Bradford City 3-0 Crewe Alexandra - Valley Parade - Boxing Day 2011

I hope all my blog readers had a very merry Christmas! But for the first time since 2007, there was boxing day football a foot as we entertained mid table Crewe Alexandra.

After our pre match routine of visiting the players bar, where Carribob nearly caused injury to a St Johns Ambulance woman after the 1911 club very kindly let us use the toilet facilities after the upstairs of the shop was closed, we headed into the ground for the game.

Before getting our Burns Unit Santa Hats, Ben took part in some banter with the Crewe Alexandra keeper Steve Phillips. Quote of the match at the bottom of the page is the place to go to see what was said! From there we returned to our seats, had our Santa Hat photo & the teams came out & the game got under way.

It didn't take long for a goal though, 68 seconds to be exact! Jon McLaughlin took a goal kick out of his hands & the ball travelled the full length of pitch to which then to our joy & yet at the same time amusement when Crewe captain David Artell headed the ball into Nahki Wells & the ball bounced over Crewe's keeper into the goal to give City an early lead.

Crewe tried to hit back quickly but couldn't get past Andrew Davies who found himself in the wars throughout the game with three head injuries & a changed shirt due to blood. The Crewe defence then went through a spell of blockages & clearances as Fagan, Reid, Hanson & Wells who forced a great save out of the keeper Phillips from close range sent ball after ball at the Crewe box & goal.

After some more clearances from Davies, the first half seemed to slow & dragged on until the referee Paul Tierney blew for half time & was seen off the pitch to a barrage of boo's & abuse.

The highlight of the half time break has to be Jonny's mix up which ended up in him re-christening our manager Peter Parkinson as he was not happy with Phil following Peter Turnip & Peter Jackson reigns plus Ellis disappeared to Dogbotherer's country to the step grandmothers. The teams re-emerged for the second half & the game resumed.

However after five minutes of the second half Kyel Reid collapsed in complete agony while chasing the ball. After three minutes of treatment, Reid was stretchered off & taken to the first aid room. It looked like a torn hamstring & judging by him after the game it might well be. He was replaced by Jack Compton.

Shortly after the incident Nick Powell skipped past Simon Ramsden ran a further three yards before throwing himself to the ground into Morten Gamst Pedersen style but unlike Morten managed to con the referee out of a penalty after the linesman who had to look through a packed penalty area flagged for the penalty. Lee Bell the stepped up & smashed the ball against the crossbar, the ball then bounced behind the line & out of the goal to be punched away by Jon McLaughlin. Justice was done.

After Nick Powell then received some rough justice from players & fans alike, the ball then bounced around the area to James Hanson who volleyed home past Crewe goalie Steve Phillips to double the Bantams lead & make Christmas even more merry! 


Then a bit of karma reached the Crewe fans when Craig Fagan dived & after being accused & admitting to the dive then turned to the Crewe fans & shrugged his shoulders to suggest I have dived & so what? You got a penalty from one!


After Mark Stewart came on to replace Nahki Wells the game seemed to be ending in the same vain as the second half of the first half until the 83rd minute. Mark Stewart fouled his own team mate in Ricky Ravenhill. Jack Compton then crossed the ball following the free kick where the ball bounced to James Hanson who slotted into the bottom right corner for his second of the game & to put City 3-0 up & wrap up the boxing day three points after a header down by Luke Oliver.


Lee Bell then had his shot saved by Jon McLaughlin before the long awaited return David Syers. The entire stadium rose to its feet as he replaced Ritchie Jones to make his return. In which he didn't touch the ball but nether the less it was great to see the reigning POTY back on the pitch in a City shirt. Jon McLaughlin then made a save from Jamie Lowry before the game was brought to an end by the official.


After the game Me, Robbo & Carribob headed to the players bar as we had some time to wait for my Grandad. Where after congratulating the team on a fantastic finish & where Jack Compton gave me his match worn boots & helped make my Christmas the even more better.


Oh & get well soon Michael Flynn! Hope you're off the drip & back with us soon!


So, here are the player ratings:
Jon McLaughlin - 7 - Super Jon made saves & stopped shots (same thing I know but still!) when required & made some fantastic stops from the fantastic free kicks by Nick Powell.
Simon Ramsden - 6 - A fantastic block & clearances but apart from that had a quiet game.
Andrew Davies - 7 - Got into the wars & needed a new shirt after one hit too many to the head but made block after block to prevent Crewe Alexandra scoring with the game still at 1-0.
Luke Oliver - 8 - Current front runner for the Player of the Year award & made some fantastic efforts at the back & up front in attack from set pieces as well. Another great performance from the big man.
Marcel Seip - 7 - Great storming run up the pitch in the second half & some good efforts down the left hand side from the ex-Plymouth man. Might only be shifted from the defence through injury.
Craig Fagan - 6 - Did of lot of running & moaning with the odd delivery. Basic Fagan performance.
Ritchie Jones - 7 - Another solid performance from Ritchie. Ran the ball & got stuck in.
Ricky Ravenhill - 7 - A very solid midfielder. Runs the ball very well & isn't afraid to get stuck in, PP needs to sign him up permanently.
Kyel Reid - 6 - Crosses are either too soft or too hard with the odd gem in but get well soon Kyel, injury looks & seems pretty serious.

James Hanson - 9 - MOTM - Fantastic passes, running & headers & topped it all off with two fantastic finishes to give City the victory. Great performance, he's growing on me you know!
Nahki Wells - 8 - Great goal, sorry jammy goal but had some great chances & tested the keeper on a many occasion. Well played Nahki.


SUBS:
Jack Compton - 6 - Came on for Reid & had a great shift putting some great balls in & getting an assist.
Mark Stewart - 6 - With the exception of his yellow card did the same if not more than Craig Fagan but less than Nahki Wells who he replaced.
David Syers - N/A - Not enough time or possesion for the rating but never the less it's bloody fantastic to have David back in the team from injury!


And to finish of the blog, Chapman's XI:
Was it worth the money? It was worth all the Christmas money we could get! City were fantastic throughout & made it worth the money!
City MOTM - James Hanson -  Fantastic passes, running & headers & topped it all off with two fantastic finishes to give City the victory. Great performance, he's growing on me you know!
Crewe MOTM - Byron Moore - The only player to stand out from a very poor team, he ran his socks off & tried to create some rare chances for the visitors.
Quote of the Match - Ben: "When's your DVD out keeper? I want to pick up some tips!" Steve Phillips: "I don't have a DVD out pal because your banters shit!"
Goal of the Match - James Hanson first wins it for me, got the ball into the back of the net with a first time volley after a scramble in the goalmouth.
Moment of the Match - Getting Compton's boots after the game! Made my day!
Fan of the Match - The Santa's at the back of the Kop win it for me! Great effort lads!
Chant of the Match - "Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way! Oh what fun it is to see City win away! Hey!" - We use the festive spirit to celebrate our success! 
FB Status of the Match - Ben: Oi Keeper, when's your DVD out, I want some tips. Keeper: When's your DVD out? Because your banters shit!... Aah Banter! - I reflect on the banter between Ben & the Crewe keeper.
Tweet of the Match - @ParkeronBantams @garethjones25 @bantamsbanter @tannerman774 The Midland Road Stand is 15 years old today! #bcafc - Happy Birthday to the Midland Road Stand!
Referee Watch - Paul Tierney - Man was an absolute muppet & on another day would have cost us the game & much needed points in our fight with relegation.


FATWATCH - Either the Crewe fan in last seasons away shirt in the stand or the lad at the front of the team coach!

Wigan Athletic 1-1 Chelsea - DW Stadium - 17/12/11

So with City picking up a 1-0 win at Southend on the Friday night, me & Carribob decided to do some ground hopping & headed across the Pennines to enjoy the Premier League game between struggling Wigan Athletic & AVB's mixed form Chelsea. 


It was a change from our usual surroundings of VP with James, Jonny & Company back home in Bradford & Ben on the south coast with my cousin James. 


Our journey started with one of the weirdest occurrences of my life so far. Upon leaving the train at Bingley to meet Carribob I was listening to Jack Sparrow by Lonely Island to which I was then greeted by a man dressed as Jack Sparrow! (No Debra, I won't bring him home for you & Mum!)


So, after heading on leg one of our journey & stopping for a McDonalds we headed on leg two which was the train from East Pudsey to Manchester. The only stop on the way was Huddersfield to which me & Carribob was greeted by yet another unusual sight. A man was jumping the fence to the side of the main terminal in which time during this process his pants & boxers had found there way round his ankles so the train was greeted by the sight of his bare backside & well you know!


After a quick run across Manchester Piccadilly to leg three, the train to Salford. We boarded the train & found ourselves stuck at Salford Crescent for half an hour waiting for the last train to Wigan Wallgate which we then caught & got ourselves to our final destination. 


A 15 minute walk through Wigan & we found ourselves at the DW Stadium, home of Wigan Athletic & Wigan Warriors. After a quick trip to the shop & ticket office we found ourselves loitering for the opening of the turnstiles so we took a trip to the players lounge where Ali Al Habsi kindly signed my programme & the stewards unkindly ignored our requests for the Chelsea side. 


However, before the players lounge we were spotted by the crew of ESPN's Talk of the Terrace. They saw our Wigan scarves & presumed we were Wigan fans! So they interviewed us & after Carribob messed up his opportunity, I stepped up to the plate & did a great job & was told my 'Roberto Martinez Come Dine With Me' would be on Talk of the Terrace this upcoming Monday if not Sunday night so take a watch! 


So we headed into the ground & after a wait of 45 minutes & the eating of a rather tasty Hot Dog & drink of coke (£4 for the two, take note City!) the teams entered the stadium & the game got under way.


The first half was a majority Wigan affair with Chelsea struggling. The latics should have been awarded a penalty early on when Victor Moses was brought down in the area but after it was not given Chelsea went up the other end with Gary Caldwell making two fantastic clearances from Daniel Sturridge in the area.


Some more hard work from Wigan saw Victor Moses, David Jones & Connor Sammon presented with chances but neither of the three took them on board. Meanwhile John Terry put a 25 yard drive just wide of Al Habsi's post.


But the first real attempt on goal came from the next Chelsea corner. Jose Bosingwa sent in a cross following a short corner from Juan Mata with David Jones making a clearing header & Oriol Romeu smashed a 25 yard first time effort directly to the bottom corner with Ali Al Habsi getting down to make a fantastic save, tipping the ball wide for another Chelsea corner. 


Wigan then took the rest of the first half by the scruff of the neck with numerous attacks. Connor Sammon having a shot on target blocked by England & Chelsea captain JT, James McCarthy then had an effort blocked by Raul Miereles. The Wigan onslaught continued with Figueroa firing wide & Branislav Ivanovic blocking another Victor Moses attempt. Wigan then finished the half when Victor Moses narrowly missed the ball knowing the slightest touch from the Connor Sammon cross would have sent the home side into half time with a valuable lead.


Not much to report from half time except Kalou & Malouda doing warm ups & Kalou then coming on to replace Oriol Romeu so to the second half.


Chelsea started the second half like a house on fire with Wigan's defence clearing various opportunities from Frank Lampard, Juan Mata, Jose Bosingwa & Didier Drogba before Victor Moses set himself up for a beautiful chance. After some good work to beat Jose Bosingwa & then some unbelivable tekkers to get the ball past JT we all though he'd slot home for 1-0 before somehow managing to fire the ball out for a corner.


But Chelsea then finally got the goal in the 59th minute when a some good Chelsea work saw Ashley Cole send a ball across & Daniel Sturridge brought it down beautifully & fire past Ali Al Habsi to break the deadlock & put Chelsea into a 1-0 lead.


Petr Cech then found himself busy saving shots from Maynor Figueroa & Mohamed Diame before Martinez brought on plan B if you will with Hugo Rodallega & ex-Chelsea man Franco Di Santo coming off the bench after Chelsea went more defensive bring John Obi Mikel on for Juan Mata. During which time Lampard was forced to go off for treatment with a bloody mouth following JT near injuring himself trying to bring down Victor Moses. 


The game looked like it was pattering out with the only moment of note of the next 5-10 minutes saw Florent Malouda come on to replace Daniel Sturridge before Wigan nearly got back into it. Petr Cech slid in & brought down Hugo Rodallega before Jordi Gomez got his legs tangled while trying to shoot into the empty net before the ball bounced to Franco Di Santo who fired wide & left Ashley Cole down in the process.


Then it came, some fantastic work by Mohamed Diame & Hugo Rodallega saw a shot fire through Ashley Cole legs & Petr Cech could only parry it away to the feet of Spaniard Jordi Gomez who fired home from 3 yards to bring the home side level & rescue a much needed point for Wigan Athletic in their fight against relegation to the football league.


Martin Atkinson then brought the game to the end after Chelsea's Salomon Kalou & Wigan's Franco Di Santo both wasted great opportunities to take the three points.


Post match we headed round past the players entrance where we joined the quite large crowd & one of my rare highlights of the past 12 months occurred. Now, every young man grows up idolising a footballer or two. My Grandad idolised Sir Stanley Matthews, my Dad idolised Ryan Giggs & I idolised David Beckham & Frank Lampard. So imagine how excited I got when Frank Lampard signed my programme & had a conversation with me as Carribob got a sneaky picture in for me! Great stuff!


After catching the train back to Manchester we got on the train heading towards East Pudsey where we endured some of the funniest train conversations. Between Manchester & Littleborough the older guard & the young drunken ones had some encounters what left me & Carribob in stitches before the final leg of our journey home between Bradford & that place saw the topic of 'cock holding' come into conversation. And after the train home from L***s we finally got home & our day at the Premier League came to an end.


So, Chapalar's XI:
Was it worth the money? To watch a great end to end game at the highest level of the game as well as meet one of my boyhood heroes in Frank Lampard? YES!
Wigan Athletic MOTM - Connor Sammon - There was a lot of heroes out there for Wigan but none stuck out for me as much as Connor Sammon, great link up play with Dave Jones & Victor Moses with the odd chance on goal & defensive duty as well before being substituted.
Chelsea MOTM - Daniel Sturridge - The young & upcoming England striker showed some great work throughout the game with long runs down the wing, great link up play with the midfield & attack as well as a well taken finish for Chelsea's goal before being substituted. 
Quote of the Match - There was a lot to choose from but the winner has to be this from the train home - Drunken Lass: "Possibly pregnant woman in need of a seat." Old Man: "Let's hope your bloody waters don't break between now & Rochdale then!"
Goal of the Match - Daniel Sturridge's goal for Chelsea, fantastic assist from Ashley Cole & a well taken strike by the England hitman.
Moment of the Match - Not during the match but the bloke at Huddersfield train station who's fare dodging technique left him rather exposed & in possible hot water with the transport police if he was caught!
Fan of the Match - The rather over passionate Wigan fan who nearly caused himself a heart attack with his reaction to Sammon being one of the two Wigan players substituted for Di Santo & Rodallega.
Chant of the Match - "You do know it's not Rugby?" - Wigan fans decide to mock Petr Cech's head & facial gear during the first half.
FB Status of the Match - On Talk of the Terrace on Monday, met Frank Lampard & seen Jonny Mac in train station on way home... Not a bad day! Oh & Wigan deserved the point! - I reflect on the day late into the evening.
Tweet of the Match - @LaticsOfficial Can the bar staff be subjected to the same rigorous checks as Roy Keane? Celebrated an Arsenal goal while I was buying a pie - One Wigan fan fails to see the funny side of the bar staff's celebrations! As anyone pointed out they were playing Chelsea not Arsenal yet?


FATWATCH - Chelsea team coach driver, You could tell he was enjoying that pie!

Bradford City 1-1 Plymouth Argyle - Valley Parade - Saturday 10th December

So, it was time for the Green Army to make the long old poke north to VP for this massive six pointer between the Football League's bottom & third bottom sides.

After our pre match ritual which you now know better than me & Carribob do ourselves. Which this week involved joining in a jog with Dave Syers, Lee Bullock, Mark Stewart, Robbie Threfall & soon to be Bantam Caolon Lavery, we headed into the ground for kick off.

So, the teams shock hands after a warm up which saw Ross Hannah withdraw to be replaced by Jack Compton & we had kick off at Valley Parade & the six pointer was under way.

In typical bog standard bottom of League Two style the game started as it meant to go one with dodgy tackles & hoof ball galore.

The first real chance came from a corner in the tenth minute, when Michael Flynn sent one across with Hanson heading it on before Oliver narrowly tapped the ball wide.

Some more dodgy tackles resulted in a yellow for unsporting behaviour to Plymouth defender Onismor Bhasera.

Then, we recieved some tragic news mid way through the first half. We learnt that Smudge the guinea pig, the cherised pet of Jonny Stott had sadly passed after some 'action' with the rabbit. RIP Smudge, you shall be missed.

Back on the pitch however, James Hanson & Darren Purse clashed heads which resulted in Hanson being vaselined to stop the bleeding from a cut & Purse suffering a bad enough head injury which resulted in a half time withdrawal.

However, before this withdrawal he made a goaline clearance that defies the law of physics. The ball was sent across the goal & Flynn tapped it into the goal or so we thought! Purse came sliding in & somehow cleared the ball of the line round the post for a corner.

So, half time drew & with this being the last time we would see each other before Christmas, the all important topic of presents came up. With me & Ben buying each other one & me sorting out Carribob's Newcastle tickets (Cheers Mick Speight!) it was a straight forward conversation. However, Ben is still looking for a present for Grace. So feel free to send in your suggestions for what Ben could buy a 14 year old lass (Kitchen need not answer) to me, Ben or the blog.

So, to the second half we went & to say it went badly for Bradford City is one hell of an understatement. Especially after they were booed off at the half time interval. After Jon McLaughlin pulled out a fantastic save to stop former Manchester United striker Nick Chadwick, Plymouth later won a corner.

Will Atkinson sent in a inswinging corner to the middle of the box & after some scrambling Simon Walton had a volley which was turned in by Blackpool loanee Craig Sutherland. However, being directly above the goal I can inform you that Sutherland never touched it & it had infact gone in off Ramsden. Our old friends the Dubious Goal Commitee however saved Rambo his blushes.

The City faithful began to get more & more wound up by Kyel Reid who kept losing possesion or stopping attacks, so when Nakhi Wells came on it was met by boos & a small rendition of you don't know what you're doing when it was Fagan who was hauled off.

The game seemed to be pattering out to a Plymouth win as everything was kicked into the stands or down the field by the Green Army's defence until Kyel Reid got a half decent cross in (first time for everything, eh?) & James Hanson manage to work a good technical effort past Jake Cole in the Argyle goal to bring City level & save our blushes versus the Football League's worst (since the game finished, second worst) team.

Plymouth's bad boy left back Onismor Bhasera was sent off for a second bookable offence, he was never lasting the full game. Dirty little sod.

City had a golden chance to win it when a few failed clearances by the Plymouth Argyle tiring defence saw City work the ball to Ricky Ravenhill in the box who somehow scuffed it wide, but a point a piece was fair on both teams & the game was brought to an end.

PLAYER RATINGS:
Jon McLaughlin - 5 - Pulled off a fantastic save from Nick Chadwick in the second half apart from that not much to do for Super Jonny Mac today.
Simon Ramsden - 5 - Far better than Moore & apart from the Plymouth goal proved it today.
Luke Oliver - 5 - Another solid performance by the centre back, should have scored in the first half though.
Andrew Davies - 7 - MOTM - Followed Tuesday with yet another solid performance at the back which stopped City conceding more of Plymouth's few counter attacks, him & Oliver are a solid partnership.
Marcel Seip - 4 - Offered little today & was easily beat for pace by Hemmings & Atkinson.
Jack Compton - 5 - Offered more than Reid with more better balls & some good work with the midfield & attack, bar those throwings with Flynn.
Michael Flynn - 5 - Had a solid game in centre of midfield, makes you realise how good he is when you miss him like Oldham.
Ricky Ravenhill - 6 - After a poor start to his City career has proved to be a very astute loan signing. Offers far more to the team & bar his 93rd minute winning goal miss was very strong today & deserves more praise than he gets.
Kyel Reid - 4 - Did nothing until he saw Chris Mitchell stripping off on the bench & then went & provided a half decent cross to Hanson to bring the Bantams level.
Craig Fagan - 4 - A lot of huffing & puffing & not much else. However, Reid should have gone for Wells not him.
James Hanson - 6 - One of his best games so far. One the majority of headers & a fantastic techincal goal to save City's blushes & rescue the point.

SUBS:
Nakhi Wells - 5 - In typical Nakhi style, came on & made a nuisance of himself.

And to finish, the now re-named & improved Starting XI:
Was it worth the money? No, then Jimmy popped up & it was yes, then went back to no when Ravenhill missed the injury time sitter.
City MOTM - Andrew Davies - Followed Tuesday with yet another solid performance at the back which stopped City conceding more of Plymouth's few counter attacks, him & Oliver are a solid partnership. Plymouth Argyle MOTM - Ashley Hemmings - Ran the City defence ragged with his pace throughout the game, one for the future is the Wolves loanee.Referee Watch - Brendan Malone - Had quite a bit to do this afternoon & got the majority of calls right throughout the game.

Quote of the Match - Got three for you today!
"Haha, My Guinea Pigs died!" - Jonny sees the funny side to the untimely death of his pet Guinea Pig
"Yes! I'm in with Graces mum!" - Ben's badly worded remark to the news that Grace's Mum is a fan of his.
Matthew: "It cost me £14 pound to go to Southend." Me: "Are you looking at student or disabled with carer?" - I decide to make a joke out of Matthew's views on Southend pricing.
Goal of the Match - City's goal after some wonderfully worked finishing by James 'Jimmy' Hanson.
Moment of the Match - The reaction to the news of the death of Smudge the Guinea Pig.
Fan of the Match - The Plymouth fan who took his top off for the whole game, your brave lad! Especially in this weather!
Chant of the Match - Thumbs up if you love Marcel! - Some love being shown to Marcel Seip by the Bradford City faithful with the use of his banterous reaction to scoring v Plymouth for Blackpool back in the Championship a few seasons ago.
FB Status of the Match - Some sad news has reached us here at VP... The tragic passing of Jonny's Guinea Pig. RIP Smudge.


FATWATCH - The severly obesce elderly Plymouth fan towards the front of the away fans.

Bradford City 3-1 AFC Wimbledon - Valley Parade - 03/12/11

So after Nakhi's screamer v Rochdale, we were back for the second round of the FA Cup sponsored by Budweiser with a home tie against a team we all know I have a soft spot for.. AFC Wimbledon.


After my now usual pre match routine & some friendly chatter & banter with the visitors I headed into the ground to take my spot in the Upper Kop, which I must admit I thoroughly enjoy & may even consider a season ticket move up there for next season & got ready for the game.


Before the game begun however, there was a minutes applause for Gary Speed. Gary, who tragically took his own life last Sunday played for Leeds United, Everton, Newcastle United, Bolton Wanderers & Sheffield United in which time he became the first player to reach 500 Premier League appearances before going on to manage Sheffield United & finally his beloved home nation of Wales. 


After a slow opening few minutes in which the only moment of note was Reid's blazed shot over the crossbar, something strange began to happen & I mean strange! This strange occurrence was City dominating a game at Valley Parade!


After some wonderful build up play in the 90 seconds before hand with Hanson showing some tekkers, we took a 9th minute lead when Fagan delivered the ball into the area & the ball fell to the feet of a onside Ross Hannah who tapped past Seb Brown to break the deadlock & give the Bantams an early lead. 


Then in the 14th minute, it got stranger when we went 2-0 up! A wonderful move by Ricky Ravenhill finished with him attempt a shot or a square pass (you decide) & AFC Wimbledon defender Chris Bush show some unbelievable tekkers with a cheeky back heel flick into his own net to double our lead & send us into dreamland!


City continued their dominance of the game after some attempted build up play by the travelling Wombles which was easily dealt with by Oliver & Rambo. Reid, in quite possibly his best shift since joining the club caused problems for Dons captain Sam Hatton with one of these allowing Marcel Seip to have a shot on target which was well held by Seb Brown.


The first half then pattered out with James Mulley (who for those not on twitter has been very sporting contrary to his booking yesterday & wished us the best of look in the next round) booked for un-sporting behaviour & Christian Jolley proving to be not so Jolly after being caught offside. But during these boring last few minutes, Robbo came under some shall we say 'banter' about his relationship which led to laughter & stitches galore between the lads.


A quite dull half time with nothing to report except scaring the seven shades out of the chino brigade in front,  so let's go to the second half.


Just five minutes into the second half, City's lead was halved after some poor defence which allowed Jack Midson to smash the ball past Jonny Mac & make it 2-1. City then had to weather a 3-4 minute storm from the Wombles before a wonderful touch by Hannah saw him force Seb Brown into a wonderful save, however injuring himself in the process & forcing him off to be replaced by Nakhi Wells. 


The Wombles following this made City weather yet another storm with Christian Jolley & highly rated Sammy Moore forcing the defence into hard work before City hit on a counter attack & visiting captain Jamie Stuart hauled Nakhi Wells to the ground & gave City a penalty to restore there two goal lead.


So with Flynn stepping back & allowing Fagan to take the penalty there we were, Fagan vs Seb Brown, who I must say is bloody fantastic with penalty saving & the whistle went. Fagan slotted home just over Brown's left hand to make it 3-1 & wrap up the game & secure City's passage into the third round, in which we will make our first appearance since the 2003/04 season.


The section of the kop I was located in went wild, in which there is a video on Facebook & Youtube. But then, after some end to end football & substitutions from both sides, the game pattered out & the referee blew the whistle to end the game & confirm our place in the FA Cup sponsored by Budweiser Third Round Proper.


The draw was made early Sunday afternoon & the Bantams will travel to Npower Championship side Watford. The tie will take place at Vicarage Road on Saturday 7th/Sunday 8th January.


PLAYER RATINGS:
Jon McLaughlin - 7 - Some good saves when needed, defence looks far more assured with him in goal instead of Duke.
Simon Ramsden - 7 - Some good runs down the right as well as clearances at the back.
Luke Oliver - 8 - This man just gets better & better, some fantastic clearances & last ditch challenges to help out City.
Andrew Davies - 8 - Good to have him back from suspension, defence has seemed far more solid with him today & at Gillingham last week. Made some good clearances.
Marcel Seip - 7 - Good effort in first half & had a decent shift in defence as well as helping out attacking wise as well.
Craig Fagan - 6 - Looks poor out wide for me personally. Just seems lost & is far better & more useful up front.
Michael Flynn - 7 - A debate of was he deliberately booked so he could be rested for Oldham without a fans backlash is ongoing, however looked as solid as ever in midfield.
Ricky Ravenhill - 8 - MOTM - The lad on loan from Notts County, practically ran a tight midfield which was effective in defence as it was attack & also his shot/square tricked Chris Bush into a OG for the Bantams second. 
Kyel Reid - 7 - In my opinion his best performance to date in the City shirt, ran Sam Hatton ragged & was very effective. However, I still have a problem with him in getting back to help out the defence like Jack Compton.
James Hanson - 7 - One of his better shifts, won the header for Hannah's goal & showed some unbelievable tekkers in the first half. 
Ross Hannah - 7 - Some beautiful touches as well as the opener before sadly going off injured. Good shift by the lad.


SUBS:
Nakhi Wells - 7 - Came on for Ross & caused a lot of problems as well as winning the penalty for 3-1 to wrap up the game & the place in third round.
Jack Compton - 6 - Took Reid's roll of causing problems for Hatton in the latter stages of the game. Looked good getting back as well.
Luke Dean - 5 - Only came on in injury time but looks like one for the future.


And to finish, the now re-named & improved Starting XI:
Was it worth the money? To watch City put in a fantastic shift & book a third round trip to Watford? Yes!
City MOTM - Ricky Ravenhill - The lad on loan from Notts County, practically ran a tight midfield which was effective in defence as it was attack & also his shot/square tricked Chris Bush into a OG for the Bantams second. 
AFC Wimbledon MOTM - Seb Brown - Made some fantastic saves throughout & saved the Wombles from an embarrassment at VP.
Quote of the Match - "Did it wink when you touched it?" - Remark towards Robbo about his sex life, needs no further comment.
Goal of the Match - City's second goal despite it being an OG due to the fact we had some unbelievable tekkers in the finish by AFC Wimbledon defender Chris Bush.
Moment of the Match - The celebration & aftermath of Craig Fagan's penalty. Absolutely wonderful to enjoy & be a part of.
Fan of the Match - The drunk lad in front of me, provided a lot of entertainment & laughter throughout the game.
Chant of the Match - The balls up of the first attempt of Bradford Ranger sticks to mind!
FB Status of the Match - third round, here we come! - Jonny Stott
Tweet of the Match - Watford v Bradford city! Really disappointed it's not us! All the Best to Bradford City FC - AFC Wimbledon midfield James Mulley offers us his wishes of support despite being on the losing side at VP.
Referee Watch - Nigel Miller - One of the better referring appointments of the season. Flynn's yellow card is the only moment of debate caused by him.


FATWATCH - There isn't one this week I'm afraid! 

Bradford City 2-3 Rotherham United - Valley Parade - 19-11-11

So, off the back of our cup success against League One opposition, a third derby in 10 days & a return to league action was in order. With a certain goal v Rochdale still the talking point, Nakhi Wells 30 yard screamer to book us a home tie versus Scunthorpe United or AFC Wimbledon in the next round.


Anyways, after our usual pre match routine, which included pre match egg chasing banter with Lenny & some laughing at Lewis Grabban's movember attempt (he sees things & beats up bathrooms you know!) the teams came out & it was time for derby day at VP.


It was a bit of a sketchy start to the game with free kicks & fouls dominating the early exchanges with Rovrum's Marcus Williams having the only decent chance on goal. 


But during this, the focus was on the travelling support from Sheffield (You don't have a home!) who's larger than expected following along with going through the wrong gates meant that the netting used to segregate the away fans had to be moved a block... with fails galore. First off all, the stewards moved out of position leaving Rotherham & City fans more than enough room to go for each other & in moving the netting tangled Rovrum fans in & trapped one or two before eventually blocking off an exit, lucky we didn't need an evacuation like Middlesbrough the other week then!

Meanwhile back on the pitch, Gareth Evans return to VP ended with Flynn's well timed two footed challenge caused a ligament or cartilage injury which meant he had to be subbed off for Marcus Marshall & spent the rest of the game being carried on the sidelines or on crutches. 


Then after a cleared off the line header following Williams attempt to put City into the lead, Rovrum were given a clear as day penalty when the ball struck Luke O' Brien's arm. Lewis Grabban stepped up & sent Jonny Mac the wrong way to break the deadlock & put the visitors into the lead.


Bradford then went on the attack with various chances being blocked before our moment came in 34th minute. Jack Compton after passing Dale Tonge sent in a peach of a cross to be headed home from 2 yards by fellow former Falkirk man Chris Mitchell to bring the Bantams level. Jubilation was clear to see round the ground. 


The first half ended who it started with free kicks & fouls in a bit of a stop start affair before pattering out to half time. So, onto the second half.


After Rovrum keeper Conrad Logan saved from Nakhi Wells & Steve Williams, Rovrum went on the attack & after some extremely poor pub league defending by the City defence, ex-Leyton Orient man Alex Revell smashed home after a deflection of the post past a helpless Jonny Mac to put the visitors back into the lead. 


From here, City got worse & worse until some poor defensive errors cost us again 5 minutes later. Jason Taylor took a free kick & after some poor defensive errors despite two good saves from Jonny Mac, Marcus Marshall tapped home from 5 yards to make it 3-1 & kill the game off.


After bookings for Williams & Fagan & some more poor defence yet again saved by Jonny Mac, PP made all three of his subs in one go in an attempt to salvage something. Reid, Hannah & Hanson came on to replace Fagan, Compton & Mitchell.


City & Rovrum slugged it out with only Nakhi Wells providing some decent effort on goal, then injury time came & the game look to have ended. Until, madness ensued. 


Rovrum's ex-Rochdale man Jason Taylor handled in the box to give City some salvation, with captain Michael Flynn stepping home to slide the ball down the middle for 3-2 to try put some cover on a bad performance but then with Jonny Mac up for a last chance corner, something seemed to go in City's favour for once.


After some slugging it out in the box Michael Flynn smashed the ball as hard as possible into Sheffield's third sides Jason Taylor, but it wasn't handball let alone a penalty. Flynn took the ball & placed it on the spot, one strike high down the middle is what was needed for an un-deserved yet we'd have taken it point. He stepped up & bottled it with a poor effort easily saved by keeper Conrad Logan to keep it at 3-2 & send City fans home disappointed yet again.


Bradford City Player Ratings:
Jon McLaughlin - 7 - MOTM - Yet another fantastic performance by Super Jonny Mac, the only player who deserved any sort of special praise after this shambles. Just a shame his defence let him down!
Marcel Seip - 4 - Unlike his shift at right back versus Swindle he was very poor in comparison in this game.
Luke Oliver - 4 - His poorest game of the season for me, some good clearing headers but seemed to go missing a lot.
Steve Williams - 4 - Some good headers in attack, shame he's a defender.
Luke O' Brien - 3 - How people can say he's twice the left back that Scouse is, is a joke in itself! He offers naff all to the team & was extremely poor, Threlfall should walk straight back in when fit!
Chris Mitchell - 5 - Did his bit when needed before being subbed even if he did go missing a bit, would of been a four but his goal got him a 5.
Michael Flynn - 4 - Always misses when it matters! After a nothing game in which he got some salvation with his tackle on Evans & his first penalty, to then go & blow it by missing with a poor, poor penalty.
Ricky Ravenhill - 4 - Apparently this man is the midfielder that we 'need'. What is it we need exactly PP? He just looked like another average poor loan signing of yours! Yet you can never judge a book by it's cover.
Jack Compton - 6 - One of his better games, some good crossing & unlike Reid when he loses that ball, he gets his backside into gear & bloody chases it & doesn't give up until he's got possession back! Actually did more at the back than the man behind him, OB!
Nakhi Wells - 6 - He should be in this Starting XI without fail! He was fantastic again, did all the running & chased the ball, a bigger team will snap him up if he keeps going like this!
Craig Fagan - 4 - Offered nothing to the team on the day, just seemed to run around a lot.


SUBS:
James Hanson - 3 - Yet another poor shift, won nothing & just seemed to keep losing possession. The lads always resort to Taylor style hoof ball with him on the pitch!
Ross Hannah - 4 - In typical Ross style, came on & tried his hardest, playing his big heart out. Just seemed to go missing towards the end.
Kyel Reid - 3 - Poor choice to replace Compton for him. Unlike Compton he just sulked when he lost the ball & offered very little.


Ten Categories chosen by Chapalar:

Was it worth the money? If Flynn had of tucked home that 95th minute penalty then there would have been a case but either way it was poor & I'm glad to see the back of it.
City MOTM - Jon McLaughlin - Yet another fantastic performance by Super Jonny Mac, the only player who deserved any sort of special praise after this shambles. Just a shame his defence let him down!
Rotherham United MOTM - Danny Schofield - The ex-Millwall man was the only Rovrum player who stood out for me throughout the game, some good football in middle of park by him. 
Quote of the Match - "So Compton crossed it in & got his head on the end of it?" - Our beloved steward letting us know his thoughts on the possibility of Compton being Usain Bolt
Goal of the Match - None of them stick up as they were either scrappy or penalties so I'll have to go with our first as Compton was fantastic in the build up.
Moment of the Match - The build up to Flynn's missed penalty after it was awarded, just a shame about the anti-climax.
Fan of the Match - Robbo's bird for some entertainment during a dead second half.
Chant of the Match - "We've got a new ground, we've got a new ground, you won't get to see it, we've got a new ground." - Rotherham United taunt us about our very perilous position at the moment.
FB Status of the Match - Josh Chapman- Cant wait till we ditch City for the 92. - Ben vents his anger at the shambles on show.
Referee Watch - Mark Heywood - Seemed to give everything to Rotherham until injury time at the end of the game, another basic lower league refereeing performance. 


And finally...
FATWATCH - It's a tie between the Rotherham fans under the Walton Swift advert. The lad in the white hoody & his friend in the Rovrum home shirt. Who wants another pie then?

Sheffield United 1-1 Bradford City - Bradford City win 6-5 on Penalties.

So, after my constant bashing of this pointless worthless reserve team point pot cup it's become a worthwhile money making possible Wembley trip lower league FA Cup!


The game got under way at Bramall Lane & with the Sky lights on bright there wasn't much to report from the opening moments of the game except some chances for Sheffield United, with many blown by Ched Evans (She said no Ched!).


City then began to turn on the style with Ross Hannah heading over following some great work by Jack Compton down the left hand side. Then some more work from Compton alongside Hannah saw a ball fly across for Craig Fagan to head in but Steve Simonsen got his gloves on the ball to turn it over. 


Some more Sheffield United pressure following this saw the deadlock broken. Matty Phillips, in his final game for the blunts before returning to Blackpool took the ball outside the area & struck the ball low & hard to the bottom right hand corner in which time Jon McLaughlin turned the ball onto the post, unfortunately for Jon it was the inside not the outside of the post.


Some end to end football followed so I decided to go get a hot dog, a decision I now regret.


After purchasing the food & drowning it in Ketchup there was a roar from behind me, I rushed back to my seat (leaving Ellis behind in the process) to see that City had equalised. I had to wait for the half time highlights on the screen to find out what our goal looks like but now I know! Flynn got the ball & took the ball around a Sheffield defender, Compton ran to the wing taking a defender with him to give Flynn the opportunity to shoot from distance which he took with the ball flying past Simonsen to bring the scores level going into the half time break.


Not much to report from half time so directly into the second half.


Craig Fagan blazed over a golden chance to put the Bantams into the lead early on for the Bantams with Compton, Mitchell, Rambo & all the rest of the lads putting some of the best shifts of the season into trying to take the lead but for every attack we had they produced a counter attack & the defence were as much on the ball as the attack.


This continued through all of the second half with Devitt producing two oh so near chances until James Hanson was thrown on for Compton. From this point on until Full Time hoofball was the order with everything going in the air to Hanson. But after a last ditch goal-line clearance on the full time whistle, penalties was on the cards again for us in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.


But before we go to the shootout I must point out the disgusting actions of Sheffield United captain Michael Doyle. He stamped on Jamie Devitt with clear action to cause harm, possibly breaking the young lads leg. I hope the FA take severe action on this muppet! Let's make an example of him immediately!


So the Penalty Shootout:
Chris Porter - Saved by Jon McLaughlin. 0-0.
Michael Flynn - Saved by Steve Simonsen. Remains 0-0.
Neil Collins - Tucks it away 1-0 Sheffield United.
Craig Fagan - Bottom left corner, 1-1.
Matt Phillips - 2-1 Sheffield United.
Oh Ritchie you're so fine! - 2-2.
Matthew Lowton - 3-2 Sheffield United.
Jamie Devitt - Fires home, 3-3.
Michael Doyle - 4-3, precedes to Shush the City fans.
Marcel Seip - Cool under pressure, 4-4.


So to sudden death we go...
Harry Maguire - Save by Jon McLaughlin, 4-4.
Luke O' Brien - Agonisingly hits the post, 4-4.
Kevin McDonald - 5-4 Sheffield United.
Simon Ramsden - 5-5, we keep going!
Erik Tonne - Save by Jon McLaughlin! 5-5.
Chris Mitchell - Fires home for 6-5 City & the victory! Que Sera Sera & all that!


Bradford City Player Ratings:
Jon McLaughlin - 8 - This is why he should start over Duke! Shot stop after shot stop by the lad, then went on to be the hero of the penalty shootout.
Simon Ramsden - 8 - Bradford's Owen Hargreaves returned from a 9 month lay off with a Hargreaves-esque return. Returned written off & dubbed a waste of a wage to have one of the games of his career! Could mean we won't see much Moore! (Clever little influx!)
Marcel Seip - 8 - MOTM - One of many contenders but wins it for me! He played his heart & soul out getting a block if not attempting to on every ball what went in the box, also made lots of surging runs up the field & was helpful in attack.
Luke Oliver - 8 - What can this man do wrong this season? He's solid as a rock at the back & up in attack! Headers, blocks & clearances galore by the big man!
Luke O' Brien - 6 - Poor first half, mediocre second half. Only player I can't praise from the starting XI.
Chris Mitchell - 8 - Provided perfect cover for Rambo throughout the game, ran his heart out & like Compton provided some promising balls into the box.
Michael Flynn - 8 - Led by example once again. Did his job perfectly in the middle of the park & of course him tekaboo son moment to bring City level!
Ritchie Jones - 8 - Beautifully passed the ball around, he just seems to make everything click in midfield.
Jack Compton - 8 - Played some beautiful on the deck football with the rest of the lads, made promising runs down the wing & some fantastic crosses into Fagan & Hannah throughout.
Craig Fagan - 7 - Even though he had some guilt edge chances & ran his socks off. He was lacking his usual flair, that's why he gets a 7 instead of an 8. Also why did he use his head for the header in the first half? Forehead it & it's a goal!
Ross Hannah - 8 - Ran his socks off & got on the end of some promising balls from Compton before being subbed off for Devitt.

SUBS:
Jamie Devitt - 7 - Came on & had chances & created chances, looked promising & hope he gets a start on Saturday!
James Hanson - 5 - Came on, changed the on the ground ethic to hoofball & offered very little to the team I'm afraid. 

So, Ten Categories chosen by Chapalar:

Was it worth the money? To watch yet another famous penalty shootout derby victory in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy... Of bloody course!
City MOTM - Marcel Seip - One of many contenders but wins it for me! He played his heart & soul out getting a block if not attempting to on every ball what went in the box, also made lots of surging runs up the field & was helpful in attack.
Sheffield United MOTM - Matty Phillips - Good Goal & was the only Sheffield United player who caught my eye, beggers belief why he isn't in the Blackpool XI!
Quote of the Match - "On the plus side, this hot dog is delicious!" - Me on missing Flynn's goal!
Goal of the Match - Michael Flynn my Lord! Took out a defender, waited for Compton to take another one out with a clever dummy before smashing home a 25 yarder to bring the Bantams level!
Moment of the Match - The Bradford fans reaction when Chris Mitchell scored the winning penalty! As master card would say... Priceless!
Fan of the Match - The overenthusiastic City fan who didn't care he'd got a hole in his arm from falling onto the steps because we'd won on penalties! 
Chant of the Match - "She said no Ched! She said no!" - Ched Evans at the receiving end of some not so friendly banter about the rape allegations made against him.
FB Status of the Match - Penalties.... May god have mercy on us all!!!!!!!
Referee Watch - Mark Haywood - Seemed to give everything to Sheffield United, but for once the fans & lads didn't succumb to a dodgy referee & we went on to prevail victorious!

And finally...
FATWATCH - The little wannabe Rambo in the blue adidas jacket in the Sheffield United end.

Fans Eye View - Cheltenham Town

I've been busy & unable to do the blog since our home victory v Northampton two weeks ago however today marks the debut of a new item to the blog - Fans Eye View.


To kick us off is Rob Mathews, a fan of tomorrow's opposition Cheltenham Town. Here he answers a few questions for the blog. 


Hi Rob thanks for taking part, 


How long have you supported Cheltenham Town?
This year is my fourth year.


What has been your all time favourite match as a fan of Cheltenham Town?
Probably Lincoln away last season, we had to win to stay up and they were all but relegated if they lost, we ran out 2-0 winners, a great day that was.


What are your chances of promotion this season?
I'd say 50:50, depending if the manager uses our big squad or if we have our annual slip down the table next year, a lot of stronger teams than us this season gunning for promotion as well as us.


Mark Yates (Cheltenham Manager) has received a lot of criticism, is it justified? And, has he won any of them over this season?
Maybe last season it could of been justified, we went on a poor run and nearly got relegated, but he had a tight budget and it takes a few years for a manager work to really start showing. also, the fans were expecting promotion after such a good run upto christmas, and many couldnt face upto the fact that last year just wasnt our year. however, i think this year yatesy has won over alot of his critics due to the business in the summer & the results the side are currently acheiving.


Is their anyone in your squad Bradford City should be wary of ahead of the game?
Our two strikers, Darryl Duffy & Jamie Spencer (on loan from Huddersfield), both have scored 7 and 5 goals this season respectively also, our winger we signed from AFC Wimbledon in the summer, Kaid Mohammed, his pace is frightening and he can't get around anyone with ease. in the defence, our left back is on loan from Everton (Luke Garbutt) and he gets forward alot, our other full back, the Portugese lad signed from Bath City (Sido Jombati) is strong and agile although he doesnt look it! Marlon Pack and Russell Penn (central midfielders) are the toughest in the division and our goalkeeper Jack Butland is on loan from birmingham and is a regular in the england U21 squad. so basically most of our team.


Do you think Cheltenham like most sides will up their game for their trip to Bradford?
I think we always up our game for away games, but I imagine we will need to more than usual for tomorrows game, with the bradford fans who arrive in numbers on the players minds.


Have you been to Bradford before? If so, what memories do you have of Valley Parade?
Tomorrow will be my first trip to Bradford.


You've never finished higher than 17th in League One, where as Bradford have been in the Premier League in the past, do you think this makes Bradford City a bigger scalp than say a Swindon or Crawley?
Personally no. I think Bradford are now a mid table team, whereas Swindon & Crawley are gunning for promotion. However, being a big club its always nice to beat someone like Bradford, especially away from home.


What's the result going to be tomorrow?
I'd say a draw, 2-2.


Thanks for the interview Rob! Just one last question, how's the rest of Cheltenham Town season going to plan out?
Possibly a JPT final up ahead! And if we can use the squad properly, we will get promotion, if not I think we will finish mid table.