From the Official BCFC Website...
ROGER OWEN IMPRESSED WITH MANAGEMENT SET-UP
Posted on: Tue 11 Aug 2009
To nick a phrase from the supermarket competition, every little helps.
That is the motto driving City's new commercial director Roger Owen.
The former Morrison's property chief is into his fourth week at Valley
Parade; the place he has frequented as a season-ticket holder for the past
quarter of a century.
Owen admits the switch from "the man on the terraces who complains about
everything" to becoming a non-executive member on the board has been an
eye-opening experience - but not in a bad way.
Talking to the Telegraph & Argus he said: "Coming from a big PLC, I did not
expect to see such budgetary control and I've really been taken aback. It's
a huge positive.
"Mark Lawn and Julian Rhodes were equally surprised that I was surprised.
"But the senior management team here have got this screwed down behind the
scenes. The control they exercise over everything is super.
"We are probably the least indebted club in the entire Football League and
we're now trying to build a solid financial platform so we can go forward.
"This club should be in the Championship, no doubt about that. What we want
to do is get back there but to do it without the downside of what's happened
over the last ten years.
"But if we want to have the foundations to go forward, we have to get it
right now. That's the view we are all taking."
After 34 years with Morrison's, Owen is relishing his new labour of love. He
will take a significant chunk of the workload off director of operations
David Baldwin, targeting further areas where costs can be cut - and income
raised.
Owen said: "We are working to some very tight budgets but haven't got any
cash. When Fabian Delph went to Aston Villa, the fans may have been thinking
'who we were going to buy' but that money will go against previous events.
This year the budget aims to break even.
"I come from a background of working for a company where the chairman used
to be head first in the meat waste container to see what we were throwing
away.
"Every penny counts. It's easy to dismiss that these days but it's a reality
- and it's a reality here.
"We've got an IT system that takes ten minutes to warm up and a telephone
system that needs a serious going over. The ticket office has to be massaged
into life.
"We've even got the situation where we are paying the council to provide
flowers for the fire memorial. That shouldn't be the case.
"There must be a florist out there preparing to come along before every home
game and put a couple of bunches down. We need support because we are short
of numbers."
Owen aims to establish better links with the Bradford Chamber of Commerce
and is currently firing out sponsorship packs to firms in the area.
He even tried to involve city-centre developers Westfield with sponsoring
the Midland Road Stand. A fax to the chairman in Australia has so far gone
unanswered.
Owen said: "Everything is up for sponsorship. We're sending a pack out to
people basically asking to 'give us your money'. Anything that comes in will
go towards Stuart McCall's playing budget.
"Throughout my business life, I've been involved in a number of battles, at
Morrison's in particular. There's nothing I like better than being
shoulder-to-shoulder with your mates fighting a cause.
"I'm not quite their mate yet here but I've got that feeling around this
place. I've been to two management meetings and one board meeting and you
can see this grasp of what's what.
"But we do need more bodies about the place and that's why we're looking for
more volunteers; people to help sweep the stands or have a go on the phones
ringing round for sponsorship. That's the way we're going to get the money
coming in."
Owen can be contacted at rogerowen@the-bantams.co.uk
===========================
From the Official BCFC website...
PETER THORNE ALARMED AT PLAYERS REACTION
Peter Thorne has called on City to stop caving in when games go against
them.
The Bantams fell apart at Notts County to crash to their biggest-ever loss
on the opening day.
Thorne was alarmed at the way City's heads quickly dropped as the goals
rattled in.
And he admitted that urgent work was needed on the training ground to
toughen the team's resolve ahead of Wednesday night's Carling Cup trip to
Nottingham Forest.
"We didn't react very well to conceding the goals and that's something we've
got to look at," said the new City skipper while talking to the Telegraph &
Argus.
"For the first 20 minutes, I really believed we could get something out the
game. We had a couple of decent chances and were matching them.
"But we didn't react very well when they scored and that's something we've
got to sort out pretty sharpish.
"The same thing happened in the last friendly against Carlisle. We were 2-0
up and then before you know it we'd let it three.
"It's a worrying sign. We're giving goals away and we have to react better.
It seemed that every time Notts County went forward they were going to
score."
Stuart McCall plans to alter his side for City's visit to the other side of
the Trent. But whichever line-up he fields against their Championship
opponents will be expected to put up far stiffer resistance than at the
weekend.
Thorne said: "We don't know whether the gaffer is going to rest a few
players but we need another game quickly without a doubt.
"We know it's going to be very difficult against a higher-level team but
it's about how we react to what's happened. We need to get ourselves back on
track and forget about it."
McCall was angry at the way City subsided after Zesh Rehman's blunder gifted
County their second goal just before half-time.
The City chief said: "If we'd gone in at 1-0 down, we would have had the
chance to regroup and go again. But we never got that opportunity.
"We were competitive up to the second goal but then we made a crucial error
and the heads went down."
McCall did not make the players sit through a repeat of Saturday's horror
show when they returned to training on Monday but he made it clear that
reputations are on the line at the City Ground.
He said: "There's no hiding from it. It was the worst possible start we
could have made.
"It's about character now. We know Forest is going to be a tough proposition
but let's stand up and be counted.
"There were going to be a few changes in the team regardless of Saturday's
result. There might be more than a few now."
===========================
Nottingham Forest v Bradford City: Character can see Bantams through
By Ian Appleyard
BRADFORD CITY manager Stuart McCall has called on his players to 'stand up and be counted' in tonight's Carling Cup trip to Nottingham Forest.
The Bantams go back to Nottingham just four days after suffering a 5-0 humiliation against Notts County in the opening League Two game of the season.
Forest are one of the clubs tipped to push for promotion in this season's Championship and McCall accepts that it will be a tough challenge for his side.
"We know Forest are going to be a tough proposition but let's stand up and be counted," he said.
"It's about character now. We need to regain a bit of credit and we will have to defend far better than we did against County."
The defeat at Meadow Lane was the club's worst ever on an opening day of a new season.
It has increased the pressure on McCall, has already slashed his wage bill this summer by off-loading a number of high earners.
Midfielder Chris Brandon is fit again after a long-term ankle injury but may still be rested, while strikers Gareth Evans and James Hanson are pushing for starts.
Forest manager Billy Davies has a shortage of defenders and was hoping to persuade Wales manager John Toshack to release full-back Chris Gunter from international duty as well as striker Rob Earnshaw.
===========================
Bateson sent off late on as McCall's men keep it tight before Forest Friar
11:02pm Wednesday 12th August 2009
By Simon Parker
Nottm Forest 3, City 0
Don't try treating Stuart McCall to a trip to the Robin Hood Experience. The Bantams boss has suffered more than enough in Nottingham over the past few days.
Once again there was no case of robbing the rich to feed the poor as Championship hosts Forest followed mega-bucks County's lead by piling on the first-week misery for City.
McCall's men made more of a game of it at the City Ground and were still on level terms at half-time.
But once the deadlock was broken, there was no way back as Forest ran out comfortable winners. And rookie defender Jonathan Bateson soured the evening with a straight red card for a wild lunge on Nathan Tyson.
You had to go right back to 1934 for City's last win at the City Ground and few gave them a chance of ending that hoodoo after Saturday's thrashing.
McCall tightened things up following the Meadow Lane mauling, with four changes and a different system.
Luke O'Brien and Bateson lined up as wing backs with Simon Ramsden making the third centre half. James Hanson came in at left midfield with instructions to link up with lone striker Gareth Evans.
Peter Thorne and Michael Boulding were the insurance policy on the bench but it gave them both a breather ahead of Port Vale's visit at the weekend.
Forest had their own problems with injuries, suspension and international calls. Their makeshift back four contained two midfielders and a left back playing centre half and immediately came under pressure from the hard-running Evans.
The striker set up Lee Bullock for a header wide and then hurried goalkeeper Paul Smith into a panicky clearance.
Forest, as expected, enjoyed the lion's share of the early possession and forced a flurry of corners. Lewis McGugan warmed Simon Eastwood's hands with a fierce 30-yard free-kick, while Polish international Radoslaw Majewski saw another long-range blast deflected away from goal.
Steve Williams picked up his first booking as a professional after tugging back Tyson but the City back line had a sturdier look than previously and was containing the Forest threat.
There was a worrying moment when Garath McCleary jinked his way into the box but Ramsden blocked his progress and completed the clearance with a sliding tackle on McGugan.
Then Paul Anderson flicked Forest's fifth corner of the first half across the goalmouth, where it just eluded the outstretched boot of Tyson.
Bullock followed Williams into referee Oliver Langford's book for an ice hockey-style body check on McGugan as City continued to make life tough for the Championship side.
The brick wall of black shirts stood firm as half-time approached and Dexter Blackstock's looping header from Arron Davies' cross failed to trouble Eastwood.
The only crowd noise was coming from the City end, demonstrating how well they had done the job of frustrating their hosts over the first 45 minutes.
The cynics, of course, would recall that it was also 0-0 at Huddersfield this time last year and then everything fell apart – but it still represented a huge improvement on the first half at Notts County.
Unfortunately the good work was promptly undone within two minutes of the restart. McCleary pushed the ball through for Tyson to chase and he clipped it back from the byline for Anderson to convert with a diving header.
It was the worst possible start to the half and, given the pack-of-cards response to falling behind at Notts County, City's resolve was sure to be tested.
Forest won another corner and Eastwood got the slightest of touches from McGugan's kick to take it away from the lurking Blackstock at the back post.
For a while, every player bar Smith was camped in the City half.
Zesh Rehman bundled over McGugan 25 yards out and when his free-kick cannoned off the wall, Majewski met the rebound with an over-ambitious volley that hurtled into the top section of the stand.
But Forest's increased pressure told again on the hour with a second goal. Tyson was the provider once more, this time from the left side, and Blackstock bundled the cross in from four yards with his knee.
There looked no way back for City, who had offered little attacking threat since the early exchanges. When Hanson had tried to burst clear, he was pulled up for offside.
McCall made his first substitution at the midway point of the half, giving Jamie O'Brien his first senior outing in place of Bullock.
The former Birmingham midfielder prompted a bit of momentum straight away, finding Evans, who was blocked off in the Forest penalty area.
Forest went back on the attack where substitute Joe Garner sliced his shot so badly it turned into a great square pass for the unmarked Anderson. The winger, though, lacked any composure with a wild first-time thrash.
Tyson's aim was far better with a stinging effort that Eastwood did well to palm behind as the Forest corner count reached double figures.
Boulding came on for Evans, who had run himself into the ground with nothing to show for it.
At least City mustered a decent shot through O'Brien, though he could not keep it down to worry the under-employed Smith.
But that only succeeded in stirring up Forest, who responded with a rapier-like counter. Anderson was fed the ball on the right flank and his low cross was swept in by McGugan for the goal his non-stop display had deserved.
The City fans responded with a cheeky chorus of "You're not as good as County" – and in goal terms against the Bantams, maybe they're not.
But the mood around the ground darkened three minutes from time when Bateson's frustration got the better of him and he went clattering through the back of Tyson in front of the Forest box.
The young defender was surrounded by angry Forest players before he was shown a red card on his debut. The impressive Tyson had to be stretchered off and, with Forest already using three subs, both sides finished the game with ten men.
Nottm Forest: Smith ,McCleary ,Morgan ,Lynch ,Cohen ,Davies (Garner ,66 ) ,Majewski (McKenna ,77 ) ,McGugan ,Anderson ,Tyson ,Blackstock (McGoldrick ,78)
Subs not used: Camp,Adebola,Mitchell,Fairclough,
Bradford: Eastwood ,Bateson (sent off 88),Williams ,Rehman ,Ramsden ,Luke O'Brien ,Colbeck ,Bullock (James O'Brien ,69 ) ,Flynn ,Hanson ,Evans (Michael Boulding ,79)
Subs not used McLaughlin,Thorne,Brandon,Horne,
Bookings: Garner (Nottm Forest) Bullock ,Williams (Bradford)
Attendance: 4639
===========================
City still sore about Vale defeat
6:40am Friday 14th August 2009
By Simon Parker
City will have two scores to settle in their home curtain-raiser against Port Vale tomorrow.
Stuart McCall's men are desperate to wipe away the painful memories of the thrashing at Notts County on opening day.
And they are also looking to avenge the loss to Vale in March – one of only two home defeats City suffered all season.
McCall said: "We owe Port Vale for last year, that's for sure. They've got a different manager now and different personnel but we're still sore about the result.
"It was one of those quirky games. They only got in our box once, had one attempt at goal from a breakaway and we lost."
City's main target is to get their campaign up and running after the double disappointment of Nottingham. With back-to-back home games against Vale and then Lincoln, McCall wants to build some momentum.
"It's been a long and difficult week but I'm upbeat and just looking forward to playing at Valley Parade for the first time," he said.
"There's no doom and gloom around the place. We had a reasonable reaction to the bad opening day on Wednesday and we're excited for tomorrow now.
"I sense a real determination among the lads that we want to get off the mark. Everybody wants to go out there and play at Valley Parade.
"Quite a few have not played there before with a decent crowd behind them and want to get that opportunity."
Following the two fruitless trips to Nottingham, City are still searching for their first goal. But McCall, who will bring back strike pair Peter Thorne and Michael Boulding, has no concerns on that front.
He said: "We had two very tough away games and with the way we lined up at Forest, we knew scoring chances were going to be at a premium. But remember the week before the season when we played Carlisle here and scored three.
"It won't bother me if we have to wait until the 93rd minute and Easty (Simon Eastwood) has to come up for a corner to knock it in. We will take as long as we have to."
McCall watched Vale pull off the biggest shock of the Carling Cup first round when they dumped Sheffield United 2-1 at Bramall Lane.
Marc Richards netted twice but the real hero was teenage goalkeeper Chris Martin, who pulled off a string of crucial saves.
The City chief said: "Port Vale will be coming here full of confidence and we know they will be a tough nut to crack.
"They set up against Sheffield United with three big centre halves and were well organised and difficult to break down.
"We know they may come here to try to frustrate us. Look at the scenario at Forest and if we could have kept it tight for a little longer then you could sense the crowd getting twitchy.
"Micky Adams may be hoping to do the same. It might be a case not so much of us being patient but the crowd.
"We want to put on a great performance for everyone and be as positive as we can but the thing that matters is that we get the right result."
Injured duo Matt Clarke (thigh) and Stephen O'Leary (toe) were expected to be back in training today and will rejoin the squad.
Jonathan Bateson is the only player unavailable for McCall as he starts the three-match ban for his midweek red card.
McCall said: "I've got a lot of decisions to make but I'm sure that we can go out there and get the best result with the backing of the supporters.
"Our home form last season was much better and we want that to continue."
Vale are likely to recall veteran player-coach Geoff Horsfield, who was rested on Tuesday. Young striker Jamie Lawrie is also back from under-21 international duty with Northern Ireland.
===========================
Facebook page:
http://bcfc.gregshepherd.com/link.php?id=30
or search for
"City Forward! Mailing List"
***
Texas Bantams Blog
http://texasbantam.blogspot.com/
***
CFML since February 1997 is edited by Greg S. in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas
***
No comments:
Post a Comment