L2 v Northampton (h) W 2-0 May 1st 2010

Coca-Cola League Two
Bradford C (1) 2 Evens 12, 81.
Northampton (0) 0
Att: 12,403

Stats: Bradford C - Northampton
Possession: 50 - 50%
Shots on target: 9 - 6
Shots off target: 2 - 4
Fouls: 9 - 10
Corners: 7 - 4

Ref: Phil Crossley (Kent)
Red card:
Northampton: Beckwith (37 min.)
Yellow cards:
Bradford C: None.
Northampton: Johnson (45+3).

Bradford C: 13. Jon McLaughlin, 5. Zesh Rehman (57), 6. Matthew Clarke, 12.
Steve Williams, 28. Robbie Threlfall, 4. Michael Flynn, 8. Lee Bullock, 33.
Adam Bolder, 20. Leon Osborne, 9. Gareth Evans, 31. Gavin Grant.
SUBS: 40. Matthew Glennon (GK), 2. Simon Ramsden (57), 3. Luke O'Brien, 15.
Ryan Kendall, 16. Jonathan Bateson, 19. James O'Brien, 26. Scott Neilson.

Northampton: 26. Jason Steele, 3. John Johnson, 6. Dean Beckwith, 11. Andrew
Holt, 23. Peter Gilbert (73), 2. Paul Rodgers, 8. Abdul Osman, 12. Ryan
Gilligan, 14. Liam Davis, 10. Adebayo Akinfenwa (73), 17. Billy Mckay (73).
SUBS: 1. Chris Dunn (GK), 5. Craig Hinton, 9. Steve Guinan (73), 15. Alex
Dyer, 19. John Curtis, 22. Courtney Herbert (73), 30. Kevin Thornton (73).

Next match: (A) Crewe, Saturday May 8, 2010. K.O. 3:00PM.




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

Coca-Cola League Two
Bradford C (1) 2 Evens 12, 81.
Northampton (0) 0
Att: 12,403

By Simon Parker (T&A)

Gareth Evans blasted two superb goals as City signed off their home campaign
with a third successive Valley Parade win.

The Bantams made it five games unbeaten and finished off ten-man
Northampton's play-off ambitions.

After a perfectly-observed minute's silence for the fire victims, the
visitors made the brighter start and Jon McLaughlin pulled off two saves to
keep them out.

But City took the lead with their first effort on target after 12 minutes -
and what a belter it was as Evans crashed a 30-yarder into the roof of the
net.

Northampton's hopes took a further dip when centre half Dean Beckwith was
sent off for a professional foul on Leon Osborne.

And they could have gone down to nine when John Johnson floored Evans with a
swinging arm.

Leon Osborne was twice denied his first City goal by Northampton keeper
Jason Steele in the second half.

And Steele kept out a fierce drive from Gavin Grant as the home side
threatened with their speed on the break.

But the keeper had no chance with City's second from another lightning
counter-attack nine minutes from time.

Grant fed Adam Bolder and his cross was met by a spectacular chest-high
volley from Evans.

With Northampton's heads dropping, Steele made further saves from Grant and
Michael Flynn as the home side finished in complete control.

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

Football Focus from VP


http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/football_focus/8655405.stm

3 postings on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipP65Z5U9xY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5Athy6Ugjs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3yOcoOd8RY


Radio 4 are trailing that the Archive on 4 programme at 20.00 BST this Saturday is going to be
on the Bradford City Fire.

Archive on 4 is an hour long with a shorterned repeat Monday afternoon's at 15.00 BST.
If you can't listen to it live it will be available via Listen Again for a week on iPlayer which, unlike
TV, is also available for listeners outside the UK. And, of course, you can also listen to the live
webcast of Radio 4.

---
Not a direct post as it contains pictures and comments which could
potentially act as triggers.  I imagine there will be quite a lot of stuff
in the papers over the next few weeks, for the 20th year following the fire
there were articles in the Times nearly every day.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1268548/Gaby-Logan-How-mums-decision-leave-stand-early-saved-fatal-Bradfo

rd-FC-fire.html

Archive On 4 – The Bradford Fire: A Day That Will Live With Me For Ever is
on BBC Radio 4 on Saturday May 1 at 8pm. Gabby also presents a daily show,
Monday-Friday, 12pm-2pm, on BBC Radio 5 Live.





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

Emotionally-charged day ends in triumph for Bantams
7:30am Monday 3rd May 2010
By Simon Parker

City 2 Northampton 0

It was an afternoon when the past intermingled with the future.

The poignancy of the occasion as Valley Parade mourned a quarter of a century since the fire was marked by a City

display which sent out the right message for times ahead.

Peter Taylor could sense the special atmosphere of the occasion. And it gave him a glimpse of what it might be like

if he can reverse the club's decade of decline.

Taylor says it was the potential of the place which attracted him to the job in the first place. The chance to

rouse the sleeping giant was a powerful allure.

On Saturday, amid the solemn remembrance of the disaster victims and then the jubilation of a convincing win,

Taylor sensed it again.

"It brings a community even closer when a disaster happens like it did 25 years ago," he said. "That's the feeling

I've had at the football club ever since I've been here.

"There's a lovely feeling around the place. The supporters are desperate for their team to get back to where they

should be.

"That's the type of support we would get every week if we were to start being a good team in this division and

being up there. I thought there was a magnificent feeling, and any player in the changing room could see that."

I'm not going to waste too much space on those dim-witted few who spoiled the mood with their pointless posturing

on the pitch after the final whistle.

I just wonder what the travelling Northampton fans – many of whom were sporting the "remember" t-shirts in honour

of those who had lost their lives – must have thought of the goons gesturing in front of them. It was a pathetic

sight.

Far more importantly, Taylor's first day in the job "for real" saw a thoroughly-deserved third home win on the

bounce.

It wasn't easy, particularly in a first half where Northampton played with the poise and purpose of a side chasing

a play-off finish, but City worked their socks off to get the rewards.

Even down to ten men after Dean Beckwith's straight red for a professional foul on Leon Osborne, the Cobblers still

asked a few awkward questions.

But City's prowess on the counter-attack eventually wore down the visitors, who are effectively now resigned to

facing the Bantams again next season.

The team Northampton will encounter on their next visit north is anyone's guess. Only Taylor and the board know who

he wants to keep from the current crop of out-of-contract players and who will be thrown on that ever-growing

scrapheap.

The manager is not saying yet but revealed that his mind has been made up. The consistency of recent results will

certainly have helped confirm those decisions.

One thing you can guarantee is that Taylor's Bantams will not lack for pace going forward.

Raw speed is as effective as any weapon at this level and Northampton struggled to cope with the three musketeers

on Saturday.

Osborne and Gavin Grant were again the quick-on-the-draw deputies supporting sharp-shooter Gareth Evans – who, on

current form, must wish the season could be extended for another couple of months.

It is a staggering statistic but before Chester-field, Evans had scored only once in his previous 24 starts.

His superb double on Saturday made it three goals in two games and took him up to 11 in total.

Evans is now just two behind James Hanson – maybe the big man's prize as the club's top scorer in last week's

awards ceremony was a bit premature.

Evans laughed: "I like to think I can still take it off him! But James has had a fantastic season and, coming from

non-league, deserves everything that's come his way.

"It was painful on Tuesday to see the leading goalscorer title given away and maybe that had something to do with

my two goals."

His first goal was City's only shot on target in the first half.

Jon McLaughlin had already been called upon twice before the 12th-minute opener and pulled off a sharp save to deny

Northampton skipper Ryan Gilligan after a rare mix-up between Michael Flynn and Lee Bullock.

City's response came out of nothing. Adam Bolder nodded the ball on to Evans 30 yards from goal and he took it on

the chest, swivelled and unleashed a ferocious half-volley that screamed into the roof of the net.

It was as good a City goal as any this season and even topped his piledriver at Rochdale in Taylor's first win.

Northampton continued to trouble, with Adebayo Akinfenwa, despite his generous Sunday League proportions, always a

handful for Matt Clarke with his bulk and sheer body strength.

There were times when the two could have been a side-show at Wrestlemania as they grappled and grabbed. The

beautiful game it most definitely wasn't.

Akinfenwa's partnership with the nippy Billy McKay kept City on their toes, though most of the home side's problems

were of their own making as they tried to overplay in the wrong areas.

Beckwith was rightly dismissed for tugging back Osborne as he looked to break and John Johnson should have followed

for a forearm smash on Evans.

But Northampton remained dangerous from long throw-ins and McKay clipped the post to warn City against switching

off, thinking the job was done.

City needed a second goal – and could have had it on numerous occasions in a second half where they crackled and

fizzed as they poured forward.

With the Cobblers switching to three at the back, City eagerly exploited the gaps that appeared and Osborne was

twice prevented his first senior goal by good saves from Jason Steele.

The keeper acrobatically turned away a Grant effort that was bound for the top corner before Evans made sure nine

minutes from time with another classy strike.

Grant led the break again, Bolder crossed to the far post and Evans connected with a sweet chest-high volley.

From that point it was all City and Taylor justifiably felt they could and should have scored more from a

grandstand finish.

But it had been a satisfying day's work for the man at the helm. And a prequel, maybe, of many more to follow.


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


From Friday...

Taylor signs one year contract

Bradford City are delighted to be able to announce that Peter Taylor
has signed a new contract with the football club.

Taylor's existing deal with the Bantams was due to expire next month,
but his new one year contract means that the 57 year old will remain
at the helm at the Coral Windows Stadium.

The news of the agreement, just a day before City's final home match
of the season against Northampton, also means that the visit of the
Cobblers won't be Taylor's last match in charge of the Bantams at
Valley Parade.



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

(thursday)
From Yorkshire Post:

BRADFORD City Council and Bradford Bulls last night insisted that the
Odsal Sports Village project remains on track and is the most viable
option for the future growth of sport in the city.

However, both parties did not categorically rule out the proposals of
Bradford City joint-chairman Julian Rhodes to base the two clubs at
Valley Parade under one umbrella.

Peter Hood, chairman of Bradford Bulls, said: "The Odsal Sport Village
remains on schedule, but as always with projects of this size that
encompass a number of partners, it is a slow process. We are confident
that will still happen.

"However, if it were to fail we would have to look at what is the best
option for the future of Bradford Bulls and if that option is moving to
Valley Parade then absolutely, we would look, along with Bradford City,
into seeing if that could work."

The council's strategic director for culture, tourism and sport, Jane
Glaister, said: "The council, with its partners, is investing in a
sports village for the whole community.

"Both City and the Bulls are private companies independent of the
council's control; should both clubs wish to pursue the option of ground
sharing at Valley Parade that would be their decision and not something
the council should seek to influence.

"However, Valley Parade does not offer the same opportunity to collate a
wide range of sport, leisure, education and health community facilities
alongside professional sport, and would not support its aspiration to
deliver the sports village.

"We have serious options for the Odsal Sports Village project and
everything is going to plan and is on timetable."

The council could not comment on the value of the Odsal site in its
present guise.


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

Come and see Village plan is alive, Hood tells Rhodes

BRADFORD Bulls chairman Peter Hood last night invited Bradford City
counterpart Julian Rhodes to join him at their next Odsal Sporting
Village meeting to prove the controversial project is far from "dead".

Rhodes had suggested in yesterday's Yorkshire Post that the city's two
major sporting clubs need to merge and play together at the Valley
Parade football ground if they are both to transform their fortunes.

He argued that in the wake of another "collapsed" deal for Odsal's re-
development, it was the sensible solution.

But Hood retorted: "To quote Mark Twain, reports of the death of Odsal
Sporting Village are greatly exaggerated.

"Julian Rhodes talks about the scheme being dead, having collapsed,
being kicked into touch and bit the dust but that's just not the case.

"I'll invite him along to our next meeting of the partners group on
May 13. If he is willing, he can come and see the representatives from
Sport England, Yorkshire Forward, Bradford College, Bradford
University, Bradford Bulls and others all talking about the sporting
village and all fully believing it is going to happen."

A decision by the Learning and Skills Council to freeze funding for
major campus refurbishment plans at Bradford College, a major partner
in the proposed Osdal Sporting Village, left the local authority with
just £19.3m of the required money for the original £75.5m plan.

That alerted City but, although Bradford Council and the partners are
now exploring other scaled-down schemes, Hood also insisted there is
still scope for the initial blueprint to eventually materialise.

"We could probably only go up to £45m or £50m if the scheme now
continued as a public partnership with the likes of the college and
university," he said.

"But we are talking to private developers who can possibly come in and
help deliver the £75m version.

"That is still on-going. Julian Rhodes also suggested Odsal should be
sold by the council and the money should be put into moving to Valley
Parade but the council does not own Odsal. Bradford Bulls does."

Hood maintained the Super League club envisage bulldozers will finally
move in on the Odsal site at some stage next year.


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

From Wednesday

BANTAMS STRIKER SWEEPS THE BOARD

Bradford City striker James Hanson has spoken of his delight after being
voted the Bantams' Player of the Year on Tuesday night.

Hanson, who joined the Bantams from non-league side Guiseley last summer,
has scored 13 goals during his first season in professional football and
picked up no fewer than five awards at the club's end-of-season dinner.

"This is all unbelievable, I didn't expect anything from (Tuesday's awards
ceremony)," the 22-year-old told the club's official website. "This is a
great honour and I am really pleased to pick this award up.

"I love being at the club and I have just tried to give my all every time I
come here, but I never really expected anything like this."

Hanson also picked up the Michael Stainthorpe Memorial Shield, Bradford City
Supporter's Club Under-25s Player of the Year, Telegraph & Argus's Most
Consistent Player of the Year and the accolade for being the club's top
scorer.

Lee Bullock picked up the Player's Player of the Year award, while captain
Simon Ramsden was named as the IDL Supporters Club Player of the Year. Tom
Marshall claimed the David Bairstow Memorial Trophy and Chris Elliott
clinched the Youth Team's Player of the Year award.


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

From Thursday

JULIAN RHODES last night called for the biggest shake-up in Bradford's sporting history with a merger of the city's

senior football and rugby league clubs.
In the wake of the £75.5m sporting village for Odsal being kicked into touch due to a funding shortfall, the City

joint chairman believes the time has come for his own club and the Bulls to be run by one entity with both playing

at Valley Parade.

Rhodes is adamant such a move would help revitalise both clubs after a slump in fortunes that has seen the Bantams

slip into the basement division and the Bulls finish last season in their lowest position of the Super League era.

Under his proposal, Odsal would be sold and the funds used to turn Valley Parade, which has had £15m spent on

redevelopment in the past 14 years, into a base for both clubs.

Speaking exclusively to the Yorkshire Post, Rhodes said: "After the collapse of another scheme for Odsal, the time

has come for some clear thinking.

"Bradford needs a lift as a city, everyone can see that, and sport could be the catalyst for that positive change –

but only if there is some imaginative thinking that can provide us with a true vision.

"The two clubs sharing one stadium has always been worth investigating, it is why we were open-minded about

possibly moving to Odsal when the latest scheme was first suggested.

"But now that is dead, surely the time has come for City and the Bulls to look into pooling our resources at Valley

Parade? What I will say is we are not interested in the Bulls coming down here just to share our stadium with no

money.

"Instead, any plan has to be entirely dependent on Odsal being sold for a decent pot of money. With that in mind,

the Council's next step should be to investigate just how much the land at Odsal is worth because, without that,

there is no hope of the clubs coming together as one entity.

"If the two clubs don't move in together now, we never will. This is our last opportunity to get Bradford sport

going back in the right direction. Let's not waste it."

Rhodes's blueprint for the future of Bradford sport follows last month's news that the latest grandiose scheme for

Odsal, which included an 18,000 capacity all-seater stadium, has bitten the dust.

Since then, Bradford Council, who have committed £15m to the project from their capital budget, have started

looking at several scaled-down options.

Rhodes, however, believes this would be a monumental mistake and wants to sit down with Bulls chairman Peter Hood

and the council in the near future.

He said: "We have to get things moving. There are possible benefits for both clubs in terms of ticketing through to

shared overheads such as rent and utility bills.

"On the flipside, the clubs would miss out on individual naming rights for the stadium and other income streams.

"It is why the clubs coming together can only happen if Odsal is sold for a decent sum, hence why the council must

discover its true value."

One potential stumbling block to the two sharing Valley Parade is that the stadium is owned by an outside party,

namely the family pension fund of former City chairman Gordon Gibb.

The ground was sold in 2003 for £2.5m to try to alleviate the Bantams' then perilous financial position and the

League Two club last year paid £339,000 in rent.

Seventeen years remain on the lease, though City, who also rent the site that houses the club shop and office block

from Prudential, have an option to extend by a further 25 years.

Using the proceeds from selling Odsal to buying Valley Parade on behalf of a newly-formed stadium management

company would, according to Rhodes, be something to investigate.

However, he is also quick to point out that it is not the only option open to a newly-formed Bradford sporting

club. He said: "If the council come back and say Odsal is worth only £2m then that means us moving in together is a

non-starter. But if it is worth a decent sum, surely selling the land and using the proceeds to help both clubs get

back on their feet is the sensible option.

"Depending on what the findings are, there may be enough money to buy Valley Parade. But if there isn't then the

proceeds can still be put to good use.

"Moving the Bulls in here would also prevent the council spending another £15m on Odsal, money that could be spent

on worthier causes than a sports stadium.

"The council has wasted enough money on Odsal already and the question needs to be asked how they got into the

position where they were paying the Bulls so much to play there in the first place"


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

From Sunday 25th

From the Official BCFC Website...

NEILSON RETURNS TO BRADFORD

Scott Neilson will return to the Bantams during this week after completing
his loan period with Blue Square Premier side Cambridge United.

Neilson and his Cambridge team-mates brought the curtain down on the U's
Blue Square Premier season on Saturday afternoon with a 2-0 victory at
Altrincham Town.

With the U's campaign now concluded, Neilson will return to the Coral
Windows Stadium for the Bantams final two matches of their 2009/10 season.

The 22 year old enjoyed a successful spell at the Abbey Stadium, starting
every match and sparking a run of only three defeats from fourteen matches
for Cambridge since his arrival in early March.

His reappearance back into Peter Taylor's ranks will act as a timely boost
to the Bantams boss following Omar Daley's forthcoming three game
suspension.

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



Bradford City management team have called for a need for greater respect from spectators.  At Saturday's game

versus Northampton Town, Club officials were delighted at the gracious response of visiting fans who attended in

great numbers, bought "remember" t-shirts and placed flowers scarves and pennants on the memorial.  In addition,

one supporters group held a raffle on their coach, raising over £100 which was donated to the Burns Unit Appeal. 

For those supporters then to be abused and threatened both inside and outside the group is totally unacceptable.
 
The BBC's Football Focus feature earlier in the day captured the significance of the day for the Club as it

approaches the 25th anniversary of the Bradford City Fire Disaster.  How any football fan watching that programme

can fail to be affected by the tragedy and significance of what happened 25 years ago is beyond belief. 

Northampton Town fans, and fans from other clubs, have shown their respect to Bradford City and its supporters and

for a significant minority to behave in the way they did at the game is unacceptable.
 
Bradford City FC have agreed an immediate action plan which includes:

Making contact with Northampton Town to extend thanks and place an apology in the match programme and website
An examination of CCTV footage to establish individuals involved and issues banning orders
Banning of any spectators who can be identified as being on the pitch after the game
Reviewing stewarding and Policing arrangements for games in 2010/11
Reviewing the ground configuration for next year's matches
Improving the CCTV system in the ground for next year
 
The Club believes that this is latest and worst incident of a lowering of standards by some spectators.  Entry on

to the pitch when asked not to do so by the Club, abuse of visiting supporters in Midland Road, foul and abusive

language, persistent standing during the game and even the failure of stop the drumming in the Bradford End while

the Fire & Rescue Service Band were playing, all show a lack of respect for others.  The Club will look closely at

these issues over the summer months and asks that all true Bradford City fans help and support any of our efforts

to remove those who undermine the good name of the Club


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