LC-SF2 W 4-3 (agg) L1-2 (A) Aston Villa Tuesday January 22, 2013. K.O. 7:45PM. #bcafc #wembleyherewecome

Read this article online
http://texasbantam.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/46810838356/

CFML Daily News
http://paper.li/f-1315926867

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

Fixtures
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/Fixtures/0,,10266,00.html
http://m.espn.go.com/soccer/clubhouse?teamId=387&lang=EN

The "Social media Corner"
http://paper.li/f-1315926867
http://www.bradfordcity.tv/
#neverforgetyourroots
#cupshocks


Official Mobile app
http://communicatoremail.com/IN/Y2tx0dX-0UIRu4P1_588C9Eehl64XmQ-JA8WroOSpEQ/WebView.aspx

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

Signings, Loans and Injuries


Injuries
Andrew Davies, knee, Out 4 months (from Nov 1st)
Luke Oliver, Achillies, out for the 2012/13 season

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

Match Media & Stats

Head to Head
http://www.11v11.com/teams/bradford-city/tab/opposingTeams
http://www.statto.com/football/teams/bradford-city/

Pictures
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/sport_bantams_pics2012/
(The T&A picture link will dfault to the last match for which pictures are available)

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

BBC highlights (uk only)
Audio - Full commentary and post match interviews (hanson, lawn)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01q1gx6

Private Video and audio links available by request


Match stats
http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=234#teamTabs=results
http://m.espn.go.com/soccer/gamecast?gameId=358614&action=stats&lang=EN&wjb=

Aston Villa: Given; Lowton, Clark, Vlaar, Bennett; Delph, Bannan, Ireland; N'Zogbia, Agbonalhor; Benteke. Unused substitutes: Guzan, Bent, Holman, Weimann, Stevens, Lichaj, Carruthers.

Bradford City: Duke; Darby, McHugh, McArdle, Good; Hines, G Jones, Doyle, Atkinson; Wells, Hanson. Unused substitutes: McLaughlin, Ravenhill, Reid, Thompson, Connell, Nelson, Turgott.

Referee: P Dowd (Staffordshire).

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

Match Preview

Before the match
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21022502

Stuart McCall
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/10173262.Inexperienced_Aston_Villa_defence_holds_key_to_Bantams_victory__says_McCall/

Stallard
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/10173283.Wembley_hero_Stallard_has_fingers_crossed_Bantams_can_emulate_the_class_of__96/

Kamara
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/10172710.Kamara__Bradford_City_cup_run_just_unbelievable/

Billy Bantam
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/10173300.Billy_the_Bantam_shows_he___s_not_a_chicken_/

Back room staff
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/10173286.Semi_final__chaos__for_Bradford_City_staff/

Game #41
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/10173717.print/

Duke on his team mates
http://m.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/jan/21/bradford-city-matt-duke

Best loan move in football
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/10160079.Probably_the_best_loan_move_in_the_world__Bradford_City_winger_Turgott_having_a_ball/

Attack...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21130656

Snow stopping us
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/news/article/s-no-stopping-us-612431.aspx

Lambert waffling on about nothing
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/aston-villa/9816314/Aston-Villa-v-Bradford-City-Paul-Lambert-accuses-Capital-One-Cup-rivals-of-disrespect-over-Wembley-taunt.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21128034

Benteke
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/christian-benteke-interview-aston-villas-1548436




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

Final whistle

As it happened
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21148092
(great quotes and reaction)

In Summary

    Bradford reach League Cup final
    Result: Aston Villa 2-1 Bradford
    Aggregate score: Villa 3-4 Bradford
    Benteke puts Villa ahead on the night
    Hanson equalises for Bradford
    Weimann scores late for Villa


Spanish TV commentary of Hanson's goal
http://youtu.be/QckZ91PrmYQ

bein have the goals online (no commentary so you might want to mute the music)
http://www.beinsport.tv/capitalonecup/article/ydg4ueiqai2z199h4v9y6qu76/title/another-scalp

Look north program Wednesday evening
http://youtu.be/of9DCGZJ8sc
intro
1:24 highlights (still without the shot that hit the crossbar)
3:30 interviews
4:20 mark lawn james hanson
7:20 history
8:05 more fans
8:30 bus trip
9:50 commentary
11:00 oh now the council shows up
11:45 studio, news
21:15 back to Harry @ VP
25:00 weather

fans videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aBTmKW8OWY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLBriC_ZId4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN4C3ERbmkg

AV fans throwing snowballs at city fans
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XU-GKZJtUy4

Minnows Bradford reach Wembley
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21022502
(summary,stats and online commentary)

Team picture
http://mobile.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/news/article/aston-villa-vs-bradford-city-612437.aspx?pd=634944798170000000

Bradford City's historic win 'worth £1m'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-21156787

Giant killers on £7,500
http://m.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2013/jan/23/bradford-city-capital-one-giantkillers

The tender moment of triumph
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2266983/Bradford-City-reach-Capital-One-Cup-Final-Bantams-captain-seeks-brave-kid-seal-stunning-Villa-win-kiss.html

European talk already!
http://m.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2013/jan/23/from-the-vault-bradford-intertoto-cup

YP
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/bradford-city/bantams-dump-out-villa-to-seal-wembley-final-date-1-5342071
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/bradford-city/hanson-s-bullet-header-takes-brilliant-bradford-to-wembley-1-5342760


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

When the dust settled - match report


Hero Hanson is Bradford City's head-line grabber!

8:00am Wednesday 23rd January 2013

By Simon Parker

Aston Villa 2 Bradford City 1

City win 4-3 on aggregate

Don't just look for them, start booking those hotels for London. Bradford City are off to Wembley.

"This is the best trip we've ever been on." For years, the put-upon Bantam fans have sung it at such unlikely outposts as Accrington, Torquay and Dagenham.

Sung out of irony, sarcasm and more than a little defiance at the thought that some day, one day things had to get better. They would get that dream game that the unwavering support has earned.

Well buckle up boys and girls, that trip is booked now – the Capital One Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, February 24.

For the first time in history, a team from the bottom level of English football will step out at the national stadium for a major final.

And they got there with a headed goal from the striker who, as another favourite ditty goes, used to work in the Co-op.

James Hanson, so often unfairly the butt of any criticism, will now be lauded for ever more.

But that's what happens when you try taking on a higher power.

Villa boss Paul Lambert had used the build-up to criticise Reverend Paul Deo, the City announcer, for his over-zealous celebrations after game one. He accused him of disrespect with his references about searching for hotels in the capital.

Now it's Lambert who might need some divine intervention to hang on to his job. The gods are smiling on everything claret and banter.

After 102 years of waiting, City are off to a cup final. The likes of Hanson, Gary Jones and Matt Duke have the opportunity to equal the distant achievements of Jimmy Speirs and Co.

The modern-day supporters have their new heroes.

Parkinson had stuck with the same 11 that did City so proud a fortnight earlier at Valley Parade.

So Curtis Good got the nod at left back again with Carl McHugh keeping out latest arrival Michael Nelson in the middle of defence. Hanson was also back after resting his cracked little toe for the previous two games.

The noise level had been deafening as the teams emerged for battle, City's 6,500 travelling army holding their own against the home fans waving their free flags.

But for the first 45 minutes, there was no such balance on the pitch as the visitors spent the bulk of the opening half under the cosh.

Christian Benteke had the opening chances in the first game and he was in the thick of it once more as Villa hunted an early goal to puncture the underdogs' belief. One header dropped wide, another was flicked over the bar by right back Matt Lowton.

Rory McArdle twice came to City's rescue, first with a goal-saving interception from Benteke then another lunge to block Gabriel Agbonlahor. Fabian Delph drove over the bar, then Duke saved low from Agbonlahor.

Apart from one misdirected header from Hanson, it was wall-to-wall Villa.

They had failed to score in four of the previoushome games but Lambert's wish for an early breakthrough was granted at the midway point of the half. Joe Bennett, who'd had such a miserable night in West Yorkshire, floated a pass from the left which Benteke dispatched past Duke with a smart volley.

"We've done it before and we'll do it again!" crowed the Villa fans, rekindling memories of their successful fightback from the same first-leg deficit against Tranmere 19 years earlier.

Stephen Ireland immediately thought he had doubled the lead but the offside flag was already up. But still City could not get out of their own half.

Duke, the hero first time out, had to be on his toes to deal with Charles N'Zogbia's screamer. Then he stretched again to tip over from Ireland.

City could not hold on to the ball and Benteke rose above two defenders to nod just wide, much to the Belgian's frustration.

Nahki Wells responded with a curler that didn't curl enough but City finished the half glad to get off for a breather. Villa's 72 per cent domination of possession had said it all.

The second period began in identical fashion, with Villa pouring forward and City's front two left to feed off scraps.

But every game, however seemingly one-sided, tends to throw up one decent chance. And how the Bantams grabbed it after 54 minutes.

Finally winning their first corner, they immediately got another and Gary Jones put the ball on Hanson's head for a bullet finish as emphatic as the two scored in the first leg.

Villa's Achilles heel, defending corners, had been exposed again as the fans above that end descended into bedlam. What a time for Hanson to net his first goal for ten games.

The confidence surged through the visitors as Wells swung and missed at Stephen Darby's cross and Zavon Hines forced a save from Shay Given.

And Hanson should have had another from a pinpoint cross by Hines but failed to get enough on his header.

Lambert threw on Darren Bent and Andreas Weimann, two more strikers, but the whole feel of the night had changed on one moment.

Now it was City playing with swagger and verve, rediscovering that "in your face" refusal to kow-tow to supposedly superior opposition. Wigan and Arsenal had been brushed aside; now it was Villa's turn.

Garry Thompson, twice a scorer in City's cup odyssey, replaced the tiring Hines – and met Darby's cross with a first-time effort that rattled Given's bar.

Weimann made it interesting, unnecessarily so, with a Villa second a minute from the end of the 90. But City negotiated the excruciating agony of the four added minutes without too much alarm.

The team that were 1,500-1 no hopers at the start of this competition had become the first name in the final. The best trip is yet to come ...

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

BANTAMS SET TO REAP REWARDS OF STUNNING LEAGUE CUP RUN

Bradford City's historic appearance in the League Cup final on February 24
will earn the fourth-tier side around £1 million in gate receipts and
television cash.

Each finalist will receive 45 per cent of the gate receipts from Wembley
Stadium, the Football League have confirmed, though only the winner can
claim a place in the Europa League.

City's players will split around £250,000 of the gate receipts in bonuses
but the rest will go toward helping the Bantams in their efforts to regain
their former heights.

Joint chairman Mark Lawn said: "The money means that if we don't get
promotion this year then hopefully we can keep this side together.

"Of course we are hoping to get promotion as well and maybe getting to the
final will instill some more belief into the players."

The income will also allow Bradford to go on a winter training break to
Tenerife, taking the players away from their usual training ground at
Apperley Bridge, which is currently under two inches of snow.

Lawn added: "It is such a great achievement to get to Wembley."

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