Final info
http://www.football-league.co.uk/play-offs/news/20130422/play-off-dates-confirmed_2293328_3139175
Ticket info
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/news/article/wembley-tickets-809288.aspx
Read this article online
http://texasbantam.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/46810838356/
The "Social media Corner"
http://paper.li/f-1315926867
http://www.bradfordcity.tv/
===========================
Match Media & Stats
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/22328159
Pulse audio
http://www.pulse.co.uk/on-air/pulse-sport/
Match Highlights
Home Leg audio highlights
http://mm.gmstatic.net.s3.amazonaws.com/74/851998.mp3
Away Leg audio highlights
http://mm.gmstatic.net.s3.amazonaws.com/74/709859.mp3
Post match
Youtube vids of celebrations at Burton
http://www.freenewspos.com/english/video/beat%20Burton/1
from the stands
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EX-r_uSX88
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWHMTY8igEQ
Match stats
http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=234#teamTabs=results
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22328159
http://m.espn.go.com/soccer/gamecast?gameId=365011&action=stats&lang=EN&wjb=
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Final whistle - match report
Wembley here we come as Bradford City knock out Burton
2:28pm Sunday 5th May 2013
Burton Albion 1 Bradford City 3
City win 5-4 on aggregate
City will return to Wembley later this month after overturning a first-leg deficit to beat Burton in the npower League Two play-off semi-finals.
The Capital One Cup finalists, 3-2 down from Thursday's game at Valley Parade, recorded their first ever win at the Pirelli Stadium courtesy of
Nahki Wells' double either side of James Hanson's goal.
Jacques Maghoma levelled up the tie from the penalty spot but Burton could not get themselves back on terms again after Wells had struck his 25th
goal of the season - and his fifth against Albion this campaign.
The visitors opened the scoring after 27 minutes from a Burton attack.
Jon McLaughlin made a routine save from McCrory's free-kick and quickly distributed the ball to James Meredith, who knocked it long.
Albion centre-half Marcus Holness tried to head back to his goalkeeper but did not get enough on it and Wells nipped in to poke past Stuart
Tomlinson.
Hanson put City ahead on aggregate for the first time after 50 minutes.
Wells' persistence enabled him to poke the ball into the path of Hanson and the big striker drilled a right-foot shot into the bottom left-hand
corner of the net from 20 yards out.
However, five minutes later the hosts levelled up the tie with Jacques Maghoma's penalty after a foul by Garry Thompson.
But Burton were level for only two minutes as Hanson set up Wells to spin and score his second of the game.
City survived some late Burton pressure and will return to Wembley for the final on May 18 where they will play Northampton.
===========================
When the dust settled - match report
Sensational Bantams return to their second home
7:00am Monday 6th May 2013
By Simon Parker
They should erect a new sign at the end of the M606: Welcome to Bradford, twinned with Wembley.
For the second time in less than three months, Phil Parkinson's remarkable troops will be stepping out at the national stadium.
And this time who would dare bet against them?
The marathon that began 267 days ago at a basking Meadow Lane will finish on May 18 with game number 64 on the grandest stage of them all.
The fans had queued overnight for tickets to witness yesterday's latest chapter in this incredible tale. They would not have swapped the long
wait for anything.
These are great days to be a Bantams supporter. Just when you think this season cannot get any better, something else even more magical pops up.
Top scorer Nahki Wells scored twice; James Hanson clocked up a half-century of career goals with the sweetest finish of the bunch. But this was a
victory built on courage and commitment across the pitch.
Only one team in the fourth tier had ever come back from losing the first play-off leg at home to go through – and Shrewsbury had needed
penalties four years ago.
The Bantams emulated that feat without requiring a fifth shoot-out of their season and nobody could argue that they did not deserve it.
After the defensive woes from the first game, Andrew Davies came straight back in after his ban in place of Michael Nelson. Kyel Reid was also
passed fit to start and Nathan Doyle returned to central midfield.
Burton boss Gary Rowett, unsurprisingly, stuck with the same line-up that had gained the advantage at Valley Parade.
Jacques Maghoma ran City ragged that night and immediately threatened to reprise the act from Burton's first attack of the game before firing
narrowly wide.
Davies wasted no time getting into Calvin Zola but Burton's two-goal hero from Thursday seized on slack marking from a throw-in to hustle a shot
off target.
The City centre half then got himself in the right place at the right time to block Alex MacDonald's dangerous header after left back Anthony
O'Connor had burrowed his way to the line.
Jon McLaughlin safely clutched Robbie Weir's header as the home side continued to force the early pace.
But then just like Burton had done in the first game, City stunned their hosts by breaking the deadlock after 26 minutes thanks to an alert piece
of anticipation from Wells.
Marcus Holness attempted to head James Meredith's long ball back to his keeper but it fell short and the Bermudian was on it in a flash to guide
past the stranded keeper.
With the away end in full voice, City came knocking once more and Wells was bundled over in the Burton penalty area as he reacted first to
Hanson's knockdown. But he was coming back from an offside position and the assistant's flag was already up.
City's tails were up but they still had to be wary of the home threat and McLaughlin beat out a well-struck Weir drive from the edge of the box.
Zola cleverly flicked the ball off the floor to release MacDonald but the winger was crowded out by three pink shirts as he advanced on goal.
Zola was once again a handful for City's centre halves and rose to meet Damien McCrory's free-kick right on half-time but his header lacked the
oomph to worry McLaughlin.
But while Burton had created the bulk of the chances, City could look back on a first half well done to throw the tie right back into the melting
pot.
Their attempts to do "another Blackpool" were certainly being aided by the din created by the 1,700 travelling fans, who made it feel like a City
home game.
They got even louder five minutes after the break as the visitors doubled their lead – and edged ahead on aggregate for the first time.
It came from a tremendous strike by Hanson and his weaker right foot. The big man flicked on Rory McArdle's clearing header and then capitalised
on good strength by Wells, who held off Ian Sharps for his strike partner to beat Tomlinson with an angled drive.
Burton needed some inspiration and Maghoma quickly supplied it. A deft turn on halfway left Stephen Darby on his backside and the winger advanced
on the City box before tumbling under Garry Thompson's challenge from behind.
McLaughlin and Doyle were both booked for complaining before the keeper was beaten by Maghoma's well-placed spot-kick despite going the right
way.
Burton switched to 4-4-2 by bringing on Billy Kee but the sub striker was a distant spectator as City immediately restored the two-goal gap.
McLaughlin's free-kick was flicked on by Hanson and Wells spun off Sharps to beat the diving Tomlinson with a bundled finish into the corner. It
was nowhere near the quality of Hanson's strike but meant just as much as the City end descended into bedlam.
The contest had become a wild shoot-out as Burton blasted back again. McLaughlin parried from Maghoma then MacDonald's drive took a deflection
into the side-netting.
Parkinson looked to steady the ship by replacing Reid with Will Atkinson. Nobody was too upset to see Zola going off for Burton as Michael Symes
arrived to a chorus of "City reject".
Nerves were fraying all over the ground and Parkinson ran on the edge of the pitch to complain that a handball should have been given against
Anthony O'Connor in the Burton box.
The City boss was up again as Wells was tripped by Zander Diamond. But the foul was given right on the edge of the box as Diamond became the
fifth player booked.
Wells was threatening to take on the Brewers backline single-handed and danced his way in once more, only for Damien to slide across and block
the shot.
The rebound fell for Hanson, who could have sealed it with a fourth goal but lifted the ball over from 12 yards.
Fourth official Paul Tierney threw City a curve ball when the board flashed up with six minutes of stoppages.
But Hanson led the last-ditch defending in his own goalmouth to deny Diamond – nobody was going to spoil the party.
===========================
Twitter accounts of players
@Meredith_james
@g11klt (Gary Thompson)
@willako16 (Will Atkinson)
@Reidy11 Kyel Reid
@AlConnell83 Alan Connell
@nahkiwells
@carlmacoidh6
===========================
Bradford City - Stopping the slide
1999-2000: 17th, Premier League
2000-01: 20th, Premier League (R)
2001-02: 15th, Division One
2002-03: 19th, Division One
2003-04: 23rd, Division One (R)
2004-05: 11th, League One
2005-06: 11th, League One
2006-07: 22nd, League One (R)
2007-08: 10th, League Two
2008-09: 9th, League Two
2009-10: 14th, League Two
2010-11: 18th, League Two
2011-12: 18th, League Two
2012-13: 7th, League Two (League Cup and play-off finalists)
===========================
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22421986
Bradford City boss Phil Parkinson praises Bantams strikers
By Ian Woodcock BBC Sport at the Pirelli Stadium
Bradford City boss Phil Parkinson praised strikers James Hanson and Nahki Wells after his side reached the League Two play-off final with a 5-4
aggregate win over Burton.
Wells scored either side of a fine striker from Hanson to give the Bantams a 3-1 win at the Pirelli Stadium.
He told BBC Sport: "I thought the front two were unplayable today.
"We thought we'd change one or two things slightly to put them right up the pitch and it nullified them."
Bradford City - Stopping the slide
He added: "Nahki's second goal was a real goalscorer's effort and Hanson's strike was a Premier League finish. His overall play is getting better
and better."
Bradford will face Northampton in the play-off final on Saturday, 18 May in what will be their 64th match of the season.
The Bantams, who reached the League Cup final earlier this year, will be playing their first play-off final since 1996 when Chris Kamara led them
into the second tier with a 2-0 win over Notts County.
Parkinson's side were 3-1 down at half-time in the first leg against the Brewers and the manager was delighted with the attitude of his team to
turn the tie around.
"You can't take away the enormity of the achievement," he said.
"When it mattered the most we produced and I think that's really important. Today was a massive test and we passed it.
"I think a lesser group of players wouldn't have responded in the way we did on Thursday. We said to the lads that if we could play in a
disciplined, structured way then we'd have a great chance."
===========================
Interesting stats for League Two attendance 2012-2013:
http://stats.football365.co.uk/dom/ENG/D3/attend.html
===========================
Bradford City hero Wells: I'm saving my final two goals of season for Wembley
9:50am Monday 6th May 2013
By Simon Parker
Nahki Wells reached his goal tally for the season and then warned: I'm not finished yet.
A deadly double from City's top scorer lifted his haul to 25 – the figure he had set himself before a ball was kicked.
But he has promised to score two more at Wembley now to clinch the club's return to League One.
Wells said: "Twenty five is the exact number I set out for myself to score at the beginning of the season so I'm delighted to reach it.
"But I know there are more to come yet. I've got two more in my locker – I'll save them for Wembley.
"I've scored against Northampton already so I'm confident that I can do it again and help us get promoted.
"It's a big occasion, not only for myself but all the players. It's been a phenomenal season and we all deserve it.
"The chairmen and fans are finally happy that we've got a team that can do the city and the club proud."
Wells deflected praise from his own performance on to the travelling army who roared City to victory at the Pirelli Stadium. Many of them had queued through the night to snap up the 1,700 tickets.
Wells admitted: "That's unbelievable support. I can't imagine myself doing what they've done.
"They have been the 12th man throughout our entire season. Without them, I don't think any of it was possible.
"It's not easy for some people working nine to five every day and spending their earnings to come and watch us play. We'll do whatever it takes to make them proud.
"They are such big supporters of the club and we want to do our best and make sure we put a smile on their faces.
"Promotion would do that for everyone. That's the most important thing.
"We need to keep climbing the leagues and we've given ourselves a good chance to start that."
City dismantled the best home record in the Football League to seal their return to Wembley. Burton had won 12 of their previous 13 games at the Pirelli.
But Wells felt the Bantams could have won by more.
"To come here and beat this team at home comfortably is unbelievable. In my opinion, it could have been five.
"I'm not saying it just because I play for Bradford City and I'm biased but I think we're the best team in the league. If we do as the manager sets us up and we're all on our game, I don't think anyone can beat us.
"It was brilliant the way we turned the tie around. There was some magnificent attacking play and to keep them at bay with only scoring one goal is a great achievement – everyone deserves credit.
"It's been a long journey. A few weeks back, we were sitting 11th or 12th in the table and had almost written off our season.
"But the manager's done well, he regrouped us. We got over the loss to Swansea in the cup final and turned our season around.
"We finished as the form team in the table and that was the best way to creep into the play-offs. It was very unexpected and a lot of teams were shocked when we did."
===========================
Bradford City boss Parkinson in a Wembley wonderland
7:00am Monday 6th May 2013
By Simon Parker
City are gearing up for another trip to Wembley as proud boss Phil Parkinson roared: "We produced when it mattered most."
The magnificent Bantams booked a League Two play-off final showdown against Northampton on May 18 after yesterday's 3-1 win at Burton.
Top scorer Nahki Wells (2) and James Hanson sent them back down Wembley way with a 5-4 aggregate triumph against the side who had the best home form in the whole Football League.
Parkinson said: "You've got to remember some players and managers never get to Wembley. Supporters follow teams their entire lives and don't see them there – and we're going back for a second time in one season.
"There's a determination about the team. This was a massive test and they've come through it again.
"We've had Wembley, Villa twice, Arsenal and Wigan and after games of that magnitude it's very difficult to reproduce performances against the likes of Dagenham and Fleetwood away.
"But this group of lads have done it and you can't take away the enormity of that achievement. We said those big games this season would be important for the players in the future and once again we have produced when it mattered most."
Parkinson sensed the tide had turned at Valley Parade when City rallied from 3-1 down at half-time. Going into the return trailing by just one, he was confident of coming back.
"I told the lads before the game that it wouldn't be the end of the world if we didn't win. We'd still be alive and still have our families.
"But what we wanted to do was play really well. Concen-trate on the performance and let the result take care of itself – you saw a team that did that. As much as I was disappointed on Thursday, a lesser group of players would have folded and not responded as we did in the second half.
"Some might have gone under losing 3-1 at home with the big crowd and spotlight of the TV cameras. But we didn't and that tells you all you need to know."
Parkinson lavished extra praise on the front two for their "unplayable" double act.
He added: "We thought Burton would play the same system so we changed one or two things slightly. They were so difficult to handle.
"Hanson's strike with his right foot was a Premiership finish. His all-round play is getting better and better."
Joint-chairman Mark Lawn, who shaved his head for luck, singled out Andrew Davies for his bravery against Burton targetman Calvin Zola. The centre half finished the match with his head covered in a bandage.
Lawn said: "Davo is a great professional and kept going. He literally bled for us.
"It must be hard work when you're up against Zola because he's such a big unit. But everyone was magnificent.
"This side don't give up. Anybody else after losing the first leg at home would have caved in but this side weren't going to let that happen."
===========================
