L2 D0-0 (A) Gillingham, Saturday Nov. 26, 2011. K.O. 3:00PM

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

Pictures
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/News/0,,10266~2529642,00.html?
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"Last Match" Highlights on Bantams Player
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/player/LastMatch/0,,10266~1612005~36,00.html


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Match stats
http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=234#teamTabs=results

Gillingham            Bradford
4(2)    Shots (on Goal)    10(4)
12      Fouls           14
5       Corner Kicks    5
1       Offsides        5
54%     Time of Poss    46%
1       Yellow Cards    1
0       Red Cards       0
4       Saves           3

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Monday morning match report

Much-changed Bradford City team gain deserved point using 'horses for courses' approach to nullify Gills
6:40am Monday 28th November 2011
By Simon Parker

Gillingham 0, City 0

The route to Gillingham in deepest Kent is a long one, as any of the 154 loyal travelling City fans will testify.

But the 500-or-so-mile round trip does provide plenty of thinking time – and Phil Parkinson used that to his full advantage to ensure the Bantams

gleaned an unlikely but richly-deserved point from a trip that has usually produced nothing.

Parkinson's scouting mission to Priestfield the previous Tuesday also enabled him to get away from the hurly-burly of City life for a few hours.

Given the Paul Benson soap opera that unfolded over the following 48 hours, it was just as well.

So City's game-plan and, more significantly, the make-up of the side was formulated while tackling the delights of the M1 and M25.

And all Parkinson's plans pretty much worked a treat. Less a case of road to perdition and more one to redemption after the second-half rollover

against Rotherham a week earlier.

Parkinson's team selections have stirred as many pub arguments as those of Peter Taylor. The charge for City's lack of consistent performances is

laid at the manager's door for not fielding the same line-up twice.

But Parkinson can point to circumstances forcing his hand to a degree. Saturday, at last, he could just about choose who he wanted.

Andrew Davies was finally available again after his month in 'clink'; Simon Ramsden was back to fitness once again. Experience and know-how were

at Parkinson's beck and call – and how it showed.

Five names had changed from the 11 who started against the Millers. Barring perhaps the recovering David Syers, it looked as powerful a line-up

as City could field.

Steve Williams and Luke O'Brien, two of the previous week's back four, were axed completely. Williams and Jack Compton, whose attitude at being

left out did not go down well with his boss, were not even on the bus.

O'Brien at least made the game but had to sit it out with Ritchie Jones. His absence suggests the club's longest-serving player is facing an

uncertain future.

Already behind Robbie Threlfall in the pecking order, O'Brien was dropped by Parkinson to accommodate the right-footed Marcel Seip at left back.

Parkinson insisted it was a "horses for courses" move after identifying the height of Frank Nouble on the right wing as a major source of

Gillingham danger.

Watching them beat Bournemouth, he had noticed how keeper Ross Flitney often targeted the West Ham loanee with his goal-kicks and felt Seip's

physical presence would be a more effective antidote.

But there was no escaping the feeling that O'Brien may have blown his chance to impress in Threlfall's injured absence.

Parkinson said: "We didn't defend well last week for 20 minutes and any manager has got the right to make changes.

"We also felt we needed to combat Gillingham's physicality on the right-hand side. Marcel is not natural there but he did well.

"OB had got back in the team and, to be fair to him, had a few good games. But his form has dipped over the past couple of weeks. He was watching

the game and I'm sure he'll look at this and come back stronger."

Compton voiced his frustration on Twitter at being axed after setting up the first goal the week before. Parkinson left him home because he

thought the winger's attitude was not conducive to the group on an overnight stay.

His loan from Falkirk runs out next month and it seems very doubtful that Parkinson, who did not bring him in, will be extending it. Compton is

likely to be one of the casualties in a hectic transfer window.

Kyel Reid had attracted criticism after going slightly off the boil in recent weeks but he remains City's chief attacking threat. His return to

the ranks provided a fruitful outlet.

City had lost five of the last six visits to Gillingham, the one exception being the Omar Daley masterclass for Stuart McCall in January 2009

just before the wheels came off that season.

Reid, the winger recruited to fill the enigmatic Jamaican's boots, went as close as anyone to repeating that trick.

Right back Matt Lawrence was always in trouble once he'd dived in and picked up an early yellow card. He could not hope to match Reid's pace and

now had to drop off even deeper, allowing the City man room to weave his magic.

Reid delivered the cross of the game after 27 minutes and it should have earned a City breakthrough. But James Hanson's header was instinctively

blocked by Flitney before the big striker bludgeoned the rebound over the bar.

It was a big miss and added further ammunition for the Hanson knockers. But his general all-round contribution was impressive, leading the line

with an added edge which Parkinson put down to the "Benson factor".

With his boss actively shopping around for a new targetman, Hanson's display suggested "I'll show you". He has to keep following it up.

Ross Hannah battled gamely up front with the big man without getting a real sniff of goal himself. But City were asking plenty of questions of an

uncomfortable home defence.

Their own back four, marshalled by Davies, stood strong throughout. Jo Kuffour clipped the post in the opening minute but the only other first-

half scare came from a criminally-underhit backpass by Gills old boy Michael Flynn – again Davies was there in the nick of time.

Alongside Flynn, man of the match Ricky Ravenhill showed the benefits of having a week to train properly with his new team-mates. He would pounce

on any loose ball, put in a string of tackles and was not far off a goal himself with a volley just wide from a corner.

Nahki Wells did have the ball in the Gillingham net from a Reid cross-shot but was judged offside. On first glance, it looked the correct call if

marginal.

City's effort deserved some reward and the slice of fortune they got in the stoppage-time scramble when Gillingham seemed certain to score.

Jack Payne and Curtis Weston both should have netted in a blur of chances but Seip hacked off the line and City's goal stayed intact. To lose

then would have been a travesty.

Gillingham's frustration was articulated in a foul way by one fan after the final whistle. Parkinson had been getting stick all afternoon from

the home stand but took exception and had to be pulled away by a steward.

He said: "You always get abuse everywhere you go as an opposition manager. But the language he used towards me was unacceptable and I told him

that.

"He had young kids sat round him and probably his own sons and it was a bad example to set using language like that."

The 'glass half empty' crew will no doubt argue that City have gone four away games without a league goal and the point was only their fifth on

the road from a possible 30.

But, like the last stalemate at Swindon, this was a gritty result against a team strong at home and going well.

Now it's about backing that up, something City have struggled to do all season. Prove that long road does not lead into another cul-de-sac.

Attendance: 7,074

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From the YP

Gillingham 0 Bradford City 0: Bantams challenge bigger than I realised, admits Parkinson


Published on Saturday 26 November 2011 13:08

Phil Parkinson saw his Bradford City side return from Gillingham in League Two with a hard-earned points as they look to climb away from the

relegation zone.

Andrew Davies was back from a four-game band but there was no place for Ritchie Jones after recovering from the toe injury that led to the

midfielder missing last week's defeat to Rotherham.

Robbie Threlfall has suffered a setback in his recovery from a thigh injury, a scan revealing the left-back is likely to be out for an extra week

with the injury that has prevented him from playing since late October.

Neither side could break the deadlock although the Gills came close to taking an early lead when Jo Kuffour's deflected acrobatic effort hit the

woodwork.

James Hanson forced a good save from home goalkeeper Ross Flitney before wastefully thumping the rebound over the crossbar.

Bantams sub Nahki Wells had his effort chalked off for offisde before the visitors survived late pressure to claim a point.

"This job - it's a massive challenge probably bigger than I thought," said City manager Phil Parkinson. "You've got to keep fighting in this game

because no-one is going to feel sorry for you.

"The only people that can turn it round yourselves and the group of players you are working with.

"I've just said to the team I don't want to have to keep on responding, I want to build on performances and that's what we've got to do."

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City soon hope to be flush with cash by winning a £100,000 washroom windfall.

The club are in the running for the Best Loo-sers competition, set up by Plumb Center, for a complete refit of the stadium toilets.

City are battling with ten other clubs to win the prize by getting the most votes. They are urging fans to register their support at www.bestloosers.co.uk.

Plumb Center spokesman Paul Bradshaw said: "Bradford might be a click away from securing state-of-the-art washrooms."

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Phil Parkinson's Bantams lined up for the cameras at the end of last week for the club's new-look official squad photograph.

With several new faces having been added to the coaching and playing staff since the start of the 2011/2012 season, the club recently decided to

arrange for a new squad picture to be taken to bring things more up to date.

As well as Parkinson and his assistant Steve Parkin, the team shot also includes the likes of Craig Fagan, Matt Duke, Marcel Seip and Kyel Reid -

all of whom weren't signed for the club when the original team photo-shoot day took place back in July.

Supporters can take a closer look at the revised squad photo for the 2011/2012 season by clicking on the link below.

Bradford City Squad Photo
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/staticFiles/d6/94/0,,10266~169174,00.pdf

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Nov 28, 2011 - The Los Angeles Galaxy announced today that they have traded goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts to the Montreal Impact for allocation

money. Ricketts, who has 87 caps with the Jamaican National Team, played the majority of his career at Bradford City A.F.C. who are currently in

League Two in England. The LA Galaxy signed Ricketts in December of 2008 for the 2009 season. Ricketts and the Galaxy went to the MLS Cup final

that year, but Ricketts was injured and didn't play in the Cup. The Galaxy lost that match in penalties.

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SHREWD JULIAN RHODES MAKES THE MOST OF HIS YOUNG HOT-SHOTS
By Simon Parker (T&A)

Bradford City have included loan fee clauses in all deals with young
starlets following their Tom Cleverley windfall.

The Bantams are guaranteed a pay-out if the likes of Everton's George Green
sign elsewhere, whether it's permanent or not.

The club received an undisclosed amount, thought to be well over £100,000,
for their sell-on percentage in Manchester United star Cleverley's three
short-term moves.

City claimed their pay-out from the champions after finding out that United
had received transfer fees for Cleverley to join Watford, Leicester and
Wigan.

Former head of player development Archie Christie helped broker a deal to
avoid going to arbitration.

City were entitled to a cut of the fee United received whenever Cleverley's
registration was transferred to another club. But they were unaware that the
other sides had paid United to take him on loan.

Joint-chairman Julian Rhodes said: "We know the contract from back to front.
We just didn't know there were any fees involved in the loans.

"It just happened that Archie found out that money had changed hands and
therefore we were entitled to something.

"Tom went to United about ten years ago and it was rare at that time for
loan fees to be charged. We were probably one of the first ones when Dean
Windass went to Hull.

"In Tom Cleverley's case, we'd guess any loan was simply for work
experience.

"Loan fees are becoming more common than before but still do not happen very
often.

"It was a bit of grey area with Man United because they didn't think there
was anything to declare. We discussed it with the league and the FA and then
worked it out with United before it could have gone to arbitration."

With several youngsters with Premier League clubs, City have now spelled out
their claim for loan sell-ons in black and white.

Rhodes added: "The contracts we are signing with these lads have all this
covered.

"You need to clarify with sell-ons whether it relates to permanent
transfers, loans or both. Nobody every did before.

"But it's in George Green's deal and other similar ones with players who
have joined bigger clubs.

"We followed what the FA advised us and now we have a clarification in
there."


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