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McCall's reign is over

5:54pm Saturday 6th February 2010


By Simon Parker »


Stuart McCall's 133-game reign as City boss is over.

McCall will officially step down on Monday when he meets joint-chairman Julian Rhodes.

But the Bantams legend has made it clear that his mind is made up.

Speaking after today's 1-0 home loss to Bury, McCall said: "It's time for somebody else to come in and take up the

reins and hopefully do well.

"I've been very fortunate as a player to have had two great spells here. I've been very fortunate to have the

career I've had.

"I've been honoured to be here and the support I've had from everyone has been fantastic.

"Today would have been a defining line in the season for me. If we had beaten Bury, the dream of making seventh

place would have been on.

"The form has been okay, the results haven't been good enough. It's just not meant to be.

"It's really hard because I came with hopes and aspirations of fulfilling a lot of people's dreams."


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Coca-Cola League Two
Bradford C (0) 0
Bury (0) 1 Morrell 52
Att: 11,965

PROBABLE FAREWELL GESTURE FROM McCALL

Stuart McCall's reign as City boss was in doubt after another home defeat
this afternoon.

McCall deliberately went to every stand at the final whistle to applaud the
supporters. It looked very much a gesture of farewell.

Andy Morrell's 52nd-minute strike earned promotion-chasing Bury a league
double over the Bantams. It also stretched City's run without a Valley
Parade win to seven games.

Now the spotlight is back on McCall after the Bantams failed to build on
last week's dramatic victory over Torquay.

City certainly battled away against their high-riding opponents as they had
done at Gigg Lane a few weeks ago.

They also had the chances to fight back from Morrell's strike after the
defence had been opened up by Stephen Dawson.

Gareth Evans went close three times, Zesh Rehman - playing at right back -
volleyed straight at keeper Wayne Brown and Luke O'Brien lashed narrowly
over.

Then deep into stoppage time, Peter Thorne flashed a free header agonisingly
wide.

McCall had asked for the backing of the fans - and made a point of walking
around the pitch to clap the stands afterwards.

It was the most obvious sign that his time is coming to a close.




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SM texted the Football League Show, as on BBC last
night. After the League 2 games as usual Lizzie read out the fans comments and she
said "We start with a manager who we absolutely, categorically know was the real
McCoy. Stuart McCall has texted in ...".
They knew it really was him as they called back to check (when he also confirmed things
where not looking good and he had a meeting with the chairman on Monday). His sms
was to say he'd "just like to thank the unbelievable support i've received from the fans at
bradford, unfortunately it was just not meant to be ... "

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http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/4993624.McCall_gone_but_he_will_never_be_forgotten/


McCall gone but he will never be forgotten

6:10pm Sunday 7th February 2010

By Simon Parker

Julian Rhodes was at a wedding and missed Saturday's game.

But tomorrow morning he will be back at Valley Parade to witness the end of a match he hoped would be made in

heaven.

Stuart McCall and City seemed the perfect marriage when Rhodes unveiled his man in May 2007.

With City facing their first season in the bottom tier for a quarter of a century, fortunes were at their lowest

ebb.

Step forward a club legend to take the helm; a man with claret and amber in his veins.

The fairy tale would have seen McCall lead City out of the wilderness and back up the divisions. He would have been

manager ad infinitum.

Reality, in the gnarled old world of League Two, doesn't work like that.

McCall discovered that within nine minutes of his first kick-off as Macclesfield gatecrashed the opening-day

celebration. Opposing teams did not cower in the Valley Parade limelight – most seemed to bask in it.

So 132 games later it ended with Andy Morrell, a real warrior at this level, breaking City's resistance in front of

the Bradford End.

There was a symmetry about McCall's final league record. From 119 games, he had won 43 and lost the same. Hardly

the stuff of legend.

Yet nobody put in more work or more hours for "their" club than McCall.

He would watch and rewatch match DVDs long into the early hours; sometimes breaking up family get-togethers or

nights out to rush back and study them one more time.

Yes, he was very well paid by bottom division standards, even allowing for the pay cut he voluntarily took during

last summer's belt- tightening exercise.

But City certainly got their pound of flesh from a guy who was so desperate to reward the fans for their support.

It was more than a job; it was his club and his people – and he felt personally responsible.

McCall would read every letter that landed on his desk and reply to them personally. The only time he got others to

help out was because of the sheer weight of mail that arrived in the wake of last season's U-turn to stay on. That

was a decision prompted by the overwhelming public response. His public.

The quit threat at Bournemouth was no empty gesture to attract sympathy and easy headlines. It came from the heart

– like everything he did.

McCall was always acutely aware of public opinion. He could relate to all levels of the club from the boardroom to

the young lads in the school of excellence.

Unlike several predecessors, he would take a keen interest in every age group and knew many of the players by name.

Nothing was beneath him.

But it has been no smooth ride. His relationship with Mark Lawn has become strained to the point where they have

barely communicated in months.

Suggestions from above that he should bring in the know-how of an older head in his coaching staff have been

rebuffed.

McCall is very much his own man and will leave Valley Parade on his own terms. But he remains a man of the Bradford

people and that will never change.

Who else would text the BBC's Football League show late on a Saturday night to personally thank the fans?

McCall will always care what people think. And that's why people will always care deeply for McCall.


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From the Official BCFC Website...

Bradford City Football Club have released the following statement:

Stuart McCall has today left his post as manager of Bradford City.

The decision was felt to be in the best interests of all parties following a run of disappointing results that have

left the club in 16th place in the League Two table.

The club would like to place on record its appreciation for Stuart's efforts as manager over the past two years and

seven months.During this time he has worked tirelessly and no one is more disappointed that his endeavours have not

been rewarded with more success on the field than Stuart himself.

Stuart will always have a special place in the hearts of our fans for the dedication and passion he has

consistently shown to Bradford City, starting with two highly successful spells as a player with the club.No one

could have anticipated the overwhelming response to the season ticket campaign of 2007/2008.This great achievement

illustrated the huge regard Stuart is held in by everyone connected with the club.His place in some of the most

memorable times in the club's history is assured.

The Board would like to thank Stuart who, in recognition of the financial position of the club, has accepted a

settlement in lieu of the remaining period of his contract that is reasonable, affordable and by no means as much

as he could have been entitled to.This is because Stuart wants the club's finances to be as strong as possible in

order to achieve the ambition of climbing back up the Football League.

The club will now seek to appoint a new manager to help us to achieve this ambition and reward the loyalty of the

fans, including the 6,800 who have already purchased season tickets for the 2010/2011 campaign.



JACOBS OVERSEAS TRAINING

Bradford City Football Club can confirm Wayne Jacobs took charge of first
team training today (Monday 8 February 2010) following the departure of
Stuart McCall.

Jacobs has been asked to look after first team affairs and oversee training
until further notice.

The football club would like to confirm that no decision has currently been
made over the managerial position at the Coral Windows Stadium.

No one person has been appointed as acting manager for this season or even
for this Saturday's fixture against Grimsby Town at this moment in time.

The football club will not be making any further comment on this matter at
this moment.

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Any names leaping out? - this is so up to date McCall is already on the list
- Source = http://www.leaguemanagers.com

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BBC news

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bradford_city/8502899.stm


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