Fixtures
Got adobe PDF reader? See the fixtures here
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/staticFiles/3/7a/0,,10266~162307,00.pdf
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/News/0,,10266~2376580,00.html
(extract of article follows)
Season opener v Aldershot on Saturday 6 August 2011. No doubt many City fans will be hoping for a repeat of the Bantams' dramatic victory when the sides last met at Valley Parade as early as this April.
City's maiden journey to big spending Crawley Town is pencilled in for Saturday 17 September, while the Bantams are also due to make their first trip to fellow newly promoted side AFC Wimbledon on Saturday 11 February.
Over Christmas City will host Crewe Alexandra and Shrewsbury Town on Boxing Day and New Year's Eve respectively.
A visit to the Don Valley Stadium to face Rotherham United on 2 January will mark the start of City's 2012 fixtures.
City's longest journey of the season - the trip to Plymouth Argyle - is scheduled for Saturday 31 March.
Shortly afterwards, the Bantams will face Southend United at home (Saturday 7 April) and then Shrewsbury Town away (Monday 9 April) over the Easter weekend.
The Bantams' final away match of the regular season will take them to Cheltenham Town, before they close out their league fixtures with a home fixture against Paolo Di Canio's Swindon Town the following Saturday (5 May 2011).
Understandably with the fixture list barely a day old, there will, as of yet, be no fixture cards available around the Club.
Staff at the Bantams Ticket Office and Surridge Superstore will be on hand, however, to give out printed A4 lists of City's 2011/2012 fixtures if supporters require them.
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Carling cup draw - Leeds United (a)
*Ties will be played during the week commencing 8th August 2011.*
City have been handed a mouth-watering West Yorkshire derby with Leeds in the first round of the Carling Cup.
Peter Jackson's men will head to Elland Road in the week beginning August 8. The clubs last met there in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy in 2008, when more than 20,000 fans saw Leeds edge a 2-1 victory.
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Branston joins City
City have today secured their second signing of the summer with the arrival of experienced defender Guy Branston from Torquay United.
Branston, 32, has put pen to paper on a two year deal this Monday morning and will officially join the football club on 1 July following the conclusion of his contract at Plainmoor.
The 6' 1'' centre half will take his place in Peter Jackson's squad off the back of an extremely successful 2010/2011 campaign with Torquay.
After helping to lead the Gulls to the League 2 Play-Off Final, Branston was named the club's Player of the Year and was also selected in the PFA League 2 Team of the Year.
He featured heavily throughout last season - starting almost every League 2 fixture - in a Torquay back four that only conceded 53 goals during the 46 game league campaign.
He also played a large part in the Gulls' record-breaking run of ten straight clean sheets in league fixtures which stretched over the 2009/2010 and 2010/2011seasons.
As well as Torquay, Branston has featured for the likes of Rotherham United, Oldham Athletic, Peterborough United, Sheffield Wednesday and Burton Albion during his 14 year professional career so far.
With the ink drying on Branston's Bantams contract, a thrilled Jackson said: "I'm delighted that we have managed to sign Guy - I think he will prove to be a terrific signing for the club.
"He will offer us a lot on and off the field because he is a real leader. He is a winner and a real inspiration to players around him.
"I felt that last season we needed a leader in the dressing room and now we've got one.
"He can't wait to come here and pull the shirt on. He had his choice of about four or five other clubs but he wanted to come here.
"He's bang in form at the moment following the season he has just had and he will add a lot of experience to our defence.
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Guy Branston on his decision to swap Torquay for Bradford City
7:20am Tuesday 14th June 2011
By Simon Parker
Adopted Yorkshireman Guy Branston is thrilled to be "back home" after making City his 17th club.
The no-nonsense central defender, who helped Torquay reach the League Two play-off final, signed a two-year deal for Peter Jackson.
Branston jumped at the chance to come to Valley Parade – even if it has meant upsetting the missus.
He said: "I loved my time down there and she's not happy with the move but I'm a footballer and this is a massive club – you can't turn stuff like this down.
"My home is Leicester but I came up here for six years around Sheffield. My brother lives in the top end of Barnsley and I've got an aunty in Leeds. I've always classed myself as a Yorkshireman because of the great years I had playing for Rotherham and Sheffield Wednesday.
"I'm absolutely ecstatic at the chance to be at another big club."
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From the Falkirk Herald...
FALKIRK'S CHRIS MITCHELL JOINS BRADFORD CITY
Falkirk Academy graduate Chris Mitchell has joined Bradford City.
The midfielder, who can also play on the right side of defence, agreed a
two-year deal with the Yorkshire club today.
Mitchell came through the Bairns ranks at Stirling University and earned
Scotland under-21 caps.
He had been on the radar of Dagenham and Redbridge before agreeing a move to
the Bantams.
Mitchell has also played on loan for Ayr United. His friend and former
team-mate Mark Stewart is also interesting the League Two club, though
compensation for the Irn Bru First Division's top scorer is due if any move
is agreed.
No official contact had been made between the clubs over the transfer of
Stewart - another Academy product.
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SCOUT IN KEY ROLE FOR BANTAMS
Bradford City have appointed Archie Christie as chief scout and head of
football development.
Christie, 44, will be responsible for the development of youngsters aged 17
to 19 to bridge the gap between the youth and senior squads.
The Scot recently occupied a similar role at Dagenham & Redbridge for four
years and played an integral part in helping the Daggers rise up the
leagues.
"I don't think we've had anything like this since Maurice Lindley was here
nearly 30 years ago," Bradford boss Peter Jackson told the club's official
website.
"It's so important for clubs at this level. We can't go out and pay x, y, z
for players so we need to have scouts all over the place.
"I'm excited by it. Archie is keen, enthusiastic and busy, which you need to
be as a chief scout. He's a big personality, gets things done and generates
interest in players
"His track record at Dagenham is excellent so this is a major coup for us."
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F.A Cup receives new sponsorship
Posted on: Fri 17 Jun 2011
US beer brand Budweiser has agreed a three year deal with the Football Association to become the title sponsors of the F.A Cup, beginning from next season.
The deal means that Peter Jackson's Bantams will now compete in the competition called 'the F.A Cup with Budweiser' during the 2011/12 campaign.
The F.A Cup had previously been sponsored by energy giant E.ON for the past five years.
City are due to enter the F.A Cup at the 1st round stage proper, which is scheduled to begin on Saturday 12 November.
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Exclusive: Bradford's big two wanted by haulage chief
By Richard Sutcliffe
Published on Tuesday 14 June 2011 01:49
MILLIONAIRE businessman Steve Parkin wants to purchase both Bradford City and Bulls to form a joint sporting club in the city.
The chief executive of Brighouse-based Clipper Group has been in secret talks with representatives of both clubs for several weeks and has made a firm bid for the Bantams to joint-chairmen Mark Lawn and Julian Rhodes.
As part of the plan, Parkin, who is currently on the board of Conference North side Guiseley, wants to build a purpose-built new stadium in Bradford for the two clubs to share.
Full article
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/bradford-city/exclusive_bradford_s_big_two_wanted_by_haulage_chief_1_3475954
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BULLS NOT HEARD FROM STEVE PARKIN
Commenting on media reports that logistics and football entrepreneur Steve
Parkin wants to seize control of both Bradford City and Bradford Bulls to
create a single 'Bradford sporting club' to be housed in a brand new
purpose-built stadium, Bulls' chairman Peter Hood made it clear the Super
League club has had no approach.
Speaking from his office at Odsal Stadium, Hood said:
"Neither I nor any of the Club's directors has had any dialogue with Mr
Parkin. Neither have we received any expression of interest on his behalf or
on behalf of any of his business interests. Mr Parkin is quoted in the media
as having 'had tentative discussions with the shareholders of Bradford
Bulls' but I have to say that is news to me.
"The takeover question pops up from time to time and our answer is always
the same - we will gladly sit down in confidence with any credible
individual or consortium of would-be investors and listen to what he, she or
they have to say. Any recommendation we subsequently made, or any decision
we took, would be guided by what we judged to be in the best long-term
interests of Bradford Bulls.
"If Mr Parkin wishes to have that conversation he will be most welcome. In
the meantime we continue to engage with Bradford Council and with private
sector developers with a view to turning Odsal into a stadium that is fully
fit for purpose for the 21st century and potentially, therefore, into a
venue that the supporters of both Bradford Bulls and Bradford City could
enjoy."
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OMAR DALEY SCORES WONDER 4TH GOAL
Reggae Boyz midfielder Omar Daley scored a wonder goal against Grenada
during the second half of the CONCACAF Gold Cup match on Monday in Carson,
California. Jamaica won 4-0.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg_iKU4yJJk
(End view, no commentary)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQWdFrAdA7o&feature=related
(Better highlights, Spanish commentary)
The CONCACAF Gold Cup football tournament could not have come at a more
opportune time for Omar Daley, as his contract with English League Two team,
Bradford City, has expired.
Daley, who had been out of the Jamaica senior team for almost 18 months,
said he was delighted at the call-up that gives him a chance to showcase his
skills yet again.
"I'm always positive that I'd be called up and when the chance and
opportunity came I was very excited because I was coming to the end of my
contract with Bradford City and it was good, so I can put back myself in the
shop window," he told Star Sports yesterday.
However, the utility player, who scored a spectacular goal in Jamaica's 4-0
first-game victory over Grenada at the Home Depot Center in California -
pointed out that while he is currently out of contract, there are offers on
the table, that may see him staying in England or crossing over to the
United States' Major League Soccer (MLS).
"My career is flourishing, there are options on the table," he said ahead of
the Jamaica team's outdoor practice session in Miami yesterday. "But the
business side of it, I have no control over it, I just have to play.
"My agent, at this point, has to look for the best deal for Omar and the
best deal for Omar's family, so it's just a waiting game and I think God has
a plan for me," he added.
During his near five-year stint at Bradford, Daley believed he was one of
their top performers, noting that he netted the goal that enabled the team
to avoid the drop this season.
"I've been one of the best players," he said. "I've been in the 'Team of the
Year', so I think I've had a pretty good four years. This season I scored
seven goals, so it's just unfortunate that my contract is finished. Just
this season I played really well, I scored the goal that saved Bradford from
relegation.
"I'm just playing the patient game and seeing if someone's coming to sign
me," he noted.
Continuing, he expressed gratitude to the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF),
for inviting him to the Gold Cup squad.
"I'm really grateful and I have to give thanks for the JFF programme.
They've really done a lot for Omar Daley from Under-20 coming through, until
I got to Bradford City, where I was with my friend, Donovan Ricketts," he
noted of the Jamaica first-team goalkeeper.
"Donovan Ricketts was the one who influenced me at Bradford, he's telling me
about the MLS and I'm thinking about the MLS seriously."
His goal against Grenada may have others thinking about him too.
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