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.