Fixtures
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/News/0,,10266~2376580,00.html
League Cup Draw, Round One, Capital One Cup
(A) Notts County.
Probable date is August 14, 2012.
Fixtures released
June 18th 9am
Got adobe PDF reader? See the fixtures here
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/staticFiles/3/7a/0,,10266~162307,00.pdf
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Signings, Releases
Andrew Davies signed 12 month extension
May 31st
Andy Gray in talks (decision next week)
Second signing expected to be revealed "soon"
June 6th
Rory McArdle 2 year deal
June 14th
David Syers has left City to join Doncaster
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The "Social media Corner"
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Next seasons opponents
Accrington Stanley
AFC Wimbledon
Aldershot Town
Barnet
Bristol Rovers
Burton Albion
Cheltenham Town
Chesterfield
Dagenham & Redbridge
Exeter City
Fleetwood Town
Gillingham
Morecambe
Northampton Town
Oxford United
Plymouth Argyle
Port Vale
Rochdale
Rotherham United
Southend United
Torquay United
Wycombe Wanderers
York City
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By Richard Sutcliffe
Published on Friday 1 June 2012 07:50
JULIAN RHODES last night revealed Bradford City manager Phil Parkinson has been handed the club's biggest playing budget in four years.
The Bantams, following several seasons of cutting back since losing £765,000 in 2008-09 after Stuart McCall was handed substantial resources,
have decided to make a concerted push for promotion from League Two.
Expected windfall payments from several of the youngsters that City have sold to Premier League clubs in recent years are behind the unexpected
raising of the Valley Parade budget, as is the impending sale of the adjacent office block to Bradford-based charity 'One in a Million' for use
as a free school.
Proceeds from the sale of the block – bought by Rhodes, his father, Professor David Rhodes, and fellow joint chairman Mark Lawn a year ago to
safeguard the club's survival by saving an annual rent outlay of £370,000 – will be a further boost to City, who by the end of yesterday's cut-
price season ticket deadline had shifted more than 8,000, including 1,200 or so of the new flexicards that offer discounted admission on a game-
by-game basis in 2012-13.
Rhodes told the Yorkshire Post: "We are pushing the boat out again and having a real crack. Myself and Mark sat down recently and worked out that
the extra payments we expect to come in meant we could raise the budget available to Phil.
"Our budget next season will be very similar to the one that Stuart had in his second season.
"We have done the cashflows and the plan is that we set off with this budget and, hopefully, do well. If when we get to January, things haven't
gone to plan then we will have to look to generate from within.
"But if we are doing well, I would expect our income to rise significantly.
"The rent saving on the offices, which we expect to sell to the Department of Education in the very near future, helps a lot, too. As is the case
with the payments that will be due for some of the youngsters we have sold.
"All the income that comes in will go towards the first team as we want to go up. We have always believed that if we can get out of this division
then we can finally get Bradford City moving again."
Among the youngsters to have been sold by City in recent years are George Green to Everton, Niall Heaton (Liverpool), Luke Hendrie (Manchester
United) and Andre Wisdom (Liverpool).
All sorts of incentives were included in the deals that will entitle Bradford to additional payments when the players sign new contracts, receive
international recognition or make a certain number of appearances.
So far, Fabian Delph has proved to be the club's most lucrative sale with the midfielder's £8m switch to Aston Villa in 2009 from Leeds United,
who he joined as a 12-year-old after starting out with City's juniors, having brought in a seven-figure sum.
Tom Cleverley is another who left the Bantams as a youth and last season the Yorkshire side received a payment for each of the midfielder's first
10 appearances for Manchester United. A substantial sell-on clause also exists if Cleverley leaves Old Trafford with the Red Devils having also
agreed a payment to cover the year-long loan spell the Bradford-born Under-21 international had at Wigan Athletic in 2010-11.
Parkinson has been working hard since the end of the season to bring in the players he feels are capable of ending Bradford's 12-year decline.
Andrew Davies has already joined on a one-year deal from Stoke City, while Andy Gray, recently released by Barnsley, has been in discussions over
a possible switch to West Yorkshire along with Portsmouth winger Kelvin Etuhu.
Aberdeen defender Rory McArdle, a Northern Ireland international, is another the Yorkshire Post understands is wanted by Parkinson following his
recent release by the Scottish Premier League side.
On the search for new players, Rhodes said: "Andrew Davies is a signing that I feel shows our intent. He is not a cheap signing, not by any
means. But we feel he is worth it and the type of signing that will make others sit up and take note.
"As for further signings, the problem when you are going for the better players is that other clubs are in for them, too, so we have to be
patient.
"Phil came to us with a list and we are doing our best to bring them in. We have the basis of a good squad, with James Hanson and Nahki Wells
being possibly the best partnership in the division when they played together last season."
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RORY McARDLE BECOMES CITY'S 2nd SIGNING
By Ross Heppenstall (T&A)
Rory McArdle has become City's second summer signing after being handed a
two-year deal at Valley Parade.
The Sheffield-born defender was a free agent after his contract at Aberdeen
expired and his arrival follows the permanent signing of fellow centre-back
Andrew Davies.
McArdle, 25, began his career at Sheffield Wednesday but made his name at
Rochdale before moving to Pittodrie two years ago.
He said: "Once I heard about the opportunity to come here, I jumped at the
chance."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rory_McArdle
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Eire we go!
Posted on: Fri 08 Jun 2012
After initially informing fans at the back end of last season of City's intention to travel to Ireland for a pre-season tour, Bantams boss Phil
Parkinson has now spoken to www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk to confirm details of the matches that shall being taking place on the trip.
In a message to supporters, Parkinson revealed the names of the two opponents City will be facing during their stay in Eire.
Parkinson said: "I'm pleased to announce that I'll be taking the first team squad away on a pre-season tour to the Republic of Ireland for a week
from Sunday 22 July to Sunday 29 July.
"As many of you will know, a number of football league clubs make the quick trip over to the 'Emerald Isle' for pre-season preparation.
"The tour will focus on bringing the new squad together with some intensive training, while also fitting in two friendlies against Wexford Youths
(League of Ireland First ) on Tuesday 24 July and Bray Wanderers (League of Ireland Premier) on Saturday 28 July.
"Ireland will be in the middle of their own football season by the time we arrive, so both teams will be match-fit and will present us with a
meaningful challenge.
"With these pre-season games being some of the first in our pre-season schedule, it will be an ideal opportunity for me and the coaching team to
assess the capabilities of the squad following their summer break.
"I'm hoping that some of you will be able to come and support the team following the announcement of our two matches over in Ireland. The club
will be shortly issuing the full schedule for the week. . . so watch out for that on the website!"
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DAVID SYERS QUITS CITY FOR DONCASTER ROVERS
By Ross Heppenstall (T&A)
David Syers has left City to join Doncaster
David Syers has joined League One outfit Doncaster on a two-year agreement
following the expiry of his contract at City.
The Leeds-born midfielder, 24, turned down the offer of a new deal at Valley
Parade to join Rovers following their relegation from the Championship.
Syers originally signed for City at the beginning of the 2010/2011 campaign
on non-contract terms after a successful trial and he won Player's Player of
the Year award that season.
Following the expiry of his contract at the end of last season, Syers was
offered a new deal but has chosen to move to the Keepmoat Stadium on a free
transfer and play under former City striker Dean Saunders.
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