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/
Official Mobile app
http://communicatoremail.com/IN/Y2tx0dX-0UIRu4P1_588C9Eehl64XmQ-JA8WroOSpEQ/WebView.aspx
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Signings, Loans and Injuries
Injuries
Luke Oliver, Achillies, out for the 2012/13 season
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Match Media & Stats
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/10323583.Live_blog__Bantams_v_Southend/
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)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21891957
Match stats
http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=234#teamTabs=results
http://m.espn.go.com/soccer/gamecast?gameId=347423&action=stats&lang=EN&wjb=
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Final whistle - match report
Bantams in stirring fightback but the damage is done
8:30am Saturday 30th March 2013
By Simon Parker
Bradford City 2 Southend 2
No team in League Two are better at rescuing a losing position than Southend.
The Shrimpers have picked up 20 points from games when they had trailed, including City's visit to Roots Hall in December.
But they were given a taste of their own medicine on Phil Brown's debut in charge as the Bantams came back from two down with a spirited second half.
Zavon Hines pulled one back early and James Hanson completed the comeback by celebrating his 50th appearance of the season with an 11th goal.
It was a good recovery from a side who had looked down and out at the interval.
Ultimately, though, in the cold light of day, a point was not really enough for either side's fading play-off ambitions. With seven games to go, City realistically still need to win six of them.
Phil Parkinson's policy of chopping and changing has had its critics but the City chief saw no reason to make any alterations from the Wycombe win.
Last weekend's postponement gave Ricky Ravenhill a bit longer to get the shin injury he suffered that night under control. Parkinson had highlighted the club captain's commitment for setting the tempo in the first home league win of 2013.
Southend, like City, had taken their eye off the play-off ball since Wembley came into view. With next week's trip to the JPT final looming, the Shrimpers had won only twice in ten games – a slump that cost Paul Sturrock his job.
But the Brown era began with a bang as Southend struck twice within a minute to stun the hosts.
Their tenth-minute opener began from a Kevan Hurst free-kick which Jon McLaughlin unsuccessfully tried to claim in traffic around the penalty spot.
He only managed to push it out to Bilel Mohsni, who fired it straight back past the stranded keeper. The shot bounced off the post but Gavin Tomlin was left with the simple task of tapping home his 16th goal of the season.
City had not recovered from that shock when Southend scored again. Right back Sean Clohessy, sent off on his previous two visits to Valley Parade, nipped past Kyel Reid too easily to drive in a low cross and Britt Assombalonga converted from close range.
It was a dreadful start for the home side but they nearly had an immediate response. Reid's free-kick curled against the bar, bouncing down invitingly for James Hanson.
The big man looked sure to score but saw his follow-up header nodded off the line by centre half Luke Prosser.
Hines dragged a shot well off target but the double blow had predictably knocked the wind out of City.
The Valley Parade groundstaff and volunteers had done a fine job clearing all the snow but the pitch was obviously heavy and made it difficult for either side to get the ball down and play.
Chasing the game, City were trying to force things and that played into the hands of Southend's imposing centre halves Prosser and skipper Ryan Cresswell. Garry Thompson tried to muscle his way behind Prosser but referee Steve Rushton was unimpressed with the half-hearted shout for a penalty.
Southend were content to sit back and defend their advantage. But there was always that whiff of a threat on the counter and it needed a well-timed tackle from James Meredith on the edge of his box to dispossess an offside-looking Tomlin.
City's wingers had seen enough of the ball but produced very little with it. The Southend back four had not been stretched since that near-miss from the Reid free-kick.
Hines had struggled to make an impact but thought he had halved the deficit seven minutes into the second half.
Meredith's cross was flicked on by Hanson and Paul Smith spilled it under pressure from Thompson. But Hines's joy at knocking home the loose ball was cut short by the assistant's flag against Thompson.
Southend's respite proved extremely temporary – and within a minute another Meredith centre arrived unhindered into the winger's path. Hines met it with a crisp volley which flew past the keeper for only his second goal as a Bantam.
At last the atmosphere was lifted. The place had seemed flat since Southend's double strike but now there was a sense that maybe all was not lost.
There was also a spark about City that had been absent. Passes started to stick and there was movement as they began to ask a few questions of the visitors.
Thompson reacted well to a Reid miscue with a shot from an acute angle that would have tested Smith without a Southend deflection. But Rushton enraged the crowd by awarding a goal-kick.
McLaughlin tipped away a Tomlin shot on the break and Matthew Lund was well wide with an overhead kick. But Parkinson tried to keep the momentum with City and threw on Alan Connell and Will Atkinson for Hines and Ravenhill with 18 minutes to go.
Southend, though, were a whisker from a killer third when Tamika Mkandawire swivelled and shot against the far post as everyone stood and watched. The escape kept City in it.
Connell looked to make his presence felt at the other end. An early cross just eluded the stretching Hanson and then a low bobbly shot was saved by Smith.
Parkinson went three at the back for a final flourish as right back Stephen Darby was sacrificed for Nahki Wells.
And the move paid off straight away with the Bermudian's first involvement leading to an equaliser. The sub dropped an inviting cross to the far post, where Hanson came bulldozing in to head home.
Now City threw everything at an improbable winner. Hanson was close from another cross, Wells was denied by Smith and Reid was booked for a dive as Valley Parade roared in unison for a penalty.
As the game went into five extra minutes, Atkinson almost threaded a shot into the bottom corner but Smith managed to finger it round the post.
But Southend weathered the late pressure to hang on for a draw that doesn't really satisfy anyone in terms of making the top seven.
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When the pair of softies settled
Bradford City boss blasts pair of 'softies'
7:10am Saturday 30th March 2013
By Simon Parker
Phil Parkinson has ordered City to block out the soft goals after a Valley Parade draw with Southend that suited nobody in the play-off chase.
The Bantams hit back from 2-0 down to grab a Good Friday point through Zavon Hines and James Hanson.
While thrilled with their recovery to deny Phil Brown a winning start as Southend boss, Parkinson was again cursing the two that his side conceded in the first half. He admits it has become a recurring theme.
Parkinson said: "We gave ourselves a lot to do. It was a tale of two moments.
"We've had a lot of games here like that. Aldershot was one of them – one free-kick, one goal that just trickles in the corner.
"Yesterday was the same and it isn't good enough. We know that.
"Jon (McLaughlin) has got to come out with more conviction for the first one and Reidy (Kyel Reid) has let his man in behind him for the second.
"We gave a team who had come with a game-plan to sit two centre halves in front of the back four a 2-0 lead without having to do a great deal. That was frustrating.
"It's about doing your job properly. Jon hasn't had a save to make in the whole game.
"However, I felt second half we played some excellent stuff and deservedly got back in it. We probably should have won it at the end."
But City's third stalemate in four home games saw them lose ground on the final play-off spot. They head to Torquay on Monday with the gap to seventh now eight points – an increasingly distant prospect.
Parkinson added: "The top seven will be delighted. A draw was a good result for them.
"But there are still seven games to go and if we play like we have been, you'd fancy us to create chances and score. We've just got to make sure we don't give the opposition soft goals. I can't remember us scoring a goal like that. It can't happen and we've got to be stronger in those situations.
"I'm torn between disappointment and praise for the boys because they were great in the second half."
Parkinson praised Hines for turning his game round after an awful first-half performance. And he felt referee Steve Rushton was wrong to rule out an effort by the winger for offside just a minute before he did score. The City chief also criticised the Staffordshire official for booking Kyel Reid for diving after he went down in the box late on.
Parkinson said: "There were a few players having poor games in the first half, Zavon in particular. But let's remember he has been one of our best players recently.
"It would have been the easy option to bring Zav off but I told him I wasn't going to do that. I wanted him to respond to a poor performance and he did. He scored a very good goal and he really should have been sat there with two.
"There were a couple of incidents that baffled me – that one and when Reidy got himself in a great crossing position and went down. He's not a player who dives.
"But it was a good point after being 2-0 down. Now we've got to go to Torquay and turn this into a very good point by winning."
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Npower news letter: PP Manager Interview
http://www.npower.com/fl/team-talk/phil-parkinson%20/index.htm
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http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/10316523.All_quiet_on_Bradford_City_loan_front/?ref=eb
All quiet on Bradford City loan front
7:30am Thursday 28th March 2013
By Simon Parker
Phil Parkinson is not anticipating any last-minute activity before this season's loan window shuts for the final time this afternoon (Thursday).
Football League clubs have until 5pm to make their final "emergency" recruits – but City are not planning to join the late market place.
Parkinson said: "We will probably just go with what we've got (for the rest of the season). Unless something comes up that we really feel we can work with, I don't think there'll be anything in or out."
City have used six loan players during their 53-game campaign but there are none left at Valley Parade after West Ham winger Blair Turgott and Newcastle defender Curtis Good returned to their parent clubs after the Capital One Cup final.
After criticism in recent years over the number of temporary additions to the City squad, Parkinson made a conscious decision to limit loans this season.
The ones he signed were all to cover injuries and prolonged absences – three centre halves, two wingers and left back Ryan Dickson, when James Meredith was diagnosed with glandular fever.
"We set out in the summer to not have so many this season and use the loan market for emergencies only," said the City boss.
"With the amount of games we've had and the injuries we've picked up, we've had to do that.
"But at the moment we just want to focus on the players that belong to the club. It's important to have that strong core of your own players in the squad."
Long-term casualty Luke Oliver is the only current absentee. Ricky Ravenhill, who limped off with a heavily-bruised shin against Wycombe last week, was back in training on Monday.
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http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/10311488.print/
Bradford City fans could be on the move under new proposal
10:20am Tuesday 26th March 2013
By Simon Parker
Away fans are set to return behind the goal at Valley Parade next season.
For the last five years, City supporters have been back in the TL Dallas Stand at the Bradford End – something that Mark Lawn had campaigned strongly for to increase the atmosphere.
But slumping numbers in the 1,800-capacity stand have forced a rethink and it is now expected to go back to how it was because of the ease of segregation compared with separating a couple of blocks on Midland Road.
The issue will be on the agenda at tomorrow's monthly meeting of the club's supporters' board, the think-tank involving fans that has been set up by director of operations David Baldwin.
He said: "We discuss any supporters' issues that have been brought up in the month and one of those points currently is moving fans from E block (of the Midland Road Stand).
"The likelihood is that we will go back to putting travelling supporters in the TL Dallas Stand because numbers in there have been drastically reduced.
"For the purposes of segregation, that's the most feasible area for them to be but we are weighing up all the pros and cons."
The supporters' board was founded in November and meets on the last Wednesday of each month. It consists of 23 members, who are split into three working parties with specific roles.
Baldwin said: "We've got a broad demographic of representation and that's the key. Then they are divided into three sub-groups, commercial, community and communication, which all report back at our monthly meetings.
"The commercial group concentrates on issues such as the nature of the EMC catering contract being cut short and the impact of that.
"They are now looking at positive ideas for how we can engage fans to improve the situation in that regard and see how we maximise our revenue streams by offering a fair product.
"The community group does exactly what it says on the tin. They concentrate on the work with local schools and groups and how we can interact best with the area on the promotional side.
"For example, the last Saturday home game (against Aldershot) saw 350 pupils and parents from schools within the district taking up an offer. That will hopefully encourage the next generation of Bradford City fans.
"The communication group are responsible for making sure that what we discuss is properly publicised with the minutes put on the supporters' board website. We want to be transparent.
"They are also useful to filter inquiries and act as a buffer to answer some of the questions we receive."
The supporters' board are happy to consider any requests, either via their website or on Twitter.
Baldwin believes it is another example of City listening to what their fans want.
It came from his own idea but he thinks it could catch on nationally. Supporters Direct, the umbrella group that promotes more fan involvement within clubs, are keeping a close eye on how it develops.
Baldwin said: "Supporters Direct are very keen to see how we operate. They want to buy into the scheme and see if they can encourage other clubs to follow suit.
"It's been very effective so far and we've had some really good feedback.
"It's been an eye-opener to some of the members who have seen a lot of work behind the scenes at the club that they were not aware of.
"From the club's point of view, things like the extension date for season-ticket sales have resulted from dialogue with the supporters. We are also reviewing the flexi-card scheme.
"As well as the number of positive ideas, I'm also able to use them as a sounding board. It's a great example of the club and its fans working closely together."
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http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/news/article/football-lewague-top-ten-739214.aspx?pageView=full#anchored
(see the link for the top 10)
Three Bantams in League 2 top ten
16:15 28th March 2013
The Football League have revealed this (Thursday) afternoon that THREE City players have been voted into the list of top ten performers for League 2 this season - more than any other team in the division.
Gary Jones, who was shortlisted for the overall title of League 2 Player of the Year, has been selected as the third best player of the 2012/2013 season, while team-mate Nahki Wells comes in just behind in fourth place.
Rounding off City's trio of top-ten stars, James Hanson has been placed in ninth.
Port Vale's Tom Pope heads the list after winning the npower League 2 Player of the Year award at The Football League's end of the season awards evening last Sunday.
Pope's fellow Port Vale attacker Jennison Myrie-Williams also makes the list to give Micky Adams' men two representatives, but no other club has as many as City's three players in the League 2 top ten.
The top ten list was drawn up using the votes submitted by all League 2 managers.
Basically, in the lead-up to The Football League awards evening last week, managers from the npower Championship, npower League 1 and npower League 2 were asked to name the best five players in their division (excluding those at their own club).
Along with League 2, The Football League can now reveal which players have caught their eye this season across all three divisions.
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