Coca-Cola League Two
Chester City (0) 0
Bradford C (0) 0
Att: 2,735
***
Also in this issue:
McCall to stick with what he's got
Ball's in your court, Lawn tells City fans
Conlon: I've no quarrel with McCall
Rehman chooses club over country
City make Season Tickets redundancy proof
***
Stats: Chester - Bradford C
Possession: 50 - 50%
Shots on target: 5 - 2
Shots off target: 1 - 5
Fouls: 17 - 15
Corners: 6 - 4
Ref: Dean Whitestone (Northamptonshire)
Yellow cards:
Chester: Linwood (20 min), Ellison (59).
Bradford C: Jones (28), Clarke (59), Furman (90).
Chester: 12. John Danby, 2. Kevin Roberts, 5. Paul Linwood, 3. Laurence
Wilson, 22. James Vaughan, 16. Jay Harris, 8. Anthony Barry, 11. Kevin
Ellison (77), 29. Glenn Rule, 10. Ryan Lowe, 7. Richie Partridge.
Subs: 15. David Mannix, 24. Paul Rutherford, 34. James Owen, 20. Lloyd
Ellans, 26. Ben Jones (77).
Bradford C: 1. Rhys Evans, 33. Zeshan Rehman, 5. Graeme Lee, 12. Matthew
Clarke, 19. Luke O'Brien, 24. Nicky Law, 4. Paul McLaren (82), 23. Dean
Furman, 25. Steve Jones (75), 35. Paul Mullin, 14. Michael Boulding.
Subs: 2. Paul Arnison, 8. Lee Bullock (82), 11. Chris Brandon (75), 22. Kyle
Nix, 34. Keith Gillespie.
Next matches:
(H) Brentford, Saturday April 4, 2009. K.O. 3:00PM
(A) Morecambe, Friday April 10, 2009 K.O. 3:15 PM.
===========================
T&A report
WHAT CAN YOU SAY ABOUT RUBBISH LIKE THIS?
By Simon Parker
If the length of a match report was governed by the quality of the match,
this would finish about here.
Unfortunately, I've got the task of finding another 1,400 words - a
challenge on a par with having to sit through a DVD of Saturday again.
Chester and Bradford City, the sequel, was every bit as bum-numbing as the
0-0 nightmare before Christmas at Valley Parade. Entertainment, great
skills, thrilling goal-mouth action; we had none of it.
There were mitigating circumstances, of course, with the shocking
conditions. A buffeting wind howling from one end to the other made any
aerial ball a bit of a lottery. It would either hover like a reluctant
seagull or fly straight through.
The pitch was even worse. There seemed to be nearly as much sand as grass
and the bobbly surface ensured that any pass of more than five yards would
reach its target at shin height - or above.
It was hardly the perfect stage for total football. So instead the 2,700
hardy souls - most, as usual, from West Yorkshire - were forced to endure
the most tedious 90 minutes of the season. And, ultimately, the game that
could effectively shut the door on City's play-off hopes.
Mathematically nothing has changed, other than the matches-left column
ticking down to just six.
Apart from Chesterfield, who are becoming a genuine threat to the top seven
now, City's immediate rivals Shrewsbury and Exeter also drew away.
But look who they were playing. The Shrews, who usually can't buy a point
outside of Shropshire, fought back to share the spoils at Wycombe in the
lunchtime game.
And Exeter, who looked pretty dreadful a fortnight ago, twice came from
behind to earn a draw with Rochdale.
Both travelling teams would have gone home very happy at denying fellow
promotion fighters. The same can hardly be said about City. They had a great
chance to get back into the pack. Instead they remain a point outside and
belief ebbs away a little bit more.
Chester were supposed to be a gimme; the club who had not won since we were
all bloating ourselves on turkey sandwiches.
No wins in January, February and now March but City still couldn't beat them
- or even score in three hours of trying.
But a second goalless bore against Mark Wright's men hardly came as the
biggest shock, given the sudden paucity in front of goal.
Since those five against Aldershot, Matt Clarke's header at Bournemouth is
the only time City have hit the net in five matches. There was little
evidence on Saturday that the barren run would change.
There was the small silver lining of another clean sheet at long last. But
then again, as their manager pointed out afterwards, Chester are the team
without a recognised centre forward.
They do have the spiky Kevin Ellison, whose mission on a football field
always seems to be based on how many opponents he can antagonise. Clarke got
his goat up, and vice versa, and there were a few afters that referee Dean
Whitestone might have taken exception to.
Whitestone could also have influenced proceedings by sending off Chester
skipper Paul Linwood for the third of his bookable offences. But he remained
despite attempting to slice Nicky Law in two and generally bugged the hell
out of the willing but unsuccessful Paul Mullin.
The on-loan Accrington striker, bearing the embarrassment of playing for the
last team to lose to Chester, at least gave it everything in a pretty
fruitless battle.
He had one of City's few genuine sights of goal with a back-post header
after Graeme Lee had flicked on a free-kick but John Danby saw the danger
and smuggled the ball away.
Danby had also shown strong hands to beat out a snap-shot from Michael
Boulding, the highlight of a frustrating afternoon for the City frontman.
Stuart McCall had shuffled the formation rather than personnel. Paul McLaren
was added to the midfield to create a central three, with Law given a
floating role behind the strikers.
On another day, it might have worked, but the conditions didn't suit
McLaren's more cultured approach, while the space out wide was generally
wasted by Steve Jones and Luke O'Brien.
The standard of their crossing was poor, more often than not being cleared
by the first defender, and Chester's creaky defence was tested nowhere near
enough.
Chester had the wind behind them from the start but, given that they have
only scored one goal in the last 14 first halves, it was hardly the Alamo.
Winger Richie Partridge was a threat and looked the one player on the pitch
genuinely capable of conquering the conditions but he was pretty much on his
own as an attacking threat.
For the first hour, the biggest discomfort for Rhys Evans had come from a
Lee back pass that pinged back to the keeper at almost knee height.
Then City were suddenly caught out as Clarke brought down Ellison. Chester
played on and James Vaughan whipped a dangerous ball into the six-yard box
where only the alert intervention of Zesh Rehman prevented Partridge tapping
in.
Partridge had a header blocked by Clarke and then fired the rebound
wastefully over. If anyone was going to break the tedious deadlock, it
looked like the home side.
Chris Brandon replaced the anonymous Jones with 15 minutes left and finally
City found a bit of urgency in their play. Sadly, though, the quality was
still absent.
A frenetic finish threatened a late winner as Brandon was tripped on the
edge of the box and Lee Bullock's flick-on caused mayhem in the goal mouth.
But a goal would have been an injustice. City simply did not do enough - and
as the weeks race by, that could be the epitaph of their frustrating season.
McCall's Wembley dream is not dead but, with the likes of Brentford,
Morecambe, Dagenham and Chesterfield lying in wait over the final month, the
rocky road ahead is strewn with nasties. It makes the Deva pitch look like a
bowling green.
===========================
From Official Website...
2 DAYS TO GO!
Posted on: Sun 29 Mar 2009
Supporters wishing to purchase their 2009/10 Season Tickets at the current
cheapest price are respectfully reminded that they only have TWO further
days after today to do so.
The deadline for supporters to claim their seats for next season at £175 for
adults and £87.50 juniors is Tuesday 31st March. This is also the deadline
for supporters wishing to purchase their season tickets through the club's
Easy Payment Plan.
The Easy Payment Plan is a simple and cost effective way of securing your
seat for next season's campaign. 10 easy monthly payments of £20 per month
for adults and £10 for juniors will enable you to watch every moment of
League action at the Coral Windows Stadium next season.
No deposit is required when securing your season ticket through the Easy
Payment Plan, meaning you can claim your favourite seat for next season
without having to pay a single penny upfront.
Any supporter, new or old, can take advantage of this credit crunch busting
deal, but only have until close of business on Tuesday 31 March 2009 to do
so.
Easy Payment Plan season tickets are subject to administration fees.
The opening hours over this weekend for the Ticket Office at the Coral
Windows Stadium are 11.00am - 3.00pm on Sunday 29 March.
For all other information and inquires regarding season tickets, please
contact the Ticket Office on (01274) 770012 or
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/SeasonTickets/0,,10266,00.html
===========================
===========================
===========================
McCall to stick with what he's got
Stuart McCall will not make a last-minute delve into the loan market.
The transfer shutters come down for the season at tea-time today and the
City chief has no plans for any further shopping.
McCall has already added two faces in March – Keith Gillespie on a
short-term contract and Accrington frontman Paul Mullin on loan to
replace Barry Conlon.
And despite losing four on the bounce, McCall believes he possesses
enough resour-ces to get back on track for the crucial seven-game run-in.
He said: "That's it now. I've got enough players in different positions
for a variety of choices.
"We are in a run we don't want at this stage but it's down to us to turn
it round. And I still believe there is enough ability within the squad
to pick up the points we need between now and the end of the season."
Meanwhile, joint-chairman Mark Lawn reckons the fans can hold the key to
persuading McCall to stay at Valley Parade if City do miss out on the
play-offs.
McCall has threatened to step down if his side do not finish in the top
seven. But Lawn believes the supporters can sway him by snapping up next
term's season tickets early.
Lawn said: "Stuart McCall loves this club and he loves the supporters.
If the supporters turn round and back him, it's a more powerful argument
than I can give.
"If people want Stuart to stay, then get behind him and commit to your
season-ticket. That says that even if we don't get in the play-offs, we
still want you here - and then I think Stuart will stay whatever happens."
Lawn has already warned that cheap tickets will be a thing of the past
after next season if City do not meet their 10,000 target again. Sales
are currently around 6,500.
Fans have until close of business on Tuesday to buy season-tickets at
the reduced price of £175 for adults. After that, it will increase to £250.
The Valley Parade box office will be open from 9am to midday on Saturday
and from 11am to 3pm on Sunday.
===========================
Ball's in your court, Lawn tells City fans
Mark Lawn today warned that season-tickets must top 10,000 again or
City will have to pull the plug on cheap prices.
Fans have a week left to take advantage of the £175 early-bird offer for
next term before the price goes up to £250.
Around 6,500 season-tickets have been sold so far, though momentum has
been sapped by the four straight losses that have dampened promotion hopes.
But joint-chairman Lawn, who ploughed in a £1m loan last week, insists
the season-ticket offer remains too good to miss.
He said: "It's still fantastic value at £175. Look at other teams in
this league like Rotherham, who charge a lot more for a ground nowhere
near as good as this – nobody comes close.
"I don't want to be in League Two – nobody does – but £7.50 a game, as
it works out over a season, is great value for money.
"I think people have forgotten what other fans have to pay. It's
expensive to watch football in any division and we've bucked the trend.
But we can only keep bucking the trend with the help of the supporters."
City's current slump will not help the season-ticket push but Lawn
admits he cannot dip into his pocket any more.
"I've certainly backed the club as far as I can go now. The million I've
put in is it.
"If we don't get the number of season-tickets, we haven't got money to
spend on the players. That's the reality.
"I know we try to attract more fans but I do believe we've got a base of
at least 10,000.
"I honestly believe Bradford City fans are the best in the country and
I'm not just saying that. They've had some really poor seasons and are
still there supporting us.
"If they look into their hearts, they will see that we are doing
everything we can to get this club back up. But we can't do it without
their support.
"We need to get to 10,000 to keep the cheap season tickets, otherwise we
will have to go back to being more realistically priced the following
year."
City's gates are more than double the next best in League Two since
Julian Rhodes took the gamble to slash season-ticket prices. The two
chairmen upped the playing budget for this season for a serious push to
go up, with Lawn's seven-figure loan wiping out the predicted debts.
Now Lawn is hoping the supporters can again play their part.
He added: "Realistically who do they think is going to put money in?
I've put mine in, Julian's put his in, is there going to be a tooth
fairy? No.
"One thing this club will not do again is overspend. We will spend
within our budgets unless we get another investor and I don't think
there's many of them out there in this current climate.
"Port Vale wasn't the best but we've only lost twice at home this year.
Okay, the away form has been atrocious but fans pay their money to come
here and they've seen some good games – they've had good value.
"I'll get people slagging me off and I understand that. I'm an honest
person who shoots from the hip. But I'm saying it like it is. We're
throwing it out to the fans."
City's box office will be open from 9am to midday on Saturday and from
11am to 3pm on Sunday.
===========================
Conlon: I've no quarrel with McCall
Barry Conlon insists there was no fall-out behind his loan switch to
Grimsby.
The big striker made an immediate impact for the Mariners, capping an
impressive debut with the final goal in a 3-0 win over Gillingham.
Conlon's departure came a week after he was axed by Stuart McCall at
Exeter on disciplinary grounds for non-football reasons.
But the Irishman said his move was purely down to wanting to play more
than a bit-part role. Conlon, replaced at Valley Parade by Paul Mullin,
said: "I was playing one week and not the next at Bradford. It's not
exactly sitting it out but it wasn't being involved as often as I'd like.
"I knew the gaffer was bringing in another striker so my chances would
be limited until the end of the season. I want to be involved in every
game so I didn't hesitate to take up the challenge with Grimsby.
"There wasn't any fall-out between myself and Stuart McCall. He just
said he'd spoken with (Grimsby manager) Mike Newell and what a sound guy
he was.
"I could have stayed at Bradford but when I got the call on Thursday, I
knew straight away I wanted to join."
Saturday's result against one of City's promotion rivals lifted Grimsby
out of the relegation zone.
Conlon added: "One of the reasons I came was for the challenge of
getting the club out of the bottom two."
===========================
Rehman chooses club over country
Zesh Rehman has knocked back an international tournament to aid City's
play-off push.
Rehman had been selected by Pakistan for three Asian Football
Confederation Challenge Cup qualifiers in Sri Lanka, starting next
Saturday.
But the on-loan QPR defender is staying put at Valley Parade for the
season's run-in.
He said: "I had the call-up but I've put Bradford first. I'm out of
contract in the summer and I'm playing regularly.
"There's no way I would jump ship now. Although it's always an honour to
play for your country, right now this is my bread and butter.
"The next month is the most important of my life.
"We've got a flexible agreement and the (Pakistan football) federation
understand that."
Rehman has played in City's last three defeats but believes a top-seven
spot is still well within their grasp despite the untimely slump.
He added: "If you look back at the stats against Port Vale we dominated
the whole game. We just need that little bit of luck to change things.
"We've had teams on the back foot and if we keep doing that, it will
drop for us soon.
"Being away tomorrow might suit us more because we've got players who
can hurt teams on the counter-attack. I'm hoping that it does.
"There are highs and lows in football and you've got to keep that middle
ground.
"Nobody gets carried away when we're winning games and now is not the
time to have your heads dragging on the floor.
"We're not that far off it. Every day we come in everyone's positive and
that starts with the manager."
And Rehman insisted Stuart McCall's threat to quit if they missed the
play-offs has not affected the dressing room.
"As players, you just focus on your own job. You listen to what the
manager wants in a game and concentrate on that.
"The gaffer has been in football a long time, playing over 600 games, so
he knows what it's all about.
"He'll keep believing and we know nobody becomes a bad team overnight.
"There's always going to be pressure in football.
"I've played in relegation battles and now I'm pushing for a play-off
place and you always go out there with the same attitude to win matches."
===========================
City make Season Tickets redundancy proof
To give supporters peace of mind, Bradford City Football Club have
confirmed that anybody purchasing a season ticket for the 2009/2010
campaign by Direct Debit (either at the £175 or £250 rate) can in the
unfortunate event of them being made redundant from employment (and
subsequently verified), cease payments and the ticket holder can keep
the season ticket for the balance of the season.
(Conditions apply. Full details from Ticket Office)
===========================
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