Brid Bash Gig Review 2012

Me and Ryan O'Shaughnessy in Town after the Gig.


Brid Bash Review 2012

Ok so it’s been a while since I’ve done any gig reviews and that’s mainly down to the fact that I’ve not been to any gigs recently, but less of that and more of the present.

Brid Bash has become a staple event in the Bridlington calendar over the last few years and I’ve attended every single one. Don’t get me wrong, at best from the list of acts that feature, I will like one or maybe two of them on a good year but it seems a shame not to go see these artists when their virtually on your doorstep. The basic format is quite popular at the moment with several radio stations adopting the idea of having their name branded around a venue whilst selecting a few acts to perform that are either usually on the decline or plain just not ‘big’ enough to sell out a show on their own yet. Ok maybe that’s a bit of an overstatement and a cliché but hey, for most of the acts it seems to fit quite well.

I arrived at the venue (The Spa) just after the doors had been opened, hoping that the crowds of people many of whom who had been queuing for several hours by this point may have dispersed. Alas they hadn’t so I had a quick walk round the block and to my surprise found none other than Lemar at the back of the building signing autographs and pleasing the crowd of about four people and I’m sure at least two of them knew who he was. I didn’t stop to chat as to be honest I can’t recall any of his songs or how he became famous but to be fair to the guy he’s got a cool afro. Walking back now towards the main doors, I was happy to see the crowds had now gone inside and I could walk straight in ( I hate queuing) noticing along the way the stricken empty bottles of both vodka and cider decorating the streets alongside numerous crisp packets and other confectionaries.

I had decided to try and get near the front this time as for the last few times I’ve been to a gig at the spa, I have tried sitting up on the balcony and the atmosphere is just plain lacking, even if the seats are rather comfy. After a quick trip to the bar (£3.75!) it was time for the first act which were called Lawson who I’d heard on TV a few times and seem to be making a name for themselves with their brand of radio friendly pop/rock. I’ve always got time for bands that play their own instruments and they went down well with their catchy songs and impressive vocals. After this I’m struggling to recall the order in which the acts came on stage, but I’ll go over my favourite acts from the night instead. Firstly I was pleasantly surprised by Marcus Collins who to his credit was actually quite good and fitted the night quite well with appealing songs, backing dancers and decent vocals. I recall his latest single only selling a few thousand copies which was quite unforeseen as it wasn’t that bad in all fairness. His fellow X factor contestant Misha B also made an appearance, which was different again and relied heavily on a loud backing track whilst Misha would occasionally add a few lines or laugh or even sing the chorus. Again it wasn’t bad and she certainly has some stage presence and is clearly a natural performer. Probably my favourite act of the night alongside headliners Rizzle Kicks was the duo of Ryan O’Shaughnessy and Newton Faulkner who both sang acoustically to great effect and as a big fan of acoustic performers, I was mightily impressed.

It wasn’t all so good however and I have to give credit to last year’s X Factor contestants ‘2 Shoes’ for giving the best impression of middle aged drunken karaoke I’ve probably ever seen, maybe even better than the real thing! There was also a young band called ‘Juice’ or something similar. They appeared to have forgotten to plug their guitars in; it was slightly surreal as they seemed to be enjoying the occasion, whilst the crowd stood motionless until a few started to shout their disapproval after a few minutes.

Headliners Rizzle Kicks came on to a great ovation and rightly so, it’s not often an act so current and one enjoying huge success and popularity comes to Bridlington. Remember this is a town that turns out in force to see Gareth Gates sing in a shopping centre or that has heated debates on the threat of ‘aggressive’ Seagulls. Rizzle Kicks ran through their three song set list with consummate ease with the crowd lapping up every minute. However next time maybe it’s not wise to ask the crowd to throw their glow sticks on stage as this went on continuously for a good five minutes, whilst the duo ducked and dived out of the way and some members of the crowd would be smacked on the back of the head with the objects in question if the people behind were particularly crap at throwing (I found this out first hand!) but hey it was all good fun and capped off an event that continues to be massive hit with the public of Bridlington and not forgetting the others that travelled far and wide to be there. This I found out later in Utopia as I stood and watched a massive fight between some people from ‘Uddersfield’ whilst I also noticed a few people from Essex stood back and slicked back their hair before returning to the dance floor once the commotion was over and the brawlers had been kicked out onto the streets.

As the new season draws ever closer.

Pre-Season

Predicaments, Preparation and Promotion?

 

Historically speaking the return to pre-season training tends to result in a few of the following scenarios. The majority of fans will speak in quick, excitable witters to any other fan willing to listen about the latest signing to their sides’ armoury, safe in the knowledge that this is the missing piece to the puzzle. With the arrival of pretty much any signing there usually comes the odd negative remark taken from the deepest depths of an internet forum about ‘so and so’ having a ‘shocker’ away at Barnet in 2008. As a result then he obviously cannot be as good as the club are making him out to be. Clubs in order to presumably shift season tickets and at the same time to create a positive buzz will spout their lofty ambitions, publically and fans will eagerly lap it up in equal measures. Alongside this the club’s respective website will be regularly updated with exciting developments such as how long the grass has grown and that the toilets have been deep cleaned. Well maybe the second one was unrealistic.

The days of the players returning to be met by running trainers and little else, seem to be disappearing. The former Wolves manager Mick McCarthy once revealed a flaw to the plan of sending players running for huge distances at a time.

 “We were doing a road run and we ran so far in Barnsley that a few of us got lost. As we had fallen such a long way behind the others, a small group of us decided to hitch a lift back to the ground. By the time everyone else got back, me and three others were already in the bath."

Clubs nowadays seem to pride themselves in the apparent uptake in the pre-season revolution. The days of running till you drop have been replaced by the much heralded ‘scientific approach’ which places more emphasis on replicating match conditions. This is done through the use of a football and short, sharp exercises designed to create levels of fatigue similar to the end of a ninety minute match.

Certainly this is representative of the noise coming out of Valley Parade at the moment as Phil Parkinson looks to turn around a sinking ship and put it firmly back on course. The summer signings have arrived to much hype and positivity. Well maybe not one signing, but we won’t go into that. The signing of Andrew Davies remains and is likely to remain the standout signing in the division so far with only possibly Jon Parkin at Fleetwood matching Davies for both quality and pedigree. Trialists continue to come and go at all clubs and many without the fans even knowing of their existence at the club. The Bantams have their fair share but on the whole seem much less reliant on the importance to find a select few to improve the first team than in previous years. This is a welcome change as even early on the first eleven seems pretty much set in stone. Any trialists that are awarded deals will be likely back up to the eleven and not shoehorned in.

At the same time though, no news is good news. Everything seems quiet down at Valley Parade with Phil Parkinson not one to spout his mouth off with outlandish statements (Steve Evans take note) With Parkinson’s plans starting to take shape and pre-season well underway, less than two weeks remain until the cup game at Meadow lane. The pre-season matches that have occurred so far are going well with all the strikers, barring not yet up to speed Alan Connell scoring regularly and only 2 goals conceded so far. Although if you subscribe to Bantams player and were hoping to see Nahki Wells’s goal from the other night, the cameraman missed it so in honesty it could have an arthritic Grandma sneaking onto the pitch and rounding the keeper for all we know. Maybe that would have made pre-season more interesting?

Nothing to grumble about, not yet.

Learning from The 2008/2009 Season, Which Promised So Much But Delivered So Little.

Joint chairman Julian Rhodes this morning has revealed that the upcoming season will see the Bantams budget be extended to what can be seen as certainly one of the top in the division and also the highest since Stuart McCall’s second season. Which unhappily, saw the Bantams compete at the top of the table for the majority of the season; but ultimately fall away from the chasing pack at the last hurdle.

The increase in the budget can seemingly be placed on two recent events. One is in the sale of the outer buildings to co-founder Wayne Jacob’s ‘one in a million’ charity that plan to turn the space into a free school for the community. This as a direct result is said to be saving the club a huge amount in overheads that can be placed straight into Phil Parkinson’s playing budget. The second key reason to the increased budget is the loyalty of the supporters, in the uptake of season tickets for the Bantams sixth season playing in the Football League’s bottom accredited division. The club are likely to be again the best supported club in the division; which in itself is no mean feat for a club that has had little to boast about for over a decade.  

There are both similarities and differences occurring between Phil Parkinson’s side and the side that was assembled by McCall. It’s fair to conclude that after Stuart’s first season when the club tried to bounce back up the league on a whim of momentum and little else. Stuart grasped what type of players, League Two requires and as a result packed out his newly built side full of experience and no little quality. In came top marksman Michael Boulding after a very fruitful season at Mansfield at the end of a very long chase between City and the Boulding brothers’ agent. Eventually both Michael and his little brother Rory arrived at Valley Parade (Rory tagged along for the ride anyway) and they accompanied the previous ‘stellar’ signings of Graeme Lee, Chris Brandon and Paul Mclaren to much delight by the Bradford faithful these were seen as players who would have no problem dealing with the expectations placed upon them.

 However it needs no explaining to state that they ultimately failed both individually and collectively in the challenge they faced. The injury to Omar Daley and failure to replace the threat he carried during his best spell at the club was one of several reasons that I personally and many others cite as one of the key factors in the clubs fall and the ultimate financial consequences that arose from the slump that occurred and the reported loss of around £750,000 that followed.

As a result of this overspend and boom or bust approach. The players that were much heralded a year ago; were now a burden on the club that they just couldn’t afford. They were publically encouraged to take a pay cut and if they didn’t they were either forced to leave or slammed by the club and fans for not acting in the best interests of their employers. The signing of Andrew Davies by Parkinson four years on, whilst fitting seamlessly into the boom or bust approach, differs in the sense that at least if the club fails in its promotion push. The player is only contracted for one year and can be moved on easily.

This leaves Phil Parkinson with several dilemmas in his approach to recruitment for this season’s squad. Does he go down the same route of experience? Or does he go for younger players that may have a re-sale value or a mixture of the two elements even. Whilst Parkinson divulges little to the media about his potential transfer targets, the comparison of the two names that have been leaked of Kelvin Etuhu and Andy Gray gave a contrasting example of both potential and experience.  However alongside a bigger budget comes a greater sense of competition in vying with other clubs for the signature of the better players and particularly the younger ones. If you compare the two players C.V’s ignoring positions, then Andy Gray stands out for both his goal scoring record and experience of playing at a higher level. Etuhu differs in the sense that he has had little playing experience but throughout his career he has always been touted as ‘one to watch’ and a player that can excite the fans with his athleticism and dynamic approach. Etuhu and Gray are however only speculative in the sense that they are the most talked about names in the rumour mill so far. It may even be plausible to suggest that they may be acting as smoke screens for other players that the club are trying to keep under the radar; in order not to alert other clubs of our interest. The signing of Andy Gray or similar, will hopefully give the club the type of striker they have struggled to find since the departure of Peter Thorne who’s class and guile led him to outwit most defenders, most weeks. The club definitely need to find an experienced striker to compliment the talented but ultimately inexperienced trio of Hanson, Wells and Hannah.

The club will be keen to add more goals to the team after relying heavily on the duo of Hanson and Wells as the main source of goals. The better teams in the league tend to spread the goals around the whole team and the midfield in particular will be expected to contribute to this. However the duo of Hanson and Wells have proven that given time their ever improving relationship is a source of genuine optimism from which the management team can focus on. One bit of contractual Business that the club will be desperate to secure is the long term future of Nahki Wells, who from starting last season as fifth choice came to become one of the pivotal figures of the starting eleven who carries such threat through sheer pace and clever feet. If Nahki continues to improve and doesn’t suffer from the much discussed second season syndrome then it looks like his star shines far above the rough and tumble of League Two football. There is no real reason to fear this however, as unlike Hanson (effective as he is) it is harder to stop a player who has such unpredictability in his play. Add to this blistering pace and a cool head in front of goal. It is a recipe to concoct something most league two defenders can’t deal with and consequently fear. There is little reason to doubt that Nahki should be aiming to be one of the top scorers in the division.

This is not to ignore matters closer to the club however, and it will be of equal importance to Parkinson to try and sign up the trio of Syers, Oliver and Ramsden who have been all offered new terms. Their decisions will impact on the managers shopping list also and with the three widely regarded as some of the clubs more important players, the potential loss of any of them will impact on Parkinson’s wish of having 22 quality first team players and the headache of trying to replace them.

It leaves the club in an interesting position during the long summer months, as they have in a way laid their respective cards on the table and they read that the clubs expects promotion. It is now up to the manager to decide if he will copy the blueprint McCall tried so nearly worked, or try a different route. This is only for the fans to speculate on however and it will be interesting to gage exactly the route Parkinson decides to take in the forthcoming months.

Seeing The Wood From The Trees.

As Luke Oliver is voted the Bradford City Player of the Year 2011-2012.

It doesn’t need a post mortem from Sky’s Geoff Shreeves to inform just how much of an anti-climax this season has turned out to be for the Bantams.

Whilst the higher authority figures of the club never promised anything other than a season to consolidate from. One feels that they too, will be hugely disappointed with the events that have untangled ever since Peter Jackson’s impassioned cries of bringing team spirit back to the club, at the back end of last season. Out went Jackson after only a few games; in came Phil Parkinson and seemingly the budget expanded miraculously, from one capable of bringing youthful unknowns to the club. To one that could entice former Premier League footballers such as runaway loan signing success Andrew Davies and utility man Craig Fagan.

However, despite these ‘known’ names arriving at the club it has been one of the more maligned  players of recent years that has taken the proverbial leap from the dark, to become not only a firm fixture in the team but a firm fans favourite also. Often as a player of his general physical stature does with football fans, he has received mixed reviews during his time at the club, frequently perceived by his past reputations at former clubs; his reputation seemed almost tarnished before his Bradford career had begun. This combined with the fact that he was seen as one of former manager Peter Taylor’s ‘men’. A reoccurring accusation that happens at most clubs, which appoint a new manager who the inevitably bring in players that they have worked with previously. This is a complaint that is currently levelled at many of Phil Parkinson’s signings, despite been a common happening within the world of football.

Tall, gangly and often awkward in possession, Oliver was not adhered to the hearts of many fans particularly when deployed as the pinnacle of Taylor’s lone striker formation. When returned to his natural position as the fulcrum of the Bantams defence he continued to flourish and become a dependable component of the team and largely went unfairly unrecognised as a result. He continued professionally after the departure of mentor Peter Taylor and was recognised by Jackson for his performances in helping the club to avoid relegation during the remaining part of the season with a few towering performances marred by a few poor ones also.  There were calls for his dismissal after allegations of an altercation with fans after the heavy defeat away at Southend during Jackson’s tenure.

The key word that Oliver has taken on board is ‘consistency’. Throughout the season he has performed solidly, alongside an ever changing backline and this is despite starting the season from the substitute’s bench after claims that he was on the shortlist to be moved on from the club during the summer.

It has not just been his defensive prowess however, that has led to his scooping of multiple awards at the annual ceremony. His usefulness in the opposite penalty area also has played a key part in his recognition, one remembers that thumping header at the Galpharm Stadium in the JPT that sent thousands of fans into wild ecstasy but also the telling contributions for instance away at Southend which led to a crucial away victory and the clubs first of the campaign. The only blot to his copybook came during the now infamous defeat at home to Crawley where he was one of three city players to be red carded after wading in to support partner Andrew Davies.

In a season that has lacked excitement on the pitch if not off it. It seems a fitting end that the award of player of the year goes to a defender; who has performed admirably during another wretched season for the club. Here’s hoping for a more fruitful campaign from several of his colleagues during the 2012-2013 season.

Congratulations Luke Oliver

The School Report

As the Bantams, reflect on a week returning just one point.

Name ..Bradford..City..FC……………………………………………….    Class……LG2

                                            Term Ending……8/3/12……………….

Group Marks.

A – Very Good               C – Average

B – Good                         D – Poor

Goalkeeping	B+	Matt Duke failed to live up to his expectations; replaced by Mclaughlin who has performed admirably.
Defence	B	Bolstered by the arrival of head boy Davies this group has shown marked improvement since the start of the academic year.
Midfield	C	An overall patchy performance by this group as some are performing to a higher standard than others; but a lot of potential to be found here.
Attack	C	Exam results poor must contribute more to lessons to improve schools standing in the league table.
Manager	C+	Demonstrated ability and character but must improve league tables.
Signings	B-	Satisfactory in particular the capture of Davies.

                                                                   Signed….J.Storrie……

I have to admit I didn’t attend the match on Tuesday night against Accrington and subsequently  it would hardly be fair to offer my thoughts and opinions specifically on another disappointing draw at Valley Parade. Seventy five miles away from the comfort of my living room I was quite happily watching the Arsenal vs. A.C Milan game and hardly speculating at all on the events taking place at Valley Parade. It seems I was not alone in this, as reportedly it was the lowest turnout of the season from the VP faithful.  The reasons seemingly behind this occurrence hardly require the great investigative skills of Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes to fathom them out. It was reported that City have yet to beat Accrington at home in fifty years and one recalls the horror shows such as the three null drubbing of Stuart’s first season as been one of the lowest points of recent times. So it was as Arsenal had finally succumbed to defeat that I flicked onto ‘Sky Sports News’ to see that City had conceded a last minute equaliser and snatched what felt like a defeat from the jaws of victory yet again. Coming on the back of a poor result at lowly Dagenham and colliding with the start of the launch of next year’s season ticket sales; it hardly seems like a recipe for great sales no matter how great the offers may be.

So Instead of reflecting on solely the week’s events   it may be a fruitful time to look at the overall impact of the players efforts this season by categorizing them into their respective positions.

Firstly the Goalkeepers, which has proved to be the making and undoing of reputations this season. The loan signing of Martin Hansen by a mixture of Jacko and Christie was the first to try his hand as the heart of the Bantams back four. I recall watching Hansen at the pre- season game against Hull City and being suitably unimpressed by him, as he chucked a couple of shots into his own net whilst warming up beforehand. Next came Oscar Jannson who was a massive improvement on the shaky Dane, his penalty shootout heroics in the JPT a particular highlight. With the arrival of Parkinson came Matt Duke billed as the experienced permanent signing the club needed; this turned out to be a huge anti-climax as Duke proceeded to produce some amateur displays which made him a liability. He has since been farmed out on loan to improving Northampton. The form of Mclaughlin has seen the issue of who will fill the VP sticks moved to a backburner in the manager’s mind. Still relatively young in goalkeeping terms he will be staying at the club for a while yet, one would assume.

The defence is one that has shown clear progression since the start of the season and is now the polar opposite in terms of experience and personnel as it was on the opening day. One player who will not be impressed is former skipper Guy Branston who arrived as the summers marquee signing and after playing below his abilities early in Jacko’s reign never found favour with incoming manager Parkinson. The form of duo Davies and Oliver has been nothing short of outstanding and are inevitably the first players banded about in talk of the player of the year awards. The ever dependable Marcel Seip has proved to be an astute signing and it could only be wished that his fullback partner Simon Ramsden could stay fit and take his place in what would be one of the strongest backlines in the league.

The midfield area is one that provides the manager with plenty of options and no little ability, with the standout players so far arguably being Ritchie Jones with his composure and passing skills and recent signing Ricky Ravenhill adding a ‘bite’ to the Bantams play. Jack Compton was coming into the best spell of his city career before rejecting a loan extension and moving on. His left wing counterpart Kyel Reid whilst providing excitement and frustration in equal measures has proved to be an asset to the team with a good figure of both assists and goals to his name.

Up front, much ‘lauded’ signing Craig Fagan has on the main not quite delivered up to the clubs billing in terms of an expected goals return. Looking through his past record with other clubs he has enjoyed a similar sort of return in his career at VP to present. On a side note he seems to relish the role of the lone striker and is very clever in his link up play. James Hanson has continued to develop and improve in his play and one wonders if he would be rivalling league’s top scorers if he had stayed injury free as he was in December/ January.  The rise to prominence of Nahki Wells has been one of the great success stories of the season and has come from the clubs fifth choice striker to one of the first names on the team sheet adding a different option to the frontline through his dynamic play and skill.

Whilst this season was not billed by figures at the club as one where City will be challenging at the top instead it was labelled as a consolidation season. It has become a sorry sight to see, how much the club is struggling down at the bottom of the table. The team needs to start converting draws and performances into points. Fast.

Gig Review: Matt Cardle @ The York Barbican 1/3/12 *****

The winner of the small talent show known as the ‘X Factor’ came to York on Thursday night on the back of a highly successful time period since leaving the show. Matt’s album entitled ‘Letters’ went platinum and while his single releases haven’t set the official charts alight; they have continued to help keep promoting the album. This appears to be on a slight side note something to do with how different genres of music such as R&B, Rap and Pop seem to be riding a wave of popularity and music by talented bands and singer songwriters not been supported in the same way ; with the obvious exception in the form of Ed Sheeran.

Supported by the talented Roxanne Emery; this proved to be a fantastic opener to the night. Alongside a full band she belted out some songs accompanied by her Guitar whilst revealing some of the inspirations behind them. Recommended.

Digressing slightly, the stage was then cleared and a short interval accompanied the support team setting up the stage in a sort of ‘Living room’ effect. Think of a few rugs scattered around and a few tables with lamps helping to create atmosphere and a relaxed feel.

Cardle’s band were the first to take to the stage again the lighting was subdued and blue lights shone around the stage to the opening ‘riffs’ of ‘Stars and Lovers’ a song with a Coldplay/Snow Patrol vibe a great easy listening song to start the evening. A roar went up from the sell-out crowd as a figure emerged from the side of the stage enshrined by darkness Cardle had arrived. Playing all the songs from his album barring ‘Reflections’ it was clear that he has moved on from the songs that rose him to the public’s attention on a TV show. Gone were the covers that have been included in previous gigs post X Factor; no matter how much the person sat next to me wanted ‘Hit Me Baby’ by Britney Spears.

The only hint to his X Factor past was a stunning cover of Roberta Flack’s ‘First Time’ and it was a massive hit with the crowd who stood up and applauded and shrieked their approval before he opened his mouth to sing the first note. Accompanied by just by a Keyboard, a standing ovation followed a great site to see which Matt was clearly overwhelmed by. The show overall though was as Cardle had promised, in interviews leading up to the nationwide tour a ‘proper rock show’ and the songs on the album were all twisted in ways that seemed to improve them. They were much better for the glitz and glamour of the string sections being stripped back and instead had fantastic Guitar playing by the band which seemed to lift them to a different level. The ‘Live Lounge’ feeling was further emphasised by the stories Cardle told about the lyrics and meanings behind each of the songs. Although however Matt chose to go for quality over quantity as it wasn’t the longest of sets; around thirteen songs which left the audience wanting more and I was personally disappointed he didn’t include his version of ‘Uninvited’ by Alanis Morissette. If you haven’t seen it go onto Youtube its incredible.

The highlight of the night (there were several but still) was the audience reaction to the opening thumping beat of his second single ‘Starlight’ Matt asked for the audience to clap in unison with the beat; what he actually got was nearly the entire audience as one standing up clapping and dancing along, a spectacle to behold.

Crowd favourites ‘When We Collide’ and ‘Run For Your Life’ were the songs that closed the set and evening and went down a storm again. In particular they loved his rendition of his X Factor winners’song which was performed with just an acoustic guitar and a spotlight. The standing ovation swiftly followed and as the crowds shuffled out of the ‘Barbican’ a proper buzz was around the place at just how the recorded versions of his songs do no justice to just how good his voice is live. Superb.

Jekyll and Hyde

Contrast - The state of being strikingly different from something else, typically something in juxtaposition or close association.

Another week passes in the life of Bradford City football club and not for the first time it has held contrasting emotions for supporters.

The home game against Hereford, swelled by cheap tickets saw a crowd of over seventeen thousand at Valley Parade. In truth the game largely lived up to Phil Parkinson’s hardly ringing endorsement beforehand. He promised that it would be a battle and a scrap and it certainly could have been called that amongst other things. The game proved to be of interest due to the divide in opinion between fans over the performance and tactics deployed by the management team of Parkinson and Parkin. The decision to stick with the same formation as the one that nicked an impressive away victory at Torquay was an obvious one and one that Parkinson seemingly favours after employing the 4-4-1-1 at the start of his tenure also. This then was a straightforward decision; one that had suited the team the previous week would surely be as effective against a team with a similar set up as Torquay in Hereford. Who came with the intention to flood the centre of the park by using a five man midfield supporting the lone striker. What was called into question by the fans was if Parkinson had the personnel available to play such a system; due to the absence of the physicality of Craig Fagan leaving Nahki Wells as the pinnacle of the Bantams attack. Wells tried and tried a bit more but is clearly most effective when played off a presence such as James Hanson. The disappointing result in front of such a large crowd left sections of supporters grumbling about Parkinson with several producing stats showing how Parkinson’s win percentage is lower than both Taylor’s and McCall’s and the lack of progress this apparently shows. All this appears to have changed, however after the Bantams recorded a thumping four nil win at Barnet midweek. Suddenly an air of positivity seems to have engulfed the club again and the stats now been produced say ‘one defeat in seven ‘and ‘unbeaten at home since November’. The formation so condemned after the draw to Hereford is now back in favour especially away from Home as it tends to leave the team with a solid base from which they can try and hit teams on the counter attack. This appears to be something that the stifling tactics used by opposing teams at Valley Parade doesn’t allow. The contrast between the two results then leaves the Bantams in high spirits ahead of the away trip to Dagenham on Saturday. Historically the club has seemed to struggle against Dagenham’s style of play in recent years but surely the height and physical presence of the back line and in particular Davies and Oliver should help to counteract the set piece approach favoured by the Daggers.  This then could be said to reflect the fickleness in the life of a football supporter in the sense that something as condemned as last Saturday’s tactics could have such a reversal in circumstance in the space of a few short days.

But that's Football and that's why it's such a great Sport.

Laid in The Gutter Looking at the Stars.

 

“To have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part.”

Since his appointment in late August Phil Parkinson has hardly breezed into the club, instead he has swept through the club like a tornado. Changing matters both on and off the pitch that he identified as problems that were holding the club back in its progress. The dynamics of the playing staff have changed drastically immediately upon his arrival he brought in a left winger after identifying a lack of genuine pace and threat in the side more signings have followed, both a mixture of permanent and loan signings. The news breaking from the club this week regarding new training facilities that the club are investing in will hopefully put to an end to the days of the weather stricken pitches at Apperley Bridge and the excuses that follow.  It was said that during the premiership days the training facilities were an ‘in’ joke amongst the incoming players. Peter Jackson upon his appointment last year immediately harboured back to his playing days and how he himself had trained and changed in the very same changing rooms all those years ago. The fact that Phil Parkinson has been allowed to make these changes then, gives a clear insight into just how highly he is rated by the powers that be at Valley Parade. The former Colchester, Hull and Charlton boss upon his appointment was seen as the ideal after the previous managers flaws were readily pointed out by disillusioned fans. The club legend option of Stuart McCall was branded too ‘inexperienced’ and ‘naïve’ as with all managers his tactics were questioned; his decision not to appoint an experienced right hand man was again condemned. However on a side note, it is of interest to note that Stuart did appoint an experienced assistant manager at Motherwell and now sits proudly in third place in the S.P.L .

His successor to the City hot seat former England manager Peter Taylor fared no better in his conquest to bring success to the club. This time instead of his wealth of experience benefitting the club he was quickly turned on by the masses. No matter how many times he would go to the press recollecting on the time he handed David Beckham the England captaincy, his boring, unadventurous style of football left the fans cold. After the unanimous praise poured onto Taylor during his early reign, Mark Lawn is now quick to point out just how bad an appointment that turned out to be. The departure of Jackson after a promising pre- season full of promises to bring the good times back through attacking football, with a team of hungry young players quickly disbanded and Jackson left the club under a cloud of mystery in late August.

Parkinson  then hopes to have the ‘ideal’ of both experience and fresh ideas then. His reign so far has brought about mixed results; performances have improved however points tallies have not. Looking towards the end of the season and towards next, it’s likely to be a period similar to any of the last five; a mass of players deemed not good enough and a group of players with similar strengths and weaknesses will arrive. The hunt will certainly continue for the illusive ’20 goals’ a season striker that every team in the football league craves. The decision not to sign Paul Benson from a mixture of apparent failed medical and dispute over his price looks likely to haunt the club as he has received rave reviews from Swindon Town fans so far. A positive aspect to Parkinson’s signings so far have been in the sense that the majority are here with a view to a longer stay, one example has been the signing of Ricky Ravenhill a player who after an average at best debut has quickly won the hearts of fans through his committed displays. Other players such as Will Atkinson and Howarth will have to improve if they are to warrant an extended stay at the club. However, Parkinson in his judgement of the players that were brought into the club by his predecessors seems quick to freeze them out of first team contention Guy Branston was quickly farmed out on loan despite his improving displays after a poor start to his city career. It looks likely that he will again be shown the door on return from injury with Lincoln City rumoured to be interested. Although his wages of to which the Torquay chairman was astounded by, may put an end to that. It looks likely that Parkinson thinks Branston’s wages could be better allocated elsewhere and the signing of Matt Fry after his release by West Ham may push the former captain a place further down the pecking order. Fry a young player who Parkinson signed at Charlton has signed and is reportedly a left sided centre back that can fill in at left back. The type of utility player, that Parkinson seems favour after the signing of Marcel Seip earlier in the season. Decisions will need to be made about the injury prone Simon Ramsden and Michael Flynn, two players that on their day are as good as any in league 2. The demise of the development squad and the shifting out of players frozen out of the first team picture such as Stewart and Williams may indicate that Parkinson will cut down on numbers and go for a squad of more ‘quality’ players next term. The signing of the illusive striker will be one that is likely to provide the difference as to if the Bantams will continue to flounder in the bottom reached of League 2 or flourish and flirt near the more prosperous parts of the table. One thing is for certain and that is the next few months will provide for interesting viewing for the Bantams faithful in one way or another.

A.F.C WIMBLEDON VS BRADFORD CITY - SATURDAY 11TH FEBRUARY 3PM.

Underground, overground, wombling free,
The Wombles of Wimbledon Common are we.

 

In a week where any City related news has seemed to relate to issues off the pitch rather than matters on it, City face a tough away trip to face League Two newcomers A.F.C Wimbledon.

If the game manages to survive the frosty conditions, it will be the Bantams first return to league action since the disappointing loss against an injury stricken Bristol Rovers side. It will also be the second time the Bantams have faced ‘The Dons’ this season with both sides recording a victory each. The F.A cup game remembered as the date where Ross Hannah scored his first Valley Parade goal. The Dons, a newly founded club built in 2002 have enjoyed a staggering rise to prominence since the days when a group of supporters, no longer agreed with the values represented by M.K Dons and broke away creating a new club more suited to what they saw as their traditions and values. Currently sat in 15^th place and eight points above Bradford, the Dons have made a steady if unspectacular start to their life as a football league club. Manager Terry Brown has built the Dons into a hardworking team, inspired by talisman striker Jack Midson who has netted on fifteen occasions so far. He is one that the Bantams back line will have to keep in check on Saturday if they are to come away with a positive result.

On the other hand, the Bantams come into the match on the back of a week where the club have publically given comments on Referees, that could possibly land them in trouble from higher figures. Phil Parkinson’s comments on the decision to postpone last week’s fixture against Crawley Town, however correct they were deemed to be, were nothing compared to joint chairman Mark Lawn’s comments.

 The fitness of the officials we’ve seen is absolutely atrocious. They are nowhere near play

Mark Lawn

Again, he clearly has a point in his words. The decision to go on record publically with these comments however is questionable. The comments are likely to work in one of two ways, hopefully from the football clubs point of view, the higher authorities will take notice and not deploy first year referees on the Bantams as the inexperience some show is definitely evident in the way some games at Valley Parade have been officiated over the last few years. The second thing that could happen is that the club may be fined and nothing will happen in terms of refereeing standards; referees at the end of the day are only human and to find a referee that is perfectly consistent is likely to be a fruitless search.

Moving back to on the pitch affairs, in the week of the birth of Charles Dickens it is great to see the return from injury of Luke Oliver. The lanky defender is without doubt one of the leading contenders for the player of the season award so far. The turnaround in Oliver’s career has been a joy to see, in the past his obvious link to Peter Taylor made him a target for sections of the Bantams faithful and to see a player who was barracked at certain away games last year, now have his name sung out loud and proud must be a great feeling for someone not often accepted by supporters of his previous clubs. Parkinson is challenged by the suspension of Rob Kozluk although he has various options at his disposal. The most likely change may be a positional change from left back to right back of Marcel Seip which will enable an opportunity for Robbie Threlfall to force his way back into contention. The other change that was rumoured was that Andrew Davies could be switched to right back with Bullock continuing in the centre, again only time will tell.

The midfield is starting to be clogged up due to the amount of options Phil Parkinson has he can take his choice from any of four wingers and any of four central midfield players due to the return of Flynn. Up front, Nahki Wells could lose his place to newly signed Deane Smalley as Parkinson looks to improve the Bantams away form which has heralded just one win all season.

This is of course if the weather does not bite first, resulting in the referee postponing the game. I’m sure Parkinson would have something to say about it if he did.

Capello Resigns As a New Idol Is Craved.

Fabio Capello, yesterday resigned as England’s national team manager leaving the F.A with a gaping hole to fill before this summer’s European championships and England’s upcoming friendly match against Holland at the end of the month.

The legacy Capello has left and his overall impact he has made, upon improving the state of the nation’s footballing affairs could certainly be deemed questionable. Appointed in the wake of the disastrous reign of Steve Mclaren, Capello brought new hope to a country disillusioned after England’s spectacular failure to qualify for Euro 2008. His background and C.V could not be argued against. His achievements in the field of management are first class. Wherever he has managed trophies and titles have swiftly followed, the former Real Madrid, Juventus, Roma and AC Milan boss walked into the job complete with a glittering career that boasted nine top-flight titles in two countries and a European Cup. His suitability to becoming a manager of a national side was never likely to result in a harmonious fit. Simply, his qualities didn’t fit the part time role he put himself in for strict, disciplined and old school in his methods. He was exactly what the nation wanted after Mclaren’s reign of tracksuits and ill-discipline. He was in short the ‘safe’ option the people wanted.

 A promising start was made to his career as England’s figurehead as England topped their qualifying group during the World Cup group stages. Positive press surrounded the Italian, with hope that England would conquer past found flaws and bring home the trophy the nation craved more than forty years since the last. The disappointment and anger that followed after a World Cup campaign that brought home not a trophy; but just how far England’s team was behind other countries, was hard to take for the nation credited with the honour as the founders of the ‘beautiful game’.

Capello, will walk away from his duties; reputation slightly dented, his pockets heavier than ever before (his six million pound salary a year will see to that) with the evidence suggesting that ignoring all the flaws found and rightly pointed at him throughout his reign. His win percentage of 66.7% stands up against his predecessors quite comfortably and is in fact the most successful England manager of all time.

This leaves the football association wondering who to turn to next, odds on favourite Harry Redknapp, seems the likely choice and would certainly fit the new found hypothesis that an England manager needs to be just as much a psychologist as a tactician. Redknapp is resounded as a man who gets every last inch from his players.

The Nation Waits.

Bradford City - Reflections On a Stagnant Season.

Positivity -  Measured or moving forward or in a direction of increase or progress.

Positivity is a term not often closely associated with following Bradford City, as we sit in our fifth and a half year in the basement division of the football league and as the cold winds of change blow through the stands of Valley Parade. I decided to have a look at some of the issues and events of the past six months and why maybe there are signs of light flickering at the end of a dark, dismal tunnel full of nothing but misery and crap Referees.

The transfer window has slammed firmly shut and it seems like a perfect opportunity to assess and reflect on a turbulent six months for the Bantams. Since Phil Parkinson replaced Peter Jackson in a cloud of mystery and rumour, a lot has changed at Valley Parade in the time that has lapsed since. Firstly whilst looking at on the pitch matters, the dynamics of the playing squad has changed dramatically. The squad that Parkinson inherited before the Johnstones Paint Trophy game against Sheffield Wednesday is almost unrecognisable to the eleven that now 'grace' the weather stricken pitches of League Two. The impact of Phil Parkinson's signings have had varying appraisals on the pitch depending which fans you may talk too; with some voicing the opinion that the summer signings by both Archie Christie via Peter Jackson and Jackson alone have looked better than Parkinson's. The validity of this argument is one that’s hard to conclude with a definitive answer; football is a game where people can watch the same game and draw conclusions that are wildly different to the person sat behind or to the side of you. One person that definitely didn't believe in the signings made in the summer is Chairman Mark Lawn who it is said dismissed Jackson's assemble as the worst squad in the league. The much heralded development squad, the masterpiece creation brought to the club with Christie's arrival in the summer seems to have disbanded with Parkinson citing that the DS in its current form was not a model that could work successfully, due to the amount of time the small band of coaches and medical staff could spend between members of the first team squad compared to the development squad. This has again split opinions between fans and even players, Michael Flynn went on record earlier in the season, raising the point that he thought the costs involved with the development squad could be put to better use by making them available to the first team manager to put towards an extra player, who could help to improve the first team squad instantly and not potentially in a few years after they have received sufficient work experience elsewhere as part of Christie's University of learning philosophy. Obvious points and concerns raised by fans tends to point towards the lack of long term planning by the club, with many putting forward the often debated issue of short term loan players as a reason as to why the idea of a successfully working squad of youngsters that are ready to step into the team in the absence of recognised first team players, would be more beneficial than simply improving other teams players by giving them opportunities to either flourish or make mistakes in Bradford's first team. An immediate concern to the hierarchy at the club presently is the lowly position the Bantams currently occupy in the League Two table; whilst performances and the organisation of the team has certainly improved under Parkinson, the points tally acquired is one that needs to be improved rapidly. The return to both form and fitness of Mclaughlin after the poor performances of Matt Duke and the signings of Seip and in particular the superb Andrew Davies have helped to plug a defence leakier than the proverbial kitchen sink in the early weeks of August. Davies after an abysmal start to his VP career has lived up to his higher league pedigree and flourished as the leader at the heart of the Bantams defence; surely it would be unrealistic for fans to dream of him staying with club beyond the end of his loan spell. Unwanted and unloved at Stoke he is unlikely to be short of offers from championship clubs offering far greater wages than the Bantams could ever offer at this present time. It is rumoured the club pay about a tenth of his current wages. The additions of Ravenhill and Reid are two that have caught the eye, Reid on his day and particularly away from home is a match winner, with his pace alone giving the team an outlet which no other winger at the club possesses. Up front it is nice to see one of Jackson's signings, Nahki Wells develop and push his way from fifth choice striker in pre-season to James Hanson's most effective strike partner and if he can continue to replicate the form of December and January then there is hope that the remaining months of this season and next can be a much more positive and ultimately, prosperous one for the Bantams.