L2 v Shrewsbury (h) L1-3 Dec 28th 2009

Bradford C (1) 1 Hanson 20
Shrewsbury (2) 3 Dunfield 11, McIntyre pen 45, Hibbert 79
Att: 11,522

Bradford: Eastwood ,Rehman ,Clarke (sent off 48),Luke O'Brien ,Bateson ,Flynn ,Whaley (Daley ,69 ) ,Bullock (James O'Brien ,80 ) ,Neilson (Williams ,46 ) ,Evans ,Hanson
Subs not used: Brandon,Rory Boulding,McLaughlan,Horne,

Shrewsbury: Button ,Cansdell-Sherriff ,Holden ,Langmead ,Coughlan ,Lewis Neal ,McIntyre ,Disley ,Leslie ,Dunfield ,Hibbert
Subs not used Murray,Chris Neal,Riza,Bright,Hooman,Richards,Taylor,

Bookings: Clarke (Bradford) Cansdell-Sherriff ,Leslie (Shrewsbury)

Attendance: 11522


Referee: P Quinn ()

TEAM STATS
Bradford Shrewsbury
17(11) Shots (on Goal) 5(4)
14 Fouls 12
11 Corner Kicks 1
1 Offsides 3
48% Time of Poss. 52%
1 Yellow Cards 2
1 Red Cards 0
3 Saves 9


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http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/4822638.Bad_news_comes_in_small_packages/

Another ref, another dodgy decision as Clarke red card follows softest of penalties
7:00am Tuesday 29th December 2009

By Simon Parker

City 1, Shrewsbury 3

Trust the smallest man on the pitch to have the biggest impact – and no surprises that it should be referee Peter Quinn stealing centre stage.

Once again it was familiar territory for City; a third home loss on the spin and the man in black cast as the chief villain.

The not-so-mighty Quinn made an indelible mark on proceedings with a one-two just before half-time, giving Shrewsbury the softest of penalties and then dismissing Matt Clarke straight afterwards.

It left Stuart McCall to curse another awful official for the umpteenth time and City trying to pick up the pieces from their fifth defeat at Valley Parade.

It was also scant reward for the 100 or so fans who had worked so hard to get the game on in the first place.

Without their enthusiastic early-morning efforts to clear the snow from the pitch and around the ground, City would have been facing a third successive bout of thumb-twiddling. In hindsight, that would not have been a bad thing.

This was hardly a battle of the form teams. City went into it without a victory in five at home and Shrewsbury had won just twice in 15 anywhere.

City had not tasted Valley Parade victory for over two months, a poor run that was dragging them down despite a decent record on the road.

With back-to-back home games this week, it was imperative that they finally started to make the big-crowd advantage count – and for a good while it looked like that might happen.

City certainly came charging out the blocks, winning five corners in the opening ten minutes. Scott Neilson had a shot deflected behind and Gareth Evans volleyed over.

Simon Whaley almost delivered a sensational opening goal after seven minutes. His 30-yard thunderbolt clipped off a Shrewsbury leg and bounced against the bar with keeper David Button completely beaten.

The fast start continued as Michael Flynn threaded a lovely ball through for Evans but his finish was weak, while only striker Dave Hibbert's outstretched leg prevented James Hanson's diving header finding the bottom corner.

A goal surely had to come and it did in the 11th minute – but at the other end. Shrewsbury had hardly crossed the halfway line when Terry Dunfield stunned City with a crisp 25-yard half-volley that flew beyond Simon Eastwood.

It was a total sucker punch, given City's dominance, but they emerged from a brief daze to grab an equaliser ten minutes later.

Zesh Rehman's thumping clearing header released Evans, who drove deep into the Shrewsbury box, held off Kelvin Langmead's challenge and intelligently squared for Hanson to knock home.

With an eighth goal of the season to his name, Hanson immediately went hunting another and Shane Cansdell-Sherriff atoned for a mistake in the Shrewsbury box with a desperate block from the big striker's close-range shot.

The pitch was holding up fairly well, considering the recent weather. The covers had ensured the surface remained soft despite the heavy frosts.

City were trying to knock the ball around, with Whaley a more prominent figure after a few flat performances.

But City fell behind again a minute before the break after Clarke was adjudged to have nudged Steve Leslie. The Shrewsbury striker went down like a sack of spuds, considering the minimal contact, but referee Quinn whistled immediately and booked the centre half.

It was a very soft penalty to concede and Kevin McIntyre compounded City's agony by sending Simon Eastwood the wrong way from the spot.

Things got even worse for City – and Clarke – within seconds after he ran into Hibbert chasing the ball out of play. Quinn ruled it another foul and judged Clarke to be last man, sending him off.

Clarke could not believe it and McCall was incandescent with rage on the touchline. He flew straight across to the diminutive referee as half-time sounded and angrily wagged a finger in his face.

Once again City were faced with playing the whole second half with a man down. Steve Williams was brought on to plug the defensive gap as Neilson made way.

Feelings were still running high among the fans when the game restarted and Quinn was booed incessantly.

Williams soon needed running repairs to his right hand, which left City briefly down to nine men before he was strapped up to continue.

City were pushing for an equaliser and Luke O'Brien was getting further and further forward on the left flank. The corner tally reached double figures but Lee Bullock's header from Whaley's kick flew straight at Button.

Bullock went much closer when he chested down a loose ball and drove it just the wrong side of the post. Then Whaley skidded an awkward effort which Button did well to push clear.

The referee continued to win no friends with the crowd when he decided not to book Dean Holden for halting O'Brien's overlap with a tug of the full back's shirt.

Omar Daley came on to a big roar in the 69th minute, replacing Whaley, who had produced his best City home performance. The substitute was tested straight away by a crunching tackle from Neal.

Eastwood fell awkwardly after a challenge with Hibbert for a clearance from his opposite number Button.

The pitch was cutting up badly, making it an even tougher task for City to claw their way back, and it became impossible 11 minutes from time when Shrewsbury added a third goal.

Eastwood made a good save from Neal but Hibbert was following up to kill off City for good.

Rehman got caught in possession inside his own area and Dunfield went down as he tried to retrieve the loose ball but this time the referee and assistant were unmoved.

It was petering out for City but there was one late positive. Daley produced a great run at the end, wiggling his way through four Shrewsbury players into a shooting position before Holden's deflection diverted his effort behind the goal.

There was just time for one last boo at Quinn on the final whistle.






===========================

City defender accuses ref as red card proves turning point
    
Matt Clarke fears lower-division referees are flashing cards to copy
what they see on the television.

Clarke was harshly sent off as City lost 3-1 to Shrewsbury yesterday –
their third home defeat in a row.

Rookie official Peter Quinn booked the centre half twice in the space of
a minute, as well as awarding a penalty against him.

Neither incident looked worthy of a yellow card as Clarke became the
fifth City player to get their marching orders.

He said: "I'm absolutely disgusted. I've been sent off before with two
yellows and felt that only one was justified but I've never been 100 per
cent cheated like this.

"The first one for the penalty was the most blatant dive I've ever seen.
He just collapsed to his knees and I thought he was the one getting
booked for diving.

"Then I don't think the referee even saw the other incident. (Dave)
Hibbert just touched me, clipped his own ankle and fell to the floor.

"I just think some refs watch Match of the Day and see a few yellow and
red cards flying around and try to mimic that. I don't know what's in
their head these days."

Stuart McCall reacted furiously to Clarke's dismissal and, having watched both
incidents on DVD again, he remained convinced that the defender was
innocent.

McCall fumed: "No disrespect to Paul Simpson and Shrewsbury but they
haven't beaten us. It's sickening.

"There's no logic and common sense from the referee. I hate whinging
about officials but it's just soul-destroying. I'm not making excuses;
it's just glaringly obvious that he was wrong."

City are hunting a new goalkeeper after McCall confirmed that Simon
Eastwood has gone back to Huddersfield.

"We've got a young back four and I'm just trying to find someone with
more experience," he said.

"Easty has shown great character because he's had an up and down spell
but I'm sure it will stand him in good stead."

Meanwhile, director of operations David Baldwin thanked the volunteers
who had helped clear ice from the pitch and around the stadium.

He said: "It was a fantastic response from the fans and staff. It's
testament to them that other games were called off and we were on."

===========================

Rhodes reflects on probably the worst decade in history of roller-coaster club
3:30pm Tuesday 29th December 2009

By Simon Parker

From Chelsea to Cheltenham – not even Alton Towers could match the Bradford City rollercoaster.

Is there another club in the country who have been through quite as much over the past ten years?

City's first home game of the 'noughties' saw Gianluca Vialli's expensively-assembled millionaires swan into Valley Parade.

On Saturday, 2010 will be heralded with the visit of a side who were just taking their first steps in league football a decade ago. It's been some fall from grace.

From the high of David Wetherall's header to see off Liverpool and clinch Premier League salvation to the lows of being humbled at home by the likes of Accrington and Rochdale.

Three relegations and, more significantly, the off-field horrors of two administrations made it a decade that every supporter will be glad to be rid of.

Joint-chairman Julian Rhodes suffered every body blow and knows exactly how those fans feel. In his programme notes on Monday, he admitted it was difficult to pick out many positives from the last year – or ten.

But there remains one beacon of hope for the Bantams.

The size of their crowds is still the envy of League Two – and most of the division above – and the take-up level for next year indicates it will again be the case come August.

"Amazement is probably the best word to describe my reaction," said Rhodes.

"We're trying to bring affordable professional football to the people of Bradford but it's only going to work if they back us; and they are doing that to a phenomenal extent.

"Despite the fact we are still in League Two, the success of our season-ticket campaign does give us a platform to build on. Any club is only as big as its fanbase.

"When we were starting this, we all hoped to bounce back to League One. We've been mid-table, really, ever since then.

"But we all hope at some point we can reward them and start the push forwards.

"I'd like to keep a scheme going in some way. Even if we do eventually get promoted, I would still like to try to do something at a higher level.

"All right, we've probably had one of the worst decades in the club's history. But the one before that was probably one of the best.

"Even Mark (Lawn) doesn't believe me but at some point we have to think we will turn the corner. That is much more achievable with a bigger fanbase.

"Mistakes were made on the back of surviving in the Premier League and we've been trying to rectify those ever since.

"People say we shouldn't keep harping on about that ten years on. But as a consequence of what we had to do, we had to sell the stadium and we will keep having to pay for that every year.

"But the rent and overheads we pay become less significant as we go up the leagues. That's what we need to do and we need supporters to stick by us.

"In spite of everything, people are still backing us. They are desperate for success."

Rhodes has also hinted about a couple of money-making ventures that will be unveiled in the new year.

He said: "They would see us at the forefront of developing new income streams. They are things that will prove useful for the supporters.

"And from our point of view, they should help raise money to back the team in our on-going quest to finally turn things round."

A Valley Parade upturn is long overdue.



===========================




*Huddersfield Town goalkeeper Simon Eastwood would like to stay at Bradford
City beyond the end of his loan spell.*

The 20-year-old is due to return to the Galpharm Stadium on 3 January.

Eastwood told BBC Radio Leeds: "It's up to Bradford and Huddersfield to
agree something and then I'd be more than happy to stay."

Eastwood joined the Bantams from the Terriers in July 2009 and has been
ever-present for the League Two side this season.

The England Under-18 and Under-19 international endured a difficult start to
life at Bradford as they failed to win any of their opening four games,
conceding 10 goals in the process.

"I've learnt so much from the opening game of the season and three or four
games after that when I was getting stick from the fans.

"I think it's been made me stronger and I think I've won most of the fans
over now which I thought I had to do to get better.
"Obviously as a goalkeeper you're an easy target I feel like I've been
playing a lot better.

"If you're inexperienced it's hard to get on the ladder, but Bradford gave
me my chance which I'm grateful for and I just want to keep playing."


===========================
Julian's programme notes before the game

"I think its fair to say that 2009 was not a hugely successful year
for the football club"
I would like to start today by wishing you all a happy Christmas and
the very best for the New Year. We extend our festive welcome to our
visitors from Shrewsbury.

Our two clubs played here at a similar time last season and, whilst
there were no goals in the game, it was an entertaining match. We hope
for more of the same this afternoon, but with some goals this time. I
am writing these notes ahead of the Bury game so I obviously don't
know the outcome of that match, but today promises to be another tough
test for us.

It is traditional at this time of year to look back at the highs and
lows of the past 12 months. However, considering the way we allowed
last season to slip away so disappointingly and the fact that we find
ourselves in the bottom half of the table this time around, as well as
being out of all three cup competitions, I think it is fair to say
that 2009 was not a hugely successful year for the football club.


As the end of this week also marks the end of a decade, I thought it
would be a good idea to review the highs and lows of the last ten
years. Then again, having started the year 2000 in the Premier League
before suffering a series of financial crises and three relegations,
it's hard to take too many positives from that period either!

The main highlight from the last ten years is probably the fact that
we have come through such a difficult time for the club with a
phenomenal supporter base intact. When we initiated our campaign to
bring affordable professional football to supporters about three years
ago, it was only ever going to work if everyone got behind it. It is
testimony to the ongoing success of the scheme that we can continue to
offer cheap season tickets to our supporters, and I am delighted to
report that sales in our festive offer are, as of December 18, around
double what they were last year. It is clear that, despite being in
the bottom half of the lowest tier of the Football League, there is
still an appetite among people to come and watch us.

This bodes well for the future, as being able to count on a strong
supporter base is one of the fundamental strengths of any football
club. People say that events occur in cycles so perhaps the start of a
new decade will herald a long overdue transformation in our fortunes,
which would be just reward for our fans for their continued support.

Having said that, I am a firm believer in the old adage that you make
your own luck. With the continued efforts of everybody concerned with
the football club - including the fans of course - then I have to
believe that better times are round the corner. I keep telling Mark
things will eventually improve, but I'm not sure he believes me any
more!

Despite all the challenges we have faced in the last ten years, it is
important that we all remain positive about what the New Year will
bring. I hope you have an enjoyable, prosperous and successful 2010
and that Bradford City is part of that success story.

Enjoy the game

Julian Rhodes





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