Articles written by Jason Mckeown
A few years ago, a City supporter submitted an article on this website stating that Andy Gray’s ability level was that of a pub footballer. This view came during a period when Gray was struggling to recapture his previous season’s form for City where, converted from a winger to a striker, he had managed a career-changing 15 goals that would belatedly signal the end to the dreaded tag of unfulfilled potential. As part of a City side speedily hurtling towards the relegation trap door in 2003-04, he was unable to match his previous season’s exploits managing just six goals.
Very shortly after this article appeared, Gray was sold to Sheffield United and his career continued to head upwards with a £1 million move to Premiership Sunderland a year after. This proved a step up too far but Gray has since re-established himself as a decent Championship striker with Burnley. Last Saturday he scored twice as Burnley won 3-2 at Colchester. Layer Road is hardly one of British football’s most beautiful stadiums, but it’s still a better level than the local park behind The Queen’s Head.
It’s this sort of striker debate which has been typical with Bradford City in recent years. Finding a pair of decent goalscoring forwards has proved difficult and is ultimately why the Bantams have been unable to climb back towards Championship level. Those that have toiled up front since have nearly all split opinion among supporters. Some arguably should have had more of a chance, others undoubtedly gave everything but came up short, too many rarely looked like scoring and just one player has managed double figures in a season since Gray departed.
Not since the legendary Mills and Blake partnership in 1998/99 have City been fortunate enough to possess two regular goalscorers at the same time. Only Dean Windass has consistently done the business, yet finding a suitable strike partner was a problem never solved while he was banging in all those goals during his second spell at the club. This over dependence meant that City were never able to lift themselves above midtable and, when Deano departed last January, no one was able to fill his void with dire consequences.
Different division, different management, different bunch of players and many more supporters; but so far the familiar problem has remained. In the five games to date, five goals have been scored. Not the worst of records but, when analysing the performances and number of chances the team has created to date, this figure should be at least double. In the home games at least, City have been largely dominant and created a host of chances. Unfortunatley, the strikers in the middle haven’t been able to convert them and, with each miss, have split supporters’ views once again. Perhaps the biggest question hanging over Stuart’s squad as we enter the second month of the season is if there is sufficient firepower to enable City to push for promotion.
Dividing views more than most is Barry Conlon. He arrived at Valley Parade during the summer with a reputation as a decent goalscorer at this level, but with a disconcertingly high number of former clubs. Conlon has so far looked very much your average target man, but unfortunately a little too average. He holds the ball up well and has good awareness at bringing others into play, but he seems to lack the goalscoring prowess and his efforts on goal have been generally tame. Confidence is a big part of this and his previous record suggests he usually manages double figures each season. Yet without a goal so far he looks more likely to match Andy Cooke and Danny Cadamarteri in the regularity of his City goals.
Unsurprisingly he has attracted a lot of criticism. Although, just like Andy Cooke, there seems to be a section of supporters who appreciate the undoubted effort he puts in. One thing is for sure, he’s going to need to improve his performances. With his height and physical ability he should be capable of giving opposition defenders a really hard time and his hold up play should at least allow others to come forward. On occasions Conlon has looked isolated and received the ball too deep. Hopefully as the whole team get to know each other better this will improve and Conlon will receive the ball where he can hurt people.
Very much vying for cult status, Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu has made a decent impression so far. He has a really good touch and is also strong holding the ball up. He has more pace than Conlon and has shown the odd burst of acceleration that’s put the opposition on the back foot. However, just like Conlon, he hasn’t really got into enough good positions to shoot on goal. How many goals he will score, at least until his loan move ends in January, remains questionable. In many ways Guylain and Conlon are very similar players but hopefully they will play together more effectively as they become more familiar with each other’s runs. Hopefully G (or Dave depending on your nickname preference, personally I like Dave!) can add that little bit missing and score a few goals for us.
So far, Nathan Joynes and Luke Medley have played the back up role. Joynes started against Shrewsbury but was unable to make an impression. Meanwhile Luke couldn’t have made a bigger impact with his first touch! The youngster’s wonder strike against Wrexham has made everyone sit up and take notice. There will inevitably be a lot of expectation on the striker’s shoulders, remember Gareth Grant, Danny Forrest, Kevin Sanasy and Joe Brown? Hopefully Luke can build on his superb start and fulfil his potential. While technically not our youth player, its still been a long time since City had a young striker who became a first team regular and scored lots of goals.
At Barnet, Stuart played Omar Daley up front in the second half and the Jamaican international will barely believe he has yet to score this season after hitting the post three times so far. After his much trumpeted arrival in January, Omar has yet to really find his form and, while he was very impressive in pre-season, we all hope he can do better than his displays so far this season. The hope is that Daley can nail that right wing position and consistently deliver there. He has looked reasonably effective when thrown up front, but is arguably needed more out wide. It’s both nice but a little unusual to think Eddie Johnson is our top scorer so far. Despite a slow start, Eddie is looking comfortable in midfield and it would appear that he has waved goodbye to a career as a centre forward.
Which just leaves one more forward on City’s books and one who has yet to play. Peter Thorne’s summer signing felt like a huge coup but it’s been hugely frustrating waiting for him to recover from injury. After suffering two years at Norwich that were dogged by injury, there are some fears over how much we will see him wear Claret and Amber and some of our more lunatic fans are calling for City to get rid of him already. Given the injury problems he has endured, it would seem City are being sensible in not rushing him into first team action.
When he is ready though, he may find expectations are pinned firmly upon him. The more our other strikers fire blanks in front of goal and points are lost as a result, the greater the pressure on Thorne to deliver. It may take him a while to get fully fit, but the signs during his brief reserve and friendly appearances are encouraging and his past goalscoring record suggests he knows where the goal is.
It seems likely that Thorne will figure at some point this week against either Doncaster or Lincoln. As City’s slow start continues, everyone will be keeping fingers crossed he can deliver. Although at the same time we need at least one from Conlon, Dave, Joynes and Medley to be able to consistently deliver alongside him if we’re going to start climbing the table and threaten at the right end.
Otherwise, with a certain East Yorkshire club splashing out £1million on a striker last week, how long will it be before rumours of a former regular City goalscorer returning on loan start up?
Mark Lawn should be more careful about his publicity stunts. As City’s new joint-owner cooked up a tasty fare of barbecue food to people queuing up for season tickets on Sunday, he might be finding his special talents are needed again in a fortnight. Given the impressive uptake of City’s bargain bucket season tickets, far beyond expectations, you wonder if City will be able to cope with the higher than expected crowds this season. Hey Mark the half time queues for food are huge, your cookery skills are needed on the Kop concourse…
The season ticket offer ends on Tuesday and, six months after the idea was originally announced, Lawn’s new sidekick should be feeling especially pleased with himself. When Julian Rhodes launched the scheme last February, he was greeted with a degree of indifference and an apparent reality of how much the district of Bradford was bothered about having a football team.
City are leading the way with making football affordable to everyone and, if our biggest crowds for years are celebrating promotion come May, it will surely become an initiative copied elsewhere.
People were asked to ‘pledge’ to buy a ticket and the numbers who did so were not enough. Given City failed to win a single home match and their feeble attempt to avoid relegation during this period, it’s perhaps to be expected the T&A post bag wasn’t exactly bulging. Nevertheless, the lack of response to the cheapest season tickets in English professional football felt both demoralising and embarrassing.
So what’s changed? Why are we now about to kick off the new season with just under 12,000 season ticket holders? A third relegation in six years occurred, yet the optimism among supporters for the season ahead is probably the highest it has been since promotion to the Premiership. It appears that the summer arrivals account for the late surge of interest in watching City’s first bottom division campaign in two decades.
Yet Mark Lawn’s investment in the club, while crucial and welcomed by every City supporter, would surely not be of enough significance to suddenly make lapsed supporters return. It’s the arrival of one of City’s sporting icons who must surely take credit for that.
It’s worth noting just how powerful the Stuart McCall factor is. Cheap season tickets or not, it appears several thousands are returning to watch Bradford City on the strength of his appointment. This shows the depth of feeling people have for our ginger hero. Stuart has been at the forefront of some of City’s more recent prominent moments, both happy and tragic. He has proved himself to be the ultimate hero and one that, crucially, is easy for everyone to identify with. He is loved by so many, including those who gave up watching City years ago.
After the previously poor response to the season ticket offer, few would have blamed Rhodes if he had abandoned the initiative last spring. He kept going, partly helped by behind the scenes support from Lawn. His long term aim was to get Stuart in, although this also looked unlikely for a time. With the offer not going well, Stuart remaining tight-lipped about his future and City heading for relegation; many supporters decided to vocally criticise our owner and the ‘get rid of’ brigade began calling for him to step down. Rhodes even briefly contemplated giving those people what they wanted, but thankfully decided to stay on.
His plan might not have looked successful for a time and his determination to wait for Stuart clearly cost City their League One status last term, but luck changed and the snowball effect of good news stories continues at a fast pace. Now Rhodes can hopefully sit back as the season kicks off with his efforts paying off. It won’t happen but, after Stuart gets his great reception from fans as he walks to the dugout against Macclesfield, it would be wonderful if a chant of ‘there’s only one Julian Rhodes’ rang out from all three home stands.
The season ticket offer is wonderful. I’ve written a few bfb articles calling for reduced ticket prices in the past. As someone who hasn’t been financially well off for a couple of years, I was acutely aware how expensive it was to watch City and I’ve had to miss some matches before finally been able to afford a season ticket again last season. I think it’s wonderful that, as ticket prices continue to rise nationally and the Premiership becomes more and more removed from reality, my club has taken this fantastic lead in making the game more affordable for ordinary folk.
Bradford City have been criticised in the past for not doing enough in the community, but this move is a significant step towards integrating the club as an important part of local people’s lives. Now around 11,500 of us will be visiting Valley Parade every fortnight and the new season promises to be exciting, carrying with it the promise of a promotion push.
It won’t be easy, Stuart doesn’t have a huge transfer budget and undoubtedly not all of his summer signings will prove successful. The loan system is being heavily utilised and some fans are already needlessly panicking because City have lost a couple of friendlies. The new investment from Lawn gives City a chance to push forward, but it doesn’t mean City have bucket loads of cash to spend. The problems of recent years are probably best illustrated by the return of Paul Heckingbottom on loan. It’s three years since he departed; yet he still remains the last left back City signed on a permanent basis.
Promotion this season would make for a wonderfully happy story; not just to a club that has forgotten what success is like, but for football fans everywhere. City are leading the way with making football affordable to everyone and, if our biggest crowds for years are celebrating promotion come May, it will surely become an initiative copied elsewhere.
If the fairytale ending of promotion does occur, Rhodes can be even prouder than he must feel right now. As fans criticised him last spring, many seemingly dismissed the fact he and his family had twice saved the club as a minor irrelevance. While this is ludicrous and sadly typical of some of our fans, Rhodes’ vision could be about to create a legacy no one could shrug off. It’s unfortunate that history will so far record Rhodes tenure as a time linked with failure and financial strife. With his wonderful offer, new investment on board and a City legend as manager; Rhodes’ plan is coming together and it’s to be hoped all of this hardwork will pay off.
If anyone deserves to succeed with City, it is surely Rhodes. Hopefully this season he can sit back and enjoy some success. It’s sure to taste even better than a Mark Lawn burger.
Midway through the first half of City’s friendly at Wetherby Road, a Harrogate Town midfielder hit a long ball that rolled straight through to Donovan Ricketts. With the striker still chasing through, Ricketts sold him a dummy and dribbled the ball around him before clearing up field. Football, at least as we know it, is back.
Barely two months since the disappointing 2006/07 season ended with a 2-2 draw against Millwall, unfamiliar faces lined up with familiar as the Stuart McCall reign began with a 1-0 win. The goal came after 14 minutes from the head of the ever reliable captain David Wetherall. Some can point to irony that it was the previous manager who scored the goal to mark the start of the new boss’ time in charge. Stuart will have seen it as a clear signal that his captain will be one of his most reliable players in the coming months.
No disrespect to Harrogate Town, but I do enjoy these trips to non-league grounds. It’s great to see the enthusiasm and hard work from the people who run the club, but there is often an air of comedy about the whole experience. Whether it’s paying for three people at the turnstiles with a £20 and £5 note (tickets £8 each) and been told they didn’t have any change (I was owed a £1) - so instead the gateman only charged us £20, there seems to be a great collection of characters around the ground.
Making our way to the main stand for a seat (a wise decision given the torrential second half downpour) we were stopped by an elderly gentleman who asked us for an extra £1 each to sit here. For a minute I wondered whether he was on the con, but handed over our extra £1s anyway. I guess that made up for being undercharged at the turnstile!
The crackling tannoy system played ‘Life is a rollercoaster’ by Ronan Keating prematch and we soon realised, as the next record kicked in, that they were in fact playing the Irish singer’s full album (not that pre-match music at Valley Parade is usually any better). We were then treated to a display from a local group of young cheerleaders who sang about how they rule this town and only seemed to know four songs/routines. They were happy to repeat their four dances again and again like a CD stuck on repeat.
Meanwhile the front row of the stand was filled with excitable parents capturing the whole performance on camera. They were the only ones to join in the audience participation moments and you got the impression they were not regulars down at Wetherby Road. Another elderly gentleman walked to the front and seemed full of pride as he watched and applauded the cheerleaders. He looked like he might be Bill Fotherby, the former Leeds Chairman now in charge at Harrogate. He turned to us under whelmed supporters in the stand and, in a Brian Potter-esque way, excitedly exclaimed how he had never heard so much noise in his whole life.
Fortunately the game soon started. City’s first half team came out on the pitch quickly followed by Stuart and Wayne Jacobs, who both naturally received a great reception from the large contingent of City fans. Being half deaf, I stood little chance of hearing the tannoy announcing the City team so struggled to work out who some of our trialists were. One familiar face was Paul Evans, who fired over the free kick that Wetherall scored from to put us in the lead. A bloke a few rows in front stood up shortly after and started loudly cheering for Town, before just as suddenly stopping and sitting back down.
“How old is the number 9?” asked the wife referring to new signing Barry Conlon. “28 I think.” “No he is not, he looks 52!” Soon after Conlon was presented with an excellent chance after a cross was floated towards his ageing forehead. His header ended up going well wide, almost threatening the corner flag. “Look’s like we’ve signed another three goals a season forward.”
Among the first half trialists was Simon Johnson, who showed some skill but was easily knocked off the ball. Number Two Darren Williams looked useful, although the last right back we had called ‘Darren’, who also used to play for Sunderland, still prompts horror flashbacks. The number 8, who I later find out is Scott Phelan, could be worth a contract. The half closed with Harrogate putting in plenty of effort and The Don looking much calmer than towards the end of last season.
Queuing up for an ice cream at half time, a clap of thunder boomed over and it began to rain. Someone joked about dropping ice cream on the blue Bentley parked by the Ice-cream van, until someone else pointed out that it belonged to Mark Lawn. Now what was the name of the last City owner who drove a Bentley? We paused to watch Jacobs bark instructions at the subs warming up before another clap of thunder hurried our retreat back to the sheltered stand.
As we walked back, I realised that former City players Mark Prudhoe and Chris Wilder (now Halifax manager) were walking past the opposite way. Just as I tried to pluck up the courage to ask Mark what he is up to these days, my friend accidentally backed into our former keeper almost knocking his coffee all over him. As he looked slightly menacingly at my clumsy friend, I realised the moment had passed.
With the exception of Ricketts, a completely different team kicked off the second half. These included more trialists and another returning former player, Paul Heckingbottom. The second half team have to endure a torrential downpour that at one stage put the match into doubt. I was left wondering when, if ever, was the last time that City had played a pre-season friendly that was abandoned through bad weather.
Adapting to the conditions better than most was Omar Daley, who showed off his electric pace and went on a couple of mazy dribbles. Daley carried on where he left against Millwall last May, playing up front to decent effect. Eddie Johnson was also back in midfield, suggesting his temporary switch there last season could become a permanent one. City knocked the ball around well at times with some promising moves breaking down. This will only improve with each game.
Harrogate, whose players were clearly up for putting one over their more famous neighbours, pressed hard but second half defenders Mark Bower and Simon Ainge impressed. As the match wore on, some of the Harrogate tackles got harder and the game ended with Craig Bentham squaring up to one player after been unhappy at the strength of one challenge.
It wasn’t a great performance, there is clearly work to be done and tough decisions to be made over which trialists to offer deals. But, as the rain eased off and we disappeared into the Harrogate night, I was left with a satisfied feeling about the ten months ahead for City.
Football is back.