L2 (A) Port Vale L1-2, Friday February 18, 2011. K.O. 7:45PM.

Next fixture
L2 (H) Chesterfield, Tuesday February 22, 2011. K.O. 7:45PM.
L2 (H) Stockport Saturdayday February 26, 2011. K.O. 3:00PM.

Current table
http://www.sportinglife.com/football/live/tables/cc_league2.html



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Norman Corner tributes

http://www.boyfrombrazil.co.uk/2011/02/norman-corner-a-folk-hero-of-his-time/?

http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/8865995.Norman_Corner_dies_aged_68/

Former City and Park Avenue player Norman Corner has died, three days after his 68th birthday.

Horden-born Corner played up front and at centre half for City, with his 6ft 2in frame proving a useful asset in both roles.

Corner helped City into Division Three in his first season at Valley Parade before leaving to join Avenue, by then a non-league club, in March 1972.

Four years earlier, he had scored a hat-trick at Avenue while playing for Lincoln.

Corner leaves wife Jean and a son and daughter.



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

Pictures
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/News/0,,10266~2297743,00.html?

Extremely bad video!! Requires flash plugin
City's goal
http://www.screencast.com/t/ACha8nRJhbX

Last 2 minutes
http://www.screencast.com/t/WfJpSWEFh


"Last Match" Highlights on Bantams Player
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/player/LastMatch/0,,10266~1612005~36,00.html

Links



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Match stats

Referee: Gavin Ward Attendance: 4775 Stadium: Vale Park


Port Vale
C. Martin, A. Yates, J. McCombe, L. Collins, E. Geohaghon, G. Roberts , L. Haldane (R. Sutton, 86), D. Loft, A. Griffith , J. Richards (K. Brown, 75), T. Pope (M. Richards , 85)

Subs not used: S. Morsy, J. O'Shea, S. Tomlinson, K. Taylor    

Goals Tom Pope (49, 64);

City
L. Pidgeley, L. Oliver, L. O'Brien , S. Williams, L. Hunt , M. Flynn, L. Osborne (J. Speight, 70), T. Adeyemi, K. Ellison, G. Evans, S. Dobie

Subs not used: J. Worthington, S. Duff, L. Dean, L. Horne, R. Threlfall, J. McLaughlan

Goal : Tom Adeyemi (84);



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Match report

Pope double leaves Bradford City praying relegation rivals slip up
7:50am Saturday 19th February 2011
By Simon Parker

Port Vale 2 Bradford City 1

For the second week running, an on-loan Rotherham striker was the toast of his new fans.

Only last night at Vale Park, it wasn't Kevin Ellison.

Instead, his erstwhile Millers team-mate Tom Pope netted his first goals for the club he supported as a boy.

The fact that Pope is likely to go back to Rotherham next week as part of Port Vale's cost-cutting measures will be no consolation whatsoever to the Bantams.

In the week that Peter Taylor stated that he was still "gripped" by City, his side missed the chance to grab a foothold in mid-table.

Instead, they will face an anxious afternoon helplessly watching the other scores around them and hoping the six-point gap to the bottom two remains in place.

Tom Adeyemi tried to throw a cat among the pigeons with a late response and City could have snatched an equaliser in a frantic stoppage time.

But ultimately the battle between the division's lowest-scoring attack and most miserly defence had gone to form.

In their first TV outing since 2008, injuries had once again forced Taylor's hand. Already without David Syers and James Hanson, he also lost Simon Ramsden yesterday morning.

The right back only made his comeback last weekend against Wycombe after six months out but he felt a pain in his thigh in training and did not make the trip to the Potteries.

There was a further change to go with the three enforced ones as Taylor opted for the fit-again Leon Osborne over Jon Worthington.

With the two leading scorers out, nobody in the starting line-up had scored more than twice for City this season. Adeyemi, at least, had settled that score by the end.

A group of banner-waving home fans deliberately walked in two minutes after kick-off, marching the length of the stand to highlight their campaign to remove the Port Vale board.

The rest of the crowd had a bigger beef with Lenny Pidgeley, accusing the City keeper of making a meal of a challenge from Justin Richards.

Vale went close after seven minutes as Gary Roberts combined with Pope, whose header whizzed past the post.

Lewis Haldane's pace was causing City an early headache and Lewis Hunt escaped a booking for pulling him down outside the box.

The City right back then got forward to set up Scott Dobie for a Wayne Rooney-style overhead. The on-loan St Johnstone striker failed to connect properly, the ball running loose off his hand for Kevin Ellison to rattle against an advertising board behind the goal.

Hunt tested referee Gavin Ward's patience with another foul and got his yellow card. Vale pushed up from the free-kick and Doug Loft's 25-yarder was shovelled round the post by Pidgeley.

Roberts missed the top corner with a bending shot on the turn but Osborne attempted an immediate response, cutting inside Adam Yates to fire beyond the far post.

Michael Flynn, the eighth different player to wear the skipper's armband, was sitting deep in the holding role vacated by Worthington. Osborne and Adeyemi were asked to supply the legs alongside him.

But the bulk of the play was at the other end, where Vale chipped away without really troubling Pidgeley's goal.

Hunt continued to be in the thick of it and blocked Lee Collins in the City area after Loft's clever pass had opened up the defence.

O'Brien made it both full backs in the book after half an hour for a touchline trip on Haldane. It was scrappy stuff, not helped by a strong, bitterly cold wind.

The 205-strong band of City fans who had resisted the lure of watching it on TV were making themselves heard as Collins had a half chance with a flicked header wide from a short corner.

Ellison squared up to former Rotherham team-mate Roberts, shoving him away with a firm palm, but the official let it go with a warning.

The home side had failed to create anything clear cut inside the box but City nearly shot themselves in the foot as half-time approached.

Luke Oliver got in a mess as he tried to deal with a high ball under pressure from Pope. The ball squirted away from the big man, running loose to Roberts, and the stranded Pidgeley was relieved to watch his chip sail over.

City finally forced their first corner and unveiled a new training-ground routine as four men rushed into the box while the kick was instead played short to O'Brien. The momentary distraction created the space for Evans to deliver a decent cross but Collins headed clear under pressure.

Steve Williams suffered a momentary lapse a minute into the second half, missing the ball completely. Fortunately, it just bounced off the unwitting Pope before he could react.

But City were punished four minutes in. Loft's shot was beaten behind by the diving Pidgeley but the midfielder's corner was right on the head of Pope, who looped home the first goal of his loan spell from Rotherham.

City looked for a quick response. Flynn volleyed wide from 20 yards after Exodus Geohaghon had headed away a corner and Ellison was shut off in full stride by the powerful John McCombe.

But City's task got considerably harder after 64 minutes as Vale went two up. Yates's cross was helped on by Justin Richards and Pope claimed his second goal.

Taylor's side needed something from somewhere – and suddenly started having a real go.

Evans whacked a free-kick that Chris Martin fisted away and Williams hooked agonisingly over from close range.

With 20 minutes left, Jake Speight was thrown on against the side where he spent two months earlier in the season – and he wasn't far off scoring with his first touch.

But Speight helped throw City an 84th-minute lifeline, holding the ball up well before Adeyemi ran on to his pass to cut the deficit from 12 yards.

It set up a manic stoppage time when City did everything but equalise.

Hunt's goal-bound drive was headed out by McCombe and then, with Pidgeley up for the resulting corner, the keeper got in the way of Ellison.




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From Thursday

From the Official BCFC Website...

ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY FOR TAYLOR

Thursday (17 Feb 2011) marked the one year anniversary of Peter Taylor's
appointment as Bradford City manager.

After one year in the Valley Parade hot-seat, Taylor readily admits that the
last twelve months haven't gone as he would have planned.

The Bantams boss says he remains as keen as ever to succeed in the job
though, and he is still open to learning new things even a year into the
job.

Taylor said: "It's been a very challenging year for the squad and for
myself. It has also been a very surprising one. But I'm old enough to know
that you have to live and learn.

"I'm learning all the time about the club and what type of players I feel we
need in here to do well.

"Despite the disappointments of this season, I still love it and Bradford
are a great club to be involved with.

I've said all along that there's something about this club that has gripped
me.

"I still believe I could get a good team with experience here, with a little
bit of luck. Maybe not this season, but I'm sure that could happen given the
opportunity."


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From the Official BCFC Website...

ELLIOT JOINS HARROGATE TOWN ON LOAN

Peter Taylor has allowed young goalkeeper Chris Elliott to leave the
football club on a loan deal to Harrogate Town.

Elliott, 18, has joined the Blue Square Bet North side for one month to
allow him to get some first team matches under his belt.

The move will see the shot-stopper join up with City team-mate Chib Chilaka
at Harrogate, who is also currently on loan with the Sulphurites.

Elliott has already enjoyed a loan spell in North Yorkshire this campaign
after spending three months at Town's near neighbours, Harrogate Railway, at
the start of the season.

The Newcastle-born 'keeper was one of only two players from last season's
youth team to break through into the senior squad for this year.

He put pen to paper on his first professional contract back in June, around
six weeks after picking up the Youth Team's Player of the Year award.

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Port Vale blow Bantams' chances of climbing the table Sky-high
7:00am Saturday 19th February 2011
By Simon Parker

Peter Taylor stressed City must conquer their nerves after they slithered back into trouble with another away defeat.

The Bantams were beaten 2-1 at Port Vale last night in front of the Sky cameras to remain stuck in the battle for survival.

City produced a late rally after Tom Adeyemi pulled one back with his third goal of the season but the defeat leaves them six points off the bottom two, who both play today.

But Taylor blasted his side for waiting until they were two behind before showing some proper fight.

He said: "Managers all round the country will say it's a lot easier to play when you're 2-0 down. That to me is totally unacceptable.

"We've got to play like that at kick-off time and through the game.

"I don't see how we should be as nervous as we were in the first half.

"But we're in this serious situation and that's why players are nervous. It's been an inconsistent season with poor results and we've got to be better than that."

City nearly grabbed a point through Lewis Hunt in a frenzied assault on the Vale goal in stoppage time.

Taylor added: "I felt he should have scored.

"He had a lot of time and picked his spot – it was a great chance.

"I also thought Jake Speight was going to head the ball in at the far post but he looked to be pushed from behind.

"Jake was a plus because he looked a handful when he came on.

"Port Vale might have sat back to protect their lead, so there might have been a few more gaps than earlier in the game, but I thought he did okay."

Simon Ramsden added to City's constant injury woes when he pulled a thigh muscle in training. He is unlikely to be fit to face leaders Chesterfield on Tuesday.

Taylor, who will watch next month's opponents Rotherham and Shrewsbury this afternoon, said: "It's incredibly frustrating. We did the (training) session and all the set-pieces with Rams taking them.

"Then he complained of feeling his thigh and it just got stiffer. That just sums up this season."

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