Fixtures
Pre-season
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/News/0,,10266~2372524,00.html
Wed 13 July 2011 Silsden AFC A 7.45pm
Fri 15 July 2011 Matlock Town A 7.45pm
Tue 19 July 2011 Guiseley A 7.45pm
Fri 22 July 2011 Bradford (Park Avenue) A 7.45pm
Sun 24 July 2011 Bolton Wanderers H 3.00pm
Sat 30 July 2011 Carlisle United H 3.00pm
Full season
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
===========================
New kit
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/ClubShop/0,,10266~2385335,00.html
===========================
DAVID WETHERALL LEAVES CITY FOR TOP JOB WITH FOOTBALL LEAGUE
By Simon Parker (T&A)
David Wetherall is ending a 12-year era at City after accepting a new job
with the Football League.
Wetherall has been appointed the league's head of youth development and will
take up the post at their Preston headquarters next month.
The 40-year-old joined the Bantams for £1.4m from Leeds in June 1999 ahead
of the club's first season in the Premier League.
He made 330 appearances at centre half for City, despite suffering a couple
of serious injuries, before hanging up his boots in May 2008. He scored 21
goals - including the famous header against Liverpool which ensured the club
stayed up in the top flight.
Wetherall had a spell as caretaker manager while still playing, reluctantly
taking the reins when Colin Todd was sacked in February 2007. But he was
unable to prevent the club from relegation to the bottom division.
He has run the youth team for the past two seasons, flourishing in the role,
before earning the chance to work for the league.
Wetherall said: "It was a difficult decision to leave because I've developed
a great affinity for the place.
"But this is a top job in youth development football. These opportunities
don't come along very often and it is something I couldn't afford to turn
down."
---
It was an offer I couldn't refuse, says Bradford City hero David Wetherall
7:40am Thursday 23rd June 2011
By Simon Parker
David Wetherall today looked towards life beyond Bradford City and admitted: It's going to be strange.
Wetherall is leaving Valley Parade to take up a prestige post as the Football League's head of youth development.
It will end a 12-year spell with the Bantams as captain and centre half, caretaker manager and assistant, first-team coach and – for the last two years – boss of the youth department.
The 40-year-old is excited by the prospect of helping to improve the level of young talent around the country.
But it is still a huge wrench to quit the club he served with distinction on and off the field.
Wetherall said: "Despite this being such a great opportunity, part of me has a certain sadness about it. It's the end of a big chapter in my life. It will be strange not driving into Bradford anymore.
"I've built up a great affinity with the club over the years and that won't change. But an opportunity like this one does not come around often."
===========================
From the BBC...
BRADFORD CITY SCOUT ARCHIE CHRISTIE EYES CHAMPIONSHIP
Bradford City's new chief scout believes the club will be playing in the
Championship within five seasons.
Archie Christie arrived at Valley Parade on Tuesday after a successful spell
with Dagenham & Redbridge.
He told BBC Radio Leeds: "My target is that in four to five years time we'll
be in the Championship.
"I believe over the next two years we'll have a promotion, and I believe two
years after that we'll have another promotion," he added.
"It'll be with a squad that we've developed over four or five years without
spending any money. It'll take us into the Championship and then we can
compete on a level playing field at our level.
"We're a Championship club at the moment playing in League Two."
The recruitment process will see four scouts employed by the club to bring
in new talent.
"We've quality scouts who know what we're looking for," said Christie.
"One scout is ex-Celtic, one is ex-Arsenal. We're not looking for players
for the youth team because Peter Horne has done a stunning and magnificent
job.
"There is a gap between the first team and the youth team, and we're going
to fill that gap.
"We're going to bring in six to eight players who will be part of a
development team that is under my own budget."
And Christie revealed he had already made moves to bring in players.
"I've already signed a 17-year old international who's coming on 1 July," he
said
"I've signed an under-19 international who's coming on 1 July, and I've got
two others coming who are not good enough for the Premiership, but if we
develop them, we'll then take them on."
===========================
From the Official BCFC Website…
LEEDS TICKET PRICES AGREED
Ticket prices for City's Carling Cup 1st round tie at Elland Road have now
been agreed by the football club and Leeds United.
Match tickets for the tie - set to take place on Tuesday 9 August 2011 -
will cost £15.00 for adults and £8.00 for concessions.
Concessions at Elland Road will be deemed as juniors under 16 and senior
citizens 60 and over.
City fans will be allocated the whole of the South Stand at Elland Road with
the option to also use the South East corner if needed.
The official website will be in a position to supply further information,
such as the first date of ticket sales, in due course.
===========================
The football club are now in a position to release the admission details for City's two home pre-season friendlies this summer against Bolton Wanderers and Carlisle United.
City are due to host matches against the Premier League and League 1 outfits on Sunday 24 July and Saturday 30 July respectively.
Entry into either one of these fixtures will cost £10.00 for adults and £5.00 for concessions.
There will also be no advance sales for either match - supporters are therefore asked to pay on the turnstiles.
City supporters will have access to the Co-operative Main Stand on an unreserved basis for both matches.
Bolton Wanderers and Carlisle United supporters will be allocated the Betrescue Stand, equally on an unreserved basis.
===========================
From the YP
Bantams in 'positive' takeover talks with Parkin
Published on Wednesday 22 June 2011 03:26
BRADFORD CITY joint chairman Julian Rhodes has confirmed fresh talks have taken place with millionaire businessman Steve Parkin over his attempts to buy the club.
As exclusively revealed in yesterday's Yorkshire Post, the chief executive of Brighouse-based Clipper Group wants to purchase the Bantams as part of his grand vision to set up a Bradford Sporting Club that would include both the city's senior football and rugby league teams.
Parkin met both Rhodes and fellow joint chairman Mark Lawn at Valley Parade yesterday afternoon in an attempt to move the deal along.
Rhodes confirmed last night: "We have had a meeting with Steve and those talks are on-going. It was a positive meeting that saw a whole host of issues discussed.
"Steve has now gone away and is going to get back to us in the next few days. What we all want is the best for Bradford City. Steve is someone who sees the potential that exists at Bradford City and we all want what is best for the club."
It is understood that, along with Parkin's intention to buy out the existing shareholders, a possible joint venture was also suggested by Lawn and Rhodes that would see all three men work together to drive City forward.
As part of the proposal put forward by City's joint chairmen, Parkin would invest in the Bantams to purchase a third of the shareholding in the League Two club.
This would appear to fly in the face of Parkin's original intention of taking overall control and then installing his own hand-picked management team to run the Bantams on a day-to-day basis.
His grand plan for Bradford sport, which was revealed in this newspaper at the start of last week, would see a similar set-up installed at the Bulls.
The two clubs would also be housed in one stadium with the eventual plan being to build a purpose-built stadium in the city for them both to share.
Rhodes has been on the Valley Parade board since the late Nineties along with his father, Professor David Rhodes, while Lawn joined in 2007. The three men recently bought the office block that stands next to City's home to ease what was, at the time, a crippling rent bill
===========================
JONES, GRIMES ELUDE CITY
Rochdale midfielder Gary Jones and Millwall striker Ashley Grimes have both eluded Peter Jackson's attempts to bring them to Valley Parade next season. Clayton Donaldson has said he will not play at League 2 level.
As "Boy from Brazil" states "...the City boss seems to be moving onto his Plan B list".
===========================
From the Official BCFC Website...
SCOTTISH DUO JOIN THE BANTAMS
City have today (Friday) managed to double their purchases for the summer by
completing deals to bring Scottish duo Mark Stewart and Chris Mitchell to
Valley Parade.
The pair, who both featured for Scottish First Division side Falkirk last
season, become City's third and fourth signings of the summer following the
arrivals of Guy Branston and Ross Hannah earlier in the close season.
Striker Stewart, 23, arrives at the Coral Windows Stadium after finishing
last season as Falkirk's top scorer - a feat which also left him as one of
the top scorers in the whole division in the process.
Stewart is known to be comfortable playing in several different
attacking positions including as a winger or a central striker, and has
penned a two year contract with the Bantams.
The arrival of defender Mitchell should add some extra depth to the Bantams'
squad as the Stirling-born full back is familiar playing as either a right
or left back.
Mitchell can also feature as a right winger or central midfielder, with the
City new boy playing several games for Falkirk in that position last season.
The 22 year old former Scottish under 21 international has signed for City
on an initial one year deal.
City boss Peter Jackson, who has been tracking the pair for several weeks,
said: "Mark Stewart is a really exciting prospect and finished as one of the
top scorers in the Scottish First Division last season.
"He has a lot of pace and can easily play down the middle or out wide on
either side."
"He can score a variety of different goals - I've seen him score goals with
his left foot, right foot and his head.
"Chris Mitchell is very versatile and can easily play right back or left
back. He could also do a job for us at right midfield or central midfield,
so he can fill at least one or two positions for us.
"His presence in the squad will be a real benefit for us given his
versatility, and he is extremely hungry and determined to succeed in
England.
"His deliveries from set-pieces should also prove to be a great asset for
us.
"The pair of them are really keen to impress and they are both looking to
the challenge - these are two players that I am really excited about."
Stewart, a former youth player with Celtic, moved to Falkirk in
2006 following a brief spell with Patrick Thistle.
In total, Stewart made 90 appearances for the Bairns - 42 of them coming in
the Scottish Premier League over recent seasons.
Apart from a loan spell with Ayr United during the latter part of the
2009/10 season, his former Falkirk team-mate Mitchell has previously played
all his career at Falkirk Stadium.
Like Stewart, Mitchell has also featured in the SPL for Falkirk.
During his time with Falkirk, Mitchell earned his seven caps at under 21 for
Scotland - five of which came in UEFA Under 21 European Championship
qualifiers.
===========================
STEVE PARKIN DEAL FOR BRADFORD CITY 'COOLING OFF'
Exclusive By Simon Parker (T&A)
Steve Parkin's bid to buy into City looks to be fading as he admitted: We're
somewhat adrift.
The millionaire businessman had wanted to take over the club from
joint-chairmen Mark Lawn and Julian Rhodes and team them up with the Bulls
in one grand sporting organisation.
When his initial offer was knocked back, Parkin was given the chance to come
on board alongside the current owners at Valley Parade as a third investor.
But it appears that the two sides have not managed to find common ground up
to now.
Parkin revealed that his interest in City had been pushed to one side while
he concentrated his efforts on a separate business commitment.
He said: "It's cooled off a little bit. We've had further talks and can't
get to a deal.
"Unfortunately I've got a very big deal going down right now with something
else which I've got to get over the line. That's focusing my mind at the
moment."
===========================
BRADFORD CITY SIGN SCOTTISH WHIZZ-KID
By Simon Parker (T&A)
Peter Jackson will today sign a teenage midfielder he calls "the best
16-year-old I have seen".
Scotland under-17 international Scott Brown has agreed a two-year deal with
City after making a big impression in pre-season training. The club also
have the option to extend the contract by a further two years.
Six-footer Brown, spotted by chief scout Archie Christie, has already made
one senior appearance for Clyde.
No comments:
Post a Comment