CFML pre-season news #2010-07-25

Fixtures
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/Fixtures/0,,10266,00.html

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

Sunday 25th - Taylor on shortlist to join Capello staff

Peter Taylor is on the short-list of candidates for a place in the new coaching set-up of England manager Fabio Capello.

It was thought that Gareth Southgate was the hot ­favourite to join Stuart Pearce and Ray Clemence in the backroom staff.

But Southgate is one of six names under consideration – and Taylor's one of them.

The 57-year-old has only just taken over at Bradford City, but if England call, then the Yorkshire club are unlikely to stand in his way if a compensation deal can be agreed.

Taylor has impressive credentials at international level. He has been in charge of the England Under-21 team for two spells – under Glenn Hoddle and Sven Goran Eriksson.

Under his management, the Under-21s played a ­total of 31 matches and lost only three.

He was also in charge of the senior team for one match – a 1-0 friendly ­defeat in Italy when he appointed David Beckham as England captain for the first time.



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

PITCH STANDS UP TO FIRST TEST

The newly refurbished playing surface at Valley Parade has received its
first test in the last week or so.

And so far it has passed with flying colours.

Like large areas of the United Kingdom, the Coral Windows Stadium has been
hit by several extremely heavy rain showers in the past few days.

The recent large deluge of rain has acted as an unofficial first test of the
new pitch's credentials.

While such rainfall in the past would have severely hampered the condition
of the old surface, this summer's refurbishment work seems to be working as
the pitch is still holding strong.

Part of this summer's pitch upgrade work focused on improving the drainage
system underneath the Valley Parade playing surface.

The decision to undertake such an operation seems an extremely wise one now
as the pitch is still looking in superb condition, despite the recent rain.

Even with large amounts of rainfall on it, the pitch itself is still firm
under foot and showing no signs of standing water anywhere.

The playing surface is in such strong condition groundsman Mick Doyle has
been able to continue to cut the grass using a motorised lawnmower.

If the surface was wet or soft, this feat would be near impossible as such
heavy machinery would simply get stuck and bogged down.

Doyle and his groundstaff will be hoping this is a sign of things to come as
they look to maintain a match winning surface for Peter Taylor's side this
season.

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


Speight can rejoin Bradford City for pre-season after winning appeal over sentence

7:00am Saturday 17th July 2010

Exclusive By Simon Parker

Jake Speight has been released from prison after successfully appealing against his sentence.

The City striker will be back in training on Monday after a judge at Sheffield Crown Court yesterday changed the original ruling.

His 12-week sentence for assault has been suspended for 18 months and he must do 100 hours of community work.

It means Speight is free to resume his new career at Valley Parade - and rebuild bridges with the club and the fans.

Speaking exclusively to the Telegraph & Argus, his solicitor Mark Croft stressed how grateful Speight has been that the club stuck by him.

He said: "I regret that this whole situation developed and I know Jake bitterly regrets putting the club in this position.

"We are very grateful for the way this has been handled by Peter Taylor and everybody at Bradford City. We massively appreciate the support that he has been given.

"Jake is determined to repay the faith the manager has shown in him and determined to regain the trust and respect of the supporters. I'm sure he will do that."

Croft admitted that they had decided not to tell City or his previous side Mansfield about the court case because they did not expect the 24-year-old to be jailed.

"Once I became aware of the incident, we discussed it at length and made a decision not to tell anybody," he added. "Mansfield Town 100 per cent didn't know.

"As well as doing football agency, I'm an experienced criminal lawyer and if we had thought for a minute that he was going to receive an immediate custodial sentence then we would have told both clubs. But I was absolutely convinced he wouldn't, and my faith in that was vindicated by the appeal.

"This incident was extremely out of character for Jake. He has no previous convictions."

Speight was jailed just over a week after completing his "dream" £25,000 switch to City. He can now join his new team-mates for next week's Essex tour.

Croft said: "Before the move to Bradford, there were a number of clubs interested in signing Jake. But this was his dream move.

"He wanted to play for Peter Taylor and he wanted to play for Bradford City.

"We agonised over this but Jake's desire to play for Bradford was so strong and we generally didn't believe he would be sent to prison.

"In fairness to Jake, he was aware that I had this same scenario with another player of mine. In that situation we felt there was a very real risk of the player going to prison and we told the prospective buying club.

"They didn't sign him and the irony then was that the player did not receive a custodial sentence."

********

BRADFORD CITY STRIKER JAKE SPEIGHT BEAT GIRLFRIEND BUT FREED AFTER APPEAL
DAILY STAR SUNDAY
25th July 2010
By Jonathan Corke

A MODEL WAG was left looking like a boxer's victim...by her footballer boyfriend.

Stunning Kathy Mugglestone, 21, was viciously bitten, battered and bruised by thuggish Bradford City striker Jake Speight.

She thought her hell was over when Speight, 24, was jailed earlier this month.

But she is now living in fear after he appealed against his sentence and was released early.

He was welcomed back by his club and is now in pre-season training.

Though she has a restraining order against him, Speight lives a few hundred yards from her home in Barnsley, South Yorkshire.

And Kathy, who has dyed her hair and changed her car since the attack, dreads seeing him.

She said: "My emotions have been so messed with. I was so pleased and relieved when he was sent to prison. Then, just a few days later, I was told by witness protection that he'd been let out.

"And I'm appalled that Bradford City have come out and said they are welcoming him back.

"He's a vicious, controlling, possessive bully and people need to know the truth."

Speight's cowardly attack on stunning Kathy took place in February after she drove him to a hospital for treatment to a footballing injury.

Speight, who was playing for Mansfield Town then, "flipped" during a row in Kathy's car.

She said: "He leaned over me and bit my eye, grabbed my boob and whacked me with a crutch.

"Before that, as I was driving, he'd grabbed my jaw, which was bruised. I was terrified, it was awful. But luckily he got out of the car and I locked the doors."

Kathy fled to a friend's house, where pictures of the injuries Speight inflicted were taken.

Police arrested the thug and charged him with assault. He pleaded guilty earlier this month and was jailed for 12 weeks.

But, after an appeal, his sentence was suspended for 18 months.
Kathy, who is a darts promotions girl, said: "I feel let down. Even if he served half his sentence, that would be some sort of justice."
She added: "We'd been together about two years and at first things were great.

"But he began to get more and more possessive and controlling.

"He would push me around. I'd have bruises on my body...but they were always in places people couldn't see.

"We split up about three times but every time he would apologise and say it would never happen again. I suppose love is blind and foolishly I always took him back. He's horrible."

Speight signed for Bradford City just over three weeks ago – but didn't tell the club he was due in court for assault.

Manager Peter Taylor, 57, was furious when he found out on the morning of the case but said he would welcome him back after his prison sentence.
A spokesman for Bradford City said the striker would be receiving a financial punishment and "be made aware of his future conduct".




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


From the Official BCFC website...

Pre-Season Friendly
Kicked Off: 1.00pm Saturday at Grange Lane.

North Ferriby United (0) 1 Bradshaw 65
Bradford City (1) 5 Daley 8, Morris 47, 51, Hanson 55, Evans 84

City 1st half:
13. Lloyd Saxton
2. Louis Horne
3. Luke O'Brien
4. James O'Brien
5. Steve Williams
6. Zesh Rehman
7. Scott Neilson
8. Lee Bullock
9. Matthew Tipton
10. Chris Simm
11. Omar Daley

City 2nd half:
1. Jon McLaughlin
12. Simon Ramsden
16. Robbie Threlfall
15. Shane Duff
14. Luke Oliver
21. Gareth Evans
18. Tom Adeyemi
19. David Syers
17. Lee Morris
20. Leon Osborne
22. James Hanson

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

Tuesday

Stambridge United v City

Full time score:

SUFC 0 BCFC 4 (Osborne 7, Neilson 32, Daley 83 & J O'Brien 87)


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


Canvey keeper unbeatable as Bradford City crash to defeat

11:10pm Wednesday 21st July 2010

By Simon Parker

Canvey Island 1, City 0

For once, City were the pre-season warm-up act.

They were the glittering attraction 24 hours earlier at Stambridge but for Canvey Island, the visit of the Bantams was the aperitif to their main course on Saturday.

The Brockway Stadium is bracing itself for the visit of Champions' League opposition, with FC Twente – the club Steve McClaren steered to the Dutch title last season – heading for the Essex estuary.

They should have been playing Southend but the Shrimpers pulled the plug because of their ongoing financial woes. Their loss is Canvey's gain.

After the previous day's eye-opener, City were happy to be playing on a decent pitch against a side who were recently in the Conference.

Now two divisions lower in the Ryman League, Canvey were still expected to pose a proper test for the Bantams.

Peter Taylor again fielded a different line-up for each half. The only change from the starters at Stambridge saw Omar Daley in for Leon Osborne.

Steve Williams was over his illness so there was no second appearance for coach Junior Lewis.

Scott Neilson had "done a Lee Bullock" with a severe grade-one hair cut, courtesy of Louis Horne earlier in the afternoon.

The winger had an extra incentive to stand out – Canvey's assistant manager Glen Alzapiedi used to be his manager at Ware.

Canvey were not pulling out of any tackles and Tom Adeyemi got up limping after a 50-50 with Kevin Dobinson. Fortunately the youngster shook it off.

Neilson's through-ball sent Chris Simm scampering clear but he was denied a first City goal by a smart block by keeper James Russell.

Daley and Neilson kept switching sides and as the Jamaican cut in from the left to fashion a shot, he was foiled by a lunge from Jon Edwards. The Canvey midfielder briefly returned after treatment but was soon replaced.

Greg Cohen fired over Lloyd Saxton's bar from an angle before City should have scored after 28 minutes.

Daley found James Hanson bursting into the box and a neat side-step left the big man with only Russell to beat but he tried to be too precise and lofted wide.

Daley was feeling the force of a few challenges but got up smiling after being up-ended once again – and he should have been beaming when Adeyemi's pass put him in the clear. The winger closed in menacingly on goal, only to shank his shot over the sparsely-populated terrace behind.

The action seemed to follow Daley like a magnet and another darting run picked out Neilson, who fired into the car park. Canvey were fast running out of footballs.

Gareth Evans announced his arrival with a snap-shot that Russell saved at the near post. Shane Duff then flicked a header into the mix that Jake Speight nearly forced home.

Former Stevenage keeper Russell denied Evans a second time with his legs and then a third during a fine double save. Russell parried Osborne's shot before somehow clawing away the rebound when Evans looked certain to score.

The keeper's efforts gained greater significance when Canvey went in front after 59 minutes as Jason Hallett tapped home Cohen's cross to leave City trailing for the first time in pre-season.

It needed a good save from Jon McLaughlin to prevent a second goal, the keeper tipping Rob King's header on to the bar after the defender had been left unchecked at a free-kick.

McLaughlin was suddenly finding himself as busy as Russell at the other end and produced another good save from Andrew West's bobbling long shot which he must have seen pretty late.

Trialist David Syers was left hobbling for a while but it was City's pride more than anything that was wounded. James O'Brien, who shot for fun at Stambridge, fluffed an opportunity from the edge of the box as time ticked away.

Russell was in the mood not to be beaten and again he had the answer to Evans, diving low to his right to safely smother a well-struck effort from distance.

The keeper then topped that three minutes from time by turning over a Simon Ramsden thunderbolt. Syers thought he had levelled from the resulting corner but his header was scrambled off the line.

City had played second fiddle to FC Twente on the billboards outside. On the pitch, they were put in the shade by a goalkeeping masterclass.

CITY – First half: Saxton, Hunt, Threlfall, Horne, Rehman, Oliver, Neilson, Adeyemi, Hanson, Simm, Daley. Second half: McLaughlin, Ramsden, L O'Brien, Bullock, Duff, Williams, J O'Brien, Syers, Evans, Speight, Osborne.

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


Clubs split over use of vuvuzela horn in grounds

Published Date:
22 July 2010
By Nick Westby
As if transfer speculation was not enough to entertain us through the close season, now we have a lot of hot air over the vuvuzela. Nick Westby gauges the local reaction.

THE vuvuzela is the football fans' Marmite accessory – you either love it or you hate it.

For a month in South Africa, the monotonous hum of the African horn drowned out the atmosphere at the World Cup for some fans.

As the performances and the matches failed to inspire the thousands in the stadium and the millions back home, the debate over whether the vuvuzela should be banned or the sound on television sets tinkered with took centre stage.

By the time FIFA – not renowned for being the quickest to react to public opinion – chimed in, it was too late.

Opinion may have been polarised from Polokwane to Port Elizabeth, but the hum of the vuvuzela became an accepted part of the South African World Cup, and if it was just a month, then those who watched football in silence could accept it.

Not so, it seems, as the vuvuzela and the attention it generates has crossed the equator and headed north, and could be coming to a football ground near you.

Earlier this week, without a ball having been kicked, Premier League football clubs decided to get out in front of the anticipated furore. Tottenham were the first to ban the vuvuzela, with seven clubs quickly following suit like a row of spectators covering their ears.

A quick canvas of Yorkshire's 10 Football League clubs yesterday found that opinion in the county echoes the feeling during the World Cup – namely, it is split.

Two of the region's clubs are for it, two against, with six sitting firmly on the fence while they consider what to do.

Huddersfield Town and Sheffield Wednesday are all for fans blowing the vuvuzela, so much so that both tried to claim it was they who actually invented them.

Alas, they did not, but the vuvuzela was imported to the Galpharm Stadium and Hillsborough before the end of last season as they attempted to get fans in the World Cup spirit.

"We gave them away at our last home game of the season against Millwall," said a Huddersfield Town spokesman. "There's no reason to believe that stance will change."

The club stressed that the decision is actually not theirs to ratify with the stadium management team at the Galpharm having the final say when all health and safety, event planners and police checks have been consulted.

Wednesday have been selling an Owls-branded vuvuzela in the club superstore since before the World Cup and welcome their continued use this season.

But a spokesman cautioned: "Unless they start getting on people's nerves then we will deal with that when we come to it."

John Hemmingham, the voice of the Wednesday and England band, predicts the vuvuzela will be a passing fad and ultimately, fan reaction will have the final say.

"We got the vuvu blowers to join in, out in South Africa, but on television it was misinterpreted," he said. "In isolation in grounds before the World Cup it just sounded like an air horn."

Those stringently against the vuvuzela are Barnsley and Leeds United.

"We won't be having them," said Leeds United chairman Ken Bates. "We'll be firm. If anyone brings them they will be thrown out. They are a dreadful noise and frankly we can do without it.

"I like all the Leeds songs and the atmosphere our fans create without those awful things."

Barnsley were not so unequivocal, but in publishing their outlawing of vuvuzelas as early as Saturday, they at least trumped Tottenham and set the trend of defiance.

"We have taken this decision following requests from fans and do not want the very unusual noise from the vuvuzela spoiling people's enjoyment of the game," said Don Rowing, a director at Oakwell. Stick that in your vuvu and smoke it Harry Redknapp.

But, as for Yorkshire's other league clubs, they appear reticent to commit.

Doncaster Rovers said it was a decision to be made by stadium management at the Keepmoat, who then handed full decision-making responsibilites back to the club.

At Bradford City, the vuvuzela debate has reached the boardroom but a decision has yet to be made, while Hull City say they have not given the issue a moment's thought.

Sheffield United, Rotherham United and Middlesbrough are also yet to reach a conclusion.

For those fans who cannot resist puckering their lips and blowing away on the vuvu but happen to support a club that has poo-pooed the hum-drum of the African horn, then there is a place for you at Wembley on August 8 for the Community Shield, after the FA yesterday announced that they would be welcome.

Or you can always head down to the park on a Sunday morning and frighten the life out of some unsuspecting pub footballers.

But it would appear we have not heard the last of the vuvuzela.