In this edition
- Remember the nearly season
- Away kit revealed
- AND THE AWARD FOR CITY BEST GOES TO
- WETHERALL SET FOR FINAL BOW
- Old Boy News
- Ref preview v MK Dons
- bradfordcitybadges.co.uk
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************************************************************ Remember the nearly season of 87/88 at bantamspast museum
Posted by: "MIKE HARRISON"
If you can get to VP early next Saturday, why not call into the bantamspast museum and hear a short talk from John Hendrie and Ian Ormondroyd about the nearly season on 1987/88.
It's now 20 years since that oh so nearly season of 87/88 and along with John and 'Sticks' there will be some video footage of the season to help recall just how close City came to gaining promotion that season.
Apart from the City Gent team there will be Paul Firth, author of Four minutes to hell and David Markham author of Legends of Bradford City who'll be on hand to sign books if you haven't already bought a copy.
The event kicks off at 1.30pm
Mike Harrison
Editor - The City Gent
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The away kit was next season has been unveiled and it's going to be all white along with the appropriate claret, amber and black trim.
Official Press Release
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AND THE AWARD FOR CITY BEST GOES TO...
By John Hendrie (T&A)
Being as it's the real thing at Valley Parade tomorrow night, I thought I'd
dish out the Hendrie gongs for this season.
TOP GOAL SCORER: Peter Thorne's goal ratio has been excellent - if only he
hadn't been out for the early part of the season.
Put the ball into the danger area and you know he will finish. He has played
at a higher level and still has that quality in front of goal.
It would be great if Thorney could get an injury-free year next time. You've
got to have someone who gets 20-goals plus and can lead the line and he is
certainly that man.
MOST IMPROVED: Joe Colbeck has made great strides since coming back from his
loan at Darlington. He got the bit between his teeth and has been the most
improved player I've seen.
He is still raw in some respects and at times his decision-making can let
him down but the fans have taken to Joe because he gives it his all.
You can't always play well but supporters should at least expect 100 per
cent effort every time and Joe always gives that.
GOAL OF THE YEAR: It has to be Luke Medley's memorable effort against
Wrexham. Not only was it his debut but his first touch - and clinched City's
first win under Stuart. One that won't be forgotten.
MISS OF THE SEASON: It's a toss-up between the top three of Kyle Nix at
Rotherham, Peter Thorne in the Rotherham home game and Omar Daley against
Morecambe.
I've been in that position myself - and you've got to be there to miss them.
But because I've already given him a pat on the back, I'll award this one to
you, Thorney!
MOST EMOTIONAL: The double fixtures against Lincoln were very poignant
occasions. They were so well respected by all the fans and brought tears to
my eyes.
BEST VICTORY: To go up to Darlington and turn over a team who were flying -
and to do it in style on a terrible pitch - takes some beating.
LOW POINT: Accrington Stanley at home. I wasn't doing the radio that night
so Mark Lawn invited me to go up with him. No disrespect Mark but that's the
last time I do that!
****************************** WETHERALL SET FOR FINAL BOW Wethers set for emotional day David Wetherall is braced to bid a frantic farewell to Valley Parade on Saturday against the most lethal away team in the country. ****************************** Old Boy News Rams bring in Hutchings ****************************** Ref preview v MK Dons (www.thebucksfizz.com) Fizz Ref Watch v Bradford ******************************
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David Wetherall will make his farewell appearance in front of Bradford
City's fans at Valley Parade on Saturday.
The veteran defender will retire at the end of the season to take up a
coaching role at the club and will play his last home game for the Bantams
against MK Dons.
City manager Stuart McCall told the Telegraph & Argus: "I had a word with
Wethers and was trying to persuade him to stay on for next season, but there
was no changing his mind.
"But what we're losing as a player we will gain as a coach. We've been a
body short on that side and he is intellectual about the game."
McCall added: "There are times when David could have left the club,
especially in administration, but he stuck by Bradford and the supporters
have shown their appreciation for his loyalty."
The 37-year-old, signed from Leeds for £1.4million after the club won
promotion to the Premier League in 1999, has made 325 appearances for
Bradford City.
By Simon Parker
League Two champions MK Dons have bagged 17 wins on their travels, losing only twice, in an incredible haul of 54 points from a possible 66.
And Paul Ince's promoted side have the perfect incentive to claim one more away win - they would clinch the title.
So Wetherall will face pumped-up opposition for his 167th - and last - home appearance for City before he quits as a player at the end of the season.
"I might well be rather busy," admitted the skipper, who will be making his 300th league start for the club.
"It sounds a great game to watch if you're sat in the stand but maybe not to be playing in! The table doesn't lie and MK Dons deserve to be top of the league so it's going to be difficult.
"But it makes for a big occasion because of what's at stake and that should add something to the atmosphere."
Wetherall expects the emotion to be bubbling up when he leads out City at Valley Parade for the final time. But he insists there will be no looking back as he prepares for a new career in the dug-out alongside Stuart McCall and Wayne Jacobs as first-team coach.
"It's going to be strange and emotional but I don't expect to feel sad about things.
"There is a widely held belief that you feel depressed when the moment comes to finish playing. But all things come to an end.
"I would love to be 27 again with a lot of my career in front of me but I'm not. Time moves on.
"I just feel I've been really fortunate to have had the career that I have and I'm looking forward to the next challenge."
Wetherall is satisfied that he has been able to call time on his playing career on his own terms, unlike close pal Nigel Martyn, who was forced to quit the game through injury.
"I'd much rather have it that way. Having spoken to Nige about it, he never knew when his last game was going to be.
"Since I announced my decision, I've just been concentrating on trying to help us finish as high as we can. I didn't expect to play all the games throughout the season and playing all the time may sound a bit odd for somebody who has decided that they can't carry on.
"But I've still go no doubts that this is the right decision at the right time.
"Some people think I'm only saying that because it hasn't really sunk in yet. Maybe that will be the case - but I wouldn't expect to feel any different after tomorrow or any day in the future."
Wetherall has scored only once this season and would love to sign off in front of the home fans with another goal - he last netted at Valley Parade in December 2006.
He joked: "Forget just going up for corners, I'm taking all the free-kicks from 30 yards and in! I'll try to get myself on penalties as well but I doubt it somehow - unless they've got hard hats for all the fans behind the goal.
"It would be really nice to score again on an occasion like this but these things rarely happen in football.
"We will be treating this game as properly as we can. I'm sure that Peterborough want us to turn over MK Dons so they can catch them at the top and we want to finish at home with one more win.
"I will certainly be trying to do that in spite of what the game means."
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Friday 25 Apr 2008
Derby County have confirmed the appointment of former Wigan Athletic and Bradford City boss Chris Hutchings as their new assistant manager.
Hutchings, who worked with Rams manager Paul Jewell at both his former clubs, was drafted in to fill the vacancy left by Stan Ternent's departure to take charge at Huddersfield Town.
CHRIS HUTCHINGS Jewell told the club's official website: "Chris is a football man through and through and he lives to be on the training ground."...
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Thursday 24 Apr 2008 12:02:18 by Franco
The final away game of the season sees us catch up with another ref who brought us good fortune earlier this term. Lets hope history repeats itself.
Karl Evans a Championship level referee in his first season in the Football League was the man in charge when we hosted Accrington Stanley and won 5-0 on the 12th of December. That was the day we switched to a new midfield formation and Andrews, Navarro and Cameron had put the Dons 3 up in just over 3o minutes with the screams of "Those three will never work together" ringing in the ears of some uneducated Dons supporters to their shame. Dyer added two in the second half giving the MK Dons their record home win in the process.
Mr Evans has a bit of a wobbly start to his League refereeing career and got a tad carried away showing 11 yellows and 1 red in his first two games. Since then he has gone on to do a further 23 games and has brought his card count to a moderate 52 yellows and 2 reds.
On the day when we'll hopefully clinch the League Title you'd always want the most level headed official controlling things, it would appear the League have given us that it would seem.
The supporting officials are P P Davies and M A Naylor and the fourth official, who will tell us when its time to party will be K J Mattocks.
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Posted by: "Jeremy White"
Some of you may be aware of my new website bradfordcitybadges.co.uk
which surprisingly is dedicated to Bantams enamel badges.
Mike Harrison has included articles in the last two editions of the CG.
If anyone has any badges that I feature on my wanted list, please
get in touch via the website.
In addition I am (subject to demand) going to produce 23 'fixture badges'
for each home league game at Valley Parade next season.
The press release should be featured on the Clubs website in the next
couple of days. I thought that there may be some IBs who may want
to subscribe to the fixture badges before they go on general release.
A copy of the press release is featured below.
bradfordcitybadges.co.uk in conjunction with The City Gent fanzine and fully endorsed by Bradford City F.C. are going to produce 23 'limited edition' enamel fixture pin badges for next season 2008/2009.
A limited edition badge will be produced to commemorate every home league fixture at Valley Parade and will feature the logos of each club.
The badges will be produced after each home game and will record the date of each fixture, as well as the final score and subject to space, the attendance.
The badges will be limited to 100 for each game and they will all be individually numbered on the back and be inscribed 'limited edition'.
This will ensure that the badges become very collectable and hopefully increase in value over the years.
The full set will provide a superb record of what we all hope will be a memorable season.
The basic price is £69 for the set (£3 per badge) plus postage and packing.
ALL profits will be donated back to Bradford City.F.C.
The badges are available on a first come, first served basis and will be similar to the Gillingham badge. See photo on website.
For more details or to subscribe to the offer, visit bradfordcitybadges.co.uk
Regards
Jeremy
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