated the option on the same wages as before, but they hadn’t exactly left their man feeling valued.

Did it affect Walker’s state of mind this campaign? Possibly, especially with the challenge of Antoni Sarcevic arriving. On the opening day of the season, City went to MK Dons and deployed the 3-5-2 with dual number 8s. Only Walker wasn’t one of them. He started on the bench, awarded just 21 minutes of action.

Walker started the next game – a League Cup tie against Grimsby, where rotation was at play – and didn’t play well. Alexander wasn’t impressed, and at the weekend Walker was an unused sub in a 0-0 draw with Salford. He remained benched but came on the game after, at home to Bromley, before impressing in the next outing at Grimsby after making an impact from the bench.

That was his way back in, and he clearly had heeded the message from Alexander. His first league start of the season was against Carlisle where his early pressing on Jon Mellish helped him set up the opening goal for Cook. “The best in the league” for timing and smelling half chances was a beaming Alexander’s verdict of Walker after the game.

Walker had a good run in the side from there, aided partly by long-term injuries to Alex Pattison and Sarcevic. And at times he played really well – the home game against Newport County sticks out, where he netted what would prove to be his final goal for the club. In other games he wasn’t his best. And unlike in 2023/24, Walker’s end product was lacking in terms of goals and assists. A good player for sure, but in a team that was struggling for form he was vulnerable.

And that’s when the ground shifted, and a new way was found. One where Walker had less of a place. It is sad he has been released, but watching Pattison, Pointon and Sarcevic thrive in the new set up over the second half of the season – and with Lapslie and Leigh ready to make their mark with a good pre-season – where was his opportunity going to come from? Especially with going up to a higher division. That doesn’t make Walker a bad player. Just not what’s needed going forwards. And so for all parties, a fresh start makes sense.

But it is sad. Walker gave his heart and soul to the club – and to the area. I don’t know the guy, but I have friends who do. In fact, speaking to several different City fans over the past year, what has surprised me is how many people do know him. He is a guy who has immersed himself in the community, living first in Saltaire and now Bingley. He’s moved his family – including young children – down from Scotland. He coaches junior football teams on the weekend and weeknights. He absolutely loves the club, so they tell me. He wants to set up roots around here. And he certainly didn’t want to leave, even last summer.

Football isn’t about sentiment of course. Loving West Yorkshire life isn’t a reason for Alexander to keep Jamie Walker. The fact he is so popular in the area doesn’t give him a contract for life. Alexander is paid to be cold and calculated. To make decisions that better the football club. All while under the waves of pressure that mean he is only ever a bad run of form away from facing the sack.

Alexander clearly rated Walker, but he couldn’t overlook some of the weaknesses. That for all his creativity, end product can sometimes be lacking in terms of goals, assists and key passes (though in his farewell note he rightly points out he topped City’s top assist chart this season). That as much as Walker will always put his body on the line and never back down, it’s led to a few too many injuries. If he had a little more pace…(though if he did, he wouldn’t be anywhere near this club, playing at a much higher level).

Still, in a time of change and turbulence, Jamie Walker has been one of the great survivors. During an era where so many players have come and gone without making a lasting impression, Walker deserves to go down as one of the good guys. Because in some of the club’s darkest times, he always stood up to be counted. And even if he didn’t play as big of a part as he’d have liked post-December, he absolutely deserved his medal for helping to take City up.

Jamie Walker has helped to make this a better football club. He will rightly be remembered for playing a pivotal role in kick-starting the Bantams’ revival.

More released/retained reaction to come on WOAP this week

Categories: News, Opinion

Tags: BCAFC, Jamie Walker