On the 4th May 2012 Bradford City ended their 2011/12
League 2 campaign with a 0-0 draw at home to Swindon Town to cement their place
in 18th position in the fourth tier of English football.
Having not spent a penny in the summer transfer window,
hopes among the Bradford faithful for a successful season were quiet, maybe
minimally optimistic.
So what were the aims for the 2012/13 season?
Well according to ‘The Width of a Post’, a Bradford City
blogging site, their fans all had similar views before a ball was kicked this
season.
“I don’t see why the play
offs should be out of the question.”
“My heart says play offs all
season flirting with the automatics, and my head says mid table/top half and
flirting with the play offs.”
“I will predict that City
will finish 6th and let the lottery of the play-offs
decide whether, at the start of the 2013-2014 season, Bradford will be walking
out as a League One club.”
The play offs. So, a
successful, exciting season ahead then?
An exciting season or not, what was to come, couldn't have
been predicted by the most optimistic Bantams fan.
In 1998, the Rhodes family took over Bradford City, they
injected several million pounds into the club and with the likes of Peter
Beagrie, Lee Mills and Robbie Blake, The Bantams were promoted to the Premier
League. With a remarkable survival in their first season back in the top
flight, the second wasn't to be the same. After a huge financial gamble didn't pay off, relegation loomed all season and when the inevitable finally became
reality, the club were hooked onto a downward spiral. In six years the club had
gone from Premier League stardom to the basement of the Football League.
The Bantams currently lie 10th in League 2, only
two points off of the play off places, so promotion is a realistic possibility
with 19 games still to play.
But last night, Bradford went into a League Cup Semi-Final
Second Leg with Aston Villa of the Premier League with a 3-1 lead.
Hang on, semi-finals?! How did they get there?
First Round:
Notts County 0-1 Bradford City (AET)
Alan Connell’s curling effort in the fifth minute of added
time was enough to send Bradford through to the second round of the Capital One
Cup. In a game that County dominated, the Bantams defended heroically before
giving Notts a real kick in the teeth to snatch a late, late winner.
Second Round
Watford 1-2 Bradford City
Bradford shocked Championship outfit Watford in their back
yard as two late goals did the business for the Bantams. Kyel Reid cancelled
out Ikechi Anya’s opener with a powerful striker before Garry Thompson struck
from 15 yards to clinch a memorable victory for those that made the long
journey from West Yorkshire.
Third Round
Bradford City 3-2 Burton Albion (AET)
City once again came from behind to send themselves into the
last 16 of The League Cup. A Nahki Wells double in the last seven minutes of
time saved the club from exit as Burton went 0-2 up inside the first half. But
a spirited display took the tie to extra time where Stephen Darby found the
bottom corner to send the 4,000+ crowd home dreaming of what could be.
Fourth Round
Wigan Athletic 0-0 Bradford City (AET), Bradford won 2-4 on
pens
Bradford’s wonderfully defiant defensive display remarkably
earned the League Two club a place in the Quarter Final of the Capital One Cup.
Blocks, tackles and bravery for 120 minutes was enough to take the tie with
Wigan to a penalty shoot out where Shaun Maloney and Jordi Gomez missed the
decisive kicks.
Quarter Final
Bradford City 1-1 Arsenal
(AET) Bradford won 3-2 on pens
Bradford City shocked European giants, Arsenal at Valley
Parade in front of 23,000 fans to send them into the semi-final of the League
Cup. Garry Thompson volleyed the hosts ahead before Thomas Vermaelen headed
home after 88 minutes. Bradford managed to hold on through extra time and take
the tie to penalties. Santi Cazorla, Marouane Chamakh and Vermaelen were the
guilty culprits this time, as Bradford recorded arguably the biggest result in
the club’s history.
Semi – Final, First Leg
Goals from Nahki Wells and Rory
McArdle gave Bradford an astonishing 2-0 lead. Andreas Weimann pulled one back
for the Birmingham club but Carl McHugh headed in Gary Jones's corner two
minutes from time to make it very much advantage Bradford going into the second
leg.
So, “little Bradford City” from the fourth tier of English
football had made it to the last four of the competition. Giants such as
Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur had been
knocked out an earlier stage than Bradford. Scenes like this had only
previously been seen on teenager’s gaming consoles in West Yorkshire.
Bradford’s success shows that major foreign investment isn't crucial to success and that every single one of the 92 Football League clubs
can reach the heights that Bradford have, on a low budget and that grit,
determination and team spirit can enable clubs to endure the success that some
believe, belongs only to the ‘big boys.’
I’m sure the majority of the Football League will be
cheering on Bradford come the 24th February in their final against
either Swansea City or Chelsea and after their remarkable cup run, who’s to
doubt that they can’t just go on and win the tournament? Whether they do it or
not remains to be seen, but it seems that the glory days have finally returned
to Valley Parade.
Liam Horler
