He scored some vital goals in the play off run-in, then combined superbly with Wells in the semi-final against Burton and scored the opener in the final. Scroll the tables to see which Bradford City FC players wore Bradford City FC number 8, Bradford City FC number 10, Bradford City FC number 11 in the complete list of Muscle. The 2000s was a decade of huge player turnover at Valley Parade – so many signings were disappointing and soon moved on – that made the ongoing retention of Wetherall so vital. His debut away at Peterborough was arguably the best team display of the season and his calmness in possession at the base of midfield and ability to control a game ensured that City finished the season strongly. Bradford City. His rise was due to being spotted by Bradford City and impressing on trial. He looked like stalling for a bit afterwards, but the arrival of Phil Parkinson and the start of his superb partnership with Nahki Wells turned him into a key player and the focal point of the attack. Average age: 25.4 . England. And a good player too! He was a vital linchpin during a period of turbulence and uncertainty for the club. Bradford City Association Football Club's first manager was Robert Campbell, [1] who was given the role upon the club's election into the league in 1903 although the club was administered by a 13-man sub-committee. His signature chant may have been a little hyperbolic, but to us he was definitely better than Zidane. James Hanson lived the fairytale. Categories: 100 Most Popular Bradford City Players, A little disappointed Peter downsbrough only 31st,one of my first heroes still hoping for my number 1 to be in top 10. Our list of famous people from Bradford includes David Hockney, J. Bradford City have released 11 players following their relegation to League Two. Mitchell Downie on Ryan Sparks on a big summer for Bradford City; Danny on Ryan Sparks on a big summer for Bradford City; Andrew on Ryan Sparks on a big summer for Bradford City; Darren slingsby on Ryan Sparks on a big summer for Bradford City; Danny on … The kid who was rejected, plucked from obscurity, taking his club to Wembley and ending up as City’s third highest scorer of all time. I remember seeing him outside Villa Park on that famous evening in January 2013. Downsborough was a mainstay over the next four years, making 225 appearances and keeping 70 clean sheets for the Bantams. We all know his story, but it’s such a good one for football romantics that it bears repeating again and again. In the end he made more than 300 appearances for the Bantams, and he always represented the club with great dignity. A reliable goalkeeper, who’s longevity at Valley Parade will probably never be repeated. That was a period that included the famous FA Cup run to the quarter finals in 1976, and promotion to the third tier in 1977. Stuart McCall once said of Robbie Blake, “If you’d have put together a DVD of Blakey’s greatest moments, then you could have sold him to Real Madrid.”. You were always proud to say David Wetherall played for Bradford City. Nigel Beaumont. Josh Cullen’s arrival on loan in February 2016 breathed new life into a season that was in danger of fading. Bradford, England Bradford has produced a number of well-known artists, novelists, actors, physicists, instagram models and several other personalities from other spheres. “Bob was a very good player, very under-rated with his skills. I must confess that I am surprised to see Robbie Blake as high as number 7. Stuart McCall (37) View Bradford City squad and player information on the official website of the Premier League. As for James Hanson, what a legend and I don’t use that word lightly. Anyone who criticises him for his time at Bradford must have issues or be a WUM. But it’s not just the statistics that we remember him for – it’s the moments. With Aaron McLean struggling it was Hanson scoring the key goals that kept City afloat in mid table, and he started the following season superbly. True leadership is not just about achievements, but showing resilience during difficult times. In the end, a lengthy lay off for Wetherall proved fruitful for the club in the long-term. What James did wrong was being a local player. He was ingrained in the fabric of the club, at a time when everything around him seemed so broken. Cullen’s return under Stuart McCall saw his game rise to new heights as he was given more freedom, and he inspired another run to the play offs. Benito Carbone (5) Most Appearances. His header at Villa Park wrote him into Bradford City folklore forever, but Hanson wasn’t done yet. After spells in the top flight with Aston Villa, Derby and Leicester, Ormondroyd returned for a second spell in West Yorkshire in 1995, where this time he was part of a promotion-winning side. Image by Thomas Gadd (copyright Bradford City). 11/02/1967. He finally left after rejecting a new contract offer in 1995, only to never play league football again. Helping to put the brakes on the speed of City’s post Premier League decline. A Bradford City legend, Stuart McCall spent 10 years at Valley Parade in two seperate spells. Managers. Of course, the club’s fall down the leagues was of some benefit to Wetherall. During the eighties Bradford City were good at bringing through young players, and mainstay Mark Ellis was amongst the most memorable. [2] He left by mutual consent in 1905 to be succeeded by the club's most successful manager Peter O'Rourke in the first of two periods in charge of the club. Enter your email address to follow WOAP and receive notifications of new articles by email. That run included a vital winner in the penultimate game of the season, against Charlton, before he netted twice in a final day 3-0 win over QPR – the second a thunderbolt of a free kick – to confirm City’s Division One status. I was always sad about the criticism levelled at James Hanson. Watching my son, who is now 19 grow up celebrating all them goals in real time in His Great Bradford career and watching them at the games. If he had two brain cells instead of one and half he would have gone onto bigger and better things. 32 Players/Coaches: Bradford City: Season 2019/2020: 34 Players/Coaches: Bradford City: Season 2018/2019: 36 Players/Coaches: Bradford City: Season 2017/2018: 40 Players/Coaches : Bradford City: Season 2016/2017: 32 Players/Coaches: Bradford City: Season 2015/2016: 31 Players/Coaches: Bradford City: Season 2014/2015: 31 Players/Coaches: Bradford City: Season 2013/2014: 37 Players… He proved excellent value in his first season alone, being the only outfield Premier League player who was ever-present for their club over 1999/00. Top Goalscorer. LEGEND & WELL DESERVED 6th PLACE. He scored some fantastic goals and put in some incredible individual performances – most notably home and away against Sheffield United where he was simply unplayable. Most famously of all, he headed the crucial final day goal against Liverpool that kept City in the Premier League. He was signed from Swindon Town in 1974, five years after famously performing heroics in the Robins’ shock League Cup final victory over Arsenal. Indeed it was only in City’s first season back in League Two, 2007/08,  that he began to struggle as a player. He was methodical, calming those around him. Wetherall was a fiercely committed player who never gave anything short of 100%. He arrived as a £1.4 million club record buy in the summer of 1999, ahead of City’s first top flight campaign in 77 years. True then, and how true now. This statistic shows how youth players of this club did later in their career, sorted by the number of matches played in the selected competition. Seems like City are great at learning from their mistakes – they can repeat them almost perfectly! Chris Hutchings. But he also was a excellent footballer; skilful, quick and powerful. 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